Roughly 120 members of the indigenous Enawene Nawe tribe seized control of a hydroelectric dam construction site in the Brazilian Amazon (Mato Grosso state) on October 13, burning it to the ground.

“They came armed with axes and pieces of wood, banished the employees and later set fire to everything” said construction site coordinator Frederico Muller.

At least 12 trucks and a number of housing and office units were totally destroyed, for a total cost of $3 million.

The government is planning a total of 77 dams for the Juruena River upriver of Enawene Nawe territory. The tribe has vehemently opposed these dams from the beginning, largely for their effect they would have on fish populations. The Enawene Nawe are highly dependent on fish both culturally and nutritionally, as they do not hunt or eat red meat.

The Enawene Nawe had previously walked out of a “consultation process” with the government when they learned they had been deceived about the scale of the process. They have repeatedly engaged in blockades, site invasions and other direct actions since then.