About The Project

CanalCanoa emerges from the wealth of indigenous people: their knowledge and care for nature, their understanding of traditional medicine, their perspective on family life and commitment to equality. Digital media leverages these cultural riches into a truly egalitarian intercultural dialogue.

Indigenous children of the Amazon enjoy riches unthinkable to many kids in the developed world: the liberty to explore the jungle and experience science-as-curiosity, the joy of collective play as they swim and fish in the river, the chance to learn side by side with their parents as they paddle, hunt, and garden together. Indigenous children also enjoy strong intergenerational families and profound relationships with grandparents, aunts, and uncles. These older relatives offer a connection to stories and to their history, by way of myths told by their grandparents.

With CanalCanoa, indigenous children teach these virtues and stories to children around Brazil and around the world. In the process, they come to recognize and value their own knowledge, so that they can engage with the world as equal partners in an intercultural dialogue. As children teach others, they develop the foundation for a future based on lasting respect and curiosity.