#HelenaGualinga is an #indigenous #activist from #Ecuador. Like Artemisa Xakriabá, her people, the #Kichwa People of #Sarayaku, are threatened by the destruction of their lands in the form of oil drilling, deforestation, and fires. She has witnessed her relatives fighting for their territories since she was young, and has followed in their footsteps. The Kichwa People launched the #LivingForestDeclaration last year, proposing not only national but international protection for indigenous lands. Not only is this important for the protection of indigenous people, but it is also the most effective way of conserving forests and biodiversity of the plants and animals that live within them. "By protecting indigenous peoples' rights, we protect billions of acres of land from exploitation." #KawsakSacha #amazon #amazonrainforest #inktober2019 #fwink #acrylicink #portrait #painting #limitedpalette #environmentalactivist #environmentalactivism #indigenousactivism https://www.instagram.com/p/B3IPyq9IYe3/?igshid=24tgybo3ytef
