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Dochter van de Amazone: Mijn strijd voor het behoud van het regenwoud en de cultuur van onze voorouders
Het krachtige, inspirerende verhaal van Nemonte Nenquimo, de eerste vrouwelijke leider van de Waorani, een volk in het regenwoud van Ecuador. Als activist vecht zij voor het in stand houden van het Amazone-regenwoud en de leefwijze van de inheemse bevolking.
‘Ik kom je mijn verhaal vertellen, dat ook het verhaal is van mijn volk en het verhaal van het regenwoud.’
Nemonte Nenquimo werd geboren in het Waorani-volk in het Amazone-regenwoud in Ecuador en leerde van de ouderen over plantaardige medicijnen, foerageren, mythes en sjamanisme. Op veertienjarige leeftijd verliet ze voor het eerst het woud, om onderwijs te volgen bij een evangelische zendingsgroep in de stad. Uiteindelijk begonnen haar voorouders in haar dromen te verschijnen en smeekten ze haar terug te keren en haar eigen cultuur te omarmen. En dat deed ze.
Twintig jaar later is Nemonte een van de krachtigste stemmen onder de activisten tegen klimaatverandering. Ze heeft het voortouw genomen in de alliantie van inheemse volkeren in het Boven-Amazonegebied en haar volk naar een historische overwinning op Big Oil geleid. Zo heeft ze meer dan een half miljoen hectare regenwoud beschermd. Haar boodschap is net zo scherp als de speren die haar voorouders hanteerden en ze is strijdbaar door haar ervaringen met houthakkers, mijnwerkers, oliemaatschappijen en missionarissen.
In dit indrukwekkende boek, dat ze schreef samen met haar echtgenoot Mitch Anderson, oprichter van Amazon Frontlines, deelt ze door vele generaties overgeleverde geschiedenis, verhaalt ze over eeuwen van veroveringen, maakt ze korte metten met racistische opvattingen over inheemse volkeren en onthult ze een levensverhaal dat net zo imposant is als het Amazone-regenwoud zelf.
In de pers
‘Nemonte ís haar strijd, een gesprek met haar maakt duidelijk hoe helder haar doel is. Ze vertelde me ooit dat ze nooit op zou geven. Dat ze zou blijven vechten. Dat ze het woud waar ze zo van houdt zou blijven verdedigen tegen de oliemaatschappijen die het willen verwoesten. Ze heeft woord gehouden, en blijft een stem en pleitbezorger van haar gemeenschap. Nemontes zaak is de zaak van ons allemaal. Ze is een inspiratie voor iedereen die naast haar staat en haar beweging wil helpen groeien. Ik heb het geluk gehad haar te mogen ontmoeten, en van haar te mogen leren.’ Leonardo DiCaprio in Time Magazine
‘Als je de klimaatcrisis wilt begrijpen en er iets aan wilt doen, lees dit boek. Nemontes verhaal is zowel uitdagend als inspirerend; ze is een heldin die haar waarheid spreekt, en dat is precies wat we moeten horen.’ Emma Thompson, acteur en schrijver
‘Dit intieme en motiverende boek zou ons allen moeten aanzetten tot actie.’ New Scientist
‘Ik kom je mijn verhaal vertellen, dat ook het verhaal is van mijn volk en het verhaal van het regenwoud.’
Nemonte Nenquimo werd geboren in het Waorani-volk in het Amazone-regenwoud in Ecuador en leerde van de ouderen over plantaardige medicijnen, foerageren, mythes en sjamanisme. Op veertienjarige leeftijd verliet ze voor het eerst het woud, om onderwijs te volgen bij een evangelische zendingsgroep in de stad. Uiteindelijk begonnen haar voorouders in haar dromen te verschijnen en smeekten ze haar terug te keren en haar eigen cultuur te omarmen. En dat deed ze.
Twintig jaar later is Nemonte een van de krachtigste stemmen onder de activisten tegen klimaatverandering. Ze heeft het voortouw genomen in de alliantie van inheemse volkeren in het Boven-Amazonegebied en haar volk naar een historische overwinning op Big Oil geleid. Zo heeft ze meer dan een half miljoen hectare regenwoud beschermd. Haar boodschap is net zo scherp als de speren die haar voorouders hanteerden en ze is strijdbaar door haar ervaringen met houthakkers, mijnwerkers, oliemaatschappijen en missionarissen.
In dit indrukwekkende boek, dat ze schreef samen met haar echtgenoot Mitch Anderson, oprichter van Amazon Frontlines, deelt ze door vele generaties overgeleverde geschiedenis, verhaalt ze over eeuwen van veroveringen, maakt ze korte metten met racistische opvattingen over inheemse volkeren en onthult ze een levensverhaal dat net zo imposant is als het Amazone-regenwoud zelf.
In de pers
‘Nemonte ís haar strijd, een gesprek met haar maakt duidelijk hoe helder haar doel is. Ze vertelde me ooit dat ze nooit op zou geven. Dat ze zou blijven vechten. Dat ze het woud waar ze zo van houdt zou blijven verdedigen tegen de oliemaatschappijen die het willen verwoesten. Ze heeft woord gehouden, en blijft een stem en pleitbezorger van haar gemeenschap. Nemontes zaak is de zaak van ons allemaal. Ze is een inspiratie voor iedereen die naast haar staat en haar beweging wil helpen groeien. Ik heb het geluk gehad haar te mogen ontmoeten, en van haar te mogen leren.’ Leonardo DiCaprio in Time Magazine
‘Als je de klimaatcrisis wilt begrijpen en er iets aan wilt doen, lees dit boek. Nemontes verhaal is zowel uitdagend als inspirerend; ze is een heldin die haar waarheid spreekt, en dat is precies wat we moeten horen.’ Emma Thompson, acteur en schrijver
‘Dit intieme en motiverende boek zou ons allen moeten aanzetten tot actie.’ New Scientist
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,395 reviews
January 2, 2025
A disturbing memoir of colonization as late as the 1950’s deep in Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest. Told by Nemonte Nenquimo, this is her experience as part of the Waorani tribe. How the white missionaries came in with Big bad Texaco to decimate the indigenous land by displacing tribes, poisoning rivers, introducing alcohol.
