More About Kichwa

Sarayaku Launches Living Forest Proposal – ¡Viva Kawsak Sacha!

In late July, the Kichwa People of Sarayaku officially launched their visionary Kawsak Sacha (Living Forest) proposal to the world. It was an incredibly beautiful, energizing, and historic moment to witness!

Ecuador's Indigenous Activists Are Under Attack. Will the Government Protect Them?

President Lenín Moreno should make protecting indigenous groups a priority, says Amnesty International's Americas director

As indigenous peoples from across Ecuador commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples on August 9th, activists will demand that Ecuador's President Lenín Moreno fulfills his promise to protect them and their territories. The day comes as a string of recent threats and attacks against indigenous human rights defenders has highlighted the risks they face.

Visionary "Living Forest" Proposal to Be Launched by Kichwa People of Sarayaku in Ecuador

Proposal for New International Category of Forest and Rights Protection to Be Presented to Government Officials and International Dignitaries

The Kichwa People of Sarayaku will officially launch its Kawsak Sacha, (Living Forest) proposal in Ecuador this July 2018 with a four-day exhibition and conference in Quito that will showcase Sarayaku's way of life, culture, and vision and will involve a formal presentation to the Ecuadorian government and international dignitaries.

The Last Guardians: A Must-Watch Film Highlights the Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice

Now available for download and streaming, The Last Guardians takes viewers to the Ecuadorian Amazon to further understand the struggle of indigenous community members as they defend their land and culture against the threats they face from extractive industries.

Earth Defenders Risk Life and Limb to Protect the Amazon Rainforest

This World Rainforest Day, we're honoring the indigenous Earth Defenders who are risking life and limb every day. Ecuador, in particular, is a dangerous place to be an Earth Defender. In addition to criminalization – baseless criminal charges used to silence dissent – more and more Earth Defenders are being threatened and physically assaulted.

ENI-AGIP Oil Project Threatens Indigenous Territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Indigenous organizations have rejected the company's presence in their territories and an indigenous leader has been subjected to threats and intimidation

"This attack is a reprisal for the struggle that I've been waging to defend life and our territories against the threat that is still being pushed upon us, fossil fuel exploitation in our territories."

The Erin Brockoviches of Ecuador

For these women, environmentalism and women's rights are closely linked: Past drilling projects have resulted in increased assaults, cancer, and infertility.

By fighting to protect their traditional land, indigenous women are making an innovative argument that the lives of the people and the wellbeing of the environment are inextricably linked – and a battle for one is a battle for the other.

Defending Indigenous Lands, Territories, and Resources at the UN

More than 1,000 representatives of indigenous peoples traveled to New York in late April to participate in the 17th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Amazon Watch supported and accompanied Amazonian leaders to call for respect and protection of their lives, cultures, and ancestral territories and an end to the harassment and death threats that they routinely face for their relentless opposition to the companies and governments driving the expansion of the fossil fuel frontier in the Amazon.