Fruturos - Tempos Amazônicos

Amazonian Times

Tropical forests are present in several regions of the planet, concentrated in areas near the equator. In addition to being extremely rich in biodiversity, these forests also function as large carbon warehouses stored in plant tissues. The Amazon is the most extensive tropical rainforest, representing about a third of them. The Congo basin in Africa is second, and the forest of Southeast Asia is third. These three exert a significant influence on the rainfall regime observed on continents, as they help regulate the global climate at different scales.

For example, in the case of the Amazon, the rainforest releases freshness and moisture into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, affecting the Prata basin, which includes Argentina and Uruguay.

There is a delicate and complex connecting network that unites various regions of the planet; it is worthwhile to highlight the relationship of the Amazon to the Sahara desert: a cloud of dust comes from there, crosses the Atlantic Ocean and lands in the forest, fertilizing the soil - thanks to the presence of nutrients such as phosphorus - and helping the formation of clouds.

Millennial Amazon

Satellites don't see the spirits of the forest. Modern technology is unable to decipher the deepest ancient secrets of the indigenous peoples. They are diverse cosmologies and knowledge passed down from generation to generation, keeping the forest alive. We can relearn from indigenous peoples coexisting with the forest, but our contemporary selfishness leads us to think we are separated from nature, when in fact, we are nature.

We have lost the meaning of connection, vital to maintaining ancestral experiences in indigenous communities and conserving ecosystems, and that causes gaps in progressive deforestation in untouched areas, in infrastructure works irrespective of sacred territories of these peoples, from slash-and-burn agriculture and land conflicts causing migrations.

Indigenous women and men of the Amazon are probably the first people to notice the effects of the climate emergency, with their way of life put in check. This is the concern of the current generation that no longer wants interlocutors to report to the world that living indigenous people are synonymous with a standing forest.

The "Millennial Amazon" room emphasizes the importance of the diversity of people, languages, and cultures of the largest tropical forest on the planet, also constituted by these populations for thousands of years. The maloca inspiration, an "indigenous common hut," emphasizes the importance of collectivity and invites reflection: it is necessary to have more indigenous peoples involved in making decisions to help postpone the end of the Amazon.

Centenary Amazon

The traditional non-indigenous people in the Amazon have lived there for centuries, molding that biome through their cultures and uniqueness. Nowadays, the river-side dwellers, Afro-Brazilian maroon people, extractivists, rubber-tree tappers, fishermen, and other groups have been facing social, economic, and environmental challenges from climate change and the rapid urbanization in the more remote areas. And thus, they are increasingly more exposed to their vulnerabilities, but this has also revealed their strength and resilience, so they can adapt their lives to intense conditions.

Fishing, agriculture, and extractivism, for example, are ways the communities there can survive to withstand and endure as communities. These practices are being affected in diverse manners and preserving the habits and customs of these populations also means ensuring conservation of the biome. That is because their varied modes of life and sustainable management directly impact the maintenance of ecosystem services.

All their knowledge is also extremely important to Amazonian conservation. The set of knowledge is passed on from generation to generation, even influencing scientific knowledge and contributing to keeping the forest alive. That diversity of thoughts is part of the culture and strengthens the identity of each group of people.

The Sumauma tree displayed in the center of the room is a symbol of part of the efforts exerted for preserving the forest. It is known as the "Amazonian giant" due to its size; it can grow over 70 meters high and 3 meters in circumference at its base. It represents the strength and resilience of the local population.

Guaranteeing the protection of the traditional territories and their rights is the best course of action for the human and sustainable development of the Amazon.

Accelerated Amazon

The Amazon is impressive due to its grandeur, as seen from space. Few human beings have had the opportunity to glimpse, from the stratosphere, this vast territory covered with green, meandering rivers cutting through the forest - part of it legally protected - and with its muddy waters and full of life.

Satellites help to understand the power of the Amazon for those who are on Earth. But this same technology displaying the beauty and diversity reveals worrisome changes in the region that occurred in the past 50 years that will influence the future of our planet.

From above, you can also see the smoke from fires, large clearings opened by illegal mining in indigenous territories, and huge mosaics formed by progressive deforestation or the opening of roads destroying the vegetation within. Science estimates the current loss has reached about 20% of the original forest through predatory activities or disorganized urban growth – a percentage that continues growing…

This impact does not only affect biodiversity or natural systems of carbon absorption and rainfall. The Amazon also suffers from the pollution of rivers and streamlets from insufficient basic sanitation or toxic compounds from illegal mining such as mercury. The reduction in the drinking water supply from one of the largest river basins in the world has increased respiratory diseases caused by smoke inhalation from slash-and-burn farming; migration of traditional peoples due to land conflicts.

