Plans for the Belo Monte Dam Complex began in 1975 under the apex of military dictatorship in Brazil. It would be built on the Xingu River, home to Brazil's first indigenous reserve. In 1989 the Kayapo, a warrior tribe who feared for the river's health, mounted a massive public campaign in opposition of its construction. International financiers pulled their support, and the project was shelved.
In 2007, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the Accelerated Growth Program, the largest investment package to spur economic growth in Brazil in the past 40 years. A cornerstone of this program is the industrialization of the Amazon with the construction of over 60 major Hydroelectric projects; Belo Monte is at the forefront. The energy generated will fuel local mining initiatives and power cities thousands of miles away. Nearing completion, Belo Monte is considered the third largest dam in the world, and has already displaced over 20,000 indigenous and riverine people. On the neighbouring Tapajos River, the Munduruku tribe are fighting to prevent a similar fate.
Hydroelectric dams are touted as clean and renewable sources of energy, yet hundreds of square miles of land are flooded and complex river ecosystems permanently transformed while new infrastructure and population growth open the forests to increased logging, mining, and agriculture. Under the guise of renewable energy we are eroding the Amazon Rainforest and sacrificing the cultures and communities who depend on this precious ecosystem for their sustainable ways of life.
This is a long-term document of their story.
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March 29, 2014. A group of boys climb a tree on the Xingu River by the city of Altamira, Brazil. One third of the city will be permanently flooded by the nearby Belo Monte Dam.
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2014. A child from the Xikrin village of "Pot crô" jumps into the Rio Bacaja, its name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Bacaja, a tributary of the Xingu River which the people depend upon for fish and transportation, will severely dry up after the dam is completed.
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March 18, 2014. A tire fire is extinguished during a protest by fisherman who occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site. The fisherman were there to demand compensation for the impacts to their waters, fish and livelihoods.Â
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NOVEMBER 26, 2014. A Munduruku tribal member rests on a sandbar during a protest against plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in the Amazon rainforest in Para State, Brazil. The Munduruku live traditionally along the river and depend on fishing and the river system for their livelihood. The Brazilian government is planning to build a series of dams in the region that will flood indigenous lands and national parks including Munduruku villages.Â
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December 4, 2014. A family from the traditional riparian village of Mangabal on the Tapajos River. The village is threatened by the construction of a major hydroelectric complex that would flood their land forcing them to move to the nearby city of Itaituba.
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March 05, 2014. Cranes are seen at the construction site of the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River. The dam will be the third largest in the world and will drain a huge portion of the river called the Big Bend impacting a number of communities and indegenous tribes. It is expected to displace between 20 and 40 thousand people.
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March 8, 2014. A girl stands in her flooded house in Invasao dos Padres, a neighbourhood in Altamira that will be permanently flooded by the Belo Monte Dam. The dam is expected to displace between 20 and 40 thousands people.
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April 8, 2014. Neto fans the flames while building a canoe in the Riozinho do Anfrisio Extractavist Reserve in the Xingu Basin. Extractavists have lived in the forests for generations descending from the rubber tappers that once fed Brazils rubber boom. Today they live along the river banks with an economy based on harvesting sustainable natural products such as latex, nuts, and oils. As this communtiy is a few days away by boat from the Belo Monte Dam, the direct and indirect impacts are not fully understood.
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December 15, 2014. Munduruku women bathe and do laundry in a creek by the village of Sawre Muybu. The Munduruku are currently fighting against government plans to construct a number of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in the Amazon rainforest that would flood much of their traditional lands in Para State, Brazil.
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December 11, 2014. Munduruku men carry home the days hunt in the village of Sawre Muybu. The Munduruku are a tribe of over 10,000 people who have lived along the Tapajos River since before colonization.Â
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March 18, 2014. Executives from Norte Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, stand behind National Force soldiers pior to negotiating with a group of fisherman that have occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site.
