This study includes a social network analysis carried out by the Department of Public Policy Analysis of Getulio Vargas Foundation (DAPP/FGV), based on data collected on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube from 2011 to 2021, and on Twitter between 2019 and 2021. From 2011 to 2021, over 9.3 million posts about Indigenous issues were collected, including those that referred to traditional peoples more widely, from a multi-platform perspective considering these digital social networks.
Over the past ten years, the debate on Indigenous and traditional populations has gained strength and more space, both in traditional media outlets and also on social networks and digital media platforms.
In general, the results point to the central role played by Indigenous profiles as key actors in the discussions, with the supporting presence of other profiles more often engaged in environmental issues, such as journalists and activist organisations, such as the Instituto Socioambiental — ISA. The growing leadership of Indigenous organisations, in addition to Indigenous representatives and leaders, becomes evident. The prominence of Indigenous women activists is also unquestionable. These activists, who are relevant both in the institutional arena and digital environments, include Sônia Guajajara, Joênia Wapichana, and Célia Xakriabá́.
On the other hand, all networks were impacted by the rise of the political and social group linked to Jair Bolsonaro. Up to 2017, political debates had a milder tone, with few counterpoints linked to the anti-environmental and Indigenous agenda. Since 2018, however, this agenda has gained strength, and actors linked to Bolsonarism have become the main source of counter-narratives. This process brought together actors linked to left-wing institutional politics, organisations, and activists in a somewhat cohesive group, who seek to reverse and prevent setbacks.
The press has been one of the main media for promoting and increasing the repercussion of agendas linked to Indigenous and traditional populations. Although the background of national politics, and the visibility that certain actors and approaches take in the public debate, may, at first glance, seem disadvantageous to environmental and Indigenous causes, it is important to point out that, in the scope of this study, mobilisation was predominantly led by people and groups that are committed to and engaged with these topics, and whose ideological alignment markedly tends the left.
Facebook stands out as the main network in which environmental, Indigenous, and indigenist organisations have had the most influence on the discussions, and greater engagement too. The same applies to alternative media channels and groups, such as Greenpeace, ISA, Apib, Mídia Índia, and Quebrando o Tabu. Their work resonates with that of individual activists and even institutional political figures. The most prominent Indigenous profiles between 2019 and 2021 include influencer Tikuna We'e'ena; leaders Sônia Guajajara and Joênia Wapichana; and Ysani Kalapalo, the Indigenous YouTuber who accompanied Bolsonaro to the UN General Assembly in 2019.
During this period, politicians such as Jair Bolsonaro joined the debate and started talking about Indigenous people. Unlike the warlike tone adopted when he was just a legislator, Bolsonaro’s publications exalt Indigenous culture, and reinforce the need to respect the freedom of all peoples, accusing NGOs of trying to keep them imprisoned in a set condition. It is interesting, however, to also observe the performance of groups that have entered the political dispute with a partisan and ideological bias to the left, such as Mídia Ninja.
Instagram, in turn, was the network in which celebrity publications prevailed. Despite being less vocal in the debate, they are important to expand the reach of campaigns to audiences that do not participate as actively in the discussions. The Indigenous cause received special attention, mainly in campaigns that had a link with environmental preservation.
Until 2016, some show business celebrities stood out, such as Bruno Gagliasso, Giovanna Ewbank, Gisele Bündchen Alessandra Negrini, Luciano Huck, Thaila Ayala, Cauã Reymond, Letícia Spiller, Fernanda Lima, Fernanda Lima, Camila Pitanga, Paolla Oliveira, Reynaldo Gianecchini, Leandra Leal, Mônica Iozzi, Babu Santana and Gaby Amarantos. Since then, politicians such as Guilherme Boulos, , Marcelo Freixo and Marina Silva have been more active. In addition, there has been a more expressive presence of Indigenous representatives and leaders on the platform with their personal accounts. Once again, important Indigenous women activists played a key role in the institutional field and in digital environments: Sônia Guajajara, Joênia Wapichana, and Célia Xakriabá. The presence of other actors more strongly involved in Indigenous issues was also noted — ISA, Apib, Mídia Ninja, and Quebrando o Tabu.
Twitter is the platform that apparently includes a wider variety of actors, with greater relevance to opinion formers. It includes organisations, journalists, academics, and figures linked to institutional politics. This is where proper debate takes place. It is important to point out, however, the rise of a group of leaders particularly linked to the Indigenous cause in this network, with the growing presence of young people, such as Alice Pataxó, who ranked tenth in potential reach in 2019, rose to second in 2020, and first in 2021. Handles such as @alice_pataxo, @GuajajaraSônia, @JoeniaWapichana and @PataxoThyara, the top five in reach in 2021, often engage in political issues and campaigns, and also mobilise topics related to traditional cultures.
From 1 March 2019 to 31 May 2021, 7.6 million mentions of Indigenous peoples were identified on Twitter. On two occasions, the Indigenous agenda gained stronger repercussions on the platform. In August 2019, when the debate on Indigenous people reached its apex, many posts criticised president Jair Bolsonaro and described him as a political leader who attacked Indigenous peoples and their territories. In September 2020, a number of Indigenous profiles denounced deforestation in the Amazon, illegal mining, and fires in the Pantanal.
YouTube was the network that presented the least results, with occasional videos about Indigenous and traditional populations gaining more repercussion. The network was marked by specific peaks that do not suggest the development of an audio-visual network of significant structure or reach. The highlights include interviews with Indigenous personalities, such as Ailton Krenak and Kaká Werá, to the Roda Viva talk show, which generated strong engagement on the platform; and demands for more educational content on the subject, such as the Educalu channel.
The analysis also includes a case study on the inquiry opened at the request of Funai against activist Sônia Guajajara. This analysis aimed to present a broader picture of the actors and coalitions that engage and mobilise the debate on Indigenous people on the platform. The result showed that the vast majority of interactions involved activists and organisations expressing solidarity for Sônia Guajajara and criticising the federal government. Less than 5% of the interactions were promoted by alternative media channels and conservative bloggers and influencers, a group that condemns Sonia Guajajara's attacks against the federal government.
Other networks, such as Linkedin and TikTok, were not analysed because they do not provide extensive data collection. However, this does not mean that they are not also relevant to the debate.
