The Ribbon Project
I started this project in March 2023 after listening to the story of Berta Cáceres’ murder, and started to learn more about environmental activists and land protectors who had been killed for raising their voice, mostly indigenous and from the global south. I wanted to remember their names, so started to stamp them out on some silk. This is an ongoing work - I’ll continue until there isn’t any silk left to stamp.
Below are all the activists who have a ribbon so far. Click on each individuals, or groups, image for more information. You will notice that not everyone has a photo, not everyone has one linked to their report, and I’m only sharing photos that are available of them while they were living.
This is a heavy project to make, but hopefully folks find it impactful in how, most especially in the global south, everyday people are putting their lives on the line to save the earth they stand on, and feel connected to. No one should be murdered for that. Hopefully this project raises awareness and more of us call for an end to this violence at the hand of capital.
Berta Cáceres was a Honduran environmental and Indigenous Lenca activist who was murdered in 2016
Tortuguita was an environmental activist working to protect the Weelaunee forest in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Killed in 2023.
Chut Wutty was a land and environmental activist from Cambodia. He was killed in 2012
Joannah Stutchbury was an environmental campaigner from Kenya. She was killed in 2021
Ángel Miro Cartagena was a small scale farmer in Columbia, murdered in 2021
Regilson Choc Cac was a 16 year old Guatemalan land protector and member of the CCDA. He was killed in 2021
Efrén España was a co-founder of The Rural Association of Workers of Argelia Cauca in Colombia
Jair Adán Roldán Morales was a social and environmental worker from Colombia, killed in 2021
Sandra Liliana Peña Chocué was a Nasa Indigenous woman and human rights defender in Colombia. She was killed in 2021
José Santos Isaac Chávez was a Mexican lawyer and leader in the Indigenous Nahua-Otomi community. He was killed in 2021
Fikile Ntshangase was the vice chair of the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She was killed in 2020
Chad Booc was a Filipino volunteer Lumad teacher and activist. He was killed in 2022, in what the victims families are calling The Bataan 5 massacre.
Gelejurain Ngujo II was a volunteer Lumad teacher in the Philippines. He was killed in 2022 with other teachers in what their families are calling the New Bataan 5 massacre.
Elegyn Balonga was a community health worker working with the Lumad people in the Philippines. She was killed in what their families are calling the New Bataan 5 massacre in 2022.
Robert Aragon and Tirso Ańar were the drivers also killed in the New Bataan 5 massacre in 2022.
Aly Domínguez was a Honduran water protector and environmental defender, killed in 2023
Jairo Bonilla was a Honduran water protector and environmental defender, killed in 2023
Remigio de la Cruz was an Amuzgo Indigenous rights defender who was killed in 2023
Isaul Nemesio Zambrano was a community guard for the Nahua community in Michoacán, Mexico. He was killed in 2023
Rolando Magno Zambrano was a community guard for the Nahua community in Michoacán, Mexico. He was killed in 2023
Miguel Estrada Reyes was a community guard for the Nahua community in Michoacán community in Mexico. He was killed in 2023.
Joël Imbangola Lunea was a member of the Congolese environmental and human rights group RIAO-RDC. He was killed in 2019 by a guard working for a Canadian owned palm oil farm.
Yordan llempi Machacan was an Indigenous Mapuche killed by the Chilean Navy in 2021
Camilo Catrillanca was a Mapuche community member and was killed by Carabineros in 2018
Chico Mendes was a rubber tapper, union leader and Amazon protecter, murdered in Brazil in 1988
Wilson Pinheiro was president of the Brasiléia Rural Workers Union in the State of Acre, and a protector of the Amazon. He was murdered in 1980
Hilda Murrell was a British campaigner against nuclear power and weapons. She was abducted and killed in 1984.
Angel Rivas was a Lumad-Manobo 12 year old, shot by the Philippine army while farming in 2021
Lenie Rivas (Angels older sister) was a Lumad-Manobo farmer, shot in 2021 by the Phillipine army.
Willy Rodriguez was the Rivas sister's cousin. He was farming alongside them when he was killed by the Phillipine army in 2021.
Edwin Chota Varela was a Asheninka man and leader of the Alto Tamaya-Saweto - a community based in the Peruvian Amazon. He fought to protect their land against illegal loggers. He was murdered with with 3 others by illegal loggers in 2014.
Jorge Ríos Pérez was an Ashéninka man from the Peruvian Amazon. He was killed alongside 3 others by illegal loggers in 2014. (Image is of Jorge)
Leoncio Quintísima Meléndez was an Ashéninka man from the Peruvian Amazon. He was killed alongside 3 others by illegal loggers in 2014.
Francisco Pinedo Ramírez was an Ashéninka man from the Peruvian Amazon. He was killed alongside 3 others by illegal loggers in 2014.
Dom Phillips was a British jounalist, working with Bruno Pereira in the Brazillian Amazon to report on Indigenous injustices. He was murdered while travelling in the Amazon in 2022 by who are believed to be illegal fishermen.
Bruno Pereira was a Brazillian Indigenist, working with Dom Phillips in the Brazillian Amazon to report on Indigenous injustices. He was murdered while travelling in the Amazon in 2022 by who are believed to be illegal fishermen.
Eustacio Alcalá Díaz was a member of the Nuhua community in Michoacán, Mexico. He fought to protect their land and against mining. He was murdered in 2023
Ursa Bhima was from Silger, India - a rural area populated by farmers. Ursa was attending a protest in 2021 of the CRPF (Indian armed police) making an illegal camp on their land. The police opened fire and Ursa and 2 others were killed.
