Nemonte Nequiemo: Female Waorani Indigenous Leader & Goldman Environmental Award
Today, 80% of the Waorani population currently lives on one-tenth of its original ancestral lands.
The territory of Waorani overlaps with the Yasuni National Park, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. 80% of Waorani now live in an area that is a tenth of their ancestral land due to previous oil concessions.
But it was the environmental impact that shocked Nequimo and the adverse effects on settlement life.
“My aunt told me that life was not good. Her sons all worked in the oil industry, and they bought alcohol with the money they earned. Some became violent and would beat their wives.” – Nemonte Nequiemo
Resisting Oil Concessions
Nemonte Nequiemo is not only the leader of the Waorani of Pastaza but also co-founder of the Ceibo Alliance. This indigenous non-profit organization stands up for indigenous rights and culture. In 2018, almost 20 years later, the Ecuadorian announced that it would auction 16 new oil concessions for seven million hectares of Amazon rainforest. Nequimo led the fight against the oil concessions.
She acted as a plaintiff in a court case against the Ecuadorian government, arguing that she had not received prior consent from the Waorani to auction the land, much of which overlaps with the territory of Waorani. She also launched a digital campaign called “Our rainforest is not for sale.” She collected 400,000 signatures from people all over the world to prevent the auction.
Nemonte Nenquimo, 33, is an indigenous Waorani woman who has committed herself to defending her ancestral territory, ecosystem, culture, economy, and way of life. She co-founded the Ceibo Alliance—an indigenous organization—in 2015 in order to fight back against the planned oil concessions, and was elected president of CONCONAWEP, an organization that represents the Waorani of the Pastaza province. Nenquimo has a 4-year-old daughter and lives with her extended family in the village of Nemonpare.
The Legal Precedent for Indigenous Rights
In April 2019, the judges ruled in favor of the Waorani, who protected 500,000 acres from oil extraction. Simultaneously, the judge demanded that the government ensure free, prior, and informed consent before they can auction off any other country in the future. The court’s victory creates a legal precedent for indigenous rights in Ecuador. The legal precedent also opened the possibilities for action in other parts of the world. It also encouraged other tribes to follow in Nequimo’s footsteps. The legal ruling was celebrated by environmentalists around the world as a rare victory of indigenous rights over those of big business and government.
“This award will hopefully give us and our fight more visibility and create awareness that we are acting for the good of the planet” – Nemonte Nequiemo
The Native Leader Nemonte Nequiemo was named one of Time’s Most Influential People of 2020.