Jupta Lilian Itoewaki (born 18 February 1988) is a

Wayana The Wayana (alternate names: Ajana, Uaiana, Alucuyana, Guaque, Ojana, Oyana, Orcocoyana, Pirixi, Urukuena, Waiano etc.) are a Carib-speaking people located in the southeastern part of the Guiana highlands, a region divided between Brazil, Surin ...

activist and politician from

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

. Since 2018, she has been the founding president of Mulokot, an organisation representing the interests of the Wayana people. She had previously worked from 2010 with groups focused on preserving the culture and habitat of indigenous Surinamese. Itoewaki is a member of the Amazon Party Suriname (APS). During the

2020 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...

, she was the

lead candidate In politics, a lead candidate (; , ) is the candidate placed first on a party list. In parliamentary systems, it is often the party's nominee for the position of head of government, and the party chair or party leader. Usage by country Neth ...

on the APS list for

Sipaliwini District Sipaliwini is the largest Districts of Suriname, district of Suriname, located in the south. Sipaliwini is the only district that does not have a regional capital, as it is directly administered by the national government in Paramaribo. Sipaliwini ...

Biography

Itoewaki was born in

Kawemhakan Kawemhakan, formerly also known as Anapaikë, is a Wayana village in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname. The village lies on the banks of the Lawa River, which forms the border with French Guiana. Name The indigenous name of the village is Ka ...

and partly grew up there.De Ware Tijd
Onderzoek naar sociale ontwrichting Wayanagebied
16 April 2019 She attended Algemene Middelbare School, and began working as a self-employed

Wayana language Wayana (also referred to as Ojana, Ajana, Aiana, Ouyana, Uajana, Upurui, Oepoeroei, Roucouyen, Oreocoyana, Orkokoyana, Urucuiana, Urukuyana, and Alucuyana in the literature) is a language of the Cariban family, spoken by the Wayana people, who ...

interpreter in 2010. She also worked for the Suriname office of the

Amazon Conservation Team The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with indigenous people of tropical South America in conserving the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, as well as the culture and land of its indigenous ...

from 2010 to 2013. Since 2017, she has worked on projects of the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders Suriname (VIDS). In April 2018, with the support of

Chief ( ''Granman'') Ipomadi Pelenapin, Itoewaki founded the Mulokot Foundation to represent the Wayana people and became its president. A few months later, on the recommendation of the VIDS, she was accepted into a course in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

at the

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a department of the United Nations Secretariat that works to promote and protect human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Univers ...

(OHCHR). Here she received training on

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

in general as well as in the context of indigenous people: fundamental rights, self-determination, prior and informed consent, legal protection mechanisms and traditional knowledge. This month-long training coincided with the annual meeting of the UN

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. The ...

(EMRIP). Itoewaki represented her people at several protest events: in February 2019, in front of the Royal Torarica hotel in

Paramaribo Paramaribo ( , , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's p ...

when the government hosted a climate conference; and in April 2019, in front of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. On both occasions, she would shine a hand in front of her mouth. She was able to give a speech to the UNPFII. In November 2019, she gave a presentation at the International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD) in

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. In April 2019, Itoewaki organized several five-day meetings (''krutus'') in Kawemhakan,

Apetina Apetina, also known as Pïlëuwimë or Puleowime, is a village in the South Eastern jungle area of Suriname within the Tapanahony resort in the Sipaliwini District. It is located at in the jungle on the small hills along the river Tapanahoni. N ...

, and

Paloemeu Paloemeu or Palumeu is an Amerindian village in the interior of Suriname, situated at the site where the Paloemeu River joins the Tapanahoni River. Most inhabitants of the village are native Tiriyó Amerindians. The remainder belongs to the Wayana ...

, with the goal of developing a common vision for Wayana communities. In 2020, authorities in

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

closed the border with Suriname due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting off the Wayana villagers from their customary trading posts in

Maripasoula Maripasoula (), previously named Upper Maroni, is a commune of French Guiana, an overseas region and department of France located in South America. With a land area of , Maripasoula is the largest commune of France. The commune is slightly lar ...

. Due to the lack of road connections with urban Suriname, Itoewaki organised flights of food and medical supplies through Mulokot for all Wayana villages. In February 2020, Itoewaki and environmentalist Loes Trustfull were co-recipients of the Golden Gavel Award. This award has been given by the Politically Active Women Platform foundation since 2016 to female leaders in the struggle to protect the environment. Itoewaki is a member of the Amazon Party Suriname (APS). For the

, she was the

on the APS list for

. Her party did not win any seats.Dagblad Suriname
CHS Proces Verbalen 2015 en 2020
17 June 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Itoewaki, Jupta Living people 1988 births People from Sipaliwini District Surinamese human rights activists Surinamese environmentalists Surinamese people of indigenous peoples descent Indigenous activists of South America Indigenous politicians of the Americas Amazon Party Suriname politicians 21st-century Surinamese politicians 21st-century Surinamese women politicians Surinamese women activists