After eight days in São Paulo, we travelled to Ubatuba, a coastal town about four hours away, by bus. While in Ubatuba, we had free time to relax and enjoy the beaches. We were also privileged to visit two local communities during this time. Our first visit was to the Boa Vista Indigenous community. This…Continue Reading Olá, Ubatuba!
Arrival in Sao Paulo I have currently been in Brazil for a total of 5 and a bit days, and WOW, there is much to talk about. There have been many cultural differences I could easily say I was, or wasn’t expecting, and both in equally negative and positive ways. I’d like to specifically cover…Continue Reading The City From The Outside
The idea of being tightly compressed in an aircraft for almost 24 hours isn’t appealing, but long-haul flights seem to be my thing, seeing as I developed the gift of successfully sleeping through most of the flight journey. We approach the lush greenery and specs of copper that coloured several buildings and homes below us….Continue Reading My First Impression of Brazil
Hoki mai whenua, hoki mai moana This trip has so far transformed my understanding of what it means to reclaim land and story. Beyond the legal reclamation of land through demarcation in Brazil, the reclamation of knowledge and knowledge expression practices are something I have leaned into over the past two weeks. In Ubatuba, we visited…Continue Reading LANDBACK
When we arrived to Ubatuba from São Paulo on our three hour bus ride, our first instinct was to go for a swim at the beach. Our Hostel was located quite close to the local beach in Ubatuba. There were two beaches nearby, a calm family-friendly beach, and a surfer’s beach with 3 meter waves;…Continue Reading Ubatuba & Indigenous Communities
Nau mai e te tau rua blog! The fight! The fight for indigenous people in Brazil and around the world is REAL. This week was heavy. Every day was an emotionally enduring, heart-tugging, spirit-evoking marathon of understanding the real fight against white nationalism and the continued oppression of indigenous people here in Brazil. My heart…Continue Reading The fight
NAU MAI HOKI MAI KO TAKU CHAOS BLOG AHAU! Welcome to my Chaos blog. Enjoy! My pre-arrival plane thoughts: “Currently on the flight over and am feeling a mix of emotions. IDK what it is, but I’m happy, excited, nervous, and unsure, but feeling completely blissful. Partly because I’ve had two full glasses of red,…Continue Reading G….. I’M IN BRAZIL!
When I told people I was going to Brazil for an exchange, I heard a lot of the following: “Please be careful” “Try don’t get shot!” “Make sure you hold on to all of your valuables as close as you can!” “Are you sure you want to go? It’s very dangerous there.” Despite all the…Continue Reading A Waitangi Day ‘Celebration’
Kei ōu ringaringa te ao can be loosely translated as ‘the world is yours’. I agree with the whakataukī that this world is ours, but it is ours to care for, not take advantage of. My time here in Brazil has exposed me to the realities of greed and corruption for land and resources. Corporations and…Continue Reading Kei ōu ringaringa te ao – Brazil
As I discover more of Brazil, I have been learning of the complex challenges the country has faced and continues to. Through visits to Indigenous communities, a Quilombo community, the Landless Workers Movement and the Center for Indigenous Work, as well as the NGO GAIALATO, we have been welcomed by lovely people with open hearts…Continue Reading To be in Brazil is to begin to understand Brazil.