Indigenous-Led Cultural and Ecosystems Regeneration​​

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"Scientists studying the Amazon and all its wondrous assets (agree).

Today we stand in a moment of destiny: The tipping point is here, it is now."

- Carlos Nobre, Nobel Prize-winning scientist

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PUYANAWA SACRED FOREST PROJECT

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Problem 

In Acre, Northwestern Brazil, the Puyanawa Tribe lived for thousands of years in harmony with nature, known as Protectors of the Sacred Forests. 120 years ago, much of the tribe was massacred, enslaved, and dispossessed from their ancestral lands by enslavers. Now their Sacred Forests are threatened by illegal burning, contributing to the "Savanization of the Amazon" and ecosystems collapse.

 

Solutions

1. We aim to purchase 11,000 hectares of virgin Sacred Forest in Acre, to protect one of the world's greatest biodiversity hotspots, returning the land to the Puyanawa People who have nurtured it for many generations.

2. We aim to create an institute for education, research, cultural, and ecosystem regeneration, by developing and implementing bio-economies and biodiversity / hybrid carbon credits, to provide climate justice and ecosystems regeneration income intergenerationally for indigenous forest protectors.

 

Campaign

We are co-creating a film and initiative to reverse the tide of devastation and inspire hope with new approaches to ecological protection worldwide.  

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Key Objectives

1. Restoration of Sacred Lands: Land tenure security, securing the most critical rainforests that are endangered, and returning them to Indigenous stewardship, while providing infrastructure and support for their protection and regeneration.

2. Develop Socio-Bioeconomies based around the sustainable use and restoration of healthy standing forests and flowing rivers and support the well-being, knowledge, rights, and territories of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Following the SPA Bioeconomy Policy Brief released during the Amazon Presidents' Summit in 2023 (www.https://www.theamazonwewant.org/spa_publication/policy-brief-supporting-socio-bioeconomies-of-healthy-standing-forests-and-flowing-rivers-in-the-amazon/).

3. Developing Carbon Credits into Biodiversity Credits: Creating sustainable income sources for Indigenous people through environmental conservation efforts that also contribute to global climate solutions:

   1. Emphasize the transition in economic valuation from timber, where the value of chopped wood surpasses that of a living tree, to recognizing a living tree for its intrinsic valuable as nurturer of intersectional thriving of biodiversity, thereby inverting the traditional valuation to prioritize living trees over timber.

   2. Developing technologies and democratic data cooperatives to measure and monitor biodiversity of the forest and its associated carbon/biodiversity credits, ensuring that Indigenous populations guide these efforts while also being beneficiaries intergenerationally of their outcomes.

4. Educational Campaigns: Highlighting Indigenous stories and broader environmental issues through films, series, and books aimed at raising global awareness and support. Regeneration efforts must originate from the heart of ancient wisdom and practices (sacred knowledge) and from the heart of Nature itself (sacred lands).

   1. Develop the “Heart of Regeneration” to provide a space where theory and practice converge, furthering the project's mission of environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and global education on these critical issues.

   2. Measuring and Monitoring Technologies such as satellites, high-definition webcams at strategic locations within the Home of Regeneration, such as a sky bridge or its highest point, to provide live streaming capabilities. This initiative could serve multiple purposes:

   3. Educational Tool: Offer global audiences a real-time window into the Amazon, allowing for virtual tours, educational programs, and increased awareness of the forest's biodiversity.

   4. Conservation Effort: Act as a deterrent against illegal activities by providing real-time surveillance of the forest, potentially in partnership with local law enforcement or conservation groups.

   5. Technological Partnership: Collaborate with technology providers like Planet and Starlink to ensure reliable internet connectivity, showcasing how modern technology can support remote communities and conservation efforts.

5. The Trust: A legal entity designed to hold the land with the Indigenous peoples as perpetual beneficiaries, focusing on cultural and biodiversity preservation, education, and supporting the broader mission through the development of biodiversity/carbon credits.

6. Global Collaboration and Support: Engaging a wide network of scientists, innovators, nonprofits, and climate leaders, including recognition and support from high-profile platforms and organizations.

Proposal: Data cooperatives, being multistakeholder by nature, can be instrumental in fulfilling this endeavor.

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Global Benefits

This project will provide a model to protect indigenous peoples and ecosystems globally

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Photo ©Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri @SRI at the Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly: Ditigal Democracy for Climate Action