Bahia’s Indigenous Youth Blend Tradition with Digital Advocacy

Indigenous youth from various ethnic groups in Bahia, Brazil met on Payayá Territory from July 10-12, 2026, to strengthen their defense of ancestral lands through communication. The Indigenous Youth Council of Bahia (COJIBA) organized the event, combining traditional knowledge from Elders with training in digital content creation, photography, and journalism.

Participants engaged in dialogue about cosmovisions and strategies for protecting themselves from threats related to reporting human rights violations. The meeting included guided tours of the Payayá Territory, with lessons on ecological and sacred sites, and featured traditional meals like banana moqueca and cuscuz with licuri.

Chief Juvenal Payayá emphasized the meeting’s importance for the broader Indigenous movement, noting the value of Indigenous people recording and sharing their own stories. COJIBA aims to empower young communicators to control narratives about their communities and build a network of mutual support.