Brazil's Xikrin Indigenous People Sue Vale Over Heavy Metal Contamination

An activist covered in mud poses with a sign that reads “Vale assassin” during a demonstration in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Feb. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File)

In a recent development, Brazil's Federal Prosecutor's Office has filed a civil lawsuit against mining giant Vale, the Brazilian government, and the Amazon state of Para over heavy metal contamination affecting the Xikrin Indigenous people. The lawsuit, revealed this week, alleges that Vale's nickel mining activities at the Onca-Puma site have led to contamination, with the Catete River carrying mine pollution into Indigenous territory.

A study conducted by the Federal University of Para found dangerously high levels of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, and nickel, in the hair of nearly all the 720 individuals surveyed in the Xikrin do Catete Indigenous Territory. This contamination has raised concerns about potential health risks, with one 19-year-old woman showing nickel levels 2,326% above the safe limit.