Uika Pandu was from Silger, India - a rural area populated by farmers. Uika was attending a protest in 2021 of the CRPF (Indian armed police) making an illegal camp on their land. The police opened fire and Uika and 2 others were killed.
Kowasi Vagal was from Silger, India - a rural area populated by farmers. Vagal was attending a protest in 2021 of the CRPF (Indian armed police) making an illegal camp on their land. The police opened fire and Vagal and 2 others were killed.
Eric Kibanja Bashekere was a ranger in the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was patrolling with 5 others when they were ambushed and killed on 10th January 2021.
Prince Nzabonimpa Ntamakiriro was a ranger in the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was killed in an ambush on 10th January 2021.
Reagan Maneno Kataghalirwa was a ranger in the Virunga National Park in the DRC. He was killed with 5 others in an ambush on 10th January 2021
Alexis Kamate Mundunaenda was a ranger for the Virunga National Park in the DRC. He was killed in an ambush with 5 others on 10th January 2021
Surumwe Burhani Abdou was a ranger for the Virunga National Park in the DRC. He was killed in an ambush with 5 others on 10th January 2021
Innocent Paluku Budoyi was a ranger for the Virunga National Park in the DRC. He was killed in an ambush with 5 others on 10th January 2021. This image is of all 6 of the rangers, I can't find a source listing each photo with a name, but will keep looking.
Victor Danyan was was the leader of the T’Boli-Manobo S’daf Claimants Organization (TAMASCO) and chief of the T’boli, Manobo, and Ubo (Lumads) indigenous peoples living in the village of Datal Bonlagon, Philippines. He was killed on 3rd December 2017 with 7 others for peacefully protesting against the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral lands. Dawang coffee is supplied to Nestle.
Artemio Danyan was Victor's son, killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Victor Jr Danyan was Victor's son, killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Pato Ceraldo was Victor's son-in-law, killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Samuel Angkoy was killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Mating Balabagan-Bantal was killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Toto Diamante was killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Toto Danyan was killed by the Philippine army after protesting the Dawang coffee plantation on their ancestral land on 3rd December 2017.
Paulo Paulino Guajajara was from Araribóia indigenous territory in Maranhão state in Brazil. He was killed while protecting his land from illegal loggers on 1st November 2019
Abdul Rahim al Huwaiti was a member of the Huwaitat tribe in Saudi Arabia. He was killed for refusing to leave and make way for the site of Neom, a new city state the size of Belgium. He was shot in his home on 13th April 2020 by Saudi special forces.
Datu Kaylo Bontolan was a council member of Salugpungan Ta Tanu Igkanogon, the deputy secretary-general of PASAKA Lumad Confederation, and an officer of the national minority group Katribu. He worked to protect the ancestral land from loggers and mining. He was killed in and aerial and land strike on 7th April 2019 by the Philippine army.
Óscar Eyraud Adams was from the indigenous Kumiai territory in Mexico. He fought for the protection and rights of the water on his land. He was chased down and shot by multiple assassins on the 24th September 2020.
Nacilio Macario, a Mayangna indigenous leader of the Musawas Community, campaigned against illegal gold mining and logging. He was killed by 6 men on 14th November 2020.
Gonzalo Cardona Molina was a Colombian conservationist, specialising in the protection of the endangered Yellow eared Parrot. He was killed between 8-10th January 2021 by a criminal gang, on his way home from completing his latest census on the parrot.
Yamid Alonso Silva Torres was working as a protector of El Cocuy National Natural Park: the largest glacier mass in Colombia. He was killed at work on 6th February 2020 by a criminal gang.
Glaston was a fisherman from Tamil Nadu, India, who was murdered on 22nd May 2018 by the Tamil Nadu police during a protest against Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper’s pollution in Thoothukudi. The link through the image sends you to a site that shares information on each individual killed in this massacre, informing us as to who they were as everyday people, by the families and friends who loved them.
Beverly Geronimo was an active member of a local peasant organization Tabing Guangan Farmers Association, on the Mindanao island in the Philippines. She was murdered while travelling home with her 8 year old daughter on a moped on 26th May, 2018 - she was shot in the head and her daughter, who survived the attack, in the arm.
Veronico “Nico” Lapsay Delamente (27), anti-mining activist and tribal leader, was an active member of the Kahugpungan sa Lumadnong mga Organisasyon (KASALO) – Caraga, a regional indigenous Lumad organization that is part of Kalikasan PNE’s Mindanao network. He was also a council member of AMPANTRENTO, a Lumad people’s organization in Claver under Datu Renante Baklas recognized by the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP). He was shot and murdered 20th January 2017
Jose Unahan was a Higaonon peasant leader and anti-mining activist. Jose was involved in his tribe’s defense of their ancestral land against large-scale mining and other extractive industries. He was shot and murdered on 6th June 2018 in Agusan del Norte, in the Philippines
Emel Tejero was shot and killed alongside fellow Indigenous farmer Randell Gallego, while hauling in hemp in Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin, Philippines on 24th January 2019.
Randell Gallego was shot and killed alongside fellow Indigenous farmer Emel Tejero, while hauling in hemp in Barangay Buhisan, San Agustin, Philippines on 24th January 2019.
Genesis Ambason was the Secretary-General of Tagdumahan, a grassroots indigenous organisation that has been campaigning against the entry of large-scale mining ventures into their ancestral domain. He had also campaigned for the release of community members who had reportedly been illegally detained by the military. He was killed on 13th September 2012.
Dionel Campos was killed alongside Aurelio Sinzo in the town of Lianga, Surigao del Sur province - both were Manobo tribal leaders - on 1st Septmeber 2015