Nemonte Nenquimo Waorani indigenous leader of Ecuador received the Goldman Award

Waorani indigenous leader Nemonte Nenquimo (Ecuador) has received the Goldman Award, known as the “Environmental Nobel” which is awarded each year to the world’s most important environmental leaders. In 2018, the Ecuadorian government advanced an unsecured prior consultation with some indigenous families in the Amazon Pastaza region to authorize the exploration and exploitation of an oil field of more than 200,000 hectares of jungle that connects territories of indigenous communities waorani, shuar, achuar, kichwa, shiwiar, andoa and sápara — in direct violation of their rights. Today, 80% of the Waorani population lives in one-tenth of their original ancestral territory.

Indigenous leaders, led by Nemonte Nenquimo, responded to the Ecuadorian state with struggles that included legal action for breach of its right to prior informed consultation and in response to a procedure that was conducted without the protocols regulated by the law, and persevered until they managed to stop oil exploitation and safeguard their ancestral territory.

The legal victory sets a legal precedent for indigenous rights in Ecuador, prompting other tribes to follow the example of the Waorani people. Nenquimo continues in his struggle for self-determination, rights and cultural and territorial protection of the Waorani and other indigenous communities. In his acceptance speech for the award, Nemonte Nenquimo said, “This is my message to the Western world, your civilization is killing life on Earth.”

More information at the Goldman web page.