Since the passing of U.S. Representative Raúl Grijalva of Arizona on March 13, tributes have poured in from fellow members of Congress, advocacy organizations, and individuals whose lives he touched through his tireless work for human rights, racial justice, Native American rights, and environmental protection.
Over recent years, Amazon Watch’s advocacy office in Washington, DC has had the privilege of working with his team on a number of initiatives to defend Indigenous peoples’ rights and territories in the Amazon rainforest.
Representative Grijalva wasn’t just a passive ally of Amazonian peoples but a proactive champion – dedicating time and resources to listen to grassroots leaders and using his influence to stand in solidarity at crucial moments. Grijalva demonstrated his passion and commitment to human rights in the Amazon through the following actions:
Rep. Grijalva took time to directly meet with Indigenous leaders
At different moments, Rep. Grijalva invested his time – perhaps a Congressperson’s most valuable resource – to receive Indigenous leaders in his Washington, DC office, engaging in personal dialogue with them. Those encounters include one with Diana Rios in 2019 (Ashéninka leader from Perú), Darío Mejía in 2022 (Zenu leader from Colombia and then the President of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues) and Beka Munduruku in 2023 (Munduruku youth leader from Brazil). His fluency in Spanish allowed him to engage directly with many Indigenous leaders, eliminating the need for interpretation and fostering deeper conversations.
Rep. Grijalva supported outreach to other Congressional offices
Beyond educating himself, he also facilitated opportunities for other Congressional offices to hear from leaders. During the 2020 visit of Joenia Wapichana and other Brazilian Congresswomen, he made available the Natural Resources Committee hearing room for a press conference. His office also co-sponsored an April 2023 briefing by Goldman Prize winner Alessandra Munduruku in the U.S. Capitol Building.
Rep. Grijalva spearheaded Congressional actions
This included letters, resolutions, drafting language, gathering co-signatures, and championing their adoption. These actions helped raise the public profile of the Amazon rainforest and promote a rights-based approach to the biome’s protection, starting with the defense of the ancestral stewards who are the best guardians of the forest. In 2019, he cosponsored a Resolution to Protect the Amazon. On other occasions, he led letters to the U.S. State Department, pressing for stronger action in favor of Indigenous communities. Those include a 2021 letter denouncing the increasingly violent threat posed by illegal gold miners to Munduruku Indigenous communities and a 2022 letter on shocking killings of journalist Dom Philips and indigenous rights advocate Bruno Pereira in the Brazilian Amazon.
Likewise, when other Congressional champions such as Deb Haaland and Susan Wild led similar initiatives, Rep. Grijalva was always willing to lend his support.
Rep. Grijalva advocated for the Amazon in public spaces
Using all the means at his disposal, Representative Grijalva spoke out for the Amazon on a regular basis. He posted statements to his Congressional website. He circulated information through his social media platforms. Additionally, his communications team would film statements by Grijalva himself, for public distribution. One such statement was made for the virtual Amazon Climate Forum, in April 2021, which featured a host of Amazonian leaders and high-profile allies speaking out.
We at Amazon Watch express our heartfelt condolences to Representative Grijalva’s family, community, and constituents. We would also like to express our deep gratitude to the behind-the-scenes efforts of his dedicated legislative team – including but not limited to Sayanna Molina, Marilyn Zepeda, and Carlos Martinez – without whom the above work would not have been possible. We wish them success in their future endeavors.
The global rise of fascist political movements is directly inimical to the defense of human rights and the Amazon rainforest. In that context, Amazon Watch will continue to engage with current members of the U.S. Congress, in both the House and Senate, to work in the spirit embodied by Rep. Grijalva.
