Amazon projects changed their thinking; their support changed those projects
The G_ family has been traveling with us for over 20 years. They have been nearly everywhere, so picking their next destination wasn’t an easy task. In fact, they had no intention of visiting Brazil until we planted the idea in their minds of boat trip on the Tapajós River in the Brazilian Amazon. I recall, during one of our first conversations, MG asked me which were the great monuments of Brazil, the equivalent to Machu Picchu in Peru. I responded: it’s the people! And so it was.
A decade back, during my undergraduate studies, I worked on the socioeconomic impacts of tourism on local communities in Brazil, by convincing my University Counselor it was a valid topid for my degree on Hotel Management. I wanted to keep researching so badly that I agreed to take a Masters. Finding ways to stay connected to these communities has been a priority in my work ever since.
Trufflepig’s mission says it clearly: “Trufflepig exists to deliver transformative and joyful travel for our clients, in a way that’s respectful, protective of and beneficial towards the ecosystems and cultures wherein we operate“. And even though that ain’t an easy task, since 2004, when Trufflepig was founded, we have been trying to understand our impact in the world – what we call our hoofprint.
So while our end goal is to deliver amazing trips, and while good feedback puts a smile on our faces, we take particular pride when the feedback comes aligned to what we hear from our partners on the ground. This article is about the best example of that kind of symbiotic relationship. MG’s trip ran in late 2024 but its real impact has been in the 18 months since then.
For us planners crafting trips in such remote destinations as the Amazon, hoofprint is part of the planning process just as much as making sure you have a roof and a bed, or a guide who can communicate in English. We spend research time assessing partners and guaranteeing that the locals involved in our trips are being respected and well compensated for their services. We like to give priority to locally-owned and locally-managed operations. We listen and incorporate their suggestions, and that’s our way to give them voice from a very early stage. We may be travel specialists, but what would we do without the right people on the ground?
For MG’s trip, we planned encounters with locals that could expose her to art in all forms – something we always make sure to incorporate on her trips. With Aline, their lead guide onboard, MG met Keyce from Suraras do Tapajós, an association formed by indigenous women with the mission to empower women to fight against violence and racism towards indigenous people – all done through carimbó, the local rhythm usually played by all-man bands. At the Suraras’ headquarters in Alter do Chão, Keyce presented Amazonian music, dances, and folklore to MG and talked with her about the association’s trajectory, achievements and projects. Later on the trip we also had Lalah, daughter of the Borari community, come aboard for a talk about indigenous culture, cosmovision, and to explain more about the indigenous territories they would be visiting, by presenting different patterns of indigenous art. It was all right up to MG’s alley and answered her desire to dive into the different forms of art expression found in the Brazilian Amazon. But beyond that, a seed had been planted by MG’s exchanges with the people she met through Trufflepig.
She asked for art, but was met by strong and empowered indigenous women with a high degree of cultural and academic knowledge. She learnt about projects which had little to no financial aid but that have been carefully structured without any audit or Excel sheet. With Lalah, MG learnt that for the indigenous people art is resistance, as each piece they produce carries a part of their identity; and that gave her an understanding of the social issues being faced by the communities around the Tapajós. Among a few purchases she made were some pieces from the Munduruku community, one particularly facing issues with illegal mining on their territory. With Keicy and the Surara, the narrative wasn’t much different, as resistance is part of their mission.
But when asking what was their next step, MG learnt that the needs of an association in the middle of the rainforest can be as simple as having a new roof before the rain comes. She realized “a very little can go a very long way” and that “when you can see the direct impact of your support, it has much more meaning”. She came face to face with the Brazilian way, and more than that, the Brazilian indigenous way to achieve things. The hope, the fight, the force, and the high emotions that come with a mission to protect your land. In her own words, she didn’t expect this trip to shift her perspective and thinking about the world.
The last email I got from MG dates November 2025, one year after her trip ended. The title says “Thinking of you and so grateful!”. (yes! this is all travel planners’ dream). Brazil was still being described by MG as “a life-altering experience”. For the art, music and vibrancy, but also for all the people she met, with whom she was still constantly in touch through WhatsApp. COP-30 was taking place in Belém, not far from where MG had visited and Aline had been keeping her posted about it. When that email arrived, I had just returned from a research trip in the Tapajós myself aboard one of Martin’s boats. On that trip, I wasn’t surprised at how many locals would ask about Martin whenever we disembarked in the communities. But when I occasionally mentioned Trufflepig, they all asked me about MG. I then discovered that this trip’s hoofprint was broader and deeper than I had realised – and indeed than MG had told me herself.
Walking on the beach one morning, Lalah told me about MG’s funding of an ongoing project in the Karanã hamlet. “A mata é arte” it’s called, which translates to “the forest is art”. But ironically if you read it fast in Portuguese, on a Northern accent, it sounds like MG’s first name. Thanks to MG’s support, they had started the third round of the project which aims to preserve the Borari culture, teach the women to perfect their art and learn about pricing and branding in order to achieve a higher market value. Later, when learning about the latest impacts of climate change in the region, I discovered MG had offered to build a wheel for Lalah’s house, as the 2024 drought had caused severe water shortages. With Aline and the Suraras, I knew she had remained in touch, and that MG kept supporting them beyond funding the repairs of their headquarters roof. Both Lalah and Aline highlighted the fact that MG never proposed new projects. She listened and asked what was next, never implying she knew what was best for these communities, and with that she also helped strengthening their sense of identity. As simple as it may sound, this is not as common as it should be – but as Aline pointed out, community-based tourism sets the stage for it to happen. And without realizing the extension of it, we had organically activated a whole social network – all with names and faces – truly a positive hoofprint.
I came back from that trip with Heraclitus’ “no man steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man” resonating in my mind. I was changed, and I was glad we were promoting long-lasting change. “I would happily do the exact same itinerary again, knowing that the experiences would not be the same”: MG’s last message paired perfectly well with that feeling.
This article wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of Lalah and Aline – and MG herself!
Aline Tiagor has been dedicating her days for the past 15 years to find the right way to do tourism in the Brazilian Amazon. She is an exponent voice when it comes to Community-Based Tourism and is the face of the Eco Schools NGO in Brazil. Many of our clients have had the luck to have her as their lead guide during their navigations.
Lalah Amazônia is a tireless activist and insatiable researcher in indigenous arts and crafts and daughter of the Borari indigenous people. Lalah often joins our clients to teach them about indigenous culture and cosmovision, and raise attention to the problems the communities face. She owns ‘Lalah Amazonia’ the perfect last stop for some meaningful shop in Alter do Chão.
