(REUTERS) Indigenous peoples’ representatives joined a boat ride on Paris’s Seine River on Sunday (December 6), on the sidelines of the United Nations climate conference, urging action to protect the environment.
The indigenous groups from North and Central America, the Amazon, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, played instruments and recited incantations, calling for respect for Mother Earth.
Leaders and representatives of the indigenous peoples signed a paddle, symbolising their solidarity.
“We are on this boat to sign a pact among all the indigenous peoples. We want to protect Mother Nature, to save our earth,” said Candido, a tribal chief from the Panamanian indigenous group Embera
The groups said they represent a climate solution that looks towards conserving forests and addressing global warming.
“Indigenous peoples know how to maintain this balance with Mother Earth. We’ve lost touch with the natural world. We’ve lost touch with the natural way the world unfolds,” a chief from a Dakota Tribe, Phil Blane, said.
Indigenous youth also joined the ride on the “Paris Star” ship, that passed iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.
“I’m carrying the next generation. They’re begging for a change. The question is when are we ready? When are we ready to truly make that change? There is no time left. The time is today,” a Hawaiian tribal representative, Taimiora, said.
Delegates from 195 countries are meeting for a fortnight at the conference — dubbed the “COP21” — which hopes to secure a global, binding deal to limit carbon emissions and stem global warming.
