The Amazon Story That Survived a Tragic Loss

In 2018, Dom Phillips, a British journalist, embarked on a challenging 17-day expedition into the Javari Valley, a remote and nearly unreachable Indigenous territory at the western edge of the Brazilian Amazon. His mission was to document signs of an isolated Indigenous group facing increasing threats from illegal activities.

The journey spanned some 650 miles by boat and on foot, traversing perilous log bridges, evading snakes, and pushing through dense, suffocating jungle. When the river appeared, it provided welcome respite and moments Phillips later described as possessing a rare and exquisite beauty.

Phillips was deeply impressed by the Indigenous guides’ intimate knowledge of the forest’s hidden secrets. However, he was especially struck by Bruno Pereira, the expedition leader and a veteran official of Funai, Brazil’s agency responsible for Indigenous protection.

Though Pereira was not Indigenous himself, Phillips viewed him as a devoted public servant committed to safeguarding Indigenous communities. Pereira’s unparalleled familiarity with the Javari region made him an essential partner. Returning to the area to work on a book, Phillips aimed to capture how an Indigenous patrol, led by Pereira, was defending this largely unregulated territory.

Tragically, both men were killed in June 2022 after confronting an illegal fishing group. Yet, their story has persisted beyond their deaths.

Friends and family of Dom Phillips have brought his work to publication with the release of “How to Save the Amazon: A Journalist’s Fatal Quest for Answers.” Over a period of three years, they completed his unfinished manuscript through crowdfunding, grants, and securing a publisher willing to share his vital message.