Indigenous leaders from South America issued a cry for help at New York Climate Week on Sept. 25. Representatives from Brazil, Ecuador and Peru gathered at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, where they urgently called on the international community to act on the unprecedented drought and fire crisis impacting the Amazon Rainforest. Chief Raoni Metuktire, one of the most renowned Indigenous leaders in Brazil and the world, called on non-Indigenous communities to take responsibility for their share of the problem. “White people are contributing to the destruction of the forest,” said the chief, who is now 92 years old. “I’m very concerned with their way of life leading to the destruction of living beings and our planet.” Raoni was especially critical of non-Indigenous communities’ introduction of extractive industries now prevalent in the Amazon. Illegal mining, logging and cattle ranching are degrading the rainforest, impacting water sources and drying the land. These activities are exacerbating the impacts of climate change, to which Indigenous people already contribute very little. “We need white men on our side to save the Amazon from destruction,” said the chief, who was born in the Kayapó territory. The land, located in São Félix do Xingu, in the southern Amazon, has recently lost 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) due to a wildfire that is still burning. It’s the most burnt Indigenous territory in Brazil this year — almost 20% has been blazed. “We need to mobilize the nations of every country to make a large movement to…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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South Africa Today – Environment
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