The high court’s decision has profound symbolic and humanitarian value: it seeks to partially repair the historical violence committed against isolated indigenous communities that were exterminated by the advance of the agricultural and logging frontier in the Amazon region.

“The Tanaru case represents an open wound in Brazilian history. This park is not only a tribute, but a guarantee that similar atrocities will never be repeated,” said Justice Carmen Lucia Antunes, rapporteur of the ruling.

After living completely alone for more than 25 years after his community was massacred by ranchers, the Man of the Hole was found dead in 2022 in his hut.

His complete isolation and his habit of digging graves inside his home—from which his nickname originated—made him a global symbol of resistance and dignity.

With the decision of the Federal Supreme Court, the area of more than 8,000 hectares will be under the management of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation.

There, not only will the memory of the Tanaru people be protected, but also one of the most threatened ecosystems in the western Amazon.

“It is a sacred territory and a warning about the human price of deforestation,” declared Joenia Wapichana, president of the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples. “The Man of the Hole died alone, but his story will live on in every tree we manage to save,” she said.

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