The territory represents the space indeed used, and its use forms are instruments that help to build the human history, once it includes not only the natural and built environment, but also the population dynamics, the productive activities, the economy, the legislation, the citizenship and the society as a whole. The evolution of the technique and of the social and economic processes redefine the territory, allowing it to manifest the differences and existent gaps among the different areas and cultural groups. As a consequence, the territory turns to be an indicator of the inequality concerning the conditions of life of the population, including the system of social interactions and their consequent relationships of power and dominance for the legitimacy of the dominant patterns. The indigenous lands in Brazil represent more than 12% of the national territory and they are part of a historical process of fight for the territory and its richness, involving a complicated convergence of interests, especially in the Amazon region, knowingly guardian of a rich biodiversity patrimony. In this sense, the search for the invigoration of the cultural identity is a tool used as a defense and antidote against actions aiming the economical effectiveness. The defense of the indigenous rights can also contribute for the fragmentation of the environmental movement, because while it strengthens the cultural identity at the same time it can pass a vision of a supranational society. The objective of this paper is to analyze the social, political and environmental interactions linked to the Brazilian Indian Lands through the cross cutting view presented by the discussion of the concepts of sustainability, development and ethics.
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