White people doing white people greed under the guise of religion.
Nemonte, 12, was under the trance of the white missionaries. She followed them despite the warnings of her family; her people; even her dreams. Somehow, her own religion- that of the forest- beckoned to her to remind her of who she was and turning her trauma into becoming an environmental advocate for her ancestral lands.
An important story but my mind did begin to wander. The writing I found to be flat. It could be a me thing?! 🤷♀️
3.5⭐️
White people doing white people greed under the guise of religion.
Nemonte, 12, was under the trance of the white missionaries. She followed them despite the warnings of her family; her people; even her dreams. Somehow, her own religion- that of the forest- beckoned to her to remind her of who she was and turning her trauma into becoming an environmental advocate for her ancestral lands.
An important story but my mind did begin to wander. The writing I found to be flat. It could be a me thing?! 🤷♀️
3.5⭐️
January 1, 2025
In We Will Be Jaguars, Nemonte Nenquimo tells her own story and the story of her indigenous people, the Waorani tribe of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
The Waorani’s shamanic culture — with its deep connection to and love for the plants, animals, and rivers of the forest — clashes first with the Christian missionaries who come to “save the savages," and then with the big mining and oil companies that have polluted and destroyed much of their rainforest.
A renowned environmental activist, Nenquimo helped lead a court case to protect more than 500,000 million acres of Waorani territory that the Ecuadorian government was attempting to auction off to oil companies.
Fascinating, devastating, and inspiring, this love story about and to the land and her people is both a gift and a call to action. Highly recommend.
January 23, 2025
I was lucky enough to receive an audio ARC which was read clearly by Christina Ann-Roche. She had a good voice and, despite some very emotional narrative, did not over-dramatise. This book will be released in the UK under the title "We Will Not Be Saved".
I very nearly stopped reading this quite early on. Very glad I didn't but the sexual abuse is extremely hard to listen to. My heart goes out to the girl that Nemonte Nenquimo was that she had to endure that.
The memoir follows Nemonte from her time as a child in the Ecuadorian rainforest where she comes into contact with the missionary, Rachel Saint. Nemonte sees the white girl relatives of Rachel and is envious. She wants the clothes they have, their straight teeth, their way of life. She is a child and which of us hasn't coveted what others have. To this end she gets baptised and goes with the missionaries to learn from them.
However while there she learns about the abuse from other girls before being subjected to it herself. She loses her faith and finds new friends who give her the impetus to find out more about how to help her tribe and home lands. She also meets Mitch, an American activist.
This book is exceptionally powerful. It made me so angry at times that we have all had a hand in destroying these peoples' homes and poisoned their land. There are lots of useful websites given at the end of the book for anyone interested in getting more involved.
Nemonte Nenquimo is an inspirational woman with a powerful message that should be spread as far as possible. I feel passionately that we, as so-called civilised people, need to learn to tread more lightly upon this earth.
Excellent book. Highly recommended.
I very nearly stopped reading this quite early on. Very glad I didn't but the sexual abuse is extremely hard to listen to. My heart goes out to the girl that Nemonte Nenquimo was that she had to endure that.
The memoir follows Nemonte from her time as a child in the Ecuadorian rainforest where she comes into contact with the missionary, Rachel Saint. Nemonte sees the white girl relatives of Rachel and is envious. She wants the clothes they have, their straight teeth, their way of life. She is a child and which of us hasn't coveted what others have. To this end she gets baptised and goes with the missionaries to learn from them.
However while there she learns about the abuse from other girls before being subjected to it herself. She loses her faith and finds new friends who give her the impetus to find out more about how to help her tribe and home lands. She also meets Mitch, an American activist.
This book is exceptionally powerful. It made me so angry at times that we have all had a hand in destroying these peoples' homes and poisoned their land. There are lots of useful websites given at the end of the book for anyone interested in getting more involved.
Nemonte Nenquimo is an inspirational woman with a powerful message that should be spread as far as possible. I feel passionately that we, as so-called civilised people, need to learn to tread more lightly upon this earth.
Excellent book. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2024
This book... Made me cry, made me be angry and understand more. It is a story that deserves respect, to be heard and lived. Everyone should read it.
Thank you Nemonte for saying the story, your story.
Thank you Nemonte for saying the story, your story.
January 4, 2025
No hate like Christian love
December 2, 2024
"The white people destroy the forest because they don't know the forest. It is easy to destroy something that you know nothing about."
I want to start this review by launching a complaint. Not about this book, but about all of you, my fellow readers. I make it a mission to read every Reese's Book Club pick, and I know other people do too. So it never occurred to me to skip this one. However, it appears a lot of you have. It has only 1,000 ratings. I have yet to find it on sale in any bookstore, and I've checked numerous. Don't tell me it's because it's a memoir. The last memoir Reese picked, Tiny Beautiful Things, has over 130,000 ratings.
We should all be embarrassed we've overlooked this book.
Especially because it's really, really good. Nemonte Nenquimo's people, the Waorani, have lived in the Amazon longer than time itself can measure. They know these lands. But they didn't know that the depths of the land had the potential to ruin everything - one oil well at a time.
Because of the remote nature of the Amazon, the Waorani remained uncontacted and were therefore able to preserve their traditions for much longer than most indigenous peoples. This allows Nenquimo to tell the story of her people first-hand, because so much was still present into her generation. The story is told in two parts - Nemonte's childhood, when she wants to escape the forest for the "better" land of the missionaries. Then in part two, she is completely disillusioned with "civilization" and wants to find her way back and protect her people form the oil companies creeping closer. The bridge between these two parts was rough, which is why I gave this a four instead of a five. A lot of Nemonte's life was missing that I think could have helped the story. But, I get what they were trying to show and understand the decision to divide her story in this way.
