In Native Future’s 20 years of collaboration with the Wounaan people of Panama, 2022 - 2024 have proven to be the most promising. Wounaan are making unprecedented progress on protecting 350,000 acres (160,000 hectares) of intact tropical forest in their territories.
Wounaan territorial monitoring is helping bring environmental violators to justice. Between 2022 and 2024, Wounaan have reported to Panama's environmental authorities approximately 250 hectares (550 acres) of illegal logging and deforestation in their territories. Their collaboration has resulted in numerous individuals cited for their violations. More than half of them have been investigated further, and eleven charged for their crimes. At least one, was already a fugitive from the law and sent directly to prison, underscoring the insecurity Wounaan communities face.
The community of Aruza is legally reclaiming the land and forest that was stolen from them. By the end of 2023, the year-long investigation by Panama’s environmental prosecutor into the illegal logging and land grabbing of Aruza found 73 property claims to Aruza territory were illegitimate and corruptly gained. These are the 73 properties that were the basis of the Government of Panama's decision to annul Aruza’s collective title application. By July, 2024, Aruza had resubmitted their collective title application to ANATI, and are back on the legal road to reclaiming their rights to all 8,000 hectares of their territory.
Wounaan are also protecting their territories from forest fire, sharing seeds between communities to restore their forests with the diversity of native trees important to their way of life, and inviting visitors to experience their nature and culture directly.
Since 2022, your donations to Native Future have helped leverage an additional $900,000 to support Wounaan land rights, cultural revitalization, biocultural restoration and ecotourism development. (A good return on investment!) And we just signed a new, 21 month,
$475,000 grant to strengthen the environmental security of Indigenous territories.
Yet, there is much more progress to be made. First, and most important, Wounaan must secure ownership of their lands, and to protect their territories from invasion and deforestation while their land rights claims are processed. Constant vigilance is the hard learned lesson of Aruza, whose land title application was corruptly annulled and
their territory subsequently invaded. Wounaan can’t let up for a minute, and neither can we.
Native Future’s Wounaan Land Rights program provides daily legal, technical, logistical, human and financial resources to the Wounaan National Congress who are leading this fight with their communities. Thankfully, with your support, their legal collaboration with Panama’s environmental authorities helped turn the tide for Aruza.
It costs at least $120,000 per year for the Wounaan to protect their territories and move the needle towards justice. This year, we’re asking you to help us raise half of that: $60,000. The International Conservation Fund of Canada, a steadfast partner committed to this cause, will provide the additional $60,000. Please help us match
their support!
Thank you!
Marsha Kellogg
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