Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari is a recent environmental justice convert. As a fierce advocate from the indigenous Kukama community, she’s incredible work along the Marañón River in Peru. As she approaches 56 years old, she’s lived her whole life next to this artery of life. This river serves as a vital and scenic highway for recreation, agriculture, domestic water use, and commercial fishing for her family’s community. For more than 20 years, Murayari has actively advocated to protect the river. Despite surviving this onslaught of oil, an ecosystem that was once pristine is left vulnerable to new spills that continue to affect the health of her residents.
Murayari became the founder of this Asociación de Mujeres Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana, which translates to “Hard-working Women’s Association.” Her organization has been working without relent to remedy the toxic effects of pollution on their ancestral lands and ways of life. In 2014, she joined forces with the Indian Defense Legal Institute (IDL). Together, they packed courtrooms and marched side by side to protect the Marañón River. Her labor proved fruitful in 2024 when she won a historic legal victory. She received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her influence in getting the river recognized as a legal person.
A Personal Connection to the Marañón River
Murayari spent his childhood in Shapajilla, a town located along the borders of the Marañón River. As a result, she developed a strong bond with the river growing up. While she grew up amidst the river’s natural beauty, she experienced firsthand the negative impacts of pollution. “Dead fish would flow down the river, choking on the oil,” she recalled. Seeing her friends and family members fall ill from the toxic water has inspired organizers like her to fight back.
Her determination to save the river was deepened by an unexpected, transcendent spiritual experience. Murayari told a great personal story. Her recently passed uncle’s spirit had come to speak to her grandmother to make her aware of the risk of oil spills. This meeting ignited a flame in her spirit. She had an urgent desire to protect the river and protect her people’s lifestyle.
As a mother of four, and grandmother to six, Murayari’s interests go beyond the here and now. “The work that I’m doing is not only for my community; it’s for the world,” she stated. Her vision encompasses a future where both nature and humanity thrive, and she urges collective action to safeguard resources for future generations.
A Historic Legal Milestone
It was granted legal status as an entity in its own right. This is a historic win, not only for Murayari and her community but for environmental activists across Peru. Javier Ruiz from IDL noted, “It’s the first case of its kind in Peru … and will serve as an example for future cases of recognition of the rights of nature.” This legal foundation is what gives communities like the Kukama the power to win against government and oil companies for the environmental destruction they’ve committed.
Murayari said they hope this legal victory will embolden other indigenous communities to take up similar actions. “This is a door that opens many possibilities for other communities and other rivers and other indigenous leaders,” she remarked. The Kukama women have been leading the charge in this legal fight. Most importantly, they concretely demonstrate how their long, deep, cultural connection to the river informs and inspires their advocacy work.
Ruiz emphasized that “the river is the backbone of their culture,” underscoring how integral the Marañón River is to Kukama identity. The Kukama’s fight for their rights is just one example of how indigenous peoples across the globe are taking bold action to protect their environments.
The Future of Environmental Advocacy
The walls that oil spills have built have only pushed communities impacted by the aggressions of environmental racism to greater mobilization. In Murayari’s experience, as inspiring as these efforts were—including strikes, public demonstrations, and marches—when they used traditional mechanisms, they mostly fell on deaf ears. “The strikes, the mobilizations, the statements, the meetings, the roundtable discussion: none of them have worked … They don’t listen to us,” she lamented.
With the newfound legal recognition, Murayari believes that her community can now exert more pressure on authorities and corporations responsible for polluting their environment. The Kukama people are now equipped with legal tools that could prove pivotal in promoting sustainable practices and protecting their natural resources.