This room of the "Amazonian Times” exhibition invites us to reflect on the need to slow down degradation and accelerate the demarcation of indigenous lands and new environmental reserves. It's time to regenerate the Amazon. Time to unite political forces and civil society for forest conservation, investment in education, and improvement on quality of life of the Amazonians.

#WeAreTheAmazon

The author Thiago de Mello, the singers Dona Onete and Gaby Amarantos, the rhythm Marabaixo... These and other cultural expressions are part of the Amazonian way of being, living, and creating. These manifestations are as diverse as the Amazon itself - built by different identities in the region - such as the indigenous, African, European, and other migratory influences.

A multiplicity of contemporary cultures and artistic expressions attract the attention of Brazil and the rest of the world. The diversity of rhythms, such as "carimbó" (a type of rural dance from Pará) and "toada" (a simple and monotonous melody); in gastronomy, "tucupi" (an Indigenous yellow sauce), açaí, guarana, and "pirarucu" (a river fish); in the celebrations and its symbols, such as the porpoises at the Sairé Festival, the oxen at the Festival of Parintins and the Círio de Nazaré rope; in the artistic and literary representatives, such as Fafá de Belém, Milton Hatoum, Jaloo, and many others.

Outside Brazil, the Amazon remains consistent in its cultural diversity, either by the Joropo dance, typical of Venezuela; by the Colombian rhythm Bambuco or by the Peruvian literature, represented by Arturo Hernández, Ana Varela and others.

The Amazon is made up of music, artifacts, flavors, fashions, folklore, graffiti, and other expressions mixing influences from the past and modernity, renewing itself daily. And that wealth is infectious to everyone. Preserving the Amazon also means experiencing its culture. Keep it pulsating and spread it around. Eternalize it. The Amazon of tomorrow is already happening today through the art and culture of its people.

Possible Amazons

We cannot imagine the future of South America without thinking about the future of the Amazon. Conserving the Amazon biome means protecting its natural resources and using them sustainably, ensuring the entire existence of the forest for future generations. But this is only possible through the involvement of the representatives of more than 30 million people living in the region. Understanding and listening to those who live in cities, in indigenous communities, in "quilombos" (communities of Afro-Brazilian maroon people), in extractive reserves, or riverside stilt-houses is essential to implement economic dynamics beneficial to the tropical biome and its population.

It is essential to listen to the voices from the forest to prepare future opportunities for generations to come: people who understand the timeframes of the waters, the rain cycle, the interaction between animals and plants... The Amazonians are part of the solution for the Amazon. When combined with scientific knowledge from local and regional research centers, their traditional knowledge becomes key factors for maintaining forest environmental services and developing a forest-based economy.

An example of the environmental benefits for the population is the evapotranspiration of trees, which form water-laden clouds – the so-called "flying rivers" – responsible for watering agricultural fields and refreshing the cities of the Mid-Southern part of South America. The tiny colored bubbles seen in this room represent the water vapor released from the trees into the atmosphere, an essential phenomenon that influences the continental and global climate.

There is still much to discover about the complex interaction between Amazonian ecosystems and our planet. More than ever, ending deforestation, regenerating degraded areas, and investing in the sustainable development of the local population with products of the forest are essential steps in the conservation of the Amazon. A prosperous (and fruitful) future for the Amazon and humanity is in our hands.

Amazon game

Virtual reality experience
There are hundreds of indigenous peoples – some of them have not yet been contacted – spread across eight countries, in a territory composed by the Amazon biome. Currently, these peoples struggle daily to preserve their different indigenous languages, cultures, and especially their cosmogony, which is a set of theories explaining the origin of the Universe. Such conceptions help to understand the relationships between the indigenous people and the forest. Their knowledge is registered orally, through drawings, or records inscribed in stone or paper, thus we understand why specific living beings are so important to them.

For example, in the Yanomami cosmogony, the sounds of animals are vital in showing their behavior. Birds are mothers of nature and when they tweet, it can mean something good or bad. Even silence matters, because when a tree falls spontaneously or a close relative dies, the forest feels their loss and mourns. They stay inside their homes when there is a storm, because the spirits are walking around and could be angry, and you must respect them.

"Satellites cannot see the spirits of the forest," said Davi Kopenawa, the Yanomami shaman and leader.

In this virtual reality game, you will participate in everyday indigenous activities so you can understand their vision of nature. This relationship built thousands of years ago varies according to each community, but the connection to the environment is common to all of them. Nature is an integral part of their lives. A simple animal has a totally different meaning in the Amazon from what we are used to. The wind, the trees, the sounds... everything is connected. The standing forest supplies nutrients and is a place of harmony.

This game is inspired by reports from Floriza Yanomami leader and produced in partnership with the MAGIC school.