Venezuelan indigenous peoples map sacred lands to defend against illegal mining

Ye’kwana and Uwottüja indigenous peoples in the Venezuelan Amazon are creating their own maps to document ancestral territories, sacred sites, and traditional knowledge.

These maps combine ancestral wisdom with satellite imagery to identify cultural landmarks that do not appear on conventional maps. The communities use these tools to advocate for legal recognition of their lands from the Venezuelan government. The mapping efforts serve as a defense against illegal gold mining, deforestation, and fires that threaten the region.

For the Uwottüja people near the Sipapo River, the land is a sacred space governed by spiritual rules. For the Ye’kwana people along the Ventuari River, specific areas like the Wadi antadö island are protected by spiritual laws. Community leaders like Angelito Hernández explain that while Western maps are paper drawings, for indigenous people, the map is the forest and the river itself.

Local organizations, including Wataniba and the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Amazonas (ORPIA), provide technical support such as GPS tools and satellite analysis. These groups work with traditional authorities and elders to ensure the mapping process respects local governance. While the Venezuelan Constitution recognizes indigenous land rights, the government has failed to issue many collective titles.

For example, the government rejected a land title for the Ye’kwana and Sanema peoples in 2006 and later created a national park over their claimed territory in 2017 without prior consultation. Indigenous communities have also established their own justice systems and territorial guardians. Ye’kwana guardians, known as Ayukuweni, monitor the land and have reportedly removed hundreds of illegal miners.

Despite the lack of official state recognition, these communities continue to map and monitor their rivers to protect their cultural heritage and biodiversity.