Ojibwe Elder’s Emotional Appeal in Support of Daria Egereva
The second day of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) in Antalya ended with a prayer for Daria Egereva.
This was not the first prayer offered in her support at international climate meetings in Antalya. On 5 November, participants in the meeting of the Facilitative Working Group of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (FWG16) also prayed for Daria and other imprisoned environmental defenders. An empty chair was symbolically kept for her in the room, with a placard reading “Reserved for Daria Egereva.”
This time, the occasion for a particularly emotional appeal was Daria’s own message, sent to the Forum’s participants from detention.
“Physically, I am not with you, but believe me, I am close… I am here, together with you!” Daria wrote.
She asked her colleagues not to be sad, not to give up and to continue their shared work. Despite her imprisonment, she feels their support and knows that she has not been left alone.
Indeed, words of support for Daria were heard in many contributions at the Forum. Colleagues said that they remember her, pray for her and deeply hope to see her free.
Responding to Daria’s message with a prayer and words of guidance was Mary Lyons, an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Elder from the United States, a traditional knowledge holder, spiritual mentor and defender of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
She recalled the wisdom of her grandmother, who spoke about the value of life, Mother Earth, truth and love.
“My grandmother always reminded me how important it is to value life. Your head is like Mother Earth. You have two eyes. One to see the truth, the other to see the darkness. Two nostrils. One to sense the beauty of life, the other to sense the bitterness of destruction. Two ears. One to hear the good, the other to hear the bad. And one mouth. When we speak, the past and the future meet in our words. Stay true to your truth. Never stop caring for those around you. Keep the light of love and stay true to the truth, whatever times may come.”
Then Mary Lyons could no longer hold back her emotions.
“This is very difficult for me right now… The last time I saw her [Daria], we had dinner together. And now I remember her words, her message to all of us. It should remind us that, however much we may disagree here, we must support one another. However we may divide ourselves — into local communities, Indigenous Peoples, different groups — we have one Earth. And we are all her children… “I am tired… I am so tired of coming to meetings like these and learning again that another of our sisters or brothers has died. And yet we keep standing here, arguing and disagreeing with one another… “Whatever we do, whatever path we choose, we must remember: what we do today determines whether our children and future generations will thrive or suffer. So, in the coming days, it will depend on each of us. We must stand firm, hold on to hope, think about the future and not become trapped in today’s pointless arguments. So let us strengthen brotherhood, sisterhood and love.”
The prayer for Daria Egereva was a response to her message from detention and a reminder that solidarity must be more than words.
Daria wrote that even in handcuffs she feels her brothers and sisters beside her. Mary Lyons reminded everyone gathered that they must support one another — despite disagreements, distances and circumstances.
Mary Lyons’s remarks are presented in abridged form, translated from the Russian text published by Indigenous Russia.
@IR
Source: Indigenous Russia, 8 November 2026.
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