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Indigenous Peoples Celebrate Climate Action at Parallel Summit in Brazil
13 Nov
Summary
- Indigenous peoples dance, sing, and gather at People's Summit in Belem, Brazil
- Indigenous communities lead speeches and protests at the event
- Indigenous stewardship of lands seen as crucial in fighting climate change
As the UN's COP30 climate conference was underway in Belem, Brazil on November 13, 2025, a parallel event was taking shape that highlighted the crucial role of Indigenous peoples in the fight against climate change. The People's Summit, inaugurated at the Federal University of Para, featured a boisterous gathering of scores of Indigenous people who danced, sang, and enjoyed each other's company.
The opening of the People's Summit included small protests, singing and dancing, as well as speeches led by Indigenous communities from across the Amazon. "Here we are heard, here our voices are listened to," said Inés Antonia Santos Ribeiro, a professor at the university. Indigenous peoples are among the most impacted by climate change, as many live close to nature in areas experiencing degradation due to rising temperatures, extreme drought, floods, and desertification.
At the same time, Indigenous peoples have maintained and protected their lands for millennia, making their environmental stewardship important in the global fight against climate change. The choice to host this year's COP30 conference in the Amazon rainforest was a symbolic one by the host country Brazil, in part to ensure that Indigenous voices had a large presence at the event.