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NOVEMBER 26, 2014. Munduruku tribal members use a computer during an occupation of the FUNAI offices (Brazil's National Indian Foundation) in Itaituba, Para, Brazil. The occupation was in protest to the fact that FUNAI has refused to publish documents that would officially recognize Munduruku traditional territory. If recognized, flooding of the territory by new hydroelectric development would be illegal under Brazilian Law.
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Feb 19, 2014. A Xikrin warrior is painted in the village of "Pot crô." The Xikrin are part of the Kayapo tribe that have strongly resisted the Belo Monte dam. They live on the banks of the Rio Bacaja, the name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Bacaja is a tributary of the Xingu River which the people depend upon for fish and transportation. It is expected to severely dry up after the dam is completed.
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December 11, 2014. A Munduruku family watch Brazilian Soap Operas in the village of Sawre Muybu. Although living completely off the land their villages have generators, fridges and televisions often provided to them by government and industry hoping to win their support for the proposed dams.Â
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February 20, 2014. A child from the Xikrin village of "Pot crô" stands on the banks of the Rio Bacaja, its name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Xikrin are part of the Kyapo warrior tribe that have strongly resisted the dam for decades and will be severely impacted by the dewatering of their river.Â
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March 20, 2014. Indigenous leaders from all over the Xingu Basin meet with Norte Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, to formalize the responsibilities of the State and entrepreneur with the indigenous peoples affected by the dam. The agreement is a legal obligation for the Dam to operate. There was much anticipation that this would be a historic meeting, but the company postponed the signing to a later date.
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March 18, 2014. A protest by fisherman who have occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site. The fisherman were there to demand compensation for the impacts to their waters, fish and livelihoods caused by the Dams construction.
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November 29, 2014. An artisan gold miner or "garimpeiro" is loaded in to the back of a police truck after he died in an accident while working along the Tapajos River in Para, Brazil. Illegal and artisan gold mining is one of the main industries along many of the rivers in the Amazon. Many of the miners worry that once the hydroelectric dams are completed, international mining companies will proliferate in the area and put locals out of work. While artisan gold mining is damaging to the environment, industrial scale mines pose a much greater threat, and will syphon profits outside of the local economies.Â
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March 14, 2014. A family moves their belonging out of their flooded home in Invasao dos Padres, a neighbourhood in Altamira that will be permanently flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.
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April 5, 2014. Veia balances her child who she and her husband David, left, have yet to name in their home on the Extractavist Reserve of Riozinho do AnfrÃsio. Extractavists are the descendants of Rubber Tapers who came to the forests generations ago during Brazils Rubber Boom. They now live along the river banks with an economy based on harvesting sustainable natural products such as rubber, nuts, and oils.
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NOVEMBER 26, 2014. A member of the Munduruku indigenous tribe sits on bags of sugar and rice during an occupation of the FUNAI offices (Brazil's National Indian Foundation) in Itaituba. The occupation was in protest to the fact that FUNAI has refused to publish documents that would officially recognize Munduruku traditional territory. If recognized, flooding of the territory by new hydroelectric development would be illegal under Brazilian Law.
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NOVEMBER 27, 2014. A Munduruku headdress rests on the beach of São Luiz do Tapajós during the 'Caravan of Resistance' protest against government plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in Para State, Brazil. The dams will flood a large portion of Munduruku traditional lands and impact the river ecosystem.
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March 4, 2014. Residents of Altamira who now live in neighbourhoods along the river will be resettled here in the district of Jatoba due to permanent flooding of their neighbourhoods caused by the Belo Monte Dam. Notre Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, originally promised larger houses built from brick that would remain cooler in the tropical temperatures, but instead built these concrete ones. One third of the city is expected to be permanently flooded by the dam.
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NOVEMBER 26, 2014. Members of the Munduruku indigenous tribe are seen on the Tapajos River in preparation for a protest against plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the river in the Amazon rainforest in Para State, Brazil. The tribe members used the rocks to write 'Tapajos Livre' (Free Tapajos) in a large message in the sand in an action in coordination with Greenpeace. The Munduruku live traditionally along the river and depend on fishing and the river system for their livelihood. The proposed dams will flood indigenous lands and national parks including Munduruku villages. Brazil is planning over 60 Dams for the Amazon Rainforest. The dams are part of Brazil's Growth Acceleration Programme (PAC), which also includes a rapid expansion of mining in the Amazon.
