Ailton Krenak is a charismatic indigenous leader. He was born in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, in the Rio Doce valley, a territory whose ecosystem has been deeply affected by mining. Ever since he gave an unforgettable speech at the Brazilian Constituent Assembly in 1987, where he appeared with his face painted entirely in black as a sign of mourning, he has never stopped fighting for indigenous rights. In this book, Krenak outlines the salient points of his philosophy, which begins with the impossibility of conceiving man and nature as separate entities. This forced division is the real cause of the socio-environmental disaster that defines the Anthropocene era. Only by rejecting the idea that human beings are superior to other forms of life will we be able to give new meaning to our lives and, at the same time, be able to re-establish a healthy relationship with the planet. Krenak argues that indigenous people are the only ones who can give us an example of a different way of life right now. In fact, the indigenous communities of Africa, Asia and Latin America are precisely those who, more than anyone else, have remained profoundly connected to the land, even if we judge their way of life to be unsuitable for modern times, we who have allowed ourselves to be transformed from citizens into consumers. Now that extinction is a real threat to the entire human race, Krenak proposes a new vision of the Anthropocene - which he defines as "the era in which the quality of relationships has been lost" - and urges us to support diversity among peoples as a valuable resource for the future of society and the environment.
Born in 1953, Ailton Krenak is an internationally renowned indigenous leader and environmentalist. He participated in the National Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1988 Brazilian Constitution and was among the founders of the Union of Indigenous Nations. Together with Chico Mendes, he created the Alliance of Forest Peoples, which brings together the riverine and indigenous communities of the Amazon. In 2016, the Federal University of Juiz de Fora awarded him an honorary degree in recognition of his struggles for the rights of indigenous peoples and environmental causes in his country.
Ailton Krenak is a charismatic indigenous leader. He was born in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, in the Rio Doce valley, a territory whose ecosystem has been deeply affected by mining. Ever since he gave an unforgettable speech at the Brazilian Constituent Assembly in 1987, where he appeared with his face painted entirely in black as a sign of mourning, he has never stopped fighting for indigenous rights. In this book, Krenak outlines the salient points of his philosophy, which begins with the impossibility of conceiving man and nature as separate entities. This forced division is the real cause of the socio-environmental disaster that defines the Anthropocene era. Only by rejecting the idea that human beings are superior to other forms of life will we be able to give new meaning to our lives and, at the same time, be able to re-establish a healthy relationship with the planet. Krenak argues that indigenous people are the only ones who can give us an example of a different way of life right now. In fact, the indigenous communities of Africa, Asia and Latin America are precisely those who, more than anyone else, have remained profoundly connected to the land, even if we judge their way of life to be unsuitable for modern times, we who have allowed ourselves to be transformed from citizens into consumers. Now that extinction is a real threat to the entire human race, Krenak proposes a new vision of the Anthropocene - which he defines as "the era in which the quality of relationships has been lost" - and urges us to support diversity among peoples as a valuable resource for the future of society and the environment.
Born in 1953, Ailton Krenak is an internationally renowned indigenous leader and environmentalist. He participated in the National Constituent Assembly that drafted the 1988 Brazilian Constitution and was among the founders of the Union of Indigenous Nations. Together with Chico Mendes, he created the Alliance of Forest Peoples, which brings together the riverine and indigenous communities of the Amazon. In 2016, the Federal University of Juiz de Fora awarded him an honorary degree in recognition of his struggles for the rights of indigenous peoples and environmental causes in his country.
