Honoring Life: Lessons Learned from COP30

By Mindahi Bastida

COP30 in Belém, Brazil, offered many lessons—some hopeful, others sobering. For Indigenous peoples, it reaffirmed a truth we have long carried: recognition, respect, and responsibility must be more than aspirations. The summit showed that while global leaders increasingly speak of Indigenous wisdom, genuine inclusion remains a work in progress.

One of the clearest learnings was the centrality of free, prior, and informed consent. Too often, participation is still symbolic. COP30 exposed how decisions continue to be made about us, rather than with us. The lesson is unmistakable: if a policy or technology affects our communities or Mother Earth, Indigenous peoples must be present—not for ceremony, but for true co-creation of outcomes.

A ceremonial breath to mark presence, responsibility, and the work still unfinished. Mindahi Bastida at COP30. All photos by Melanie Pyne.

This extends far beyond the local level. COP30 highlighted the accelerating influence of new technologies on biocultural territories. Many are well-intentioned, yet we saw again how solutions that fix one issue can deepen another. Electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure, and “green” extraction continue to destroy forests, rivers, oceans, and the livelihoods of communities. The fossil fuel industry still expands into our lands, killing jungles, coral reefs, and species at a catastrophic pace. The lesson is clear: technological optimism without ecological responsibility is merely another form of harm.

Top: Indigenous leaders speak together at COP30, asserting the necessity of Indigenous governance in decisions affecting Earth and future generations. Bottom: Mapuche Elder and Medicine Woman Francisca Calfin addresses COP, bringing ancestral knowledge and Indigenous leadership into global climate dialogue.

Another lesson from Belém was the fragility of global agreements. The Rio Covenant of 1992, the Paris Agreement, the Dubai Declaration—these frameworks matter, but only when treated as binding commitments. COP30 reminded us that promises without implementation are empty. Life cannot be negotiated indefinitely. It must be protected now, through responsible action from corporations, governments, and citizens alike.

Top: Indigenous leaders in conversation at COP30. Bottom: Mindahi Bastida speaks to the urgency of responsibility, consent, and collective action.

Perhaps the most powerful lesson was about representation. COP30 showed both the possibility and the limits of current systems. While Indigenous visibility increased, the structural shift we seek—a seat at the negotiation table as original nations—remains incomplete. We learned once again that our presence is often treated as folklore or protocol, even though our knowledge is indispensable for planetary survival. True partnership has yet to be realized.

Beyond panels and policy, COP30 was also about human connection. Mindahi Bastida greets an attendee.

The stakes of these lessons are existential. COP30 made it clear that without restoring collective human dignity and healing our relationship with Earth and Sky, we face deepening scarcity, conflict, and ecological collapse. Peace among peoples is impossible without peace with Earth. And peace with Earth and Sky requires responsible action for all species, not only human concerns.

Ultimately, COP30 taught us that humanity is still learning how to enter into a sacred, respectful, and enduring relationship with the Earth and Sky. Whether these lessons are carried forward or forgotten will determine our future. If they are honored, COP30 may yet be remembered not only as a gathering—but as a turning point for Indigenous Peoples, and for all life on the planet.

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These conversations continue beyond COP30. Explore how The Earth Elders are advancing Earth Jurisprudence through Indigenous-led governance, law, and responsibility to Earth and Sky.

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