Laura and Tashka Yawanawá

Tashka and Laura Yawanawá lead the Yawanawá people in Acre, Brazil – a tribe that stewards almost 500,000 acres of Amazon rainforest. “In 2002, Tashka became Chief of the Yawanawá and assumed responsibility for 600 people – all that was left of his people and culture – and 165,000 hectares (400,000 acres) of Amazon rainforest in Brazil, all that was left of their traditional homeland. In just a few years, we managed to double the extent of Yawanawá territory, begin the reinvigoration of the Yawanawá culture, and establish economically and socially empowering relationships with the outside world. The Yawanawá population is now over 1,200 people.