Indigenous leaders are respected in their communities for their knowledge of indigenous languages, histories, ceremonies, rituals, and stories. In this sense, we start by recognizing that each indigenous people are a nation in itself and therefore has its own type of organization, leadership, and decision-making. In indigenous communities, decisions are made by consensus as part of their identity, following the legacy inherited from their ancestors.
In this way, community leadership is expressed in the cultural vindication of indigenous peoples, the strengthening and recovery of ancestral languages, the recovery of the economic and cultural practices of indigenous peoples, and the struggle and granting of title to their ancestral territories.
Currently, there is a struggle to ensure that all spaces include the participation of young people and women leaders in indigenous peoples’ different spheres of life. The aim is to ensure spaces for reflection and construction to promote collective processes and encourage greater participation in decision-making. However, there are still challenges in some communities that are working to incorporate more women and young people in decision-making.
On the other hand, indigenous women leaders enjoy the respect of the community to solve the problems they face daily. This is a fundamental element to fight against gender violence and poverty, empower their communities, and ensure their future well-being.
Undoubtedly, thanks to a struggle of many years, indigenous leadership is increasingly recognized at national and global levels. Despite this, there is still a long way to go and many spaces to conquer in the search for the right to live according to their own culture, their own norms, with their own management of their territories and resources.
Despite the unquestionable achievements, the indigenous struggle is criminalized, manifested in the increase in the number of assassinations of indigenous leaders. According to data from the United Nations (2020)1, in the period from 2015 to 2019, on average 4 indigenous defenders are murdered every month in Latin America, a dramatic figure that has been increasing.
In this context, it is more urgent than ever to enhance the voice of indigenous peoples and their leadership at the global level.
