Marisol de la Cadena

Leading Andean anthropologist advocating for Indigenous environmental stewardship

Marisol de la Cadena (born 1958) is a Peruvian anthropologist whose work redefines environmental science through Indigenous perspectives. A professor at UC Berkeley since 1990, her research among Andean communities revealed how Quechua practices sustainably manage biodiversity. Her concept of 'multispecies reciprocity' challenges Western environmentalism's anthropocentrism, influencing global ecological policies.

Her groundbreaking book 《Andean and Amazonian Eco-Development》 documents how Indigenous knowledge systems prevent ecological collapse. She co-founded the Earth System Council, a global network integrating Indigenous wisdom into climate solutions. Her collaboration with UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere program has protected 12 million hectares of Andean forests.

Academic accolades include the Royal Anthropological Institute's Riverstone Prize and MIT's Environmental Justice Award. Her work is featured in Nature Magazine and BBC Future articles. De la Cadena's lectures at Yale and Stanford are archived on Open Yale Courses.