The sound of bulldozers echoed through the Amazon rainforest. Trees that had stood for hundreds of years crashed to the ground. Birds scattered into the sky. The heart of the forest was being ripped apart.

In Brazil’s capital city, thousands of miles away, Sonia Guajajara stood at the front of a roaring protest of Indigenous Feminists. She wore a traditional headdress of vibrant blue feathers and colorful beads adorned her neck. She spoke with the power of someone who carried the fight of generations.
Sônia Guajajara spoke not just for herself, but for the trees, the rivers, the animals, and all the Indigenous communities whose voices had been silenced for too long.
She had grown up in the rich greenery of the Amazon rainforest. She had listened to its whispers, learned its secrets, and felt its heartbeat. It was her home.
Now, as deforestation and climate change threatened the environment she loved, Sônia stood tall, drawing inspiration from the community that had raised her. She had seen what the businessmen wanted to do with the Amazon. But they’d have to go through her to do it.

I’m Alexis Garcia. And this is Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls.

A fairy tale podcast about the real-life rebel women who inspire us.
On this episode, Sônia Guajajara, activist, leader, and Brazil’s first Minister for Indigenous Peoples.

Sônia Guajajara was born in 1974, in a small Indigenous village in the state of Maranhão, in Brazil, tucked away in the great Amazon rainforest.
There, the trees grew so tall they seemed to touch the clouds. Rivers flowed like veins through the land. And all around, the forest buzzed with life.
Sônia’s parents couldn’t read or write Portuguese, but they taught her something far more valuable—how to listen to the forest and respect the land. “For us, the wind speaks,” Sônia would later explain. “The animals speak, the water speaks, the earth screams, and we understand and interpret these signs.”

Growing up, Sônia would get very angry when she heard hateful statements about Indigenous people. Some claimed that Indigenous people didn’t like to work—but she saw firsthand the daily labor of her family, often caring and nurturing the forest they’ve protected for generations. Others said that Indigenous peoples had too much land—but Sônia knew from birth that they were the true guardians of the forest.

When Sônia was 15, she made a difficult decision. If she wanted to help her community, she needed a formal education—the kind she couldn’t get in her village. The world outside her home felt daunting, but exciting. With her family’s blessing, Sônia left home to attend a boarding school where she could study to become a teacher.

At school, Sônia realized just how different her life in the Amazon had been from others in Brazil. Those years were eye-opening. Sônia realized that her education gave her opportunities that others in her village didn’t have. And with those opportunities came responsibility.

Sônia was always drawn to helping others, always called to service. After finishing high school, she became a teacher and then worked in nursing.

But her heart remained connected to protecting and celebrating her people. The more she learned about the industrial world, the more she understood that the issues facing her community weren’t just local—they were part of a global problem. And like her ancestors, Sônia was willing to risk it all to protect her people and her homeland, and fight for what’s right.

In 2001, Sônia attended her first national Indigenous rally in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. There, she met Indigenous leaders from all around the country. They shared stories of how their land was being taken away, their rights ignored, and the environment destroyed.

She learned that during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1960s and 70s, the government had taken over many Indigenous territories. Farmers and business people laid claim to the land. Many Indigenous people lost the right to live on the land they had nurtured long before the country of Brazil even existed.

There is a special way that Indigenous people care for the earth. Through hundreds of years of careful observation and practice, many Indigenous people know how to grow food and direct rivers, protect native animals and plants, and use resources without using them up. Areas that are managed by Indigenous communities generally encourage more of a thriving environment than other lands. Right now, Indigenous peoples own, use, or manage at least a quarter of the world’s land.

This is especially important in the Amazon, which is the world’s largest tropical forest. This forest helps regulate the Earth’s climate. Nearly half of Brazil’s Indigenous population—almost nine hundred thousand people—live in the Amazon.

Sônia’s people had been advocating for the land for generations. It only made sense that now she would join the fight. And each year that passed, her voice grew stronger and stronger. In 2019 Sônia helped organize the first Indigenous Women’s March. Thousands of women from different tribes and regions came together in Brazil’s capital. They marched to show they were united, and to demand that the government protect Indigenous women’s rights and the environment.

