Despite the challenges faced by Indigenous people in defending their land in the Amazon, Sr. Laura Vicuña Pereira Manso says, “The God of life brings hope to me.” Photo: Tess Sison/CJI
In a world often marked by injustice and exploitation, women are essential defenders of life, land, and human rights, said Sr. Laura Vicuña Pereira Manso, of the congregation of Franciscan Catechist Sisters and an Indigenous land defender from the Brazilian Amazon.
Sr. Laura spoke at an event co-organized by Canadian Jesuits International (CJI), the Elliot Allen Institute for Theology and Ecology, and the Faculty of Theology at Regis and St. Michael’s, Toronto School of Theology in the University of Toronto. She said that the countless small acts of women, which are often overlooked, are creating a powerful global movement for justice.
Sr. Laura is touring parts of Canada as guest speaker of CJI’s fall education and advocacy campaign, Women at the Heart of Justice.
“I want to paraphrase the African saying, ‘Simple women, doing small things in unimportant places, will achieve extraordinary changes.’ This proverb defines well the theme of this campaign, Women at the Heart of Justice,” she said. These actions, carried out in many places, “allow us women to raise our voices in a great global web to defend life, the earth, and the rights of peoples and individuals.”
The innate strength and courage of women manifest in their caretaking and activism, said Sr. Laura, who has devoted over 20 years to championing human rights and environmental justice in the Brazilian Amazon. “How our hearts are moved when faced with situations of war, injustice, abuse, and exploitation,” she said. “Our deepest selves rebel and feel indignant in the face of such realities. It is this strength, which comes from within, that makes us bring forth our most precious gift as women: ‘to care for life and all that has life,’ with courage, rebellion, and prophecy.’”
As vice president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), Sr. Laura works alongside Indigenous communities—particularly in Rondônia—who face threats from illegal logging, land grabbing, and extractive industries. She recounted her personal journey of growing up with migrant parents “who, throughout their lives hid their Indigenous identity because of prejudice and discrimination.” It was her work with Indigenous peoples, seeing the devastation of the Amazon and the commitment of the local Catholic church “that helped me in the process of self-affirmation of my Kariri Indigenous identity.” Her people were displaced from their traditional territory and “had to redefine their way of being and co-exist in a society that denies the diversity of peoples and cultures.”
Indigenous peoples, especially those in the Amazon are facing more existential threats from economic and political interests that drive environmental destruction, land grabbing, and violence, said Sr. Laura. She noted that some Canadian mining companies are involved in these acts, and that the Brazilian state often fails to protect Indigenous lands, instead facilitating these actions. Sr. Laura said that aggressive and destructive economic interests are threatening “the sacred land and waters, a vital ecosystem for all humanity.” She shared short videos and slides that showed the natural beauty of the Amazon, and rampant deforestation occurring in other areas.
With the world in the throes of authoritarianism and ecological crisis, Sr. Laura said that women “have the difficult mission of being stubborn seeds of hope.” They do so, despite threats to their lives, she said. When asked if she had faced threats because of her activism, she replied, “Yes,” but added that she and other land defenders know that since they have planted the “seeds of hope,” “even if they kill our bodies, our vision will still grow.” She added that, “It’s better to die in the struggle for land than to lose it.”
When asked what gives her hope, Sr. Laura said, “I believe in the God of life. The God of life brings hope to me.”
About 50 people gathered at St. Joseph Chapel, Regis College, to listen to Sr. Laura Vicuña Pereira Manso’s presentation. Photo: Juan Emilio Hernandez/CJI
Sr. Laura underscored the importance of solidarity, urging the audience to call on the Canadian government and Canadians in general, to respect the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous peoples, which gives them the power to say yes or no to any activities on their territories and natural resources. “No means no,” she stressed.
During her visit to Winnipeg on November 9 to 12, Sr. Laura met with Indigenous leaders and parishioners of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Indigenous church and noted their shared experiences of exploitation and resistance. “It was a huge learning for me. But I felt at home. We have the same mother, Mother Earth.”
Sr. Laura, who has met with Pope Francis and recently, with Pope Leo, also discussed the role of the church, noting that CEAMA and the Amazon Synod symbolize its commitment to stand with Indigenous peoples.
