Inpa and CMA hold workshop on the Tsiino Hiiwiida project to explore biodiversity in Cabeça do Cachorro

At a meeting, researchers selected in the Scientific Expeditions call discuss the challenges of conducting research in hard-to-reach areas

Texto: Cimone Barros/ Ascom Inpa

Fotos: Charles Zartman | Cimone Barros

The National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA/MCTI) held the 1st Meeting of the Tsiino Hiiwiida Project: revealing multiple dimensions of plant and fungal biodiversity in the Upper Rio Negro, at the Amazon Military Command (CMA).

The objective of the Tsiino Hiiwiida project is to reduce knowledge gaps about Amazonian biodiversity through botanical collections and to strengthen collaborative networks focused on the northern region of Brazil.

Tsiino Hiiwiida means “Dog’s Head” in Baniwa and represents the project’s commitment to Indigenous leadership, with Indigenous people working with — not for — non-Indigenous researchers. Led by INPA, the project includes the participation of universities and research institutes and was one of 22 selected in the Scientific Expeditions call, issued by the National Council of State Research Funding Foundations (CONFAP) and the National Council for Scientific and

Technological Development (CNPq).

During the meeting, researchers, military personnel, and Indigenous representatives involved in the project discussed the challenges of conducting research in remote areas, as well as the geographical and biodiversity characteristics of the Upper Rio Negro region — known as the Dog’s Head, located at the tri-border area between Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela — where scientific expeditions will be carried out in partnership with local communities.

“The aim of this first meeting was to present the different areas of study that make up the project, to carry out strategic planning and to organize the expedition schedule, as well as to strengthen our relationship with the CMA, which is a key partner in providing logistical support,” explained Charles Zartman, INPA researcher and project coordinator.

According to Zartman, the Tsiino Hiiwiida project is a milestone in Brazilian science by bringing together researchers, Indigenous communities, and military forces to uncover the still-unknown biodiversity of one of the most remote regions of the Amazon — the Dog’s Head — which is home to one of the country’s greatest ethnic diversities (24 Indigenous peoples) and largest Indigenous populations. By integrating scientific knowledge, traditional knowledges, and strategic logistics, this innovative initiative strengthens the State’s presence in the tri-border area and expands the frontiers of knowledge in one of the planet’s most biodiverse and culturally rich territories.

INPA director Professor Henrique Pereira emphasized that this partnership is strategic, as it enables researchers to go farther and deeper into the Amazon. With 70 years of scientific work in the region, most of INPA’s research has historically been concentrated along rivers and in areas with some degree of infrastructure. “That means a large portion of the Amazon remains poorly known.

With the support and direct involvement of organizations like the CMA and Indigenous communities, our teams will be able to reach farther and into the most remote regions of the Amazon,” said Pereira, adding that it is not possible to protect a natural heritage without knowing it — and intercultural research is key in this process.

Brigadier General Calderaro, Chief of Staff of the CMA, highlighted the Army’s presence in the Western Amazon, particularly in the Dog’s Head region, and noted that national defense goes beyond armed presence. “It also involves presence in scientific areas and the mastery of knowledge that is vital to all of us,” said Calderaro.

Expanding Knowledge

The Tsiino Hiiwiida project is one of the initiatives supported by the Amazonia+10 Initiative to fund scientific expeditions aimed at expanding knowledge on Amazonian biodiversity and socio-biodiversity. The goal of the call is to address two major knowledge gaps regarding the region — one geographical and the other taxonomic (the science of classifying and naming living organisms) — while also expanding research on the sociocultural diversity of Amazonian peoples and traditional communities.

In addition to logistical collaboration, the Ministry of Defense contributes with researchers from the National Defense College in fields such as geography and One Health, which addresses new epidemiological threats from an integrated perspective that includes human, animal, and environmental health.

The Tsiino Hiiwiida team includes researchers from eight research institutions, funded by their respective state agencies:

• FAPEAM: Charles Eugene Zartman – INPA

• FAPERJ: Domingos Cardoso – Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (JBRJ)

• FAPESPA: Anna Luiza Ilkiu-Borges – Emilio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG)

• FACEPE: Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento – Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE)

• FAPEMA: Dirce Leimi Komura – Federal Institute of Maranhão (IFMA)

• FAPESP: Denilson Fernandes Peralta – Environmental Research Institute (IPA)

• FAPESQ: Felipe Wartchow – Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB)

• FAPDF: Micheline Carvalho-Silva – University of Brasília (UnB)

• UKRI: Sandra Knapp – Natural History Museum (UK)

The Amazonia+10 Initiative approved 22 projects that will explore 60 locations previously overlooked by the scientific community, to be studied over a period of up to 36 months. These include Indigenous territories, sustainable development and extractive reserves, and other remote regions.

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