Indigenous responses to the pandemic: Public action in contexts of emergency

ABSTRACT

The indigenous health policy in Brazil is composed of an ecosystem of diverse organizations, including government agencies and indigenous, indigenist, and religious associations. Regional and ethnic diversities and the differences in the nature of the partnerships bring challenges to guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples. This paper adopts a multi-centric perspective of public action to understand how this network of actors articulated responses to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conservative government of President Jair Bolsonaro on indigenous lands. We present two case studies based on the experiences of agents and organizations focused on indigenous health in the municipalities of São Paulo (SP) and São Gabriel da Cachoeira (AM), both in Brazil. The results indicate that the networks created among agents supporting indigenous agendas played a central role in confronting the crises and worked as a protective web for indigenous populations’ rights during periods of democratic regression. The study highlights the importance and challenges of maintaining an intercultural dialogue with indigenous communities and partner organizations’ ethical and political commitment to the effectiveness of this model of indigenous health policy.

Keywords:
civil society; State; participation; indigenous health; COVID-19