In the month that includes Indigenous Peoples' Day – celebrated on April 19th – we highlight the achievements and obstacles to the representation of native peoples in politics and in building a more diverse political landscape.
According to the 2022 Demographic Census, more than 1.6 million indigenous people live in Brazil, representing 0.83% of the population. Valuing this presence and expanding their representation are fundamental steps to face challenges such as the climate crisis, the protection of territories, and the inclusion of plural perspectives in politics.
Advances in indigenous representation at the polls.
The actions of leaders like Maurício Terena, a RenovaBR alumnus and indigenous lawyer, reveal how much the indigenous presence has deepened and gained legitimacy in various institutional spaces. Maurício is from Campo Grande (MS) and also works as a legal consultant. His career is marked by the defense of fundamental rights of indigenous peoples, the environment, and climate justice. He has led legal strategies for APIB and participated in relevant cases in the Supreme Federal Court (STF) defending territorial and environmental rights, as well as in international forums.
According to data from the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), the 2024 Municipal Elections saw a total of 256 Indigenous candidates elected as mayors, vice-mayors, and council members. This number represents an increase of 81% compared to the 2020 elections, which registered 237 elected officials. In total, more than 1.6 million votes were cast for Indigenous candidates, signaling significant progress in consolidating new leadership committed to diversity and representation.
Growth can also be seen in the number of candidacies: there was an increase of 14,131 compared to 2020, indicating a growing mobilization of these populations around institutional political participation. This movement reinforces the importance of expanding opportunities for training and strengthening indigenous leaders who act with public responsibility, commitment to the common good, and attention to issues that directly impact their communities – fundamental pillars for democratic renewal.
“The indigenous movement made a strategic decision to 'bring politics to the villages',” says the lawyer, highlighting advances such as the election of representatives to Congress, the creation of the Cocar caucus and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. However, he warns that these milestones still coexist with serious setbacks, recalling that, according to CIMI, more than 200 indigenous people were murdered in Brazil in 2024 alone. “Violence against our territories and leaders is growing alarmingly,” he points out.
For Terena, the Brazilian Judiciary has become one of the main battlegrounds for Indigenous rights, which has required strengthening Indigenous advocacy as a political and technical tool. "We are bringing the voices of the territories into the court records, producing historical records, developing legal strategies, and defending our rights autonomously," she states.
Maurício argues that true representation requires more than just occupying seats and demands structural transformation. “It’s not enough to occupy spaces; these spaces need to be transformed to accommodate our ways of thinking, deciding, and building public policies,” he says. According to him, this involves consistent support networks, fair funding, and effective protection of Indigenous leaders. “For me, Indigenous advocacy has been an instrument not only for defense but also for building autonomy and political affirmation for our peoples at the center of decisions that affect us.”
According to Maurício, building a more pluralistic justice system connected to indigenous knowledge requires more than mere presence; it demands listening and institutional transformation. This action is not limited to the legal field. The presence of indigenous leaders in positions of power also represents a strategic response to the climate crisis.
As he points out, indigenous territories are the most preserved in Brazil, precisely because they reflect their own way of life and governance, guided by a relationship of care for the land. When occupying decision-making positions, these leaders bring a logic that, in his words, "puts life, ecological balance, and collectivity at the center," influencing public policies and contributing to sustainable and low-carbon solutions.
