On this International Day of Indigenous Peoples, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) joins in the celebration of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon and around the world, recognizing in them a living history of resistance, wisdom, spirituality, and the defense of life.
On behalf of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, Juan Urañavi, vice president of CEAMA and a Bolivian indigenous leader of the Guarayo people, sent a message of recognition and hope, highlighting the principles, values, wisdom, and ancestral knowledge that indigenous peoples have preserved and passed down from generation to generation.
“We highlight their principles, values, ancestral knowledge, and wisdom that they maintain to this day, especially in caring for our Common Home,” said Urañavi.
His words underscore a reality that lies at the heart of CEAMA’s mission: Indigenous peoples are not merely custodians of a territory, but bearers of wisdom that offers paths for the care of life and creation. Their worldviews, their communal forms of organization, and their deep relationship with the land, rivers, forests, and all other living beings constitute a fundamental treasure for the Amazon and for all of humanity.
A Church That Listens and Walks with the Peoples
The presence of indigenous peoples occupies a central place on the journey toward a Church with an Amazonian face. For CEAMA, walking alongside them means recognizing their dignity, listening to their voices, valuing their knowledge, and standing with them in their struggles to defend their territories, cultures, and rights.
The election of Juan Urañavi as vice president of CEAMA for the 2026–2030 term, representing indigenous peoples, is also part of this journey. A 63-year-old Bolivian indigenous leader from the Guarayo people, Urañavi brings the experience and voice of indigenous peoples to the leadership of the Ecclesial Conference, strengthening a Church that seeks to become increasingly synodal, intercultural, and committed to the life of the Amazon.
His presence also expresses a deep conviction: Indigenous peoples must be protagonists in the processes that seek to build a future of hope for the Amazon, not merely the recipients of pastoral initiatives.
Ancestral Wisdom That Nurtures Life
Amid the major challenges facing the Amazon—deforestation, river pollution, the expansion of extractive activities, the displacement of communities, and threats against leaders and defenders of their territories—indigenous peoples continue to demonstrate that there are other ways of relating to nature.
Their ancestral wisdom stems from a deep connection to the land and an understanding of life as an interconnected reality. In their communities, the land is not merely a resource: it is a space of life, memory, spirituality, identity, and the future.
For this reason, on this day, CEAMA echoes Juan Urañavi’s call for Indigenous peoples to continue moving forward “with the same strength and courage that characterize them.”
The celebration of this day is, at the same time, an invitation to the entire Church and to society to listen to the voice of Indigenous peoples, learn from their knowledge, and recognize their indispensable contribution to the care of our Common Home.
From the Amazon, CEAMA expresses its gratitude for the life, resilience, and hope of indigenous peoples, and renews its commitment to walk alongside them in the defense of human dignity, territories, cultures, and all forms of life.
Happy International Day of Indigenous Peoples!
May the memory of these peoples, their ancestral wisdom, and their communal strength continue to open paths of life and hope for the Amazon and for all of humanity.