Week 3
April 15th through the 21st
One of the very first people I knew I absolutely had to include in The Portrait Project was Nina Gualinga. Not simply for her stunning features which I knew I’d be able to execute beautifully, but because of her profound female voice in activism.
“Nina Gualinga, an indigenous woman leader of the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon, is the recipient of this year’s WWF International President’s Youth award.
An advocate for climate justice and indigenous rights since the age of eight, the award recognizes Nina’s relentless efforts to protect nature and communities in the Amazon at a time when the region is under unprecedented threat from unsustainable use and exploitation.”
- World Wildlife Fund
Nina is a fierce defender of the Amazon from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Advocating for women’s rights, climate justice, and indigenous visibility, she is a force to be reckoned with. I admire all the work she has done and will do in the future.
“I tell stories. Motherhood. Amazonia. Women. Indigenous Peoples. Extractives. Violence. Decolonization. Climate Change & Love. It’s all connected."
- Nina Gualinga
If you want to learn more you can check out the Vogue article Activist Nina Gualinga On Why Indigenous Women Are Coming Together To Protect The Amazon and follow her on Instagram @ninagualinga.
