Join us to mark Indigenous Resistance Day at this extremely special fundraising event in support of the guardians of the Amazon rainforest!

The Nomãnawa are an Indigenous community from the Amazonian region of Acre in Brazil. Their existence is under constant threat from various forms of settler colonialism (mining, logging, big agriculture, land grabs) as well as natural disasters caused by climate change.

Abandoned by the state, the Nomãnawa lack basic necessities like clean drinking water and decent housing. Mercury from illegal mining pollutes the rivers, contaminating the fish they rely on for food causing illness. And their ancestral lands are not officially recognised, meaning predatory capitalism could displace them at any moment.

All funds raised at the event will go directly to the community to support their application for territorial demarcation – official state recognition of the ancestral communal ownership of their land.

Location: Palestine Museum, 27 Broad St, Bristol BS1 2HG

——————EVENT PROGRAMME———————

19:30 – 20:15: Documentary and live video link to the Amazon

We will screen a mini-documentary put together from footage sent to us by the Nomãnawa showcasing both their culture and their struggle to protect the forest. After this, we’ll attempt to connect with their leader, Yama Nomãnawa, live via video link so he can express his concerns directly to us.

20:15 – 21:00: Live music from Nervo Cosmico:

Nervo Cosmico is a Bristol-based duo integrated by the Chilean composer Daniel Linker and the Italian sound artist Matteo Amadio. They combine live acoustic performance with synthetic sound and electronic tools to express a spiritual approach to Nature in which Life is understood as a single self-conscious entity. Their philosophical perspective aligns with Deep Ecology narratives in that humankind is deeply connected with Nature and part of it. Their music aspires to find this connection by looking inwards at our sensations and awareness of being present.

Inspired by rituals belonging to a shamanic tradition from the Peruvian Upper Amazon known as vegetalista, and from traditional musical practices from the South American Andes, they aim to immerse the listener into a shamanic journey, with its episodes of catharsis and states of blissfulness. They use ceremonial clay instruments from ancient South America, such as the Singing Vessels, as well as shamanic instruments from the Amazon, such as the Shacapa –a shaker made of dry leaves producing a soothing and rich sound similar to white noise. Their use of electronics provides the infrastructure for building the live piece and contributes with generative synthetic sound evoking expanded states of consciousness.

21:00 – 21:30: Talk and Q&A with Indigenous activist Luana Tapajós

We are honoured to be joined in Bristol by Luana Tapajós, an Indigenous Brazilian woman dedicated to spreading knowledge of Amazonian culture, and an environmentalist working to defend the rights of indigenous peoples. She was born in Pará in the Tapajós territory heart of the Amazon Rainforest and fights for the conservation of rivers, forest and culture in Brazil and Amazonia.

———————SOLIDARITY CONTRIBUTIONS———————————
We’ve kept the entry cost low to encourage attendance so, if you’re able to, please consider making an additional contribution to the Nomãnawa’s cause at the ticket checkout.

If you’re unable to make it but would like to contribute, select the “Donation only” ticket and make a contribution at the check out. Thanks!