The northeastern edge of the Amazon, in Brazil’s Maranhão state, is a biological treasure: Mahogany and andiroba trees shade rare orchids, bromeliads and endangered species like jaguars, giant armadillos and tapirs. Rivers and wetlands here regulate rainfall across South America, while vast carbon-rich soils help stabilize the global climate.

Yet, this abundance faces a variety of threats: illegal loggers carve out valuable timber, land grabbers clear space for cattle and crops – and wildfires, intensified by hotter, drier seasons, rage through the forest’s fringes.

A group of Indigenous women is not ready to stand by in the face of these threats. They call themselves “Guerreiras da Floresta”,  Forest Warriors. They are Guajajara women, members of one of Brazil’s largest Indigenous Peoples, called Tenetehara in their own language. Living mainly in Maranhão, the Guajajara have long balanced farming, hunting and strong spiritual ties to the forest. Today, many of their women step into public leadership, advocacy and environmental education, blending ancestral ecological knowledge with modern tools to defend their land and culture. 

“For us, as women and as young leaders, protecting and conserving our ancestral lands is not just important, it’s essential to who we are,” Poliana says. “We are a united collective of women, working shoulder to shoulder with other groups in our territory to defend the forest. This project fills us with pride because it strengthens our ability to safeguard our homeland and ensures that our efforts to preserve it grow even stronger.”

Defending a critical ecosystem 

The Caru Indigenous Land, which is patrolled by the Forest Warriors, is a critical ecosystem that maintains biodiversity corridors, protects watersheds and acts as a living cultural landscape for the Guajajara community. Yet, each dry season brings new fires, some set intentionally to clear land, others sparked accidentally and fanned by hotter, drier weather. 

Poliana and her group of Forest Warriors respond quickly, often hiking for hours to reach hotspots. They conduct controlled burns to prevent catastrophic wildfires and educate surrounding villages about the dangers of slash-and-burn farming. Their example has inspired similar brigades across neighboring territories from Maranhão to Tocantins. 

Global recognition 

Their courage hasn’t gone unnoticed. The collective was featured in the documentary series “Guardians,” produced by BBC Earth, the Prince of Wales and The Royal Foundation and even appeared on London billboards. Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, highlighted the series to underscore their global relevance: “Humanity must understand the role of Indigenous Peoples and their territories in protecting biodiversity and maintaining climate balance.” 

The Prince of Wales also spoke highly of the group’s efforts: “Protecting our natural world has become one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. These are the unsung heroes; the true Guardians of the natural world, defending nature and the planet’s future for all of us.” 

Protecting the future of all people 

For Poliana, protecting the forest is inseparable from safeguarding the future of everyone on the planet: “Through our talks and awareness campaigns, we can help the non-Indigenous population understand how vital it is to preserve these lands. Not only for us, as Indigenous Peoples, but for all of humanity.” 

In a world facing rising temperatures and widespread forest loss, Poliana’s words are both a warning and a call to action: the survival of the Amazon, and the planet, relies on alliances as strong and steadfast as the Forest Warriors themselves.