Indigenous Land Alliance formation and Nairobi Declaration

Representatives from 26 indigenous peoples across 16 countries convened in Nairobi, Kenya, for the inaugural ‘Our Land, Our Nature’ (OLON) summit held from September 21 to 25. The assembly resulted in the formation of the Indigenous Land Alliance and the issuance of the ‘Nairobi Indigenous Declaration.’

Participants denounced current nature conservation models, labeling them as ‘green colonialism’ or ‘fortress conservation.’ They argued that international conservation organizations and carbon credit schemes, such as REDD+, are used to expropriate ancestral lands to create national parks and wildlife sanctuaries without indigenous consent. Leaders noted that these areas are sometimes repurposed for mineral extraction or commercial plantations related to the green energy transition, while also restricting traditional hunting and fishing practices.

The declaration demands the restitution of ancestral territories and calls for the decolonization of biodiversity conservation. The alliance advocates for indigenous-led models, asserting that recognizing community rights is essential for protecting forests and the climate, stating, ‘The ecosystems do not belong to us; it is we who belong to them.’