A court in Brazil told cattle farmers and other non-Indigenous people to leave the Piripkura Indigenous Territory in Mato Grosso. The October 7 order gives them 120 days to leave. They must take their workers, cows, machines, and other things with them. People who stay after that face a daily fine of 500 Brazilian reais, about $93.
At least two Piripkura people live there and choose to stay away from outsiders. Other people may also live in the forest without outside contact. Special rules have protected the land since 2008. But a court let some farmers stay in 2025, and the new order changes that decision.
Officials found new areas of forest cut down without permission for cattle farming. One area measured 36.83 hectares, or 91 acres. They also reported hidden places for planes to land, with possible links to the illegal drug trade. Officials fear violence and contact with outsiders because outsiders can bring diseases the Piripkura cannot fight.
Funai, Brazil's agency for Indigenous people, will lead the work to get the outsiders to leave. Officials want people to leave by choice, but police may help remove them if necessary. Poor roads, cows, and heavy machines make the work difficult. Teams must avoid contact with the Piripkura and further damage to the forest.
