Over the last several decades, external organisations such as NGOs and governments have, with mixed results, sought to engage with the Wayana peoples. From the perspective of the Wayana, a frequent hurdle in these engagements has been the inability of external actors to understand and respect their traditional laws and values.
Supported by our partners at Cultural Survival and their Keepers of the Earth Fund, the Mulokot Foundation drafted the so-called ‘Wayana Consultation Protocol’, incorporating those elements that the Wayana deem essential in a successful and respectful cooperation. The protocol emphasizes the need for a “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent”-approach, as recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.