Wisdom from the Forest, the Mountain, and the Sea

This experience contains two parts.

Open Marketplace (3:00 PM–4:30 PM)
An open marketplace featuring a curated selection of Indigenous-made goods, offering a chance to explore their works and support their practices directly.

Evening Programming (5:00 PM–8:00 PM, ticketed)
An evening of ceremony and conversation led by Manari Ushigua Santi, spiritual leader of the Sápara Nation, traditional healer, and forest defender, joining us from his home in the Ecuadorian Amazon. A rare opportunity to experience the ancestral knowledge and traditions of the Sápara people, guiding us as we set intentions for the season ahead.

Born and raised in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Manari has dedicated his life to protecting Sápara culture, territory, and ways of knowing, while advocating internationally for Indigenous rights and the preservation of his homeland. His work bridges the teachings of his ancestors with the urgent environmental conversations taking place around the world today.

For Climate Week, Manari has traveled from Ecuador to join us in New York for a rare and deeply special gathering. He will help lead the second half of the evening through conversation, storytelling, song, and ceremony rooted in the ancestral knowledge and centuries-old traditions of the Sápara people—inviting guests to experience climate, community, and our relationship with the natural world through a very unique lens.

His presence speaks directly to the intention behind the gathering: creating space for Indigenous knowledge holders to lead the conversation, rather than simply be included within it.

We are setting positive intentions, amplifying voices and gathering to celebrate.

We are bringing Indigenous leaders and entrepreneurs into direct conversation with decision-makers across fashion, technology, finance, philanthropy, art, and sustainability for the betterment of humanity and the environment.

Co-hosted with

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP is a United Nations agency established in 1965 to help countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable human development.

Forest Guardians Invest
A UNDP-hosted initiative connecting Indigenous-led forest conservation and bioeconomy projects with responsible private investment and commercial partnerships.

Marina Testino
Director of Strategic Partnerships at Earth Partner. Sustainability Editor at Beyond Noise, Advisory Council member at The Climate Museum and for UNDP's Forest Guardians Invest.

Juana Burga
Humanitarian, actress, and model dedicated to empowering Indigenous communities, promoting ethical fashion, and protecting the planet.