Traditional peoples in Brazil

Traditional Populations, Traditional Peoples or Traditional Communities, under Brazilian law, are groups that have a culture that is different from the prevailing local culture and that maintain a way of life closely linked to the natural environment in which they live. Through its own forms - social organization, the use of territory and natural resources (with a subsistence relationship) - its socio-cultural-religious reproduction using knowledge transmitted orally and in daily practice.

Officially, according to the Federal Government, to be recognized as traditional, it is necessary to carry out daily production practices based on sustainable development.  It is estimated that in Brazil around 4.5 million people are part of these communities, occupying 25% of the national territory.

The term "traditional peoples" is defined as a larger legal category which includes, but is neither exclusive nor replacing of, Brazil's indigenous peoples.

In 2007, the Federal Government of Brazil formally recognized the existence of so-called traditional populations (Presidential Decree 6040 of February 7),^[1]  expanding the recognition partially made in the 1988 Constitution (only indigenous and quilombola) to cover the following communities: caboclo; caiçara; extractive; jangadeiro; fisherman; riverside; tapper; in addition to indigenous and quilombola.^[2] The law also established the "National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Traditional Peoples and Communities" (PNPCT), subordinated to the Ministry of the Environment.^[2][3]

In 2016, Decree 8750 was issued by President Dilma Rousseff, establishing the National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT). It was initially established as an arm of the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger. In 2018, under the presidencies of Michel Temer and later Jair Bolsonaro, the council was shifted to the Ministry of Woman, Family and Human Rights as per Decree 9.465.

In 2023, under President Lula da Silva, the council was expanded and shifted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. In addition, Lula established a National Secretariat for Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Rural Development under the same ministry.