Leonardo DiCaprio Pens A Tribute To Nemonte Nenquimo: “Nemonte’s Cause Is All Our Cause”

Academy Award-winning actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio, praised Indigenous Amazonian Leader Nemonte Nenquimo after she was named TIME 100 Most Influential People In The World.

The actor announced through his verified Instagram account that he had penned a tribute for Nenquimo by releasing the following message alongside a photo of her:

“I was honored to contribute a piece about @nemonte.nenquimo for @TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.”

In the official website for TIME magazine, regarding Nenquimo, who is fighting to protect her ancestral territory and culture in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the founder of Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation that is “a non-profit organization devoted to promoting environmental awareness” wrote:

“Nemonte lives her fight, and to have a conversation with her is to witness a rare clarity of purpose. I remember she once told me that she wasn’t going to give up. That she was going to keep fighting. That she would continue to defend the forest that she loves from the industries and the oil companies that would devour it.”

Martin Litton Environment Award winner continued:

“She has kept her word, and continues to be a voice and advocate for her community. Nemonte’s cause is all our cause. She inspires those she speaks with to shoulder the nearest boulder and walk alongside her as her movement continues to grow. I am lucky to have met her, and I am luckier still to have learned from her.”

Nenquimo, protecting Indigenous lands from resource extraction, is the only Indigenous woman listed on the 2020 TIME list.

Click here to read the said tribute, see below to find DiCaprio’s mentioned Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

I was honored to contribute a piece about @nemonte.nenquimo for @TIME’s 100 Most Influential People. Last year, the Amazon was better known for acres ablaze than for acres saved. But the lawsuit that Nemonte Nenquimo, president of the Waorani of Pastaza and a co-founder of the Ceibo Alliance, brought forth was a rare bright spot. The landmark ruling protects the Waorani’s ancestral home in Ecuador from immediate destruction. The ripples have brought hope to Indigenous communities everywhere, all too often facing overwhelming odds of their own. Nemonte lives her fight, and to have a conversation with her is to witness a rare clarity of purpose. I remember she once told me that she wasn’t going to give up. That she was going to keep fighting. That she would continue to defend the forest that she loves from the industries and the oil companies that would devour it. She has kept her word, and continues to be a voice and advocate for her community. Nemonte’s cause is all our cause. She inspires those she speaks with to shoulder the nearest boulder and walk alongside her as her movement continues to grow. I am lucky to have met her, and I am luckier still to have learned from her. Read more about Nemonte, and see the full 2020 #TIME100 list, at the link in my bio. Photo: @stefanruizphoto

A post shared by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Sep 24, 2020 at 1:11pm PDT