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The construction site of the Belo Monte Dam lights up the sky over the Xingu River, seen from the nearby city of Altamira. Belo Monte will be the third largest dam in the world and will displace over 20,000 people.
March 29, 2014. A group of boys climb a tree on the Xingu River by the city of Altamira, Brazil. One third of the city will be permanently flooded by the nearby Belo Monte Dam.
2014. A child from the Xikrin village of "Pot crô" jumps into the Rio Bacaja, its name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Bacaja, a tributary of the Xingu River which the people depend upon for fish and transportation, will severely dry up after the dam is completed.
March 18, 2014. A tire fire is extinguished during a protest by fisherman who occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site. The fisherman were there to demand compensation for the impacts to their waters, fish and livelihoods.Â
NOVEMBER 26, 2014. A Munduruku tribal member rests on a sandbar during a protest against plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in the Amazon rainforest in Para State, Brazil. The Munduruku live traditionally along the river and depend on fishing and the river system for their livelihood. The Brazilian government is planning to build a series of dams in the region that will flood indigenous lands and national parks including Munduruku villages.Â
December 4, 2014. A family from the traditional riparian village of Mangabal on the Tapajos River. The village is threatened by the construction of a major hydroelectric complex that would flood their land forcing them to move to the nearby city of Itaituba.
March 05, 2014. Cranes are seen at the construction site of the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River. The dam will be the third largest in the world and will drain a huge portion of the river called the Big Bend impacting a number of communities and indegenous tribes. It is expected to displace between 20 and 40 thousand people.
March 8, 2014. A girl stands in her flooded house in Invasao dos Padres, a neighbourhood in Altamira that will be permanently flooded by the Belo Monte Dam. The dam is expected to displace between 20 and 40 thousands people.
April 8, 2014. Neto fans the flames while building a canoe in the Riozinho do Anfrisio Extractavist Reserve in the Xingu Basin. Extractavists have lived in the forests for generations descending from the rubber tappers that once fed Brazils rubber boom. Today they live along the river banks with an economy based on harvesting sustainable natural products such as latex, nuts, and oils. As this communtiy is a few days away by boat from the Belo Monte Dam, the direct and indirect impacts are not fully understood.
December 15, 2014. Munduruku women bathe and do laundry in a creek by the village of Sawre Muybu. The Munduruku are currently fighting against government plans to construct a number of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in the Amazon rainforest that would flood much of their traditional lands in Para State, Brazil.
December 11, 2014. Munduruku men carry home the days hunt in the village of Sawre Muybu. The Munduruku are a tribe of over 10,000 people who have lived along the Tapajos River since before colonization.Â
March 18, 2014. Executives from Norte Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, stand behind National Force soldiers pior to negotiating with a group of fisherman that have occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site.
NOVEMBER 26, 2014. Munduruku tribal members use a computer during an occupation of the FUNAI offices (Brazil's National Indian Foundation) in Itaituba, Para, Brazil. The occupation was in protest to the fact that FUNAI has refused to publish documents that would officially recognize Munduruku traditional territory. If recognized, flooding of the territory by new hydroelectric development would be illegal under Brazilian Law.
Feb 19, 2014. A Xikrin warrior is painted in the village of "Pot crô." The Xikrin are part of the Kayapo tribe that have strongly resisted the Belo Monte dam. They live on the banks of the Rio Bacaja, the name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Bacaja is a tributary of the Xingu River which the people depend upon for fish and transportation. It is expected to severely dry up after the dam is completed.
