Nemonte Nenquimo

Nemonte Nenquimo

Nemonte Nenquimo is an Indigenous Waorani woman committed to defending her ancestral territory, culture, and way of life in the Amazon rainforest. Raised in the traditional community of Nemonpare in the Pastaza region of the Ecuadorian Amazon, Nenquimo co-founded the Indigenous-led nonprofit organization Ceibo Alliance in 2015 to protect Indigenous lands and livelihoods from resource extraction within their territories. In 2018, she was elected the first female president of CONCONAWEP, the Waorani organization of Pastaza province. Nemonte led her people in an historic legal victory against the Ecuadorian government, which protected half-a million acres of primary rainforest in the Amazon and set a precedent for Indigenous rights across the region. Today, Nemonte is fighting for the survival of her people amid the dual threats of COVID-19 and the ongoing ecological crisis in the Amazon.