Big Cat Conservation: A Global Alliance

Dear Donor,

Thank you for all that you do to help us bring Western and Indigenous knowledge systems together for the conservation of these beloved big cats. These cats, as we’ve indicated in previous communications, are important not only in their own right, but because our very survival depends on theirs! We are immensely grateful to you, to the ancestors, and to the spirit of the big cats.

As you are aware, the Amazon is burning. Our focus this month, therefore, was on support of our Jaguar partners in the Amazon, the Yawanawa. This culturally intact tribe has been living in the Amazon for thousands of years and the culture is intrinsically connected to the Jaguar. There are more jaguars found in this region per capita than elsewhere in South America. Not only are the trees burning, but all of life is burning, including unfortunately, our beloved Jaguars. 

Last month after being in ceremony and away from any sources of news, they came out from ceremony to look towards the moon. To their surprise, they could not see the moon because of the thick haze from the smoke from the fires. They shared with us that while there have been fires in the past, this was the worst they had ever experienced. The fires are burning closer to their communities and to the rivers and in wider swaths than ever before. And unfortunately, not much is being done to stop the fires. Tribal members have been putting fires out as much as they can using their own hands. We were contacted by our partners for emergency support for additional boats to patrol the waterfront, which we were able to do in part because of the support provided by you, dear donors, will go a long way in supporting our partners and ultimately the big cats in the region. One of our partners was also invited to the United Nations to speak about the situation in the Amazon, and they have been conducting meetings with international conservationists in Brazil. Hopefully, raising awareness will increase support to put out these fires and to restore balance and life.

Please continue to help us to help Indigenous Cultural Practitioners who understand the importance of preservation of sacred cultures and connections to share the cosmovision that inspire humanity to return to balance. Thank you!