Ailton Krenak new member of Brazil Academy of Letters

Environmental advocate, philosopher, and poet Ailton Krenak, on Friday (Apr. 5), assumed Chair 5 at the Brazilian Academy of Letters, during a ceremony held at the organization’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. He holds the distinction of being the first indigenous representative to occupy a seat in the academy, which was established in 1897 with the objective of nurturing the nation’s language and literature.

Chair 5 was previously held by historian José Murilo de Carvalho until his passing in August 2023. In his address during the ceremony, Krenak highlighted the indigenous plurality:

“Ever since I was invited or encouraged to occupy this chair number five, I asked myself: ‘Can 300 people fit into this chair?’ As Mario de Andrade used to say, I am 300. How pretentious of me. I’m not more than one, but I can summon up more than 300. In this case, 305 indigenous peoples who, over the past 30 years of our nation’s history, have boldly declared: “I am here”. I am Guarani, I am Xavante, I am Caiapó, I am Yanomami, I am Terena,” stated Krenak.

Upon learning of his election, Krenak disclosed, “I was deeply surprised to be welcomed into this esteemed institution, historically closed to the diversity of native peoples.”

“The academy speaks Portuguese, so admitting Ailton is akin to welcoming approximately 200 different languages,” he conveyed to Agência Brasil.

Ailton Alves Lacerda Krenak was born in Itabirinha, in the state of Minas Gerais, in 1953, within the Rio Doce valley region. Besides being a writer, he has been honored with honorary doctorates from three esteemed Brazilian universities. Throughout his career, Krenak has been a prominent figure in socio-environmental activism and an advocate for indigenous rights. He played a pivotal role in establishing both the Alliance of Forest Peoples and the Union of Indigenous Nations.

He has published over 15 books. Some of them have been translated into more than 13 countries.  In recognition of his intellectual contributions, he was honored with the prestigious Juca Pato Award for Intellectual of the Year by the Brazilian Writers’ Union (UBE) in 2020. Presently, he resides in the Krenak Indigenous Reserve, situated in the municipality of Resplendor, Minas Gerais.