This march was powerful, and called attention to challenges that continued to grow. Deforestation in the Amazon was increasing at an alarming rate. Gold miners invaded protected lands, bringing pollution and violence.

Sônia thought of the forest she grew up in, and the buzzing ecosystem that she loved. She and her fellow indigenous activists faced threats of being forced off their land. The plants, animals and trees that make their home special are under threat to die or worse – go extinct. Who would want to destroy something so beautiful? Some people wanted to exploit the Amazon rainforest for profit. But Sonia and her community of Indigenous activists refused to be silenced. They continued to organize marches, even traveling around the world to advocate for Indigenous rights and the environment. If raising their voices wasn’t enough, they would have to try something else.

Sônia decided to take her activism to a new level. She declared her intention to run for president of Brazil in 2018. Her bold vision caught the attention of leaders in her political party, and they made her the candidate for Vice President. With this, Sônia became the first indigenous person to run for federal office in Brazil.

Her competition won the presidential election, but that didn’t stop her. Four years later she ran for office again, and this time, she won. Sonia became the first Indigenous congresswoman representing the state of São Paulo.

An even greater opportunity was just around the corner. When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected president of Brazil later that year, he made an unprecedented decision. He created Brazil’s first-ever Ministry for Indigenous Peoples and chose Sônia to lead it. This was a historic achievement—it had taken more than 500 years for an Indigenous woman to reach this position as a leader.
For the first time in Brazil’s history, Indigenous peoples would have an official voice at the highest levels of government. And not just any voice—the voice of a powerful Indigenous woman who had spent her life fighting for her people and the environment.

Sônia was scheduled to be sworn in at a ceremony at the presidential palace in January 2023. But just days before, something shocking happened. Thousands of extremists attacked Brazil’s government buildings, including the presidential palace, congress, and supreme court.

It was a direct assault on democracy, but also an attack on the progress Sônia and others represented. But she had come too far to quit now. Despite this attack, Sônia’s was sworn into office a few days later. She walked bravely hand in hand with Anielle Franco, the new Minister for Racial Equality, into the presidential palace. It was a powerful image of solidarity and hope.

As minister, Sônia made environmental crimes one of her top priorities. She worked to protect Indigenous territories from illegal logging, mining, and land grabbing. And pushed for policies that recognized the crucial role of Indigenous peoples in preserving biodiversity.

Sônia’s important work did not go unnoticed. In 2024, the United Nations named her a Champion of the Earth—their highest environmental honor—in recognition of her activism, commitment, and political achievements. And there’s still so much more she wants to accomplish.

Sonia inspired many more activists in Brazil and around the world. As the Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Brazil has recognized a record-breaking 13 territories as Indigenous lands. She made logging illegal on Indigenous lands. Deforestation has been reduced by 46 percent!
Through it all, Sonia has shown the world an essential truth: that protecting Indigenous rights is intertwined with the survival of our planet.

As the Amazon faces continued threats, Sônia stands firm, speaking for the trees, the rivers, the animals, and all the Indigenous peoples whose futures hang in the balance.

She finds hope by taking action, fighting alongside a sisterhood of activists working toward the same goal. She believes that when women work together, we give each other strength.

This sense of unity and purpose has carried Sônia through the most difficult times– through logging and mining, threats and attacks. From a young girl listening to the wind and the water of the Amazon, to a minister shaping national policy, Sônia has always found power in community. With her friends and family by her side, she will continue standing in her power. To protect her land, her people, and the earth for generations to come.

This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls. It’s based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.

This episode was narrated by ME, Alexis Garcia. This story was produced, written, and fact-checked by Danielle Roth.Sound design and mixing by Carter Woghan. Sound design and mixing by Morgane Fouse.

Haley Dapkus was our editor and director. Arianna Griffiths was our intern. Our executive producers were Joy Smith, Anjelika Temple, and Jes Wolfe.
Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi.

A special thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team, who make this podcast possible! Until next time, staaaay rebel!