As the world grapples with the looming climate crisis, Indigenous women at Climate Week – an event held jointly with the UN General Assembly in New York City – emerged as a beacon of hope with a clear call to action for advocates of climate justice worldwide. Among the prominent voices in attendance this year were Sonia Guajajara, Minister of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil; Samai Gualinga, Vice President of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku from Ecuador; and Olivia Bisa, Vice President of the Chapra People of Peru, supported by Amazon Watch and allies from across the Amazon. We all came together to amplify Amazonian Indigenous voices and demand urgent action to protect the rainforest and its Indigenous communities.
This year, the 78th UN General Assembly was a pivotal Climate Ambition Summit, led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, that highlighted the urgent need for global action after a recent UNFCCC report calling for phasing out fossil fuels and ramping up renewable energy for a just transition to net-zero emissions. A key component of this call to action is to End Amazon Crude.
A global crisis reaches a tipping point
The urgency of this year’s Climate Week cannot be overstated. The Amazon, which we refer to as a “heart pump” for the Earth, is at a tipping point. Rampant deforestation, illegal logging, oil drilling, and mining on Indigenous lands and beyond have pushed this vital ecosystem to the brink. It’s a stark reminder that the effects of climate change are not some distant future threat – they are here, and they are now.
Indigenous and frontline leaders from Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru took to the streets and the center stage during Climate Week to shine a spotlight on these critical issues and the need to protect and defend the Amazon by recognizing Indigenous land rights.
One of the central advocacy messages in New York was the call for “Demarcation Now!” in the Brazilian Amazon. This is a demand that the federal government recognize and officially title Indigenous lands. It’s a direct challenge to the controversial Marco Temporal (“Time Limit Trick”) that threatened to roll back Indigenous land rights. Fortunately in the middle of Climate Week, Brazil’s Supreme Court overwhelmingly rejected that thesis. Sonia Guajajara celebrated this victory with us at the end of Climate Week on a panel with Indigenous Women leaders, co-hosted with Avaaz.
Amazon Watch, Indigenous leaders, and their allies are resolute in this stance: Indigenous rights and sovereignty must be upheld and respected, and Indigenous lands must be protected from oil and mining extraction.
Amplifying the power of Indigenous women’s leadership
One of the inspiring facets of this year’s Climate Week events is the emphasis on the leadership of Indigenous women. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, Indigenous women have played a pivotal role in recent victories to keep fossil fuels in the ground in the Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, including Nemo Guiguita, Waorani Indigenous woman and former Director of Women and Health for CONFENIAE (Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of the Ecuadorian Amazon), and Sarayaku women defenders Nina and Helena Gualinga. Their continued resistance and organizing – led by women and youth – is truly inspiring. Their resilience and determination are a testament to the power of grassroots movements.
Olivia Bisa, President of Peru’s Chapra Nation, emerged as a powerful new voice for the Amazon. Supported in her travels by the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Alliance, Olivia spoke out in multiple venues over the course of the week. She invigorated a passionate group of activists outside the Bank of America Tower at an action hosted by our allies at Stop The Money Pipeline, calling directly on the institution to stop funding Amazon destruction. At the end of the week, she spoke on a panel of high-level Indigenous women – including the first Indigenous woman Ambassador to the United Nations – eloquently underscoring the urgency of our collective action to defend the Amazon between now and the COP30 climate summit to be hosted by Brazil in 2025.
Climate Week in New York City is not just a week of discussions and presentations; it’s a global call to action. Indigenous leaders are on the front lines of the fight for climate justice, and they are inviting all of us to join them. The time for change is now, and together, we can make a difference. Join the movement, be a part of the solution, and help protect the Amazon and our planet for future generations!
