On the heels of rising climate catastrophes and growing ecological degradation, the Indigenous Council of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) convened a powerful session at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in the UN Headquarters in New York, to reaffirm what many Indigenous nations have known for millennia: Nature has inherent rights.
Led by Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Julia Horinek, and Leo Cerda (Kichwa from the Ecuadorian Amazon), the gathering brought together Indigenous leaders, allies, and voices from across the world—from Ecuador and Kenya to Sweden and Turtle Island. Each voice echoed the urgent need to transform our legal and cultural systems to recognize nature as a living entity with rights.
“Rights of Nature already exist. You can’t give them—you can only deny or recognize them. We humans are part of Nature, not separate from it. Rights of Nature inherently means rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
– Casey Camp-Horinek
The council emphasized that this is not a new idea. Rather, it’s an ancestral worldview, deeply rooted in Indigenous cosmologies where humans are not separate from Nature, but part of its sacred web.
Speakers shared powerful testimonies from their territories:
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Alicia, an Indigenous leader from the Amazon, denounced decades of oil extraction:
“We say basta petrolera—enough oil. Our forests, our waters, our lives are not for sale.”
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Nelly, also from Ecuador, revealed how mercury pollution from extractive industries is affecting their health and rivers:
“The mercury in the Napo River poisons our bodies. It’s not just environmental harm—it’s a rupture of life itself.”
The council also tackled false climate solutions, warning against carbon markets and greenwashing tactics that mask continued exploitation.
“They may be saving a polar bear or two, but they’re killing us on our lands.”
– Julia Horinek
Looking ahead, the Indigenous Council announced they are developing a White Paper on the complementarity of Indigenous rights and the Rights of Nature, and preparing for a major presence at COP30 in Brazil, where they will host events including the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal.
“We are not creating a new tool—we are restoring our relationship with the Earth.”
– Natalia Greene, GARN Executive Director
As the council called for long-term funding, collective action, and deeper respect for Indigenous leadership, their message was clear:
🌍 “This is the fastest growing environmental movement on the planet—and it must be Indigenous-led.”
Watch the event here.