I think what makes this book stand out is Nenquimo's understanding of the need to straddle worlds. Ultimately, she wants her people to keep their ancestral land. But to achieve that, some of them need to become lawyers. They need to map their lands and purchase drones. They need solar panels and drinking water. What makes her mission different from those who came before is she doesn't want white people to do it for them. She wants her own people to learn how to do it themselves. The title of this book outside of the US is "We Will Not Be Saved" and I find this title to be so fitting. When things got tough, and they did often, I regularly found myself having to check how I would fix the problem at the door and truly listen to Nenquimo explain herself. And it was so moving. It took me so long to finish this book because of the mental bandwidth required, which isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's beautiful.
I want to start this review by launching a complaint. Not about this book, but about all of you, my fellow readers. I make it a mission to read every Reese's Book Club pick, and I know other people do too. So it never occurred to me to skip this one. However, it appears a lot of you have. It has only 1,000 ratings. I have yet to find it on sale in any bookstore, and I've checked numerous. Don't tell me it's because it's a memoir. The last memoir Reese picked, Tiny Beautiful Things, has over 130,000 ratings.
We should all be embarrassed we've overlooked this book.
Especially because it's really, really good. Nemonte Nenquimo's people, the Waorani, have lived in the Amazon longer than time itself can measure. They know these lands. But they didn't know that the depths of the land had the potential to ruin everything - one oil well at a time.
Because of the remote nature of the Amazon, the Waorani remained uncontacted and were therefore able to preserve their traditions for much longer than most indigenous peoples. This allows Nenquimo to tell the story of her people first-hand, because so much was still present into her generation. The story is told in two parts - Nemonte's childhood, when she wants to escape the forest for the "better" land of the missionaries. Then in part two, she is completely disillusioned with "civilization" and wants to find her way back and protect her people form the oil companies creeping closer. The bridge between these two parts was rough, which is why I gave this a four instead of a five. A lot of Nemonte's life was missing that I think could have helped the story. But, I get what they were trying to show and understand the decision to divide her story in this way.
I think what makes this book stand out is Nenquimo's understanding of the need to straddle worlds. Ultimately, she wants her people to keep their ancestral land. But to achieve that, some of them need to become lawyers. They need to map their lands and purchase drones. They need solar panels and drinking water. What makes her mission different from those who came before is she doesn't want white people to do it for them. She wants her own people to learn how to do it themselves. The title of this book outside of the US is "We Will Not Be Saved" and I find this title to be so fitting. When things got tough, and they did often, I regularly found myself having to check how I would fix the problem at the door and truly listen to Nenquimo explain herself. And it was so moving. It took me so long to finish this book because of the mental bandwidth required, which isn't a bad thing. In fact, it's beautiful.
June 17, 2024
Everyone should read this book. It's really important. The more uncomfortable it makes you, the more important it is that you read it.
May 5, 2025
If you, like me, grew up reading and hearing about the Christian missionaries to Ecuador (Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, et al.) who were martyred by the people they came to convert, you need to read this book.
Nemonte Nenquimo is a member of that same tribe those men were attempting to contact. After their deaths, Rachel Saint, sister to Nate Saint, went to live among the Waorani people. The story I was told was of her brave sacrifice and astounding forgiveness, to live among and preach the Gospel to the very people who killed her brother. For good measure, she also did her very best to strip the people of their culture, their stories, and their history. She shamed and belittled them, called them savages in her writing and to their faces, and lied to them when she tricked them into giving their land away to oil companies. Those oil companies then pillaged the land and poisoned their water supply, leading to the deaths of children whose parents were told the water was fine. Angry yet? We all should be. We were sold half truths and happy missionary stories, and Nemonte's people and beloved homeland paid the price.
We need to be honest about the harm that's been done in the name of Jesus. Rachel Saint and other missionaries who came after her were colonizers, and the damage they did was widespread. In some ways, many of us are complicit, including myself. The least we can do is acknowledge the pain and damage that's been caused. Reading Nemonte's story is one small way to bear witness.
Nemonte Nenquimo is a member of that same tribe those men were attempting to contact. After their deaths, Rachel Saint, sister to Nate Saint, went to live among the Waorani people. The story I was told was of her brave sacrifice and astounding forgiveness, to live among and preach the Gospel to the very people who killed her brother. For good measure, she also did her very best to strip the people of their culture, their stories, and their history. She shamed and belittled them, called them savages in her writing and to their faces, and lied to them when she tricked them into giving their land away to oil companies. Those oil companies then pillaged the land and poisoned their water supply, leading to the deaths of children whose parents were told the water was fine. Angry yet? We all should be. We were sold half truths and happy missionary stories, and Nemonte's people and beloved homeland paid the price.
We need to be honest about the harm that's been done in the name of Jesus. Rachel Saint and other missionaries who came after her were colonizers, and the damage they did was widespread. In some ways, many of us are complicit, including myself. The least we can do is acknowledge the pain and damage that's been caused. Reading Nemonte's story is one small way to bear witness.
September 18, 2024
One of the most important books I’ve ever read detailing the lost connection between humans and nature, the direct impact of which is causing so much destruction in the world, nearing the point of no return. Nemonte’s story, told from deep within the Amazon, is shocking, insightful, spiritual, and gives hope while giving a fascinating look into this little known corner of the Ecuadorean rainforest. I will read this book again and again and implore everyone to read it.
September 2, 2025
There are two sides to every story, and here is the other side to the Elliots' and Saints' stories. I think we owe it to the indigenous people of the Amazon to read this book if we've grown up under the Elliot/Saint legacy. I think it's fair to say that while mission efforts can do incredible good, they can also do devastating harm, as seen in Nemonte's memoir.
October 21, 2024
Fuck colonization and fuck white people
September 18, 2024
If I could rate this 10/10 stars, this book would surely surpass it.
