How Condors Led Me to Mining and Water Issues: Walking in Solidarity with Latin American Communities

My research has always depended on the trust and generosity of people in Latin America, and the many teachings they have imparted include appreciating interrelationships, reciprocity, responsibility toward others, and the power of each person’s contribution. Given these values as a model for action, how can I live with people and witness their suffering without responding somehow? In various places I have borne witness, documented issues, and stood with Indigenous peoples in their struggles. This has included working with School of the Americas Watch, joining the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity, and promoting recycling programs. Often I am surprised by where this path takes me, as when learning about Andean condors revealed threats to sacred lands and water from mining. Such interconnections abound, even when unnoticed at first glance. Yet as ethnobiologists we are called to be aware of more than meets the eye.