Forest93 Ambassador
Sherlien Sanches
Ambassador since October 2026
Sherlien Sanches is an Indigenous bridgebuilder dedicated to preserving and revitalising Indigenous culture and strengthening the connection between nature, cultural heritage and community.
“I support FOREST93 because protecting our forests means protecting Indigenous knowledge, culture and our future. I believe in empowering communities to be active guardians of the land.”
Efforts
What Sherlien Sanches has done with Forest93, project by project.
Active
Strengthening Legal Recognition of Nature and Indigenous Rights
Supporter
Supported Ikihie in preparation for her address to the UPR 53 pre-sessions in Geneva.
- Awareness
- Research
- Education
About Sherlien Sanches
Sherlien Sanches is the founder and chair of the Indigenous Knowledge Centre International (IKCI) and serves as Advisor for International Heritage Cooperation at the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage (Kenniscentrum Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland – KIEN).
She lives and works in the Netherlands but has her roots in the Indigenous Kalina community of Akarani (Bigi Poika) in Suriname. Deeply committed to the preservation and revitalisation of Indigenous culture, Sherlien works to ensure that Indigenous knowledge, traditions and perspectives receive the recognition they deserve. Her current work focuses particularly on the often-underrepresented Indigenous perspectives on Dutch colonial history and the history of slavery, as well as their lasting impacts.
With a natural ability to bring people together, Sherlien builds bridges between communities and cultures. She strengthens international collaborations across Suriname, Indonesia and India, fostering cultural exchange and supporting the identification and documentation of intangible cultural heritage.
As a Forest93 ambassador, Sherlien brings a deep love for Indigenous culture and a personal connection to the forests and communities of Suriname. With her Kalina roots in Bigi Poika, she understands that nature is more than the environment around us: it is part of who we are, our cultural identity, our knowledge and our connection to generations past and future.
Through her work, Sherlien is passionate about bringing Indigenous perspectives into conversations about the future and ensuring that traditional knowledge continues to be valued and passed on. She believes that caring for nature goes hand in hand with respecting the people who have cared for it for generations. Guided by Indigenous values of community, interconnectedness, guardianship, respect, humility and self-determination, she brings an important voice to Forest93’s mission to protect Suriname’s forests and the cultural heritage, knowledge and ways of life they sustain.
Follow Sherlien on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and follow the Indigenous Knowledge Centre International on its website.