We Will Be Jaguars is an incredibly powerful and important Memoir by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson. Nemonte speaks with her heart and soul taking us with her through her heartbreaking moments, revelations, childhood innocence, defeats and triumphs. This is an important book that everyone needs to read, and it deserves to be highly appreciated. I cried with her, I laughed with her, celebrated with her. I felt her fear, worry and disgust. This is a truly tragic history.
Nemonte teaches us the ways of the Amazon, the ways of her people, their beliefs, fears, storytelling, natural medicines, shamanism, and foraging. They live and breathe the rainforest. After reading this memoir, I have increased knowledge about what is going on in the Amazon rainforest and the impacts of the oil companies not only on the rainforest itself but the impacts on the villages and communities intertwined throughout the forest.
Christine Anne-Roche narrated this book perfectly. She was able to transport me right into the Amazon Rainforest through humming songs, sounds of birdcalls. She may be the best narrator I’ve ever listened to.
A massive thank you to Nemonte Nenquimo and RBmedia for an advance copy of this audiobook, this is my 100% honest feedback. I am truly so honoured to have the opportunity to read this book.
We Will Be Jaguars is an incredibly powerful and important Memoir by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson. Nemonte speaks with her heart and soul taking us with her through her heartbreaking moments, revelations, childhood innocence, defeats and triumphs. This is an important book that everyone needs to read, and it deserves to be highly appreciated. I cried with her, I laughed with her, celebrated with her. I felt her fear, worry and disgust. This is a truly tragic history.
Nemonte teaches us the ways of the Amazon, the ways of her people, their beliefs, fears, storytelling, natural medicines, shamanism, and foraging. They live and breathe the rainforest. After reading this memoir, I have increased knowledge about what is going on in the Amazon rainforest and the impacts of the oil companies not only on the rainforest itself but the impacts on the villages and communities intertwined throughout the forest.
Christine Anne-Roche narrated this book perfectly. She was able to transport me right into the Amazon Rainforest through humming songs, sounds of birdcalls. She may be the best narrator I’ve ever listened to.
A massive thank you to Nemonte Nenquimo and RBmedia for an advance copy of this audiobook, this is my 100% honest feedback. I am truly so honoured to have the opportunity to read this book.
January 12, 2025
An important and courageous story that weaves together a highly personal account with the collective fight of indigenous communities to protect their lands against the encroachment of missionaries and (especially) oil companies. The book left me eager to learn more about the authors and the organizations they started.
The open ghost writing across multiple languages raised some questions for me, and I found myself wondering how fundraising motives (for the authors’ respective organizations) influenced the overarching narrative. Perhaps for that reason, I liked the first half (personal stories of the author growing up in the recently “contacted” Amazon) much more than the second half of the book (author’s personal relationship with white man and founding of alliance).
The middle of the book dragged a bit. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and appreciated the overall message - one I will remember and reflect on for a long time to come!
The open ghost writing across multiple languages raised some questions for me, and I found myself wondering how fundraising motives (for the authors’ respective organizations) influenced the overarching narrative. Perhaps for that reason, I liked the first half (personal stories of the author growing up in the recently “contacted” Amazon) much more than the second half of the book (author’s personal relationship with white man and founding of alliance).
The middle of the book dragged a bit. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and appreciated the overall message - one I will remember and reflect on for a long time to come!
October 30, 2025
Nemonte Nenquimo's story IS alive and it inspired me. Discussed tonight in our BookBuddy group, I will feel her words, her jaguars and jungle floors continue to float through my mind in the days ahead as they have since the covers closed shut. Her words travel in the spaces her story created in my reading mind.
All the stolen lands, cultures, laid over with pavement, cut down with huge tools, original peoples shoved off to the corners, banished to the least parts. What's a little blood spilled, flesh killed in the course of creating Kingdoms for Progress? We've been doing since the beginning of time. . .! Kudos to the Waorani flexing their all to take back from the oil companies, and inspiring others by releasing their stories to show hidden tricks and traps thieving bullies deftly laid.
There's a sly wickedness that invades the cracks when one group of humans decide their wisdom is superior to another's; is needed, is required for 'elevating' another lower, lacking group. Mighty acts of persuasion accompanied by tasty treats or silky fabrics can turn heads and change minds. For a minute. Persistent distractions are a colonizers best tools. . .
Nemonte's story IS the living being she says it is in her introduction:
For us, stories are living beings. They breathe life into our homes, into our forests. They pulse in our blood, in our dreams. They stalk us like jaguars, clack like peccary, sail like macaws, run like fish. They are powerful beings. Like rainbows, they bring peace. Like lightning, they bring war. And they are always changing. That’s how we know that they are alive.
A story dies when no one tells it. Our stories have never been written down. Not like this. Part of me is scared. Have I told too much? Left too many tracks? What will you do with my story now that it has been written? I hope you will let it live.
Nenquimo, Nemonte; Anderson, Mitch. We Will Be Jaguars (Reese's Book Club Pick): A Memoir of My People (pp. 1-2). Abrams Press. Kindle Edition.
This book is an excellent read, an Important Being that needs your eyes, ears and heart. Give it your most earnest attention.
25|52:42e
All the stolen lands, cultures, laid over with pavement, cut down with huge tools, original peoples shoved off to the corners, banished to the least parts. What's a little blood spilled, flesh killed in the course of creating Kingdoms for Progress? We've been doing since the beginning of time. . .! Kudos to the Waorani flexing their all to take back from the oil companies, and inspiring others by releasing their stories to show hidden tricks and traps thieving bullies deftly laid.
There's a sly wickedness that invades the cracks when one group of humans decide their wisdom is superior to another's; is needed, is required for 'elevating' another lower, lacking group. Mighty acts of persuasion accompanied by tasty treats or silky fabrics can turn heads and change minds. For a minute. Persistent distractions are a colonizers best tools. . .
Nemonte's story IS the living being she says it is in her introduction:
For us, stories are living beings. They breathe life into our homes, into our forests. They pulse in our blood, in our dreams. They stalk us like jaguars, clack like peccary, sail like macaws, run like fish. They are powerful beings. Like rainbows, they bring peace. Like lightning, they bring war. And they are always changing. That’s how we know that they are alive.
