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Booklet of Services launched in the Tikuna Language
Driven by concerns about access to rights and linguistic accessibility for Indigenous populations, the “DPU in Indigenous Languages” project launched, on Wednesday, 8 April 2026, a booklet containing basic rights information in the Tikuna Language, spoken by the Magüta/Tikuna people of the State of Amazonas. This initiative results from a partnership between the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples (GTPI) and the Office for Translation Services (CTRAD/AINT). The launch took place at DPU headquarters, with representatives of the Magüta/Tikuna People in attendance.
Learn more about the DPU’s Indigenous Peoples Working Group (GTPI) here.
The document provides information about the work of the DPU, the services provided, and the type of cases in which the institution operates, as well as a guidance on how and where to find a unit to request for assistance.
This translation responds to a demand from the local population and was carried out by translators from the Tikuna people, along with other speakers of the language recognized by their own communities, in partnership with the Center for Access to Rights and Social Inclusion (CAIS) for Indigenous Peoples, FUNAI, and the Secretariat for Action within the Prison System (SASP-DPU).
The Federal Public Defender and coordinator of the Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, Diana Freitas de Andrade, highlighted the importance of a project that ensures Indigenous peoples’ access to rights. “Indigenous peoples face many barriers in accessing rights and public institutions, and one of them is language. The launch of a booklet presenting the DPU in the Tikuna language is a way to reinforce the institution’s commitment to guaranteeing the rights of Indigenous peoples, in line with its constitutional mandate to promote human rights”, she stated.
The Magüta/Tikuna people constitute the largest Indigenous population in Brazil, with approximately 74,000 individuals living in the transboundary region between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. For this reason, the booklet also includes a Spanish version. The publications will be available in printed format for distribution, including delivery to the DPU’s advanced unit in the municipality of Tabatinga (Amazonas).
About the project
According to Clarissa Prado Marini, from the Office for Translation Services (CTRAD/AINT), Brazil is a multilingual country, and the “DPU in Indigenous Languages” project was created with the aim of expanding legal awareness and access to public services through useful and accessible translations for different communities, beginning with Tikuna, the Indigenous language with the largest number of speakers in the country.
The booklet can be accessed in Spanish. You can also watch the video about the booklet launch.
Source: The Office of the Federal Public Defenders’ Office (DPU), Brazil
