Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon
rainforest—one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the
1950s—Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing.
She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and
shamanism by her elders. At age fourteen, she left the forest for the
first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city.
Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her
to return and embrace her own culture. She listened.
Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful
voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of
indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a
landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres
of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear—honed
by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and
missionaries.
In We Will Be Jaguars, she partners with her husband, Mitch
Anderson, founder of Amazon Frontlines, digging into generations of oral
history, uprooting centuries of conquest, hacking away at racist notions
of indigenous peoples, and ultimately revealing a life story as rich,
harsh, and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself. [from Abrams Press]
This is an amazing book.
Nenquimo, Nemonte. (2024) We Will Be Jaguars. New York: Abrams Press.
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