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Suzanne Benally is a leader in Indigenous Rights advocacy, and serves as the Executive Director of Cultural Survival. She shares her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing Native American communities and Indigenous Peoples in general in the context of the Trump administration. Interview by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan), Indigenous Rights Radio producer based in South Africa.

Websites:

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council.
The twenty-first session of the Permanent Forum is happening from April 25th to May 6th, 2022, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
This year's special theme is “Indigenous Peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence including Free, Prior and Informed Consent”

A proposed lithium mine at Peehee Mu’huh (Thacker Pass), Nevada, has attracted much attention. But those with the deepest ties to the land - descendants of those murdered at the Thacker Pass Massacre - have not been heard. In this podcast, we hear from Gary McKinney (Western Shoshone/ Northern Paiute) about the stuggles to protect sacred lands in the age of a lithium boom due to the transition to the "green" economy.

The Lakota LockUp Project advocates for American Indians affected by the justice system, to support innovative approaches for cultural and historical trauma survival, rebuilding lives, economic justice, traditional family services, substance and alcohol abuse treatment, and equal access to education, thus strengthening communities.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris(Khoisan)
Voices Robert Angelo and Theresa Tracke(Lakota)
Music: "LIBRES Y VIVAS by MARE ADVETENCIA, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.

Demetrius Johnson (Diné) is a #LandBack Organizer at Rapid City, South Dakota-based nonprofit NDN Collective. Originally from Tółaní, Ganado, Arizona, Johnson began community organizing shortly after being elected President of Kiva Club around the disastrous Gold King Mine spill that affected his people in 2015. He is also a long-standing lead organizer for The Red Nation, a coalition of Native and non-Native activists, educators, students, and community organizers based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, advocating Native liberation.

In this radio program we review the latest developments around Indigenous Peoples Day. We also hear what Christopher Columbus wrote about Indigenous Peoples of America in his diary.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Music: "Lights in the Forest",by Yarina, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.

Dr. Yekuhsiyo Rosa King (Oneida) is a member of the Turtle clan. Her ukwehuwe (Oneida) name means “she has a nice face”. She was born and raised on the reservation and has been learning the language for ten years and has been teaching for nine years. She is a licensed American Indian Language teacher by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Dr. King is currently a lead instructor in the TehatiwʌnákhwaɁ Language Nest Immersion Program that serves students 3-7 years old. In this podcast, Dr. King tells us all about the Language Nest Immersion Program.

Leya Hale lives in St. Paul. She was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. She is Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota and Navajo. She is a storyteller, a documentary filmmaker, and a producer with Twin Cities PBS (TPT), where she’s been working for the past eight years. Her  film, "Bring Her Home," addresses the epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in the United States. 

Cultural Survival covers Indigenous Issues worldwide. As part of this work, our team joined the international negotiations of the 12th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) relating traditional knowledge, innovation and practices of Indigenous Peoples under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on November 12-16, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. We spoke to many Indigenous leaders to communicate their priorities to our wider Indigenous audience.

The world's largest Indigenous gathering, the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, kicked off its 23rd session at UN Headquarters in New York. Indigenous delegates will champion self-determination and sovereignty for their communities, with a special focus on amplifying the voices of Indigenous youth. Cultural Survival is also attending the gatherings interviewing indigenous delegates about their self-determined priorities and their readiness to engage in high-level UN discussions.
Cultural Survival attended the UNPFII and spoke to some of the delegates who attended.

Within each body is an archaeological site that holds the details and wisdom of our extraordinary life story, composed of generational, spiritual, and personal experiences. Historical amnesia locks these stories in the body, manifesting as pain, disease, addictions, emotional patterns, and repetitive circumstances. Somatically excavating your personal legend unearths memories of the past that can be reconciled and healed in order to create a new myth-for your body and for your Earth
The above quote describes a book called ‘My Body, my earth, by Dr Ruby Gibson.

In this program, Indigenous rights radio producer Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan,South Africa) speaks to Janene Yazzie (Navajo, USA) Sustainable Development Coordinator at International Indian Treaty Council, about the impact that COVID-19 has on the Navajo people.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris
Interviewee Janene Yazzie
Music
"Burn Your Village to the Ground" by A Tribe Called Red. Used with permission.

Cultural Survivals Indigenous Rights Radio got in touch with Professor Michael Yellowbird via Skype in July 2020 after hearing about how indigenous peoples in Brazil and indeed other places in the world, are struggling to come to terms with the less obvious effects of COVID-19.

Muchos sucesos que involucran a los Pueblos Indígenas están pasando alrededor del mundo. ¿Sabes cuáles son? Como parte del derecho a la información, Cultural Survival presenta este noticiero del mes de junio de 2025 con notas relevantes de Norte, Centro y Sur América, África y Asia, el cual puedes escuchar, descargar y compartir de forma gratuita. Música de introducción: - “Burn Your Village to the Ground” de The Halluci Nation. Derechos de autor, propiedad de The Halluci Nation. Usada bajo su permiso. Redacción: - Rosy Sul González, maya kaqchikel, Cultural Survival, Guatemala.

Muchos sucesos que involucran a los Pueblos Indígenas están pasando alrededor del mundo. ¿Sabes cuáles son?

Como parte del derecho a la información, Cultural Survival presenta este noticiero del mes de julio de 2025 con notas relevantes de Norte, Centro y Sur América, África y Asia, el cual puedes escuchar, descargar y compartir de forma gratuita.

Música de introducción:
- “Burn Your Village to the Ground” de The Halluci Nation. Derechos de autor, propiedad de The Halluci Nation. Usada bajo su permiso.

Muchos sucesos que involucran a los Pueblos Indígenas están pasando alrededor del mundo. ¿Sabes cuáles son?

Como parte del derecho a la información, Cultural Survival presenta este noticiero del mes de julio de 2025 con notas relevantes de Norte, Centro y Sur América, África y Asia, el cual puedes escuchar, descargar y compartir de forma gratuita.

Música de introducción:
- “Burn Your Village to the Ground” de The Halluci Nation. Derechos de autor, propiedad de The Halluci Nation. Usada bajo su permiso.

Antonio Gonzales has spent many years working with international forums for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. He has witnessed achievements but draws attention to the fact that indigenous communities across the world are struggling to bring their governments to the table for discussion. He is currently advocating for an International Convention.  

Antonio Gonzales explains how without proper enforcement governments, cooperations, and extractive industries willingly ignore frameworks like FPIC  which are designed to protect the rights of indigneous peoples. 

Entrevista grabada el primer dia del 14 session del Foro Permanente para Cuestiones Indigenas, Abril 2015 en Nueva York por Rosy Gonzales con Yolanda Teran, Kichwa de Ecuador.

Vicky Tauli-Corpuz talks about the importance of Indigenous Peoples using the range of international instruments and mechanisms in place, to pressure their governments to implement changes. 

Vicky Tauli-Corpuz talks about her visit to Paraguay in her capacity as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She discusses the process and the preparation of these visits, highlighting the need for autonomy and security for the people she talks with. 

It is an opportunity to meet with Indigenous communities, civil society organisations, government ministers and the private sector and encourage dialogue across society.  

Dalee Sambo discusses the exchange between the Brazilian government's representative and representatives of Brazil’s Indigenous tribes at the UNPFII 2015. Violations of Land Rights continue in Brazil, including the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples who are trying to defend their rights to land.  

John Scott highlights the importance of using processes established by Indigenous communities when gaining free, prior and informed consent for activities which will take place on their lands. He also talks about the importance of including traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples at the UN Permanent Forum.  

Escucha a un resumen de la primera semana del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas de la ONU. 

The WCIP was a meeting of the UN General Assembly where the concerns of Indigenous Peoples were discussed, along with best practices on how to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This series of 24 PSAs in the Native American language Tewa, is based on the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September of 2014 in New York. Translated from English, the PSAs highlight specific passages of the Outcome Document in an effort to inform audiences of exactly what the document contains and encourages action.