The ocean is our ancestor, our home.
We are bringing our indigenous perspective forward at international decision-making arenas to protect our precious Earth, curb the climate crisis, and inspire the global community into a renewed relationship with the planet.
Sign Te Reo O Te Moana and urge governments to take bold ocean action.
Launched by Indigenous leaders and ocean champions throughout the Pacific on March 28 in Papeete, French Polynesia, a global call to action urges nations around the world to achieve comprehensive protection for Te Moana nui a Hiva (“the great blue ocean”). The declaration, called Te Reo O Te Moana, for the protection of the ocean, calls on governments to integrate Indigenous knowledge into national and regional ocean management frameworks, promote artisanal fishing, contribute to the global goal of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, support the U.N. agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction—also known as the BBNJ treaty or high seas treaty—and immediately halt destructive practices, such as deep-sea mining. Pacific brothers and sisters: sign the call to action now.
Join us by calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining
The deep sea is our sacred place of creation. It is our country, it is our home. Our ancestors have lived in harmony with the ocean for thousands of years, respecting its power and abundance while recognizing our place within it. We have developed a deep spiritual connection to the ocean, and it is an integral part of our daily lives. It is the source of our food, our recreation, and our cultural practices. In conversations to mine the deep sea, there's no consideration that we come from this space. It's about extraction, with no regard for culture. We stand together and call for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
Our Priorities
Our voyage is focused on solutions to mitigate the ocean’s biggest threats. In the same vaka, we paddle towards our shared vision of the future.
Together, we:
Support the agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (also known as the BBNJ treaty or high seas treaty) through Indigenous-led preparatory processes and proposals
Advocate for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, through our engagement at the International Seabed Authority
Mobilize for the recognition of Indigenous rights and interests within the legal frameworks governing Regional Fisheries Management Organizations
Build the next generation of advocates to protect and nurture our ancestral places
When asked, support aligned movements and initiatives of our sisters and brothers as guardians of their respective places
Our Call
As the people of Oceania, we hear the call of our ancestors, guiding us to join together in the same canoe, united in our traditional values and practices to speak for the ocean.
As Indigenous People, we have a deep relationship with nature. We believe that the Earth, its natural systems, and the life that surrounds us are our relatives, deserving of our care and reverence. We understand that the well-being of the planet’s creatures and systems is tied to our own survival.
The work before us is focused on realigning people, corporations, and governments in our global community to understand this reciprocal relationship with nature. We are veering conversations away from unprecedented resource extraction and taking a seat at the table where decisions about our ancestral places are made. We intervene with traditional wisdom and our shared vision of abundance–and do so at this critical point in time of a rapidly changing climate.
Participants
We are a people-powered movement with participants throughout Oceania who are steering our work and vision. This is only just the beginning.