Fleet of Amazonian Indigenous Peoples Sets Sail from Ecuador Toward COP30 in Belém - Folha de S.Paulo

A group of Indigenous people has embarked on a journey of more than 3,000 km along the rivers of Abya Yala —the ancestral name of the American continent. The Amazonian fleet Yaku Mama ("mother water") began its voyage in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, heading toward COP30, the United Nations climate conference to be held in Belém, Pará, in November.

The group is expected to grow in size along the way. Yaku Mama departed on October 8 from the region of the Cayambe volcano, after a sacred ritual, and plans to arrive in the capital of Pará on November 9, the day before the start of the conference.

Before that, they will pass through Coca and Nueva Rocafuerte in Ecuador, Iquitos in Peru, Leticia in Colombia, and Manaus and Santarém in Brazil. The final number of boats and participants arriving at COP30 has not yet been confirmed.

The expedition hopes to push for climate policies and funding that address community priorities.

In Belém, their efforts will also focus on advocating for the recognition and integration of traditional knowledge in climate solutions.