Indigenous leaders end world voyage with prayer for nature
The "Indigenous sages" carried out an ancestral ceremony of the Anasazi people, who lived in the Chaco Canyon before European settlement in what was to become the US state of New Mexico.
It was a ritual that, for the first time, brought together peoples from all over the planet -- travelling together on a journey that began in Italy and passed through India, Australia, and Zimbabwe before concluding in Chile.
During their closing ceremony, representatives of peoples such as the Khalkha of Mongolia, the Noke Koi of Brazil, and the Kallawaya of Bolivia sang, danced, and prayed to the rhythm of drums, around an altar where they lit a sacred fire.
"The feathers represent the continents, and today, for the first time, we have the five continents," said Heriberto Villasenor, director of Raices de la Tierra, an NGO dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous cultures.
At the end of the event, the leaders embraced and shared a message, urging greater care for the environment.
"We are part of nature. We are not separate from it. We are at a critical moment when so much destruction has taken place, much of it at human hands," Rutendo Ngara, 49, a representative of the South African group Oba Umbuntu, told AFP.
The leaders also shared their concerns about what is happening in their own home regions.
"Unfortunately, they are trying to extract uranium in Mongolia. It is an important element that is supposed to remain underground," Tsegi Batmunkh said.
In January 2025, the French nuclear group Orano signed an agreement with Mongolia to exploit a large uranium deposit in the southwest of the country.
The leader of Brazil's Noke Koi people, Yama Nomanawa, called for an end to the "destruction of the Earth" -- particularly in the Amazon basin.
According to a 2024 study published in the journal Nature, scientists estimated that between 10 and 47 percent of the Amazon region will be exposed to forest loss by 2050, which could lead to widespread ecosystem change.
"The Earth is crying out very loudly, but no one is listening. The jungle is screaming; it is not being respected by humans. Let's protect life, save life here on the planet," the 37-year-old Brazilian Indigenous leader said.
axl/ps/dc/aha
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Fisherman's unusual find highlights 'sad' crisis unfolding for iconic Aussie species
A fisherman's unusual find while trekking to his favourite spot early one morning last week has highlighted the 'sad' crisis plaguing one of Australia's most iconic species in one part of the country. The man was climbing on rocks near the shoreline of Wategos Beach in Byron Bay around 6am on Friday when he was suddenly greeted by a pensive three-year-old male koala staring out to sea. Fearing for its health and safety, the fisher called local rescuers for help. Richard Nicholas, from Friends of the Koala, and Mark Badgery with WIRES quickly arrived at the scene to asses and wrangle the marsupial, which was wet, cold and underweight. It's understood misadventure had left the koala stranded on the rocks for some time. 'We have been told by other fishermen in the area that he had been in the ocean and swallowed some sea water, which isn't good for them,' Richard told ABC North Coast, adding the koala 'didn't put up a struggle' and seemed 'relieved' that the rescuers were coming to his aid. An assessment of the young male, now nicknamed Little Watego, revealed he had signs of seawater ingestion and trauma to his sternum, Friends of the Koalas posted online. The animal is now recovering at Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore. Byron coastal koalas are under an 'enormous amount of stress' The incident, which has been described as 'another reminder of the unpredictable nature of wildlife rescue', is also symbolic of the 'enormous' crisis koalas are facing in northern NSW, Linda Sparrow, president of Bangalow Koalas, told Yahoo News. 'The fact that you have a young, three-year-old male koala sitting on the rocks at Wategos Beach looking for somewhere to go just shows you how much stress Byron's koala population is under,' she said, placing the blame on overdevelopment, habitat loss, dog attacks and car strikes. With not enough trees to support the local population, koalas are getting themselves into danger and crossing busy roads in search of a new home, Linda added, noting that the young male may have been booted from his turf after mating season began at the start of the month. 'If we don't do something about it sooner rather than later we're going to lose the koalas along the coastal strip in Byron Bay.' Sadly, koalas are listed as endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. Since European colonisation, their habitat has been devastated, with approximately 29 million hectares (54 per cent) of forests and woodlands destroyed in NSW alone. Combined with road trauma, their numbers continue to dwindle. The Northern Rivers region has borne the brunt of this destruction, but thanks to passionate conservationists like Linda, hope is sprouting. The president of Bangalow Koalas is leading efforts to reverse the damage and — in collaboration with local volunteers and organisations like WWF — has spearheaded the replanting of more than 459,000 trees across more than 100 properties in the region, creating a critical lifeline for koalas. Speaking to Yahoo, Linda said her ultimate goal is to establish a 'koala wildlife corridor' — an interconnected network of habitats where koalas can roam freely and safely, far from the threat of humans. She's on a mission to plant a total of 500,000 trees by the end of this year. Anybody who wishes to donate to the efforts can do so here. People are more than welcome to join the efforts on the ground, too, Linda said, encouraging landowners to contact the nonprofit if they're interested in participating. Incredible two year change on Aussie property amid critical fight for species Sad find on tree stump prompts urgent plea to Aussies: 'Will take years' Drivers warned after 'heartbreaking' find next to road at Aussie tourist town Council warns drivers as koala mating season gets underway The Byron Shire Council recently issued a warning to drivers to be careful on the roads as the marsupials venture out to find a mate. New and temporary electronic message boards urging motorists to keep a lookout for koalas have been installed on Hinterland Way, just outside Bangalow, which is a hotspot for activity, the council announced at the start of the month. They were funded by a $65,000 grant from the NSW Government. 'Between 2019 and 2025, 18 koalas died on the Hinterland Way, just outside Bangalow, so we are hoping the temporary lights will give drivers more of a chance to see them and avoid them,' Liz Caddick, the council's biodiversity team leader, said. 'We are very grateful to the NSW Government for providing funding for the lights and message boards.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