A story dies when no one tells it. Our stories have never been written down. Not like this. Part of me is scared. Have I told too much? Left too many tracks? What will you do with my story now that it has been written? I hope you will let it live.
Nenquimo, Nemonte; Anderson, Mitch. We Will Be Jaguars (Reese's Book Club Pick): A Memoir of My People (pp. 1-2). Abrams Press. Kindle Edition.
This book is an excellent read, an Important Being that needs your eyes, ears and heart. Give it your most earnest attention.
25|52:42e
September 8, 2024
Wow! This should be required reading. The story of a clash of cultures and the education of a revolutionary was inspiring. I definitely recommend!
November 18, 2024
Holy fucking shit.
August 25, 2025
An immensly powerful and heart-wrenching autobiography. Huge reading recommendation!
Eine extrem kraftvolle und emotionale, teils herzzerreißende Autobiographie. Große Leseempfehlung! Den englischen Titel "We will be Jaguars" finde ich viel besser als den deutschen.
Eine extrem kraftvolle und emotionale, teils herzzerreißende Autobiographie. Große Leseempfehlung! Den englischen Titel "We will be Jaguars" finde ich viel besser als den deutschen.
July 16, 2025
I read this for book club. I don’t know that I would have picked this up otherwise, and I’m glad for reasons to read outside of my normal lane. This was an interesting read in some ways, but so depressingly predictable that I got to the end just though “yep – that was pretty much what I thought it was going to be.” Unsurprisingly, a major theme is that colonialism is not great. Observing and learning about the Waorani culture through the eyes of the author was fascinating. She definitely presented the indigenous way of life in the rainforest in ways I had not encountered before. I’m glad they won their legal battle against the oil companies who were ripping up their land and polluting their water. I’m happy for the author that she seems to have found her way to a good life after a traumatic young adulthood. The author has had a remarkable life, and she is undoubtedly a tenacious and resilient person.
However, I think this memoir had some balance problems. Memoirs are maybe necessarily narrow in their focus, since they tell a story from the sole perspective of one person. But this story is told in such a black-hatted villain vs. white-hatted heroes way, that it comes across as a bit simplistic. Perhaps intentionally and overly simplistic. The missionaries are duplicitous, hypocritical stooges for the oil company. The oil companies themselves are evil and wander around seeking whom they may devour. The government is a faceless, malign monolith of corruption. The indigenous people are magical and have secret knowledge the rest of us have lost through our greed and consumerism. Young people who want to move from indigenous villages to the cities and live in the outside world don’t posses any individual agency, but rather have been tricked and hypnotized by white materialism. The only true voice of indigenous people is the voice that agrees with the author. By focusing on traditional values of community the indigenous people win a victory over the forces of western corporate incursion. Good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath, world without end, amen.
I realize the author and I are coming at life from radically different cultural lenses, but I can’t empathize with the idea that superstitions and objective truths are the same thing. I don’t think that calling something a “way of knowing” makes is automatically above verification. There was a scene where the author yelled at her (white) husband for touching a snake after their baby was born because it would make the baby squirmy. She then lists a half dozen more baby-related taboos that were presented as wise traditions of which any questioning of legitimacy would be insensitive. That’s about as valid as me feeling morally aggrieved and scolding a foreigner for not crossing their fingers before the Lions kick a field goal, or for not knocking on wood when they say something overconfident, or not knowing that someone walked over their grave when they shiver. You should absolutely question the validity of those things. Because they are just superstitious quirks that I picked up through cultural habit. Just like how I know in my soul we will get in a car crash if the dome light is on, and I would never willingly break a mirror because the risk isn’t worth it. I think it’s probably a good idea to politely humor your spouse’s cultural habits for the sake of a happy marriage, but let’s maybe not get carried away and understand what is happening.
Similarly, the idea of prophetic dreaming might be culturally relevant, but that isn’t the same thing as it being actually real. I dream all the time; I could also assign my dreams meaning based on what is happening in my life and society and then use subconscious confirmation bias to feel like I have supernatural powers when I guess right, and that the meaning was murky when I guess wrong. Same with guessing the sex of a unborn baby; there are dozens of old wives tales from white cultures about this as well – are you carrying high or low, is your skin good or bad, and so on. I absolutely felt like I “knew” that my second was a boy; but in real life I didn’t know anything. It’s a 50/50 guess, so people are right enough of the time that they feel like they know something. She seems to really believe that her people are more mystically in tune with the universe than other people, but I think that people are just people. Her people were/are just very educated on the nuances of their own environment. There is just too much mythologizing here.
That leads me to the whole “you need to learn from my culture” thing. It’s a little much sometimes. She criticizes people for not finding the value in things she finds important, and for fearing things from her culture they don’t understand. Fair. But then she herself tells us how much she hates things like math and budgets and Excel spreadsheets because they are culturally foreign to her and she doesn’t understand them. And how unconvincing she finds Christianity. And how aggravating she finds Mitch’s propensity to try to understand things with questions and logical explanations. And how much she dislikes cowori because they are fat, lazy, greedy liars; but don’t get the wrong idea - some of her best friends are cowori, she just prefers when they are seen and not heard because their opinions can be obnoxious. It’s like – yes, I get you. Confusing stuff you can’t connect with on a personal level can be intensely frustrating. I feel the same way sometimes. (And also, full disclosure: budgets and spreadsheets are my culture. The more I think about it, this whole review might be an emotional reaction predicated on her insulting spreadsheets.) So I absolutely don’t begrudge her feelings and frustrations. I just think they are maybe more universal than she seems to allow.
