The sensitive bond established between Ailton Krenak and the audience that filled the auditorium of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp this Friday morning (10/03) transformed the launch of the “Trail of Sustainability” program into an event marked by ancestry. Krenak gave the inaugural lecture of the project, which is a partnership between the School of Corporate Education (Educorp), the Advisory Committee on Ecological Change and Environmental Justice (Cameja) and the Executive Board of Integrated Planning (Depi) at Unicamp.
Applauded standing up several times, the indigenous leader spoke for more than an hour, right after the presentation of the authorities present, including the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, and the general coordinator of the University, Maria Luiza Moretti. Without sparing criticism of the structure of capitalist society and the destructive power of large companies, Krenak reinforced his warning message about the wrong direction the world is taking, pointing out that one of the solutions lies in the possibility of “establishing a sensitive link with the memory of our peoples”, a process he calls “ancestral future”, the name of his most recent book.
The appeal of ancestry brought emotion to everyone’s speech. A professor Josianne Cerasoli, from the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp, spoke of her emotion when handing over Krenak o Academic Recognition Award in Human Rights Unicamp - Institute Vladimir Herzog. Due to the remote format of last year's awards, only on this occasion was the trophy awarded to Krenak, and this in recognition of his outstanding performance in favor of the dignity of life. “We found signs and fruits of their initiatives in numerous places, whether denouncing the various forms of violence against the indigenous body, or sharing their sharp criticism of the values of capitalist society,” said Josianne.
Expectation
At 9am, an hour before the event was scheduled to start, the search for seats in the auditorium was already high. The indigenous Cleidiane Barreto, from the Tucano People of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, a Pedagogy student at Unicamp, said that, for the indigenous people, Krenak is an intellectual reference. “He talks about sustainability, he is a defender of the environment, he is an example for us, who want to be like him.”
Andrea Cunha also awaited Krenak's speech with great anticipation. With a Master's degree in Body Arts from Unicamp, she researched indigenous ancestry and, when she found out he was going to give a lecture, she insisted on being present. “I’ve been following him for a long time. I didn’t want to lose.” Geography student Dimitrie Hristov Júnior said that the teacher allowed the class to participate in the event. “I saw a documentary with him. Very good." To the surprise of the audience and outside the official program, an informal music and dance performance by indigenous students from Unicamp opened the event.
Before Krenak's talk, panelists spoke about the launch of the “Sustainability Trail”, a program that consists of lectures, experiences and workshops scheduled to take place this year and which will address topics such as sustainability, climate emergency, sustainable consumption, environmental education, waste, food sovereignty, energy security and sustainable mobility. Also moved, teacher Sônia Regina da Cal Seixas, president of Cameja, spoke about the important partnership between Educorp, the Executive Directorate of Human Rights (DEDH) and Depi in the “Sustainability Trail” and highlighted the role of the public university in terms of its contribution to society as a whole .
The executive director of DEDH, Silvia Maria Santiago, said she was thrilled to see the auditorium packed for the launch event and the indigenous leader's speech. “We are gathered here and vaccinated, hand in hand with science.” Thalita dos Santos Dalbelo spoke on behalf of Depi's executive director, Douglas Galvão. Educorp director, Edison Lins, also spoke of the joy of seeing the auditorium full and how optimistic he was to see the great interest in the launch of the project.
The rector highlighted o important significance of the event and the presence of Ailton Krenak for Unicamp. “We have a history of fighting for human rights. One of our challenges is that we have the conditions to change the world”, said the rector. For Maria Luiza Moretti, Ailton Krenak is an example.
Provocation
The indigenous leader – who is also an environmentalist, poet, journalist and philosopher – made a point of beginning his speech by clarifying that he had not been invited to “advertise the program that is inaugurated”. His objective as a speaker was to provoke provocations. “That’s why we are here, talking. We are opposing ideas and points of view. I came to provoke you to look inside this organism and see if it has something inside that we could think of as restoring this damaged tissue that is our trust in science, in democracy, in the exercise of life.”
Krenak said his closest friends call him a radical, but he disputes that. “We are talking about sustainability in a world that is teetering on the edge. So sustainability in these terms would be a difficult balance between what is reasonable and what is possible. From an environmental point of view, the planet entered the 21st century with the risk of multiple bankruptcy.”
For Krenak, those who rule countries around the world today are big executives and millionaires. “We thought we elected governments. But corporations are the ones who elect,” he says. “Corporate power is incompatible with democracy. Therefore, the way of governing the world is undemocratic.” And he adds: “Our ancestors have already said that the earth is our mother. How can we talk to those who want to prey on our mother?”
Krenak celebrates the moment we are experiencing today in Brazil, a moment of “blatant visibility of indigenous peoples”, something promoted prominently by the current government. “We have to stand up to life. Life likes to challenge us, as Guimarães Rosa says. We have to talk to her: So come on. For life!"
The ceremony ended with a dance and music performance by the indigenous collective that held, from March 8th to 10th, the First Meeting of Indigenous Academics. At the time, this group also demanded the expansion of quotas for indigenous people at the University.