For years, only three women remained of the Akuntsu, an Indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon, feared to vanish when they died. But in December, Babawru, the youngest in her 40s, gave birth to a boy named Akyp, offering renewed hope for the tribe's survival.
The birth is seen as a symbol of resistance for Indigenous peoples and a reminder of the importance of protecting their lands. Joenia Wapichana, head of Brazil’s Indigenous protection agency Funai, called the child “a source of hope” and said he represents how recognition and land management are necessary.
Indigenous territories are considered key to curbing Amazon deforestation, which has been severe in Rondonia state where the Akuntsu live. About 40% of native forest there has been cleared, and the Akuntsu’s land remains an island of forest surrounded by cattle pasture and crops.
Deforestation in Rondonia dates back to the 1970s, when a government-backed push encouraged settlement and development. Settlers were promised land titles if they cleared forest, and attacks on Indigenous groups followed. Funai made contact with the Akuntsu in 1995, finding seven survivors; experts believe about 20 existed a decade earlier before ranchers attacked.
Since the last Akuntsu man died in 2017, the three women have lived in isolation. They share the Rio Omere Indigenous Land with the Kanoe people, once enemies but now cooperating. Babawru became pregnant by a Kanoe man, surprising her, as the women had decided not to become mothers.