UPI
6 days ago
- UPI
On This Day, Aug. 14: U.S. reopens embassy in Havana after 54 years
1 of 7 | On August 14, 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of State | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov, a Russian fur trader, founded the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska on Kodiak Island. In 1900, about 2,000 U.S. Marines joined with European forces to capture Beijing, ending the Boxer Rebellion against the Western presence in China. In 1935, the U.S. Congress passed the Social Security Act and President Franklin D. Roosevelt immediately signed it into law. In 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman announced that Japan had accepted terms for unconditional surrender. Japan formally surrendered Sept. 2, officially ending World War II. UPI File Photo In 1959, the satellite Explorer VI transmitted man's first satellite (orbital) view of Earth from space. In 1966, the unmanned U.S. Orbiter 1 spacecraft began orbiting the moon. In 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47 million at auction for the rights to 40,000 songs, including most of the Beatles classics. In 1995, following a long legal battle, Shannon Faulkner was admitted to the cadet corps of the previously all-male Citadel. She resigned from the South Carolina military school four days later. In 2003, a massive power failure spread through Ohio, Michigan, the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, leaving 50 million people in eight states and the province of Ontario without electricity for as long as two days. In 2005, authorities said the crash of a Helios Airways plane in Greece with 121 people aboard could have been caused by a sudden drop in cabin pressure. There were no survivors. In 2006, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon ended in a truce, effective on this date, after 34 days of fighting. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI In 2013, authorities said hundreds of people were killed and thousands injured in clashes between Egyptian security forces and demonstrators calling for the reinstatement of ousted President Mohamed Morsi. In 2014, Major League Baseball owners chose MLB executive Rob Manfred to succeed longtime MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. In 2015, after 54 years, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, was re-opened amid a thawing in relations. In 2017, about 1,100 people were confirmed dead with hundreds more missing after heavy rains produced a mudslide in Sierra Leone. In 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, leaving more than 2,200 people dead and at least 12,000 injured. In 2023, former President Donald Trump was indicted for a fourth time, this time by a grand jury investigating whether he and 18 other defendants named in the 98-page indictment illegally interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia. In 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency after it spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to several other countries. File Photo by Chris Milosi/EPA-EFE
Los Angeles Times
12-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Artist covers sculpture in plastic garbage at U.N. plastic pollution treaty talks
GENEVA — As nations began a second week of negotiations Monday for a global accord to end plastic pollution, an artist heaped piles of plastic waste onto a large sculpture in front of the United Nations office. Delegates to the treaty talks pass by the sculpture daily in a reminder of their responsibility to solve the plastic pollution crisis. The talks are scheduled to conclude Thursday. Benjamin Von Wong, a Canadian artist and activist, designed the nearly 18-foot sculpture called the 'Thinker's Burden' and built it with a team. It's his take on the famous sculpture by Auguste Rodin, 'The Thinker' in Paris. There is a male figure in deep thought, like Rodin depicted. But instead of sitting atop a rock, Von Wong's figure sits atop Mother Earth while cradling a baby and clutching plastic bottles. A strand of DNA intertwines them to highlight the health effects of plastic pollution. With the help of volunteers, Von Wong is adding plastic waste to the installation over the course of the negotiations to reflect the growing cost of inaction. He climbed a ladder Monday to reach the top of the sculpture and weave plastic bottles through the DNA. He put a plastic toy car in front. 'By the end of this week, we should have a sculpture almost completely drowned in plastics, however, the hope is, a strong and ambitious plastics treaty means that we can solve this problem once and for all,' he said. The Minderoo Foundation, an Australian philanthropic organization, was the largest donor for the project. Local nonprofits and community groups collected the plastic trash. Standing by the sculpture, Maria Ivanova, an expert in international environmental governance, said it 'wakes you up.' Ivanova is the co-director of the Plastics Center at Northeastern University in Boston. 'People don't change their minds because of facts. They do because of feelings,' she said. 'And this is where I think art is absolutely critical to shift the needle on policy.' Delegates and tourists stopped to ask Von Wong about his work and pose for photos in front of it. Michael Bonser, head of the Canadian delegation, called the artwork 'extraordinarily profound.' 'It gives us a sense, every day, of what we need to be doing inside the room, what we need to walk out with. And that's a deal that allows us to reverse the trend,' he said. 'That's going to be challenging, but I think it's possible.' About 3,700 people are taking part in the talks, representing 184 countries and more than 600 organizations. They are crafting the first global, legally binding treaty on plastics pollution. Many agree the pace of the negotiations needs to speed up. They arrived in Geneva with hundreds of disagreements to be resolved. The number of unresolved issues grew last week, instead of shrinking. European Commissioner Jessika Roswall said she's concerned about the lack of progress, and 'it's time to get results.' Roswall is commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy. United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen told reporters it's still possible to agree on a treaty this week that ends plastic pollution. 'This is within grasp,' Andersen said. 'The window remains open to leave Geneva with this treaty.' McDermott writes for the Associated Press.
