More Progress Made in Titling Land to Achuar in March 2010

The efforts of the Achuar and the organizations that collaborate with the Achuar have resulted in most of the Achuar land in the Amazon Region of Ecuador receiving titles (43). On February 25, 2010, the Ministry of Agriculture of Ecuador legally recognized and gave the Nacionalidad Achuar de Ecuador legal titling to 40, 300 hectares of their ancestral land (43). This is very significant because this gives them much more power in the legal system to fight for their rights to be respected that are given to them by the Ecuadorian Constitution (43). The Achuar believe this would not have been possible without the efforts by many people and organizations including the Fundación Pachamama and Nacionalidad Achuar de Ecuador (43). These people and organizations focused on explaining that the Achuar territories are an example of the preservation of environmental and ecological assets (43). In addition, they explained that the Achuar intend to preserve these assets by not permitting any mining actions and supporting the proposal to keep oil underground on their land?s?-gr (43). Furthermore, they re-expressed their view that if nature is respected, when humans experience it nature becomes a necessary part of maintaining or improving their health (43). However, there are still two more communities (Tinkias and Yutsuntza) that need to be legally recognized within the Achuar land as well as the rest of the cultures that live in the Amazon region of Ecuador (43).


More Progress Made in Titling Land to Achuar in March 2010

The Achuar federation (NAE) finally has received legal recognition for almost all the Achuar ancestral lands, after many years of demanding that the central Ecuadorian government respect their lands and their collective rights acknowledged by the Constitution.

On February 25, 2010 NAE attained the titling of some of the last territories yet to be officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture: Nuevo Sasaim, Wachirpas and Mashuim, totaling 40,300 hectares. This is an important advancement in the process of receiving titles for all of the Achuar Nationality, leaving only two more communities: Tinkias and Yutsuntza.

The Achuar do not consider this a favor from the government, but instead the fruit of their and Fundación Pachamama’s labors to respect and exercise the rights of the Achuar as a people. As such, they demand that the remaining titles be immediately granted to Tinkias and Yutsuntza, as well as to the rest of the nationalities and peoples of the Amazon and of Ecuador.

During this process, Fundación Pachamama and NAE have reaffirmed that the indigenous territories are an example of the conservation of natural resources, and that they will not allow petroleum exploitation or any mining activities to take place in indigenous lands. They also support the initiative to leave oil underground, and to respect nature as an integral space for well-being.
http://www.pachamama.org/content/blogcategory/102/153/

creation story
"Retelling of the Achuar creation myth about how greed caused Nantu and Auju, a hunter and his gardener wife, to separate. Nantu becomes the Moon and Auju becomes the Potoo Bird, and their separation caused Heaven and Earth to separate."