This Indigenous Peoples’ Day carries a special meaning for Not For Sale.

Our co-founder, David Batstone, has been honored on some of the world’s largest stages. In 2017, he received the Peace Award from the UN Women for Peace Association at the United Nations. Each award has carried deep gratitude. Yet none compares to the recognition he received with the Yine community.

David was welcomed as a member of the Yine community of Santa Teresita. This small Indigenous settlement rests along the banks of the Las Piedras River in the Peruvian Amazon.

The Yine are guardians of their own territory. They are also direct relatives of the Mashco Piro, an Indigenous people who live in voluntary isolation along the same river. Sightings of the Mashco Piro are rare. Still, their presence is a vivid reminder of the Amazon’s resilience. It is also a reminder of its fragility.

Being embraced by the Yine is an honor that goes beyond symbolism. Their kinship with the Mashco Piro makes this recognition even more powerful. It speaks to trust. It speaks to solidarity. And it reflects decades of walking together in the fight against exploitation.

David’s reflection on this moment brings us back to the heart of Not For Sale’s mission.

David Batstone’s Reflection

“I have received many honors over the years. Each one has carried deep gratitude and humility. In 2017, I stood on stage at the United Nations to accept the Peace Award from the UN Women for Peace Association. That recognition filled me with great honor.

And yet, standing on the banks of the Las Piedras River, under the protective watch of my Yine brothers and sisters of Santa Teresita, I experienced something far deeper. When they welcomed me into their community and conferred upon me their highest honor, membership in their community, I felt a connection unlike anything I had ever known before.

That day, as the elders and community gathered, they spoke of our decades of commitment to one another – building global family: of walking into remote river camps, of bearing witness to trafficked children, of insisting that we refuse to look away. They reminded me that our journey together has not been about rescuers or outsiders, but about solidarity, about standing with, not above. Standing in right-relationship, alongside one another. In that sacred moment, as sunlight danced across the river they draped ceremonial clothing over my shoulders and gave me a Yine hat.

I can say, unequivocally, that no award in a lecture hall or global summit compares to this. It is not a mere token. It anchors me more tightly to their struggles, binds me more faithfully to their vision, and summons me more boldly to walk in humility, accountability, and enduring partnership. It reminds me: the fight is not mine, the fight is ours, together. And that is why our work through Not For Sale matters so deeply, because every community we support, every child we protect, and every alliance we build is part of that same shared mission: to dismantle exploitation, restore dignity, and ensure that communities like Santa Teresita are never left out of the story again.”

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, David’s reflection reminds us that recognition at its truest comes not from accolades or institutions, but from the trust of those we serve. For Not For Sale, this honor is a powerful reminder: our mission will always be to walk alongside communities, not in front of them, in the pursuit of freedom and justice.

To learn more about the indigenous communities we support, click here.