Nemonte Nenquimo: Defender of the Amazon and Indigenous Rights

Each week, One Earth is proud to feature a Climate Hero from around the globe, working to create a world where humanity and nature can thrive together.

In the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon's Pastaza region, Nemonte Nenquimo grew up in the Waorani Nation, a culture of hunter-harvesters deeply connected to the land and its protection. Her grandfather, Piyemo, a legendary Waorani warrior, gave her the name Nemonte Ayebe, meaning “constellation of stars,” “long fish of the broken river,” and “singing bird” in the wao language. 

From a young age, Nemonte was inspired by the stories of her elders, learning about Waorani culture and their deep connection to the forest.

Honoring the wisdom of the elders

Growing up, Nemonte listened intently to stories of how the Waorani lived before being contacted by missionaries in the late 1950s. Her community's history of resilience, including the role of women as decision-makers and her grandfather’s leadership in protecting their lands, shaped her sense of responsibility. She knew early on that defending the Amazon was not only a calling but her legacy.

Threats to the Waorani's homeland

Ecuador is home to some of the most biodiverse rainforests on Earth, teeming with rich wildlife, intricate ecosystems, and Indigenous communities like the Waorani. The 5,000 Waorani people have lived in harmony with the Amazon for thousands of years, preserving their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life. However, decades of logging, road construction, and oil exploration have devastated the rainforest. Since the 1960s, oil companies have polluted rivers and land, leaving lasting scars on the environment.

Today, the Waorani occupy just one-tenth of their original ancestral lands, with less than 15% of Ecuador’s rainforest remaining intact. Despite these challenges, the Waorani continue to resist, defending their territory and culture from further destruction.

A bold fight against oil concessions

In 2018, Ecuador’s government sought to auction off 16 oil concessions, covering seven million acres of Indigenous land in the Amazon. Nemonte, the first woman president of the Waorani of Pastaza, led the fight against this environmental threat. In collaboration with Amazon Frontlines, she launched Our Rainforest is Not for Sale, a digital campaign that collected 378,000 signatures from around the world to stop the concessions.

Nemonte brought together elders, youth, and various tribes through region-wide assemblies, building unity in a struggle that transcended individual communities. As a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government, she argued that the Waorani had not given legal consent for their land to be auctioned. This case became a pivotal moment in the fight for Indigenous rights and environmental preservation.

A landmark legal victory 

In April 2019, Nemonte and the Waorani secured a landmark legal victory: the court ruled to protect 500,000 acres of their rainforest from oil extraction and mandated that no land could be auctioned without prior and informed consent from the tribe. This victory not only safeguarded their homeland but set a powerful legal precedent for Indigenous rights across the Amazon, inspiring other tribes to take similar actions in defense of their territories.

“The government tried to sell our lands to the oil companies without our permission. Our rainforest is our life. We decide what happens in our lands. We will never sell our rainforest to the oil companies.”

Uniting Indigenous communities

Nemonte’s leadership goes beyond the courtroom. She has worked tirelessly to strengthen Indigenous communities through practical support, installing solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems in remote areas. She has also empowered Waorani youth by providing them with training to document their land through photography and video, ensuring their voices and stories reach a global audience.

As co-founder of the Indigenous-led nonprofit Ceibo Alliance, Nemonte continues to fight for Indigenous rights, cultural survival, and sustainable alternatives to rainforest destruction. Her work unites diverse Indigenous groups across Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, amplifying their voices in the global climate movement.

A global voice for climate justice

Nemonte’s activism has gained international recognition. She was named to TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2020, and she received the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize that same year. Nemonte’s leadership exemplifies the crucial role Indigenous people play in protecting our planet, as they have been Earth's stewards for generations.

We Will Be Jaguars: A living story

In 2024, Nemonte co-authored We Will Be Jaguars   with her partner, Mitch Anderson. The memoir immerses readers in the ancient histories of the Waorani people and details Nemonte’s personal journey as a defender of the Amazon. It is the first memoir by an Amazonian Indigenous woman to be published in seven languages, a groundbreaking translation of ancestral oral traditions into written form.

For Nemonte, defending the Amazon is not just an Indigenous struggle; it’s a global one, where we all must take part. Her life's work is a powerful testament to the importance of traditional leadership and wisdom in creating a sustainable and just future for all.

“As Indigenous peoples, we are fighting to protect what we love—our way of life, our rivers, the animals, our forests, life on Earth—and it's time that the world listened to us.”