José Gualinga discusses his Kichwa People of Sarayaku’s visionary Living Forest Declaration and the importance of collaborating across cultures and areas of expertise.

At the heart of the declaration is an explanation of how Sarayaku people have always understood their Amazonian territory: as a living, intelligent forest—not a collection of resources for humans to exploit, as the Western world believes.

Ecuador’s strong Indigenous movements, including Sarayaku, led the way in cementing the idea in the country’s new constitution in 2008. (…)