1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: Who has a right to claim ownership of land?
2. Read and Discuss
Have students read the article, marking key ideas and questions. Then ask them to answer the following questions, citing text evidence:
- What is the central debate surrounding Tamandua and Pakyi Piripkura? According to the article, what is the other issue at stake in the argument? (The central debate surrounding Tamandua and Pakyi Piripkura is whether they have a right to keep the land their tribe once called home. The other issue is whether the ranchers and loggers who have government titles to the land should be allowed to clear large portions of the Brazilian rainforest.)
- According to the article, why have the numbers of Indigenous people declined so sharply? (The article says that centuries of deforestation and genocide have drastically reduced the number of Indigenous people, leaving many tribes with only a few dozen members.)