Krenak, Ailton

Ailton Krenak (born September 29, 1953) is an Indigenous writer, philosopher, journalist, environmentalist, and activist of the Krenak people. He became widely known after his protest at the Brazilian Constituent Assembly on September 4, 1987, when he painted his face with black jenipapo dye while delivering a speech against the violation of Indigenous peoples rights. He participated in the drafting of the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 (known as the "Citizen Constitution") as a representative of Indigenous peoples. Krenak is the author of Ideas to Postpone the End of the World (2020), Life is not useful (2023), and Ancestral Future (2024), among other books, essays and interviews. His ideas on predatory human activity against the planet, non-anthropocentric humanity, the institution of dreaming, and the relevance of orality as a way to reconnect with community and the planet, developed in books such as Life is Not Useful, have been very influential to environmentalism and modern thought in general, an influence that served as ground for his induction as the first indigenous member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2024.