HELP AHUA, PENTI’s FATHER

After the accident, Ahua was taken to Puyo and is now in hospital receiving medical care. Will get more updates very soon! 

AHUA is a great warrior, and he is an important figure in the Huaorani fight for defending his territory and has been defending his home, the rainforest, all his life.

Watch a video of Ahua talking in Quito in a meeting with Ecuadorian government officials: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r1w7JsA20c

The "Emergency health fund" I listed in the fundraiser goals is for this sort of situations.  This is an emergency we can all help with now.

PLEASE HELP AHUA!

Few fotos of Ahua: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.323409451010220.82528.314587061892459&type=1

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This holiday season Maloca* and friends are organizing a fundraiser to support the Huaorani of Bameno. We are aiming to raise 2,000$, please read below what the money is for.

Who are the Huaorani?

The Huaorani are legendary warriors who live deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, protecting their territory, their culture, and their way of life. By supporting the Huaorani, you contribute directly to the conservation of the Amazon and Yasuni Biosphere Reserve - a place of incredible biodiversity and beauty, designated by Ecuador's government as a conservation area off-limits to oil extraction, mining and logging since 1999.This area is very special because it overlaps with the Intangible Zone, a spectacular refuge of carbon-rich, biologically-diverse rainforest that spans nearly 3,000 square miles of ancestral Huaorani lands. Here, two uncontacted groups, the Tagaeri and Taromenane, still live, along four communities of contacted Huaorani. Despite the protection on paper, The Intangible Zone and the Huaorani who live there continue to be threatened by encroaching oil companies, settlers and illegal loggers. Read more about Yasuni and the Intangible Zone here: http://huaoraniintangiblezone.wordpress.com/

In the past, the Huaorani defended their territory with spears. Now they understand they must defend it with documents and by traveling far from home, like Penti, Huaorani leader from Bameno community, explained: “MY FATHER IS AHUA. HE IS A GREAT WARRIOR. HE DEFENDED OUR HUAORANI TERRITORY WITH HARDWOOD SPEARS. NOW I MUST DEFEND OUR TERRITORY AND OMEDE, THE RAINFOREST, WITH DOCUMENTS AND LAW, SPEAKING SPANISH, AND TRAVELLING FAR AWAY LIKE THE HARPY EAGLE.” The Huaorani of Yasuni have organized themselves to work together, as communities, to protect The Intangible Zone and the right of their "uncontacted" neighbors to be left alone.  They call themselves Ome Gompote Kiwigimoni Huaorani, which means "We Defend Our Huaorani Territory."

To see pictures from the Huaorani community Bameno, go here: http://nosotras.smugmug.com/Indigenous-Amazon/Communities/Bameno/7938495_vrjvLR#677804684_zqE2S

What are we raising money for?

-      A “minga”(a work meeting for the benefit of the whole community) – In mid-January 2012 the Huaorani of Bameno will invite its neighbors to a meeting. The Huaorani of Yasuni will come together in a forum in which community leaders will take coordinated action to protect their human rights and land. The meeting will also keep members informed on external events that affect them and their territory and they will decide what kind of actions to take together.

These mingas (gatherings/working meetings) are an ongoing process where the Huaorani exchange ideas and information, reflect and decide how to continue to move forward together to protect their territory and rights. The Huaorani leaders of Bameno posted a video on youtube containing messages from the last minga in August 2011. Now they want to do an online petition to support the Huaorani and their rights. The Huaorani also want to take a trip in 2012 to the US to speak for themselves in the international forum. They will discuss and plan this trip at the minga as well.

-      Investigating a troubling reportthat the colonists have moved into Huaorani territory, right in the frontier area where the two uncontacted groups Tagaeri and Taromenane live. This is very serious, as penetration by outsiders of the Intangible Zone can lead to conflict and this will endanger the uncontacted people which Penti and the Huaorani of Yasuni are protecting. Penti and his community need to travel at the location and investigate and document the facts. If the Huaorani do not say anything, more colonists will settle into their territory, invading it, creating deforestation and conflict. This will also be discussed at the minga.

-      Start an Emergency Health Fund for the community of Bameno (which will cover basic medicine, doctor visits for the more serious cases)

-      A printerfor Penti. Sadly printer Penti was using was stolen (along with his computer, camera, and important documents). Penti is using the printer, computer and cameras to defend his territory and also to set a community tourism initiative that brings much needed income in the community.

Why is protecting the Huaorani territory so important?

“Land rights, access to land and control over it and its resources are central to indigenous peoples throughout the world, and they depend on such rights and access for their material and cultural survival. In order to survive as distinct people, indigenous peoples and their communities need to be able to own, conserve and manage their territories, lands and resources.” (United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues, 2007)

* MALOCA is an affiliate of Village Earth, a nonprofit charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and which is not a private foundation because it is described in Sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(a)(vi).