I also found it interesting what the author chose not to talk about. Namely that her people are widely considered to have been the most homicidal culture ever documented…like on the entire planet. After reading this book, I read the Amazon Frontlines website, articles on the missionaries that were killed and the later ones who weren’t, and a bunch of things I could find about the Waorani people. Apparently, pre-contact, over half of all Waorani deaths were homicides. There is a Los Angeles Times article that compares them to violent street gangs. She does mention a contemporary massacre happening (the incident that led to the little Taromenae girls being held captive in the shed), but it is presented as provoked by the oil companies and outside cultural norms. What’s even more interesting is that after the missionaries came, the homicide rate plummeted (which is maybe why the author, who is a product of that era, views the massacre as regrettable?) I guess it’s no wonder that she’s not fond of anthropologists if this is the data their studies produce.
I feel like ultimately this memoir is an interesting piece of a larger puzzle.
However, I think this memoir had some balance problems. Memoirs are maybe necessarily narrow in their focus, since they tell a story from the sole perspective of one person. But this story is told in such a black-hatted villain vs. white-hatted heroes way, that it comes across as a bit simplistic. Perhaps intentionally and overly simplistic. The missionaries are duplicitous, hypocritical stooges for the oil company. The oil companies themselves are evil and wander around seeking whom they may devour. The government is a faceless, malign monolith of corruption. The indigenous people are magical and have secret knowledge the rest of us have lost through our greed and consumerism. Young people who want to move from indigenous villages to the cities and live in the outside world don’t posses any individual agency, but rather have been tricked and hypnotized by white materialism. The only true voice of indigenous people is the voice that agrees with the author. By focusing on traditional values of community the indigenous people win a victory over the forces of western corporate incursion. Good vs. evil, David vs. Goliath, world without end, amen.
I realize the author and I are coming at life from radically different cultural lenses, but I can’t empathize with the idea that superstitions and objective truths are the same thing. I don’t think that calling something a “way of knowing” makes is automatically above verification. There was a scene where the author yelled at her (white) husband for touching a snake after their baby was born because it would make the baby squirmy. She then lists a half dozen more baby-related taboos that were presented as wise traditions of which any questioning of legitimacy would be insensitive. That’s about as valid as me feeling morally aggrieved and scolding a foreigner for not crossing their fingers before the Lions kick a field goal, or for not knocking on wood when they say something overconfident, or not knowing that someone walked over their grave when they shiver. You should absolutely question the validity of those things. Because they are just superstitious quirks that I picked up through cultural habit. Just like how I know in my soul we will get in a car crash if the dome light is on, and I would never willingly break a mirror because the risk isn’t worth it. I think it’s probably a good idea to politely humor your spouse’s cultural habits for the sake of a happy marriage, but let’s maybe not get carried away and understand what is happening.
Similarly, the idea of prophetic dreaming might be culturally relevant, but that isn’t the same thing as it being actually real. I dream all the time; I could also assign my dreams meaning based on what is happening in my life and society and then use subconscious confirmation bias to feel like I have supernatural powers when I guess right, and that the meaning was murky when I guess wrong. Same with guessing the sex of a unborn baby; there are dozens of old wives tales from white cultures about this as well – are you carrying high or low, is your skin good or bad, and so on. I absolutely felt like I “knew” that my second was a boy; but in real life I didn’t know anything. It’s a 50/50 guess, so people are right enough of the time that they feel like they know something. She seems to really believe that her people are more mystically in tune with the universe than other people, but I think that people are just people. Her people were/are just very educated on the nuances of their own environment. There is just too much mythologizing here.
That leads me to the whole “you need to learn from my culture” thing. It’s a little much sometimes. She criticizes people for not finding the value in things she finds important, and for fearing things from her culture they don’t understand. Fair. But then she herself tells us how much she hates things like math and budgets and Excel spreadsheets because they are culturally foreign to her and she doesn’t understand them. And how unconvincing she finds Christianity. And how aggravating she finds Mitch’s propensity to try to understand things with questions and logical explanations. And how much she dislikes cowori because they are fat, lazy, greedy liars; but don’t get the wrong idea - some of her best friends are cowori, she just prefers when they are seen and not heard because their opinions can be obnoxious. It’s like – yes, I get you. Confusing stuff you can’t connect with on a personal level can be intensely frustrating. I feel the same way sometimes. (And also, full disclosure: budgets and spreadsheets are my culture. The more I think about it, this whole review might be an emotional reaction predicated on her insulting spreadsheets.) So I absolutely don’t begrudge her feelings and frustrations. I just think they are maybe more universal than she seems to allow.
I also found it interesting what the author chose not to talk about. Namely that her people are widely considered to have been the most homicidal culture ever documented…like on the entire planet. After reading this book, I read the Amazon Frontlines website, articles on the missionaries that were killed and the later ones who weren’t, and a bunch of things I could find about the Waorani people. Apparently, pre-contact, over half of all Waorani deaths were homicides. There is a Los Angeles Times article that compares them to violent street gangs. She does mention a contemporary massacre happening (the incident that led to the little Taromenae girls being held captive in the shed), but it is presented as provoked by the oil companies and outside cultural norms. What’s even more interesting is that after the missionaries came, the homicide rate plummeted (which is maybe why the author, who is a product of that era, views the massacre as regrettable?) I guess it’s no wonder that she’s not fond of anthropologists if this is the data their studies produce.
I feel like ultimately this memoir is an interesting piece of a larger puzzle.
August 31, 2025
No sé por dónde empezar, todo el proceso de lectura me dejó bastante sorprendida, asqueada y meditativa.
La historia de Nemonte es solo una mirada a una realidad de la naturaleza (?) humana, que es la de la lucha de poderes, de la avaricia, el ego y la destrucción.
Nemonte es una mujer Guaraní que vive en la selva amazónica, y este libro biográfico cuenta no sólo cómo es y fue su vida en la selva, sino especialmente cómo su vida (y la de su comunidad) fue afectada por la presencia de _el mundo civilizado_. Empezando por los misioneros cristianos, el hombre blanco salvador, las compañías mineras y las compañías petroleras.
Todos, invadiendo y apropiándose del espacio con la idea de estar "trayendo progreso".
La lucha personal interna, pero también de activismo de Nemonte es de admirar, y sin duda la deuda material en historica que expone y que se tiene sobre muchas comunidades en el mundo es innegable.
