ECO_CARE meets Natalia Médici, PhD exchange student from Rio to Tromsø

Hey, guys!

 I’m Natalia, a Brazilian student from the Rural Federal University in Rio de Janeiro. Currently, I’m enrolled in the Social Sciences for Development, Agriculture and Society PhD program at UFRRJ, I also have a Master’s Degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

Kalunga people’s territory, in Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brazil

I’m really interested in indigenous people’s rights and organizations, especially related to self-identification, autonomy over their land and preserving their way of living. During my field trips, I’ve grown to understand how water is vital for a political process such as the recovery of indigenous lands. Access to clean water is something we often take for granted but is one of the main factors for success in the recovery and territorialization of Indigenous people.

 Aldeia Maraka’nà in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

So much so that I decided to investigate further and that was when I got in touch with Giulia Parola from ECOCARE and got to know the work with the Chiquitano people in Brazil. It really got me thinking about the material conditions of those land recoveries and pushed me to incorporate these ideas in my thesis.

I really think my time at the Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway will help me to understand more about water governance and the role it plays in the sovereignty of indigenous people over their land. And I hope I can offer some insights into Indigenous people’s political struggle and organization here in Brazil.

 I’m also looking forward to meeting all of you! Tromsø seems really nice, I love hiking and being outdoors, so I think I will really enjoy my stay. I’m not so sure about the cold, though. It can be really tough on us Cariocas, so accustomed to the sunshine all the time. Wish me luck!

Munduruku people’s territory in the Amazon Forest, Brazil

Best regards and see you soon,

Natalia

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This post may be cited as: Natalia Médici, ECO_CARE meets Natalia Médici, PhD exchange student from Rio to Tromsø, May 19, 2023.