Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5.2. Tseredzaró Ruri'õ holding bee hives at the Idzô'uhu Village honey production
site, 2003.
Tseredzaró Ruri'õ (
Fig. 5.2
)
is a young Xavante leader working diligently on
the Sangradouro Indigenous Land in Mato Grosso, Central Brazil, to protect the
environmental rights of his people. I first met him in July, 2000, when he became in
charge of the honey production business for the Idzô'uhu Village in Sangradouro.
Idzô'uhu, in the Xavante language, is the name of a tiny black and docile bee (
jataí
in Portuguese; scientific name:
Tetragonisca angustula
) that inhabits the Brazilian
cerrado, whose honey is a rare delicacy. In Portuguese, the Idzô'uhu Village is
known as Aldeia Abelhinha (Small Bee Village) in honor of this delicate bee and
other thousands of plant and animal species that inhabit the Brazilian cerrado.
However, this world biodiversity hotspot is threatened today by the practices of
