Once clean enough to drink, the Andean lake Uru Uru was poisoned by mining pollution and urban waste. Plastic waste stretches as far as the eye can see, the water is tinged black or brown, and the stench is overwhelming. But now Indigenous women are using giant reeds to revive the vital ecosystem. Sarah Johnson writes for The Guardian.
Tatiana Blanco, 30, active in the Uru Uru Teamm says:
“Indigenous people know that if a lake dies, it’s as if the soul of a people dies. With colonialism and globalisation, new generations have lost their way. They’ve forgotten where they’ve come from and that we are not superior to animals, plants, mountains, lakes and rivers. It is because of this lack of respect and care for nature and mother Earth that there’s an imbalance.”
