The Huni Kuin – “the genuine people” – are an Indigenous society in Brazil and Peru. For hundreds of generations, they call the Western Amazon their home. Some still live in voluntary isolation. Their future depends on the protection of the forest. But their habitat is dwindling. They are desperately fighting for its survival. They are fighting for their future and thus for the future of us all.
The entire culture of the Huni Kuin is rooted in the forest. Unimaginable for many of us in the “Western world”, isn’t it? We see nature as a resource to extract from or as a place where we go to spend our holidays. Unlike the Huni Kuin, we don’t feel the daily urgency to protect it. However, our consumption-oriented lifestyle is a direct driver of the exploitation of the Amazon.
In April 2023 I travelled with Berlin based NGO "Living Gaia" to the Brazilian rainforest to portrait the Huni Kuin. Many questions emerged from this trip - how will the tribe handle the westernization in their future? How will they preserve their traditions and most important - when will we start listening to their voices?
