About Zoë
Zoë Tryon is a renowned activist, guide, speaker, and artist known for her work with indigenous communities globally. She is the Founder of One of the Tribe Journeys, a travel company that offers, privately led, immersive experiences with indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Andes. Through One of the Tribe Zoë has led journalists, filmmakers, celebrities to witness places in the world few will ever see. Zoe also founded the One of the Tribe non-profit to raise awareness for the issues facing indigenous communities and has acted as a cultural liaison between indigenous and Western leaders since 2006 when she first began living with the Achuar Tribe in the Amazon. Since then Zoe has lived and worked with the Achuar, Shuar, Kichwa, Sapara and Waorani peoples across Ecuador.
Zoë speaks worldwide on how we can apply extraordinary wisdom from tribal cultures to our lives today. She has pitched and field produced a number of TV and film pieces on the Amazon, indigenous peoples and the threats to their ecosystem. She has supported education, health and economic capacity building projects, advocated for environmental and constitutional rights, and worked closely with indigenous partners on the largest environmental lawsuit in history. Zoe is currently completing a memoir of her time in the forest.
She is an ambassador for Fundacion Pachamama and Sacred Headwaters Initiative, and a creative activist for the Creative Visions Foundation. Her artwork is held in private collections around the world.
‘Bad Oil’ with ex-60 minutes journalist Mike Monro -for Australian Channel 7’s Sunday Night Program - 2011 looking at ‘US$8 billion battle to repair, restore, and save Ecuadorian Amazon from environmental catastrophe’ – see Below
“Arutam – the spirit of the forest has sent Zoë to support the Achuar. Zoë is our blessing. She is so close to us, so committed and has such understanding. No woman has ever touched me with the depth of insight and understanding that she possesses of the very essence of our culture. The connection she has established with us is remarkable – we love Zoë and the forest loves Zoë and the dreams we have had about her confirm that she has been sent by Arutam to be with us.
Zoë is a strong woman with so much power and wisdom and we call her Tsunki Nua – the Achuar goddess who lives beneath the water who takes care of all the creatures of the river: the anaconda, the giant turtle, the pink dolphin and the caiman. Zoë is close to all the spirits that live in the water and she is here with us because she’ll protect both the creatures of the water and the people living by it.
When I was a boy of eight years old I had a vision of Tsunki Nua and Zoë resembles the vision I had all that time ago. She bears the mark of the jungle through the bite she received from the caiman; these animal spirits are in touch with Zoë and they allow her to be close to our children and to give confidence to all our people.
For a long time to come, we hope she will stand and defend us, for a woman who can defend the Achuar becomes both the mother and sister of the Achuar people”
- Kistupa Peas, former Vice President of the Achuar Nation