Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. We Will Be Jaguars blends Nenquimo’s personal coming-of-age story with an account of activism and legal resistance. How did this combination of the intimate and the political affect your reading experience? Did you find one aspect more compelling than the other?

2. How does the Waorani belief that their ancestors become jaguars shape Nenquimo’s journey? Does it remind you of any other memoirs, like Tara Westover’s Educated (2018), where a central cultural framework is key to understanding the author’s transformation?

3. What single image or scene from the memoir has stayed with you most vividly after finishing the book? What made that moment so powerful or memorable for you?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Nenquimo’s relationship with her mother, Manuela, is complicated by love, cultural pressure, and the trauma of colonization. Think about a significant relationship in your own life. In what ways have outside forces or different worldviews shaped it?

2. After leaving the missionary school, Nenquimo spends years feeling adrift and disconnected from both the Waorani and the cowori worlds. Have you ever felt caught between two cultures or communities? How did you navigate that feeling to find a sense of belonging?

3. Nenquimo’s father, Tiri, burns a dollar bill, calling it “cowori sorcery.” When have you encountered something in modern life that you felt was more of a destructive influence than a benefit, even if it was widely accepted?

4. Nenquimo’s longing for white teeth, driven by a desire to fit into the Western world, leads to a physically and emotionally painful experience. Think about a time you wanted something to gain acceptance. How did that desire shape your actions, and what did you learn from the experience?

5. The concept of “home” evolves for Nenquimo, from her childhood village to a broader sense of belonging to the forest and her people. What does the idea of “home” mean to you? How has your own definition of it changed throughout your life?

6. The Ceibo Alliance forms after Nenquimo passionately challenges the men in her group to stop talking and start acting. Think about a time you felt strongly about an issue within a group. What gave you the courage to speak up and push for a different approach?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Nenquimo’s firsthand account of Rachel Saint and the evangelical missions challenge the heroic narratives often presented in the West? What does her story suggest about the long-term cultural consequences of such religious and colonial interventions?

2. The Waorani’s 2019 legal victory was a landmark case protecting their land from oil extraction. What does their successful strategy, which combined community organizing, modern technology, and legal action, teach us about effective grassroots movements?

3. Nenquimo’s experience of racism while trying to get a birth certificate for her daughter in Quito is a painful moment in the book. What does this episode reveal about the systemic barriers and prejudices Indigenous peoples often face?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the significance of the body in this memoir? How do physical events like Victor’s seizures, Nënëcawa’s wheelchair use, and Nenquimo’s own traumatic bodily experiences function as reflections of the larger cultural wounds inflicted on the Waorani people?

2. The “boa’s tongue” is a recurring motif for the deceptive allure of the outside world. Which aspects of the narrative show this mesmerizing power at work?

3. The narrative is co-authored by Mitch Anderson, a writer, activist, and Nenquimo’s husband. In what ways did the prose feel like a translation of an oral tradition? Where did you sense the collaboration between their two perspectives most strongly?

4. The Ceibo Alliance’s mapping project is a central act of resistance. How does their method of creating maps challenge official narratives?

5. How does the memoir connect the spiritual to the political? In what ways does Nenquimo’s vision during the ayahuasca ceremony and her belief in the jaguar spirit directly fuel her strategy and resolve as a leader?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you are a member of Amazon Frontlines, the international team supporting the Ceibo Alliance. What particular skill, professional or personal, do you think would be most valuable to contribute to their cause, and why?

2. If you were to adapt one storyline into a short film, would you choose Nenquimo’s childhood friendship with Stephanie Saint, her brother Opi’s journey as a “Waorani Intellectual Revolutionary,” or the story of the Taromenane massacre? What would make your chosen story compelling on screen?

3. The Waorani used a drone to send a powerful visual message to the world. If you were tasked with designing a new global awareness campaign for the Ceibo Alliance, what would be your central message, and what creative medium would you use to share it?