Everything Is Connected with Paty Gualinga

11/14/23 • 22 min

Holding the Fire: Indigenous Voices on the Great Unraveling

Dahr Jamail speaks with Paty Gualinga about her people’s spirituality and interconnectedness with the Amazon Rainforest, and the ancient prophecies of her ancestors which are coming true today. She also talks about how, after a decade-long fight she helped lead, Ecuadorians recently voted decisively to end oil drilling in the Amazon in their country.
Paty Gualinga is an Indigenous rights defender and foreign relations leader of the Kichwa People of Sarayaku, an Indigenous community based in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Previous Episode

Deep Relationship to the Land with Sam Olando

Dahr Jamail speaks with Sam Olando about the challenges his people have faced, over generations, as governments and/or corporate projects displace increasing numbers of people from their ancestral lands. Sam also discusses Indigenous values, the importance of community, and the functional nature of reciprocity.
Sam Olando, a Luo man from Kenya, is a human rights defender and community organizer who is the executive director of Pamoja Trust, an NGO dedicated to promoting access to land, shelter, and basic services for the vulnerable.

Next Episode

Navigating Multiple Crises with Alson Kelen

Dahr Jamail speaks with Alson Kellen to hear about how his people survived nuclear testing on their home islands, colonialism, imperialism, and how they are now navigating the climate crisis. Alson discusses how he believes traditional values present the best hope for a sustainable future for his people, as well as for all of us.
Alson Kelen, a native of Bikini Atoll, is one of the world’s few masters in the ancient art of wave-piloting. Alson is an authority on traditional ocean canoe construction and navigation, and has done much to perpetuate Marshallese culture and traditional knowledge among the younger generations where he lives.