I first met Waorani tribespeople in 2016 when I returned to the
Ecuadorian Amazon with the intention of creating
short inspiring films that celebrated the deep beauty of people
who live in harmony with Nature,
people who are willing to put their lives on the line to
protect Our Earth.
It is part of my purpose to support the Waorani in their self determination.
Together we have formed an opportunity
for you to visit with several communities in the Amazon rainforest.
This is not about your comfort zone, or a high thread count in your linen.
This is about giving back to people who are our
front line defenders of the Amazon!
This is about the trip of your lifetime to connect with the Nature
that you intrinsically are!
"Our culture comes from the forest.
The forest teaches us how to live,
and our culture teaches us how to protect the FOREST."
Nemonte Nenquimo
Protecting Indigenous Territory
I found friendship deep in the rainforest with the Waorani.
We travelled for days together and our bond was forged
through courage, trust, and respect.
Waorani Guided Tour
“The government tried to sell our lands to the
oil companies without our permission,”
“We decide what happens in our lands.
We will never sell our rainforest to the oil companies.
The government’s interest in oil
is not more valuable than our rights, our forests, our lives.”
Join Brigid Mary Prain, Nature Activist and Artist
in conserving the MOST BIODIVERSE PLACE ON EARTH
with INDIGENOUS CUSTODIANS OF THE AMAZON.
An experience you will always treasure...
The Ecuadorian Amazon has more species of flora and fauna in
less space than anywhere else on Earth.
This rainforest is a VITAL filter and generator of fresh air and clean
water for our GLOBAL ecology.
I feel that if we are to evolve and survive we must support the
SELF DETERMINATION of INDIGENOUS CUSTODIANS EVERYWHERE
to protect their territories from the extractive industries.
You will travel overland and through the Amazon river system to
stay with several different Waorani communities where you
will be welcomed into the hearts of families who are
standing strong to protect OUR AMAZON.
You will experience their culture, the flora and fauna of the
rainforest, share in their plant medicines, canoe down rivers,
visit waterfalls, learn from their hunter gatherer ways, drink chicha together,
learn traditional weavings, and...
HOW TO BE IN HARMONY WITH THE JUNGLE!
PACHAMAMA!
Pachamama is the Indigenous Cosmovision where
Time, Space, and the Multiverse, are One.
By humbling your presence and treading lightly you will
experience the magic of the Amazon.
This is an amazing opportunity to support, to be a part of, to be an ally for,
THE INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE FOR PEACE.
Little did I know that when I first went to the Amazon in 2013, I had
laid the foundations for this meeting with a culture who are renowned
for their fierce intelligence. Following intuition and being willing to
trammel the unknown, it was as if I stumbled upon gifts
I had prepared earlier and through leaps of faith
I found myself documenting three Waorani communities in the
process of evicting a trespassing oil company.
Sinopec had, by helicopter, flown in a test-drill camp deep into
Waorani territory without prior consultation, and the tribespeople
had served them with legal papers that sent the oil company packing.
It was a glorious victory, which we celebrated with a wild food fight
in the mud.
Three days later we were in Tena visiting gratis social justice lawyers,
the Ombudswoman, and giving interviews for regional and
national television.
Your Tour Guide is José Nenquimo from the Kiwaro community of the
Waorani. I first met José in 2016 whilst documenting the eviction.
Let me say this again: an oil company had flown in a test drill camp to
pristine primary rainforest in the most biodiverse place on Earth and
members of three Waorani communities evicted them by serving
them with legal papers stating which acts of the constitution
that the company was contravening!
You can see José in my video "A Message to the World', where he is
speaking in an interview with a regional news team after the action.
Early in 2019 I fundraised to help the Elders and wise people of
16 Waorani communities comfortably make their way to the courtroom
in Puyo where they went on to WIN!!!
an enormous Indigenous landrights victory...
said Nemonte Nenquimo, President of the Coordinating
Council of the Waorani Nationality of Ecuador–Pastaza
(Pastaza CONCONAWEP), a political organization
of the Waorani and plaintiff in the lawsuit.
In 2020, Nemonte Nenquimo was named one of the 100 most important
people on Earth by Time Magazine.
On July 1st 2019 the Waorani were back in the courtroom fighting the
governments appeal, and on the 11th THEY WON!
A VICTORY FOR OUR EARTH, FOR HEALTHY LIVING, AND FOR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EVERYWHERE!
Since then the battles in the law courts continue, funds continue to be raised and here you can read about the win in 2022...
With Love for Our Earth as our rudder we continue to cause the ripples that will prevail because, simply put... Nature Consciousness is boss.
Email: brigidprain@gmail.com
and I will connect you with Jose Nenquimo and others.
Together you can plan the experience of a lifetime.
a company dedicated to loving life