Xukuru awarded with RRI Prize 2025

J upago Kreká Collective Receives the RRI Collective Action Award 2025. On June 30, 2025, the Jupago Kreká Collective of the Xukuru do Ororubá Indigenous People, Brazil, was honored with the RRI Collective Action Award during the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), held in Kathmandu, Nepal.The award recognizes the collective's outstanding leadership in restoring the Xukuru Sacred Territory through an Indigenous-led Biocentric Restoration approach that integrates forest regeneration, food production, protection of water sources, revitalization of traditional knowledge, and the well-being of all forms of life.

Founded as a community initiative dedicated to restoring the Xukuru territory after centuries of environmental degradation and dispossession, the Jupago Kreká Collective has become a reference in Indigenous-led restoration. Through collective action, the Xukuru People have strengthened ecological recovery, cultural renewal, and sustainable livelihoods while reaffirming their ancestral relationship with the territory.The recognition by RRI highlights the growing international acknowledgment that Indigenous Peoples are among the world's most effective guardians of biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable landscapes.

The award also celebrates the power of collective governance, traditional knowledge, and community-led solutions in addressing global environmental challenges.Receiving this international recognition in Kathmandu represents an important milestone for the Xukuru People and reinforces their commitment to continuing the restoration of their sacred territory for future generations.As expressed by members of the collective, the award inspires the community to continue dreaming, believing, and working toward a future where their forests become richer, stronger, and more resilient every day.