OGA Voices is an act of resistance. This is a space for listening and recording, dedicated to confronting historical silencing and the erasure of memories. OGA Voices functions as a channel where the time of ancestry dictates the rhythm of words, allowing the narratives of indigenous women, elders, and traditional communities to resume their rightful place at the center of the debate. Here, the trajectory of our guest, Luza Borum Krenak,ceases to be just a memory and becomes a living manifesto of dignity, female sovereignty, and historical justicefor the heart of Brazil.
Origins and the Sacred Rio Doce
My name is Luza Borum Krenak, born in the Rio Doce Valley, Minas Gerais. On the 7th, which is a very significant number for me. In January 1961. I was raised on the banks of the Rio Doce. An enchanted river that has sheltered hundreds, thousands of indigenous people in its waters over the centuries. The river is sacred to us, indigenous people.
Training and the Journey to Rondônia
I studied in my hometown.I got my teaching degree. Then I went to Governador Valadares, home to an important mountain called Ibituruna. I started studying social sciences at Santos Dumont University. There, I took a course through the Rondon Project. My dream was to come to the Xingu. But Tupã Nhanderusent me to the state of Rondônia in 1986. I was already married, with two children: Tainá (daughter of the god Tupã) and Ícaro (he who dreamed of flying). I have always been passionate. Here I had my youngest daughter, Taís, whose name means the one who contemplates and admires. My children gave me six grandchildren: Ana Clara, beautiful. She was once Miss Rondônia. Amanda, wonderful, dreams of becoming a pageant queen, too. Davi, Igor (Prince of Peace), Miguel, and Rafael. All beautiful, intelligent, studious. Aninha is about to start medical school next year, at the age of 18.
The Identity and Blood of the Earth
A filmmaker from here invited me to make a documentary… But it didn’t work out! I am indigenous in soul, body, and spirit! I close my eyes and see myself bathing naked in a waterfall… With long hair! My grandparents were expelled from their lands in the Rio Doce Valley. First, they went to the gold mines (Lavras, as they are called in Minas Gerais). It was there that my father (originally from the municipality of Almenara, on the border between Minas Gerais and Bahia) met my mother. Beautiful! The most beautiful indigenous woman in the region. Beautiful hair, black as ebony. A broad face. They got married. They had nine children. I am the eldest.
The Legacy of Chili Peppers
I was baptized in the Catholic Church. My godfather was Captain Montalvão, a title acquired for bravery, as was the system at the time. My godfather sent for my father in Bahia, where he was living at the time. He had lost his parents. At the age of nine, he set out into the world. He was born in 1908. Lampião was born in 1901. It was the beginning of the cangaço era in Bahia. Lampião was a wonderful person. Unfortunately, the hardships of life turned him into a beast. A wounded beast! They killed his parents. He became an avenger! My father loved Lampião. He modeled himself after him. Another era. Another way of life. He also became a gunman. He was like a cat in the middle of the Bahia wilderness. He killed many people. He was small, with a red face. His nickname was Pimenta Malagueta (Hot Pepper).Old Bahia newspapers still carry the news: Antônio Rodrigues do Amaral invaded such-and-such a party, firing more than a hundred shots. He was also considered a beast. But he had a lamb inside him.
Like Lampião, they were kindhearted. They didn’t let anyone go hungry. Life was difficult in the Bahian hinterland.My father, if he had two shirts and saw someone without one, would give away the second. He was very loving toward people. He was also very playful. He loved telling jokes. My godfather, Montalvão, heard about his bravery and sent for him in Bahia to be his bodyguard. He was hidden in a wagon carrying tomatoes to Minas Gerais. He was wanted by the police in Bahia. When he arrived in Minas, he went straight to a place called Pedra Alta, near São Geraldo do Baixio. He stayed there in hiding for three months. Then he went down to São Geraldo do Baixio. He changed his name. Now he was Antônio de Souza Amaral.
The Ancestralization of a Warrior
He was loved by everyone in São Geraldo do Baixio. From there, he went to Galilee (Land of Jesus, as it says in the City Anthem). There, he started working in the mines again. Where he remained until he reancestralized at the age of 78. He never went to the hospital. He always took natural remedies. On a Wednesday, he called his friend Isaurinha, went with her to the cemetery, and said to her, “On Friday, I’m leaving this world. Don’t tell Fia anything. Tell everyone that I don’t want a single tear at my funeral. I am happy. Because I have fulfilled my mission on Earth.” Isaurinha didn’t say anything to anyone.
On Friday morning, he got up, made coffee, and went to the bakery to buy bread. Then he went to the mine. He spent the morning with the miners. He made lunch for them and ate with them. He returned home and lay down. He never got up again. He was fading away! Until he passed away in the early hours of the morning. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. I only got there on Monday. My whole family was laughing and joking. Remembering his antics. My father was a wonderful clown. The only thing left of him there was a bench in the square. And the memories in the minds of the older people.
