We Will Be Jaguars by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson offers a compelling narrative on environmental advocacy with powerful insights into indigenous resistance. The prose is vivid and engaging, though some readers may find the pacing uneven. Overall, it inspires reflection on the urgent need for ecological preservation.

A nature enthusiast interested in indigenous perspectives and environmental activism would enjoy We Will Be Jaguars. Similar to Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, this book appeals to readers who appreciate a blend of ecological insight and cultural narrative.

Inspirational / Adventurous / Hopeful / Emotional

**Nemonte Nenquimo**  
A Waorani author and Indigenous activist whose memoir explores her journey from a traditional Amazonian childhood to founding a coalition advocating for Indigenous rights and environmental conservation.

**Mitch “Michi” Anderson**  
Nenquimo's husband and co-author who helps translate her oral stories into written form, contributing to cross-cultural efforts against extractivism as part of the Ceibo Alliance.

**Rachel Saint**  
An American missionary whose efforts to convert the Waorani people to Christianity and Western culture are depicted as culturally invasive and damaging.

**Tiri**  
Nenquimo’s father, a traditional Waorani hunter who provides a strong link to ancestral practices and beliefs, emphasizing the importance of the forest in their identity.

**Manuela**  
Nenquimo’s mother, a medicine woman of mixed heritage who balances the pressures of colonial influence with teaching her daughter Waorani traditions.

**Opi**  
Nenquimo's older brother who faces challenges from Western influence but finds purpose in activism and legal work with the Ceibo Alliance.

**Nënëcawa**  
Nenquimo’s uncle, a storyteller who preserves Waorani oral history despite being paralyzed, illustrating resilience and cultural survival.

Study Guide

Book Brief

Explore We Will Be Jaguars reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

About We Will Be Jaguars

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore We Will Be Jaguars and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

We Will Be Jaguars Overview

contentWarning

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, illness, and death.

Background

We Will Be Jaguars Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, child abuse, animal death, illness, and death.

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

We Will Be Jaguars Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, child sexual abuse, illness, and death.

Part 1, Chapters 7-12

We Will Be Jaguars Part 1, Chapters 7-12

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, child abuse, animal death, mental illness, substance use and addiction, suicidal ideation, and death.

Part 2, Chapters 13-19

We Will Be Jaguars Part 2, Chapters 13-19

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

Part 2, Chapters 20-26

We Will Be Jaguars Part 2, Chapters 20-26

characters

Character List

We Will Be Jaguars Character List

keyFigure

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, child sexual abuse, substance use and addiction, illness, and death.

Key Figures

We Will Be Jaguars Key Figures

theme

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, child sexual abuse, illness, and death.

Themes

We Will Be Jaguars Themes

Symbols & Motifs

We Will Be Jaguars Symbols & Motifs

quote

citation

character

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes descriptions of child sexual abuse, racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, substance use, illness, and death.

Important Quotes

We Will Be Jaguars Important Quotes with Page Numbers

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

We Will Be Jaguars Essay Topics

generalImpressionsTitle

generalImpressionsContent

personalReflectionAndConnectionTitle

personalReflectionAndConnectionContent

societalAndCulturalContextTitle

societalAndCulturalContextContent

literaryAnalysisTitle

literaryAnalysisContent

creativeEngagementTitle

creativeEngagementContent

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, religious discrimination, graphic violence, child sexual abuse, substance use and illness.

We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People

We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People

Book Brief

We Will Be Jaguars

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

Who Should Read We Will Be Jaguars?