December 11, 2014. A Munduruku family watch Brazilian Soap Operas in the village of Sawre Muybu. Although living completely off the land their villages have generators, fridges and televisions often provided to them by government and industry hoping to win their support for the proposed dams.Â
February 20, 2014. A child from the Xikrin village of "Pot crô" stands on the banks of the Rio Bacaja, its name meaning "the water that runs in river is the same as the blood that flows through our veins." The Xikrin are part of the Kyapo warrior tribe that have strongly resisted the dam for decades and will be severely impacted by the dewatering of their river.Â
March 20, 2014. Indigenous leaders from all over the Xingu Basin meet with Norte Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, to formalize the responsibilities of the State and entrepreneur with the indigenous peoples affected by the dam. The agreement is a legal obligation for the Dam to operate. There was much anticipation that this would be a historic meeting, but the company postponed the signing to a later date.
March 18, 2014. A protest by fisherman who have occupied the entrance to the Belo Monte construction site. The fisherman were there to demand compensation for the impacts to their waters, fish and livelihoods caused by the Dams construction.
November 29, 2014. An artisan gold miner or "garimpeiro" is loaded in to the back of a police truck after he died in an accident while working along the Tapajos River in Para, Brazil. Illegal and artisan gold mining is one of the main industries along many of the rivers in the Amazon. Many of the miners worry that once the hydroelectric dams are completed, international mining companies will proliferate in the area and put locals out of work. While artisan gold mining is damaging to the environment, industrial scale mines pose a much greater threat, and will syphon profits outside of the local economies.Â
March 14, 2014. A family moves their belonging out of their flooded home in Invasao dos Padres, a neighbourhood in Altamira that will be permanently flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.
April 5, 2014. Veia balances her child who she and her husband David, left, have yet to name in their home on the Extractavist Reserve of Riozinho do AnfrÃsio. Extractavists are the descendants of Rubber Tapers who came to the forests generations ago during Brazils Rubber Boom. They now live along the river banks with an economy based on harvesting sustainable natural products such as rubber, nuts, and oils.
NOVEMBER 26, 2014. A member of the Munduruku indigenous tribe sits on bags of sugar and rice during an occupation of the FUNAI offices (Brazil's National Indian Foundation) in Itaituba. The occupation was in protest to the fact that FUNAI has refused to publish documents that would officially recognize Munduruku traditional territory. If recognized, flooding of the territory by new hydroelectric development would be illegal under Brazilian Law.
NOVEMBER 27, 2014. A Munduruku headdress rests on the beach of São Luiz do Tapajós during the 'Caravan of Resistance' protest against government plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the Tapajos River in Para State, Brazil. The dams will flood a large portion of Munduruku traditional lands and impact the river ecosystem.
March 4, 2014. Residents of Altamira who now live in neighbourhoods along the river will be resettled here in the district of Jatoba due to permanent flooding of their neighbourhoods caused by the Belo Monte Dam. Notre Energia, the consortium building the Belo Monte Dam, originally promised larger houses built from brick that would remain cooler in the tropical temperatures, but instead built these concrete ones. One third of the city is expected to be permanently flooded by the dam.
NOVEMBER 26, 2014. Members of the Munduruku indigenous tribe are seen on the Tapajos River in preparation for a protest against plans to construct a series of hydroelectric dams on the river in the Amazon rainforest in Para State, Brazil. The tribe members used the rocks to write 'Tapajos Livre' (Free Tapajos) in a large message in the sand in an action in coordination with Greenpeace. The Munduruku live traditionally along the river and depend on fishing and the river system for their livelihood. The proposed dams will flood indigenous lands and national parks including Munduruku villages. Brazil is planning over 60 Dams for the Amazon Rainforest. The dams are part of Brazil's Growth Acceleration Programme (PAC), which also includes a rapid expansion of mining in the Amazon.
The construction site of the Belo Monte Dam lights up the sky over the Xingu River, seen from the nearby city of Altamira. Belo Monte will be the third largest dam in the world and will displace over 20,000 people.
Aaron Vincent Elkaim
Toronto Freelance Photographer, Winnipeg Freelance Photographer, Portrait photographer, Documentary photographer and photojournalist, commercial photographer