Indigenous peoples rights to land and to socio-environmental justice

Abstract

The aim of this study is to argue about the importance of indigenous peoples' right to land as a means of preserving the environment and achieving socio-environmental justice. The problem is to answer whether it is possible to protect indigenous peoples' right to land and in what way; and whether it is a means of realizing socio-environmental justice in the context of environmental preservation. As a hypothesis, it is understood that the guarantee of indigenous land is a means of environmental preservation, since the traditions and cultures of the original peoples help to protect the environment, balance the climate and control deforestation and atmospheric and soil pollution. It therefore becomes a means of realizing socio-environmental justice. The specific objectives of this work are to study the concepts of indigenous lands and socio-environmental justice and Brazilian indigenous legislation; to analyze the intercultural relationship between indigenous culture and the environment; and finally, to demonstrate how the plural, biocentric and ecological culture of indigenous peoples contributes to the preservation of the environment. Using a deductive method, a qualitative bibliographical review and an indirect research technique, with legislative and bibliographical analysis, it is concluded that the relationship between indigenous peoples and the environment and the right to land is an example of the intersection between environmental, social and cultural issues, since respecting and protecting these rights not only contributes to the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, but also to the maintenance of cultural and global diversity.