Synchronicity Earth’s Post

Today marks the International Day of Indigenous Women which commemorates Bartolina Sisa – the Aymara leader who was executed for her role in the 1780 Aymara-Quechua rebellion against Spanish colonial rule. Her death was intended to quieten the Indigenous movement, but her legacy continues to inspire those fighting for justice.    We work with many inspiring Indigenous women and girls who have been learning from their elders the importance of safeguarding their lands and waters as relatives for a better future for all. Helena Gualinga – an Indigenous rights defender from the Kichwa Sarayaku community in Ecuador – is one of these. Here is her story. “In the Ecuadorian Amazon, the most efficient mechanism of protection is Indigenous custodianship. There is huge pressure from extractive fronts, from both legal and illegal mining, oil, and hydroelectric power dams. As people are completely dependent on our water systems and the health of our water, we must address these threats.    It's extremely important that those on the land are not only speaking up, but that their voices are amplified. If they’re voicing these concerns, and no one's listening to them, they are more vulnerable to threats and attacks that unfortunately, do still take place in Ecuador.     We're really concerned about safety – people are literally putting their body on the lines to defend their territories.     Land defenders are being criminalised. They are called terrorists simply for opposing a mining project – they’re called anti-development, anti-country. This problem is putting the land and the forest in danger, but first of all, it's putting our people in danger.     In this moment, we could still stop a lot of projects and work on solutions. But we have a lot on our plate. Supporting young people and Indigenous leaders directly on the ground is more important than ever.” With support from our Freshwater Programme, Helena hopes to support Indigenous land rights and protect the many free-flowing rivers that intersect with Ecuador’s territories. #IndigenousWomen #InternationalDayOfIndigenousWomen #Ecuador [Image description: First slide shows Helena looking upwards in a forest, second shows a frame of Helena overlaid on Ecuador's cloud forest, third is a close up of Helena, her face partially obscured by pointed leaves, fourth shows a river in a forest, fifth shows Helena leaning on an old tree.]

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics