Voices of Galaxy: Inside Indigenous Chief Uruma Kambeba’s Effort To Protect The Amazon

Voices of Galaxy spotlights the people who use their passion, creativity, and determination along with technology to make a positive impact on their own lives and their communities.

Voices of Galaxy introduces the world to Chief Uruma Kambeba, leader of the Tururukari-Uka people – an indigenous tribe located deep in Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. Through Uruma’s eyes, we see the danger of illegal logging – an imminent threat to not only their people, but the entirety of the Amazon. If deforestation continues at its current rate, the rainforest will surpass the tipping point of recovery, exposing the Earth to carbon dioxide and leaving the hundreds of ethnic groups in the Amazon, displaced.

Uruma himself, experienced a 600-person invasion. All the villagers came together and successfully protested and stopped it. But this motivated Uruma to protect his home and his people. As leader of the Tururukari-Uka people, Uruma continues to lead the way, monitoring their territory and reporting illegal deforestation using his phone. With the S23’s zooming capabilities, Uruma can now capture deforestation evidence at a safe distance without confronting invaders who are often armed. Uruma continues to collaborate with outside organizations, attend speaker events and welcomes technology to further their efforts.

For Uruma and his 12-year-old daughter Taissa, protecting nature and protecting their way of life is one and the same. Taissa wishes to continue Uruma’s legacy and share their indigenous culture to the outside world, speaking on behalf of the forest through her poems. Both show that even small seeds of action can grow into lasting change.

*Uruma was a Galaxy A31 user, and Samsung provided the Galaxy S23 Ultra to support their activities.