A threat to land and language

2019 was a particularly hard year for rainforests, from forest fires to displacement of people and wildlife. Fortunately, Rainforest Partnership has many projects in the pipeline focused on safeguarding the forest and protecting its inhabitants.

Among these is the plan to help the indigenous Amahuaca people conserve their land and retain their culture.

The U.N. has declared 2019 the year of indigenous languages, highlighting the threats to indigenous languages around the world.

Did you know that there are roughly 4 million indigenous people in Peru, speaking 47 different languages?

Peru is a wonderfully diverse place, home to an abundance of cultures and peoples. Unfortunately, various threats, such as discrimination and resource extraction, disproportionately impact the livelihoods and cultural preservation of indigenous peoples. 

The Amahuaca are an indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon on the border with Brazil. The communities face increasing pressure from trafficking and people fleeing from Brazil. As it stands, only 500 individuals remain.
 

While their land is increasingly threatened, so is their language.

The indigenous Amahuaca language is spoken by only about 200 individuals today and, more frequently, the younger generations of the community are not learning the language.

Rainforest Partnership is working with the Amahuaca people to:

• establish a 50,000 acre protected area
• create a natural resource management and sustainable hunting plan
• provide comprehensive conservation education

Included in the conservation education initiative, Rainforest Partnership aims to help the community write a book in their language in order to preserve the language for generations to come.

Your contribution will ensure a brighter future for the Amahuaca and other indigenous peoples so they can hold onto their land and their language.