Introducing Our New Chief Mocha Kamanawa

Vari Vari my dear family!

Today I want to share something very important for our people — the Noke Koî of Acre, in the western Amazon.

Our tribe has chosen a new General Chief: Mocha Kamanawa, a young man who carries the deep strength of our ancestors and the big dreams and vision of our youth.

This moment is more than a change of leadership — it is the beginning of a new chapter for the Noke Koî people across all villages.

The Spirit of a New Generation

Our elders have always told us that every generation has its own time to lead. The time of our grandparents was one of survival and resistance. They fought to keep our language, Noke Vana, our songs, and our forest alive.

Now, it is our time — the time of the youth. We are learning to walk between two worlds: the world of our ancestors and the world of modern knowledge. Chief Mocha Kamanawa represents this new generation — one that respects tradition but also understands how to use the tools of today to protect our future.

Living Between Two Worlds

Technology has reached even the most remote corners of our territory. It allows us to share our songs, our art, and our spirituality with the world. But it also brings great challenges — it can distract us from the core of who we are. Across Brazil, there are more than 1.7 million Indigenous people, belonging to over 300 ethnic groups and speaking more than 270 languages (IBGE, 2022). We, the Noke Koî, are part of this great diversity, and we want to show that even in a changing world, our culture remains alive and strong.

Protecting Our Land, Protecting Ourselves

Our land is our life. The forest teaches us everything — it gives us food, medicine, and wisdom. But it is under threat. Here in Acre, deforestation increased by more than 50% between 2019 and 2023 (MapBiomas, 2023). Each tree that falls is a piece of our history that disappears. Across Brazil, Indigenous territories cover about 13.8% of the national land area, yet they are constantly invaded by miners, loggers, and land grabbers (ISA, 2024).

To defend our land is to defend our people, our language, and our spirit. If you are interested to support our mission, please click here to learn more about our food sustainability project called Planting Life.

Education: The Path of the Future

When I was young, no one from our community had ever gone to university to study. Today, we have more than 10 Noke Koî youth studying at university in different fields — education, environmental management, health, and more! This is a great victory for us. Education connects us to the wider world and equips us with knowledge to strengthen our villages. It empowers us to represent ourselves, share our own narratives, and participate in the decisions that define our lives.

Unity and Friendship

Our fight is not only for the Noke Koî people— it is for everyone who depends on the forest- humanity itself. The Amazon, which covers about 60% of Brazil’s land area, stores around 123 billion tons of carbon (WRI, 2022) and protecting it is essential for the whole planet.

That is why we walk together — Indigenous peoples, allies, and friends. We believe that union makes strength. Together, we can protect what is sacred: our land, our culture, and our future.

Walking Together Into the Future

I began my path as a teacher in 2010. Later, I worked in health and with the Indigenous Centre, where I learned about leadership and public policy. Every step taught me something — about responsibility, about love for my people, and about the importance of unity.

Now, I am proud to stand beside our new leader, Chief Mocha Kamanawa. His journey will surely not be easy, but he carries the blessings of our pajés, our women, our youth, and our ancestors behind him.

Our struggle continues — for our rights, our land, and our way of life. But our hearts are full of love, strength, and hope.

The forest lives in us, and through us, it will continue to live.

Thank you, my family, for walking this path together.

Pina Varinawa Chief of Vari Teka Village

Sources

IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) – Censo Demográfico 2022: Povos Indígenas no Brasil

Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) – Terras Indígenas no Brasil: Dados e Estatísticas, 2024

MapBiomas Amazonia – Relatório Anual de Desmatamento 2023

World Resources Institute (WRI) – Amazon Forest Carbon Data Portal, 2022