The Munduruku participated in the second Assembly of Indigenous Chiefs held in Brazil, in May, 1975, in the village of the Cururu Mission, in which leaders from various ethnic groups were present (the first Assembly took place at the center of the Anchieta Mission, in April, 1974, and Munduruku representatives were not present). The first Assemblies organized on the initiative of the leaders in which chiefs and representatives of most of the Munduruku villages participated, took place in 1985/86, and was focused on the question of land demarcation, besides discussing problems related to education, health, environment and economic projects for the communities. But the meetings only began to be recorded after the holding of the 1^st General Assembly of the Munduruku People, in 1989. With the passing of the years, the organization has matured, participation has been growing and the discussions have widened in scope.

As a means of formal organization, in 1991, the Munduruku of the upper Tapajós River created the Pusuru Indigenous Association, which was an initiative of several of the leaders and which had the objective of organizing claims around the issue of the demarcation of lands, as well as developing actions in defense of the environment, education, health, and other problems faced by the population. In the same year, the leaders understood that some kind of organization was necessary that could exercise a more direct political role, guiding the discussions, and that would make it possible to have a broad participation of various Munduruku communities. Thus the Munduruku Indigenous Council of the upper Tapajós (CIMAT) came into being.

In 2002 the 14th General Assembly was held, the first after the work of demarcating the land was finished, for which many leaders had struggled together with their communities.

However, there are many challenges. The difficulty of the location, among other factors, discourages more continuous exchange relations with other indigenous organizations, as well as knowledge of other experiences and the search for allies to confront their present problems. The organization of the Munduruku, as is the case of many indigenous peoples in Brazil, is experiencing a situation of near isolation that makes it difficult to achieve greater political maturity, and oftentimes falls into the hands of unfavorable mediation by local agents who have no commitment to indigenous rights.

Even with this situation, the two organizations act together and have been responsible for several important actions to strengthen the Munduruku people. In 1998, they presented a project which was approved by the PPTAL, for the setting up of a radiophone network coordinated by the Pusuru and the CIMAT, establishing communication among 10 villages located at points which are important for the protection of the territory, and for the coordination of activities, a fact which has contributed to improving communication and exchange, consolidating the organization.

In 2001, the organizations, with the support of the PPTAL, accomplished the Project for Accompanying the Demarcation of the Munduruku Indigenous Land, and in 2002, the recently renewed Project for Protection of the same indigenous land was accomplished. The Pusuru and the CIMAT coordinate the activities for mobilizing the Munduruku, sending on indigenous rights claims and are the intermediaries in the relations with public institutions. To meet these objectives, headquarters were established in the city of Jacareacanga.

Nevertheless, the interference of local political powers in questions that have to do with the lives of the Munduruku has increased. This fact, along with the negligence and disinterest of the regional FUNAI in questions that have to do with their duties, has represented a serious threat to the process of consolidation of the Munduruku organization as an autonomous and independent entity.

Schools

Another aspect that is worth recording in the process of organization of the Munduruku is the interest they have always had in the improvement of school education. Many of the existing schools arose as a result of the initiative of the communities, and several indigenous teachers have worked for years as volunteers, contributing to literacy and the sentiment of commitment from many young people who today are participating in actions in the community interest. The work of training the first teachers was initiated in the mid-1970s, with support from the SIL (International Linguistics society) and the Mission of São Francisco.

After a long interval, at the end of the 1980s, school activities were renewed with a new format and new principles, some on the initiative of the CIMI (Indigenist Missionary Council) and others by the FUNAI. Presently, there exists a Project for the Training of Munduruku Indigenous Teachers, coordinated by the FUNAI in partnership with the Indigenous Education Sector of the SEDUC-PA (Secretary of Education of the state of Pará), which also has the support of the Munduruku organizations and the Baptist Mission and Cururu Mission. The course, in modules and begun in 1998, is in the process of being officially recognized by the State Council of Education of the state of Pará.

Health

Among the current problems faced by the Munduruku, especially those located in communities of the region of the Tapajós River, is the precariousness of health assistance. Medical attention to indigenous health in the region is coordinated by the FUNASA through an agreement with the Prefecture of Jacareacanga.

The health problems increase with the passing of time, despite the fact that several aspects were the object of studies done several years ago, such as mercury poisoning as mentioned above, and the high rate of hepatitis B, which has been demonstrated by studies of the Evandro Chagas Institute since the beginning of the 1990s. Parallel to these ailments, the numbers referring to cases of tuberculosis, malaria and respiratory infections, resulting in many deaths, continues to be worrisome. The participation in and social control of the health policy are still very weak, there not being sufficient coordination to inspect and demand rights, which are thus ignored by those responsible who do not provide in an even minimally satisfactory manner for the health needs of the Munduruku people.

Another problem which has interfered in the health of the Munduruku has to do with the relations established with ever greater frequency with the city of Jacareacanga, a municipality founded in 1993, including cases of the exodus of whole families. The cases of sexually transmitted diseases have been ever more frequent, as well as the social harm caused by the eagerness with which the young men go to the city.

In the other locations

The Munduruku who are in other areas have also gone over similar trails in the struggle for their rights and in the consolidation of their organizations. In Indian Beach and in Mangue, small areas of land in the city of Itaituba, there is the Pari’rip Association and a project for the revitalization of language and culture initiated by the Indigenous School which the community maintains with the support of a non-governmental organization and the FUNAI.

On the Coatá-Laranjal Indigenous Land, in the state of Amazonas, the demarcation was also accompanied by the existing Indigenous Association through the project financed by the PPTAL (Integrated Project for Protection of the Lands and Indigenous Populations of the Brazilian Amazon Region). Presently, there is a project in the community to produce sugarcane molasses and blocks of raw brown sugar supported financially by the FUNAI through the Regional Administration of Manaus.

Over the last few years, the Munduruku of these different areas have sought ways of getting closer and keeping regular contacts amongst each other for the purpose of exchanging experiences and sharing aspects of their culture. This is a desire that, despite the difficulties, if it works, it could produce new knowledge and alternatives for meeting head-on the new challenges.