In a moving tribute to their departed sister in struggle,
Noemí Gualinga and Patricia Gualinga write:

In our Indigenous worldviews, our grandmothers and grandfathers have taught us that when our people die, they return to the jungle... in other spirits, in other beings.

In each encounter with María Taant, a Shuar leader from the Ecuadorian Amazon, she mentioned a boa that protected us. We heard what turned out to be her last song during our gathering last month on International Womens' Day. In recognition of all Amazonian women, she sang to us in Shuar: Kinkia Pangui nuachitjai, which means, "I am a boa woman."

People say that our loved ones transcend worlds and do not go away completely if we keep them present. For this reason, we remember Maria's voice, her laugh, and her songs, which always stood out when we got together.