Indigenous Peoples Advocate joins ELAW for Killian O. Doherty Environmental Justice Fellowship

Lawyer Renata Corrêa Vieira works in Amazonas, the largest state in Brazil and home to more than 60 different Indigenous peoples. She works with Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) representing Indigenous peoples in this large territory. Some communities that live in the forest have had little or no contact with industrialized society. Many of the Indigenous peoples face dire threats, including illegal mining, illegal sport fishing that threatens food security, and drug trafficking.

Renata is working with Indigenous communities interested in adopting their own rules with an aim to seeking recognition from the state of these rules. Renata applied for a Killian O. Doherty Environmental Justice Fellowship to study whether courts in other countries recognize internal rules adopted by Indigenous communities.

Renata’s 10-week Fellowship creates the opportunity to work closely with the ELAW team. We also connected Renata to ELAW partner Ana Lucía Maya Aguirre, who will share decisions from courts in Ana Lucía’s home country, Colombia. Renata will collaborate with ELAW’s Law Team to write up her research so we can share with other lawyers working to defend the rights of Indigenous peoples.

“I am very happy with the Killian O. Doherty Environmental Justice Fellowship opportunity,” says Renata. “It has connected me with an extremely qualified and attentive body of lawyers, and has helped me provide better legal support to defend the right of the Indigenous peoples with whom I work to recreate their governance instruments within their territories.”

We warmly welcome Renata for this Fellowship and look forward to collaborating with her!

Pedro León Gutiérrez
Law Program Associate Director
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide