In Raja Ampat, children learn that their knowledge can help protect their islands

In Raja Ampat, Indonesia, a children's book called The Wounds of Small Islands was read aloud to kids in the village of Arborek as part of a Greenpeace-organized gathering of 20 Indigenous subtribes. The story follows a girl named Pin whose rainbow loses its colors as nickel mining arrives, mirroring real controversy after 2025 images of forest clearing prompted the government to suspend operations and revoke four of five regional mining permits.

One state-owned operation, PT Gag Nikel, continues mining on Gag Island, and Greenpeace says two companies are still pursuing nickel projects on Waigeo, home to species found nowhere else. Indonesia's nickel output has risen from about 130,000 metric tons in 2015 to 2.2 million in 2024, making it the world's largest producer.

Residents like Arborek homestay owner Benoni Watem say they oppose mining because tourism depends on the ecosystem's condition, a concern the book renders literally in missing colors.

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