"The Waorani people have always been protectors, they have defended their territory and their culture for thousands of years."
In 2018, the Ecuadorian government announced that it would put seven million acres of the Amazon Rainforest up for auction as oil concessions. Much of that land overlapped with Waorani territory. This led to an intense legal battle between the Waorani people and the Ecuadorian government. The person leading the fight was Nemonte Nenquimo.
The Waorani are an indigenous group from Ecuador. They currently number around 2,000 and 80% of them already live in areas one-tenth the size of their ancestral lands. As a child, Nenquimo, president of the Waorani of Pastaza and co-founder of the Ceibo Alliance, used to visit her aunt who lived near an oil well. She saw firsthand the horrific environmental and social impacts of oil drilling. This attempted sale of their land would threaten not just wildlife, but the well-being of the Waorani people as well.
To combat this, Nenquimo launched the “Our Rainforest is Not For Sale” digital campaign in order to raise awareness. This campaign achieved almost 400,000 signatures from around the globe in opposition to the auction of Waorani land. In addition to this, Nenquimo also acted as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government. The prosecution argued that the government did not acquire consent to sell the land from the Waorani people. The three-person panel of judges agreed. In April 2019, the case resulted in a victory for Nenquimo and the Waorani, saving 500,000 acres of land and setting a legal precedent. Now, prior consent is a part of the law, making it easier for other indigenous groups to protect their land.
On November 30, 2020, Nenquimo was one of six recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize for her achievements. This award is also known as the Green Nobel Prize. Nenquimo continues her work in environmental and indigenous activism, as she has donated every cent of her prize money to Indigenous frontlines action to defend the Amazon. Furthermore, with the Ceibo Alliance, she works on territorial defense work, the resistance of the entry of oil operations, and so much more. Nemonte Nenquimo is an inspiring leader and advocate. She has fought and will continue to fight for the Amazon and the rights of its people.
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Written by: Abigail Mirambel