An indigenous group in Ecuador won a court case to get back their land in the Amazon jungle. They were forced to leave 80 years ago because of a war.
An appeals court in Ecuador agreed with the Siekopai nation’s claim to Pë’këya, a diverse area in northwest Ecuador near the border with Peru.
The Siekopai people were forced to leave their homes because of fighting between Peru and Ecuador in the 1940s.
In September of last year, a small community of only about 800 people sued the government of Ecuador. They said the government was not respecting their right to own land that has been in their families for a long time.
The court said the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador has 45 days to give the Siekopai people a property title for 104,000 acres of land.
Elias Piyahuaje, the President of the Siekopai Nation of Ecuador, said this is a very important time for his people. “We have always owned and will always own the land of Pë’këya. ” “We have been fighting for 80 years to get our land back. ”
This is the first time the Ecuadorian government is giving land title to an indigenous group in a protected area. It’s a big deal and can help other indigenous people get their land back too.
Piyahuaje said: “We are trying to keep our culture alive on this planet. ” “We need this land to survive as Siekopai people. “