Closing Keynote: Territory, life, and culture defense of the Amazon

The Amazon Rainforest is touted as a haven for biodiversity and endemism and a critical regulator of global climate. Preserving the legacy and ecosystem services of this forest and other critical landscapes across Latin America and the Caribbean remain central to creating a sustainable future for the region. This keynote address by indigenous Waorani activist and leader Oswando Nenquimo (Opi) roots our understanding of this year’s theme “Resistance and Resilience” in the power of indigenous peoples–the original and continuous forest stewards. He will explore indigenous rights, self-determination, and the role of traditional wisdom in his people’s millennia-long defense of and care for the forest. In sharing his work with Alianza Ceibo (Ceibo Alliance) and Waorani Resistance, Opi illustrates what is a first principle for indigenous communities: the forest and its future are inseparable from indigenous life and sovereignty.