Clean up your culture: TV host's request sparks outrage among Indigenous Brazilians

• Brazilian TV host Luciano Huck faced backlash after asking Indigenous people in Xingu Indigenous Park to hide their cell phones during a film shoot, claiming the devices "mess with original culture."
• Indigenous organizations, including Apib, issued a joint statement rejecting the "cleaning up" of their culture, emphasizing that technology is a vital tool for their political struggle, land management, and rights advocacy.
• Huck defended his comments as a purely technical "art direction" decision rather than a cultural limitation.

The Incident

• During an August shoot at the Xingu Indigenous Park, Huck instructed Indigenous participants to remove or hide their mobile phones.
• He argued that removing the devices would help "preserve" their culture for the cameras, suggesting the audience would "appreciate" them more without modern technology.
• Behind-the-scenes footage of the interaction went viral in December, triggering widespread criticism.

Indigenous Response

• Organizations like Apib (Indigenous People of Brazil's Articulation) stated that Indigenous identity is not diminished by the use of technology.
• The groups highlighted that technology is essential for:
  • Monitoring and managing environmental resources in their territories.
  • Communicating between communities and the State.
  • Exposing historical violations and injustices.
  • Accessing education and work opportunities.

Context: Xingu Indigenous Park

• Xingu was the first Indigenous land demarcated by the Brazilian federal government (1961/1978).
• The park spans 27,000 square kilometers in Mato Grosso and is home to 6,177 people across 16 different ethnicities.
• This controversy occurs alongside ongoing national tensions, including the Brazilian National Congress's attempt to pass a "time marker" law, which would restrict Indigenous land claims to areas occupied at the time of the 1988 Constitution.