Indigenous leaders, directly affected by the Ecuador and Andes Petroleum contract, held a January 28

Indigenous leaders, directly affected by the Ecuador and Andes Petroleum contract, held a January 28 press conference in Quito. They declared the government's consultation process illegal and illegitimate, rejecting oil exploration in blocks 79 and 83, and further development in the South-Central region. More details are available on the Pachamama website and their YouTube channel.

Manari Shigua of the Sápara people testified that UNESCO's designation of Sápara culture as "Oral heritage of humanity" implies all resources in their territory are world heritage. He asserted the Ecuadorian government must consult the world before exploiting these resources, especially those opposed by the people.

Manari is a ceremonial leader and healer, offering natural, non-invasive cures for 'modern day' sicknesses through dream interpretation, spiritual connections, and medicinal plants, including

Manari is a ceremonial leader and healer, offering natural, non-invasive cures for 'modern day' sicknesses through dream interpretation, spiritual connections, and medicinal plants, including natural tobacco. He inspires a rediscovery of our bond with nature.

As an indigenous rights advocate, Manari has stopped perforation efforts in his native territory. His work has defended the Sapara community's rights at international forums, including the Interamerican Human Rights Court, the United Nations, and the European Parliament.

Manari also manages NAKU, the communitarian enterprise ('The Jungle' in Sapara). NAKU offers ecotourism, healing alternatives, and natural medicine research, leveraging indigenous cultural heritage and native tools.

Manari Ushinga of the Sápara people in Ecuador shares his community's perspective on the natural world, interconnectedness, and the critical importance of leaving the oil beneath the Ecuadorian

Manari Ushinga of the Sápara people in Ecuador shares his community's perspective on the natural world, interconnectedness, and the critical importance of leaving the oil beneath the Ecuadorian Amazon untouched.

This content was published on April 15, 2014, by the Pachamama Alliance.