The daughter of a white father and a Guajajara mother who had the first of her eight children at the age of 14, Sônia changed her paternal surname to Guajajara to defend the long-denied culture of her indigenous ancestors.
She is now the first minister of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, created by Lula da Silva in December 2022. At 12, she left her village to go to school while babysitting for a couple who provided her with food and shelter. She then studied nursing and at the same time became involved in local cultures. In addition, it aims not only to save about 300 forgotten peoples, but also to preserve the health of the planet by restoring the health of the Amazon. This is where President Jair Bolsonaro barbarously deforested during his time in office and left it to cattle ranching, soy farming and mining.
Sônia Guajajara is a 49-year-old woman, strong and powerful-eyed, who attended the Oscars in Los Angeles last March, where Leonardo DiCaprio presented her with an award for the role of the nurse. She then held meetings at the United Nations headquarters and meetings with senators who were sometimes surprised or skeptical about this indigenous prime minister. The one who often clearly expresses a motto: Not only reforest the Amazon, but also reforest the spirit.