Apoyo sus ideas, su visión de las cosas, pero no puedo dejar de pensar que de todas maneras yo soy una blanca-mestiza que no terminará nunca de entender el mundo de la manera en la que ella lo hace, y también me hace sentir un poco culpable por ser parte del grupo de personas que para ella y sus comunidades representa el peligro.
Nadie puede elegir dónde ni cómo nace, pero sí hay que entender qué implicar ser y estar en un lugar, intentar reparar y prevenir.
Algo más que me gustó del libro es que apesar de todo lo vivido por Nemonte, en un punto su revelación es que todo el mundo "civilizado" también tiene conciencia de lo que está haciendo y de lo que se está haciendo a sí mismo, y que entonces la lucha de los pueblos indígenas por cuidar su territorio, puede ser un punto de inicio para alcanzar la conciencia de que debemos entre todos salvar al planeta.
El título en inglés de este libro es "We will not be saved", qué adquiere sentido cuando las comunidades indígenas de las que hablan se dan cuenta que siempre que han querido ayudarlos y salvarlos terminan empeorando las cosas, y que solo son ellos quienes tienen el conocimiento, la sensibilidad y las formas para mantenerse en pie sin depender del "hombre blanco."
Finalmente, hay muchos temas en este libro que pueden ser abordados: maternidad, estándares de belleza, religión, económica, ecocidio, tradición horal, historia, geografía.....
La historia de Nemonte es solo una mirada a una realidad de la naturaleza (?) humana, que es la de la lucha de poderes, de la avaricia, el ego y la destrucción.
Nemonte es una mujer Guaraní que vive en la selva amazónica, y este libro biográfico cuenta no sólo cómo es y fue su vida en la selva, sino especialmente cómo su vida (y la de su comunidad) fue afectada por la presencia de _el mundo civilizado_. Empezando por los misioneros cristianos, el hombre blanco salvador, las compañías mineras y las compañías petroleras.
Todos, invadiendo y apropiándose del espacio con la idea de estar "trayendo progreso".
La lucha personal interna, pero también de activismo de Nemonte es de admirar, y sin duda la deuda material en historica que expone y que se tiene sobre muchas comunidades en el mundo es innegable.
Apoyo sus ideas, su visión de las cosas, pero no puedo dejar de pensar que de todas maneras yo soy una blanca-mestiza que no terminará nunca de entender el mundo de la manera en la que ella lo hace, y también me hace sentir un poco culpable por ser parte del grupo de personas que para ella y sus comunidades representa el peligro.
Nadie puede elegir dónde ni cómo nace, pero sí hay que entender qué implicar ser y estar en un lugar, intentar reparar y prevenir.
Algo más que me gustó del libro es que apesar de todo lo vivido por Nemonte, en un punto su revelación es que todo el mundo "civilizado" también tiene conciencia de lo que está haciendo y de lo que se está haciendo a sí mismo, y que entonces la lucha de los pueblos indígenas por cuidar su territorio, puede ser un punto de inicio para alcanzar la conciencia de que debemos entre todos salvar al planeta.
El título en inglés de este libro es "We will not be saved", qué adquiere sentido cuando las comunidades indígenas de las que hablan se dan cuenta que siempre que han querido ayudarlos y salvarlos terminan empeorando las cosas, y que solo son ellos quienes tienen el conocimiento, la sensibilidad y las formas para mantenerse en pie sin depender del "hombre blanco."
Finalmente, hay muchos temas en este libro que pueden ser abordados: maternidad, estándares de belleza, religión, económica, ecocidio, tradición horal, historia, geografía.....
June 21, 2025
The story is poignant. It follows the life of the author from a little girl growing up in the Amazon rain forest, through her learning to become Christianized by evangelicals who eventually sexually assaulted her. She goes back to her roots and becomes at leader of her people marries an American activist and successfully stops the destruction of Huaorani lands by oil companies. Her efforts are an inspiration to anyone who finds themselves fighting a major organization.
On a personal note, the story has parallels to my own experience. Big Green seized land that had been in our family for generations. Backroom deals, crooked judges and a protective agency that protected the interests of sham environmentalists destroyed the place that I grew up. Wealthy elites rammed the destructive power project through. Nenquimo succeeded where we failed.
If you have to fight the government, wealthy green industry speculators, or anyone who thinks they know more about what is good for you than you do (because they have more money, fame, or power), this book should be studied. The author is truly inspirational.
On a personal note, the story has parallels to my own experience. Big Green seized land that had been in our family for generations. Backroom deals, crooked judges and a protective agency that protected the interests of sham environmentalists destroyed the place that I grew up. Wealthy elites rammed the destructive power project through. Nenquimo succeeded where we failed.
If you have to fight the government, wealthy green industry speculators, or anyone who thinks they know more about what is good for you than you do (because they have more money, fame, or power), this book should be studied. The author is truly inspirational.
September 17, 2024
This is a great read! I don't know much (anything, really) about the Ecuadorian Amazon, but Nenquimo (and her husband, Mitch Anderson) writes about it so well that it virtually comes alive in front of you. I especially loved the passages where she speaks of her childhood and her experiences with her siblings. A part of me thinks that this book should just have focused on the rainforest way of life, to be a memoir of her youth. The activism element works, but it doesn't have the same magic or passion as other sections of the book. That being said, another part of me thinks that this book could have been purely about activism and still been brilliant. The marriage of both is great, but it doesn't always work. It never fails, though, and that's the important thing!
Would I recommend this book? Most definitely!
*Don't forget to support your local library*
Would I recommend this book? Most definitely!
*Don't forget to support your local library*
May 11, 2025
Easily the best book I have read all year. Fuck settlers, fuck colonisers, fuck men, fuck white people, fuck the lot of them !!!
I genuinely feel honoured that Nemonte shared her story and that I have been lucky enough to read it. The most inspirational and heartbreaking and beautiful account of life. What an incredible woman. This should be required reading in every school. I will probs never shut up about it. It actually gets 7 stars.
