Conservation Reading Group: We Will Be Jaguars

For our late Summer Conservation Reading Group selection, we are focusing on We Will Be Jaguars, the astonishing memoir by internationally acclaimed Indigenous Activist Nemonte Nenquimo.

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s, Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing.

She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. At age fourteen, she left the forest for the first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture. She listened.

Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over half a million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear, honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies, and missionaries.

In We Will Be Jaguars, she partners with her husband, Mitch Anderson, founder of Amazon Frontlines, digging into generations of oral history, uprooting centuries of conquest, hacking away at racist notions of indigenous peoples, and ultimately revealing a life story as rich, harsh, and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself.

Inspiration Behind the Selection

We chose this book because it shares the story of a highly effective conservation and climate activist from a perspective that is too often overlooked. Nemonte’s story offers an opportunity to learn from Indigenous knowledge, leadership, and resilience while exploring what it takes to create meaningful change. It also invites us to consider how we can become more effective advocates in our own communities and think more deeply about the global impact of our actions.

Joining The Conversation

The Conservation Reading Group will meet on September 9, at the Birds Connect office for an in-person discussion led by Conservation Committee member Emily Knudsen.

If you’re unable to attend in person, you can still participate as a “remote reader” through Addabook, where we’ll be sharing reading prompts, reflections, and discussion notes leading up to the meeting. We encourage all participants to use the platform to share thoughts, questions, and observations throughout the reading experience before gathering together in September.