The Embrace of Nature
Listening to the gentle sounds of nature helps us relax… The varied colors we see outside also have superpowers. They make us feel calm. When we are in nature, we can forget our worries and enjoy the moment. It is as if nature gives us a hug that calms our mind, our spirit, our soul.
The Journey through the Lands of Rondônia
In 1986, at the age of 26, I crossed the map with my heart full of courage, two children by my side, and my destination set for Mirante da Serra. At that time, the municipality was a small sprout on the ground in Rondônia; there was no comfort of running water or the brightness of electricity. We lived in a wooden house with only two rooms, where our sustenance came from the bucket that rose from the well, washing our souls with the simplicity of the earth.We arrived in March, under the sign of a new beginning.
The Craft of Teaching and the Cycles of Time
I came with the promise of chalk and a blackboard. I started as a teacher under the CLT regime, but the winds of bureaucracy tested me: I was fired for not being a civil servant. I didn’t let it get me down. In 1988, I took the civil service exam and, the following year, I took my rightful place as a civil servant. I dedicated decades to learning, a wonderful era that lasted until my retirement about three years ago.
Along the way, life blossomed again, and my womb became home to another daughter. In 1996, my husband and I went our separate ways, and in 1998, the road took me to Presidente Médici. There, I lived ten years of pure light. In 2008, the birth of my first granddaughter brought a new calling, and I moved to Alta Floresta, where I worked until my well-deserved retirement, helping to shape the future of my grandchildren. Later, when another little prince was born in Porto Velho, I moved to the capital.
A Map of Affections
My life in Rondônia is a map drawn by coexistence: twelve years in Mirante, ten in Presidente Médici, fifteen in Alta Floresta, and now three years in Porto Velho. Wherever I go, I leave not only footprints, but also sow deep friendships. I am made of encounters; I am the one who, when I return, always find an open embrace and a home ready to welcome me.
The Force of Life and Liberation
I was a wife totally devoted to my family. When I got divorced, I felt liberated! My marriage was a wonderful prison! Because I love life! I love my family, I love my work, and I love God above all else. That’s why I’m very happy.
Teaching is the noblest of missions. I have been very happy everywhere I have lived because I have peace within me, and I bring peace to the people I live with. However, not everything in my life has been rosy. I have suffered a lot… But I don’t want to talk about suffering. I only want to talk about joy.
Activism: The Struggle for Land and Social Movements
The year I separated from my husband, the MST arrived in Rondônia. Another wonderful phase of my life. I met some fantastic people in the MST. I joined the Indigenous Movement in the fight for land. A just fight. God did not create the earth to be concentrated in the hands of a minority. God created the Earth so that His daughters and sons could have a dignified life.
Over time, I met other wonderful people who introduced me to other types of social movements: the Black Movement and the Waste Pickers Movement, in which I also became involved. I dedicate all my affection and attention to them.
The Legacy and the Culture Observatory
I brought with me a “baggage” from my ancestors. Added to what I learned here, it becomes something extraordinary. And I teach in the contemporary world and need to leave this legacy for the future. I spent six years on the State Council for Cultural Policy. When I left, I decided to create the Observatory of Indigenous Culture in Rondônia. That is where I work. As a councilor, I developed several projects focused on Indigenous Culture and the Environment. What remains from that time is a documentary made in the Rio Branco Indigenous Territory with the Makurap People.
This experience with the Indigenous Peoples of Rondônia was spectacular, an excellent exchange of knowledge and skills. One person made a big impression on me: Juraci Makurap, an indigenous elder from whom I learned a great deal. Incredibly, I cared for her on her deathbed using natural remedies; she was very weak and eventually passed away from leukemia.
The Call of the Forest
The call does not come out of nowhere. If you decide to say yes, just come with respect, reverence, and an open heart. We need to heed Nature’s call, because healing comes from the inside out and from the outside in. We are divine beings, we are temples of the Creator, and we can never allow anything external to attack this temple.
The forest is active. The enchanted beings of the forest are calling us to join them in protecting it, caring for the seeds, the trees, the rivers, and the streams. I am merely a messenger from above; Tupã Nhanderu speaks through me to His creatures. Listen to those who want to hear, and may those chosen by Tupã engrave this in their hearts.
I continue sowing seeds because nature embraces us in a way that calms our minds, spirits, and souls. My story is not about what has passed, but about what remains alive and vibrant in every seed I plant in the present.
Luza Borum Krenak, 65, is a great artisan and guardian of living culture. With hands that translate ancestry into art, she crafts all kinds of traditional indigenous tools, from earrings and necklaces to headdressesfull of symbolism. Her creations are more than just adornments; they are instruments of preservation and pride for a people. You can follow her art and career on her Instagram: @luzluzaluz.
We are deeply grateful to Luza for entrusting OGAwith the treasure of her memories. By welcoming her story, we reaffirm our political and poetic mission to honor the voices of elders, indigenous matriarchs, native peoples, riverine communities, and all those who sustain life in these lands through cultural resistance. Luza’s account is a reminder that Brazil is an indigenous territory and that every story preserved is a victory against oblivion. We will continue as guardians of this voice so that the future may be written with protagonism and truth.
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