When Jo�nia Batista de Carvalho wanted to become a lawyer, people told her not to bother. As a young Indian woman, joining the legal field was unheard of.

But Batista persevered and worked her way through college. Now she is using her law degree to help tribes with land claims, filing cases in Brazilian and international courts.

Batista, who also goes by the name Jo�nia Wapixana, following the name of her tribe, was born in an isolated village. She moved to a big city as a young girl and said discrimination she felt still exists.

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Using Courts in Brazil to Strengthen an Indian Identity (The New York Times 11/13)
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