Why Indigenous Land Rights Are Key to Protecting the Amazon

Why Indigenous Land Rights Are Key to Protecting the Amazon

Scattered across the nine countries that share the Amazon Basin — from Brazil to Colombia to Peru — live more than 400 distinct Indigenous nations, speaking over 300 languages. Each group has its own customs, traditions, and deep ancestral ties to the forest. Their relationship with the land is not based on ownership, but stewardship — passed down through generations as a responsibility, not a right. The forest provides not only food and medicin…