Toward self-determined reparative justice in Brazil: Indigenous leadership confronting human rights violations

Abstract

Since the publication of the National Truth Commission (CNV) final report in 2014, Brazil has made significant progress in incorporating indigenous peoples into transitional justice mechanisms. In 2024, two key milestones marked this process: the progress toward establishing the National Indigenous Truth Commission (CNIV) and the fourth session of the Amnesty Commission, which for the first time considered and approved collective reparation requests for Indigenous peoples affected by the military dictatorship. These events represent a significant shift in addressing reparations by recognising the collective nature of the harms suffered. This study suggests that these developments pave the way for a justice model that incorporates Indigenous epistemologies, ensuring self-determination in the reparation process. Preliminary findings indicate that these steps set a crucial precedent for more inclusive and collective justice in Brazil.