The Dispossession – The effects of exclusionary conservation models on Kichwa peoples’ land rights and livelihoods in Peru

The Kichwa community is engaged in a persistent struggle to protect their territory from institutional dispossession. This documentary sheds light on the experiences of various communities who have been deprived of access to their lands and livelihoods due to the imposition of the Cordillera Azul National Park (PNCAZ) and the Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area (CE-ACR).

The documentary, produced by Waman Wasi - Center for Community Education, features firsthand accounts and testimonies from affected communities, as well as input from the Ethnic Council of the Kichwa Peoples of the Amazon (CEPKA), the Federation of Indigenous Kechua Chazuta Amazonas (FEPIKECHA), and the Federation of Indigenous Kechwa Peoples of the Lower Huallaga San Martín (FEPIKBHSAM).

During the preliminary screening of the documentary at the Fifth Indigenous Women's Meeting of San Martín in September 2022, Kichwa female leaders expressed their concerns:

“As depicted in the video, our existence predates the current situation, yet we find ourselves pleading and seeking permission as if our rights don't matter Thanks to our conservation efforts, these forests exist; otherwise, they would no longer be here. Thanks to that, others make money, money from which we do not benefit... But we are here, we are here to fight; otherwise, what will we leave for future generations?” - Fabiola Yaun, CODEPISAM

“Without air, without nature, without water, where will we go? Where will our children end up? That's why we have to fight, sisters, let's not let our guard down” - Holly Fababa, FEPIKECHA

“We went to remind everyone that indigenous peoples are alive, the true owners of the territories. It has been difficult to fight for the territory with the State itself. We have to fight to spread awareness about our initiatives, our struggles, and what we are reclaiming. Throughout the ACR park, there are many threats to the territory. But it's not easy because they often want to harm you, hate you, discriminate against you. We have to strengthen ourselves as women to support each other.” - Marisol García, FEPIKECHA

This documentary is part of an effort to disseminate the struggle of communities in the face of exclusionary conservation. For further information, a recently published report titled "Conservation without Indigenous Peoples: The Case of Kichwa Territories in the Cordillera Escalera and Cordillera Azul Areas in San Martín," compiled by the Forest Peoples Programme, CEPKA, FEPIKECHA, FEPIKBHSAM, and the Coordinator for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of San Martín (CODEPISAM), provides in-depth insights and is freely available for download.

Moreover, news outlets like the Associated Press have highlighted the adverse impact of the Cordillera Azul National Park on the Kichwa communities. Testimonies reveal how the creation of the park led to territorial dispossession, reinforcing the exclusionary practices faced by the Kichwa people.

These publications underscore the fact that prior to the park's establishment, the communities had unrestricted access to their ancestral lands and sustainable means of living. However, they now face limitations imposed in the name of forest conservation. Regrettably, the conservation mechanisms in place fail to transparently account for the origins of carbon credit revenues, leaving community members aggrieved due to exclusion and dispossession.