Between invisibility and resistance

The Struggle of Indigenous Peoples in Uprising in Maranhão for Vaccination and Recognition During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article examines how public policies addressing COVID-19 (2020- 2022) acted as catalysts for political processes among indigenous peoples engaged in land reclamation in Maranhão. Combining ethnography with data analysis from the (CO)Life Network, we demonstrate how state negligence - manifested through case underreporting and statistical invisibility - reinforced historical inequalities, but was countered by unprecedented political initiatives led by indigenous movements themselves. We argue that mobilization strategies - ranging from open letters to digital occupations - not only challenged emergency public policies but also contributed to reconfiguring the very boundaries of ethnic recognition in contemporary Brazil.