By Xiting Tong (CS Intern)
“Resisting the ‘avalanche’-like encroachment of the lithium mining industry is not only a collective fight in the community, but most importantly, it is a fight in one’s own heart and mind,” says one of the participants of the agricultural projects in Girau.
In the Jequitinhonha Valley of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the Quilombola—descendants of escaped enslaved Africans who established their own communities—along with the Arana, Pataxo, and Pankararu Indigenous Peoples of Araçuaí, are engaging in a vital struggle against the intrusion of lithium mining on their ancestral lands. With their mix of Indigenous ancestry and legacy of enslaved people, the Quilombola community in Girau prides itself on their rich history of resilience and their quest for freedom.
The community has historically been self-sustainable through farming. Their land is also rich in medicinal plants, and the local communities have been using them and passing the knowledge down through generations. However, the surge in lithium mining has adversely affected local agriculture and has led to increased violence and pollution on Indigenous territories in Girau. The closest and the largest lithium reserves are located only approximately three kilometers from the area of Chapada Lagoon, where the Quilombola communities reside. Mining companies employ strategies like promising job creation and regional development to gain community trust—a tactic reminiscent of the diamond mining era and ventures such as the Irapé Hydroelectric Plant and eucalyptus monoculture. This method casts traditional communities as hindrances to local progress, creating internal conflicts and weakening them to meet corporate objectives. These illegal mining activities violate the community’s rights to Free, Prior and Informed and Consent (FPIC), and go against ILO Convention No. 169. The increasing mining activity also intensified traffic that destroyed the calmness of the community, and children now must be escorted from the school gate to the buses due to the busy traffic. “Our community is practically surrounded by miners from various countries to extract lithium, holding the maps of our land in their hand; we want to resist and fight to preserve our culture, but we do not have much financial support,” one resident said.
The pollution from the mining activities are now putting their crucial livelihood at risk, and the expansion of mining corporations has made encroachment into their territories. The community voiced their dissent and complained to the municipal government, which was only met with indifference. Disappointed at the government, they decided to put up their own resistance. With the help of Cultural Survival and as a grant partner of the Keepers of the Earth Fund (KOEF), now they are aiming to expand their agricultural fields to boost vegetable production and earn profits from their crops. The project fund was used to purchase fruit seedlings, vegetable beds, water boxes, as well as canes and fences for the protection of the field. They not only achieved self-sustainability but also profit from their field by cultivating crops like coconut, kiwi, and so on. Meanwhile, they are also planting medicinal herbs and trying to renew and pass down traditional knowledge regarding cultivation. So far, the most significant setbacks they have encountered is the record heat. The region is already a semi-arid one with poorly distributed rainfall and regular droughts, and climate change has made the situation harsher. For example, with high temperatures, the pineapple harvest last year suffered a huge loss of up to 9,000 reais. But in general, the community was able to mitigate the impact of the climate and finished the proposed plan ahead of time.
In the face of overwhelming challenges posed by the lithium mining industry, the Quilombola community in Girau demonstrated an unyielding spirit of resistance and a steadfast commitment to food sovereignty. Their fight transcends mere survival; it is about reclaiming their agency and ensuring that their cultural heritage endures amid the threats they face. They not only uphold their rich history but also forge a sustainable future through their agricultural initiatives. The community’s efforts to expand their fields, reclaim traditional practices, and adapt to climate challenges reflect a profound dedication to self-sufficiency and resilience. As they cultivate crops and medicinal plants, they nurture not just the land but also their identity and connection to their identity. In this ongoing struggle, the Quilombola people are standing firm against external pressures while striving to protect their rights and the integrity of their land. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true strength lies in unity, heritage, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.
In 2024, Comunidade Córrego Narciso do Meio recieved a Keepers of the Earth Fund grant. The Córrego Narciso do Meio community in Araçuaí, Minas Gerais, Brazil consists of 60 families of African and Indigenous heritage. Their territory has been certified as Quilombola since 2016 and is led predominantly by women. For 30 years, they have been engaged in a struggle for water security. The goal of their project is to strengthen the community’s ability to preserve their ancestral territory and resources from pressures from nearby lithium mining operations and prevent further displacement to urban areas. With the KOEF funds, the community will implement infrastructure to channel, store, and distribute water from the Calhauzinho Dam to the community.