I genuinely feel honoured that Nemonte shared her story and that I have been lucky enough to read it. The most inspirational and heartbreaking and beautiful account of life. What an incredible woman. This should be required reading in every school. I will probs never shut up about it. It actually gets 7 stars.
August 10, 2024
A library pick up that told an incredible story of the fight for part of the Amazon and the pushback agaunst Big oil. Truly inspiring
December 10, 2024
Best book I’ve read all year. It made me laugh and cry and Nemonte’s story is so beautiful (and sometimes painful) to read.
May 22, 2025
devastating, hopeful, informative. a must read
March 26, 2026
This was an absolutely fascinating read. There were times where I was heartbroken, sad, joyful, angry...a whole host of powerful emotions. It really brought home just how insidiously evil not only the oil companies are, but the goverments allowing them to steal native land and the white christian missionaries who think they have the right to "save" native people. I find it interesting that in the UK (and I believe the rest of the world), this book is called "We Will Not Be Saved"...perhaps even now the idea of christianity being at fault for some of the evil perpetrated against indigineous cultures renders the title potentially "unmarketable" in a country increasingly being taken over by christian nationalism. Just a thought.
One minor critiscism is that the writing can be at times a little dry and direct. But I found that it didn't detract from the story too much. I would have loved to hear even more of the stories collected from the Waorani and other tribes.
One minor critiscism is that the writing can be at times a little dry and direct. But I found that it didn't detract from the story too much. I would have loved to hear even more of the stories collected from the Waorani and other tribes.
March 21, 2026
What an incredible account of a ferociously strong woman trying to protect her community! Nemonte Nenquimo is such an admirable person - her confusion and initial “need” to be part of the “civilised” community ultimately taught her how important her own community truly was. She came to realise just how significant a role she could play in protecting her people.
This is also a raw account of what the destructive branches of capitalism look like. Beyond ecosystems, it enables those in power to let their greed run rampant. Parts of this book made me really furious - it’s genuinely disgusting how people in power exploit vulnerable communities.
Nemonte is an icon. I wish I’d known about her and everything she stood for sooner!
This is also a raw account of what the destructive branches of capitalism look like. Beyond ecosystems, it enables those in power to let their greed run rampant. Parts of this book made me really furious - it’s genuinely disgusting how people in power exploit vulnerable communities.
Nemonte is an icon. I wish I’d known about her and everything she stood for sooner!
January 5, 2026
I can't find words to describe this book, but one keeps coming to mind: devastating. Nemonte's story is heartbreaking in that the true gospel was never shared with her and was so twisted and sick. There are two sides to every story, and this is the other side.
February 3, 2025
Devastating & Beautiful
“Our entire society, all of our comfort is built on the destruction of the rivers and the forest and the lives.”
“The white people’s world seeks to destroy community. Once they destroy the community then it is easy to destroy the individual”
“We are threatening what makes the cars move and what makes the planes fly. We are threatening the white peoples comfort; their very idea of happiness.“
“Our entire society, all of our comfort is built on the destruction of the rivers and the forest and the lives.”
“The white people’s world seeks to destroy community. Once they destroy the community then it is easy to destroy the individual”
“We are threatening what makes the cars move and what makes the planes fly. We are threatening the white peoples comfort; their very idea of happiness.“
November 8, 2024
Reese’s Book Club November’24 pick.
WE WILL BE JAGUARS is a sharply-written memoir full of drama and depth, exploring the complexities of indigenous people and their culture when catastrophic change comes to their native environment.
Waorani author, Nemonte Nenquimo, tells of her childhood and coming-of-age in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, and about a new language and religion brought to her village by a Christian missionary, but of whom also sought control over the Waorani people. Sadly, for Nemonte and other girls that incl. sexual abuse by another missionary later.
Nemonte tells that with the Ecuadorian government continually auctioning off millions-of-acres of indigenous homeland to big industry - - it has resulted in logging and oil drilling beginning and expanding throughout the rainforest causing the poisoning of water and any food source living within it. Oil slicks mean certain death to birds and animals coming in contact with it.. and roads, pipelines, and oil towns replacing trees, plants and wildlife.
When Nemonte meets American activist (now husband) Mitch, her life begins anew as they gather the elders of villages, activists and others to help save the Amazon ecosystem and the indigenous way of life. But this is really a fight to protect the whole world, the Amazon rainforest being interconnected to, and protector of, Mother Earth. 🌎 This is in effect why climate change has become the biggest threat to our own existence. Scary to think that if we don’t listen up, someday this will all be gone. Her story gave me so much to think about. Excellent. Highly recommend. 5 stars — Pub. 9/17/24
WE WILL BE JAGUARS is a sharply-written memoir full of drama and depth, exploring the complexities of indigenous people and their culture when catastrophic change comes to their native environment.
Waorani author, Nemonte Nenquimo, tells of her childhood and coming-of-age in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, and about a new language and religion brought to her village by a Christian missionary, but of whom also sought control over the Waorani people. Sadly, for Nemonte and other girls that incl. sexual abuse by another missionary later.
Nemonte tells that with the Ecuadorian government continually auctioning off millions-of-acres of indigenous homeland to big industry - - it has resulted in logging and oil drilling beginning and expanding throughout the rainforest causing the poisoning of water and any food source living within it. Oil slicks mean certain death to birds and animals coming in contact with it.. and roads, pipelines, and oil towns replacing trees, plants and wildlife.
When Nemonte meets American activist (now husband) Mitch, her life begins anew as they gather the elders of villages, activists and others to help save the Amazon ecosystem and the indigenous way of life. But this is really a fight to protect the whole world, the Amazon rainforest being interconnected to, and protector of, Mother Earth. 🌎 This is in effect why climate change has become the biggest threat to our own existence. Scary to think that if we don’t listen up, someday this will all be gone. Her story gave me so much to think about. Excellent. Highly recommend. 5 stars — Pub. 9/17/24
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