Climate Change & the Environment

World Tourism Day is commemorated each year on 27 September in order to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. This year, tourism has been among the hardest hit of all sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the theme of the 2020 edition of international day is "Tourism and Rural Development." Undoubtedly, the tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. One out of every 10 jobs in the whole world is in the tourism industry and 30 percent of the world revenue comes from tourism.

For Indigenous Peoples, food security is necessary for health, and also to maintain a relationship with the earth and its resources.
What is also valuable for Indigenous Peoples is to consume culturally appropriate food. In this radio program, we speak to Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough and Carolina Behe, as we find out more about food sovereignty and food security amongst Inuit and Peoples in the Arctic.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Interviewees: Carolina Behe and Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough(Iñupiat)
Image: Berry picking. Photo by Chris Arend.
Music:

Because of colonisation, many Indigenous Peoples face issues of discovering who they are, in terms of identity. Sometimes, this is as a result of education or religion.
Sometimes we question our own indigeneity, and perhaps, in some cases, there are reasons for this.
Each of us has a different past, a different coming together of events, that has led to who we are, and where we come from.
Cultural Survivals Avexnim Cojti spoke to Cathy Fournier, from the University of Torronto, in Canada.

Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Māori) is from Te Waipounamu, the South Island of Aotearoa (New Zealand). She is the communications and engagement director at Activate Agency, a social impact creative agency that she co-runs with her partner. She works with nonprofits, community organizations, and activists, helping to center voices and stories of structurally oppressed Peoples for social change. Her work focuses on bridging Indigenous Peoples’ rights, the rights of people with disabilities, and climate change and health.

"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, My Body, My earth, by Dr. Ruby Gibson.

There are many issues that Cultural Survival has covered and fought for as an organization over the past 47 years, and these issues include but are not limited to land rights, Indigenous languages, traditional knowledge, self-determination, freedom of expression and so on. One thing that stands out for our Executive Director Galina Angarova, and is very close to her heart, is the topic of The Sacred Feminine. 

Leaders and activists from all over the planet converged in Madrid, Spain to attend COP25, The United Nations Climate Change Conference.
At the forefront of half a million protesters who marched through the Spanish Capital City, were indigenous voices who led the charge in what has become a monumental demonstration to highlight the global challenges that we’re all facing as a result of climate change.
Ta’kaiya Blaney (Tla A'min Nation) from Indigenous Climate Action was there, and we got a chance to speak to her.

Cultural Survival's Avexnim Cojti (Maya Ki'che) spoke to Janene Yazzie about the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN's Climate Action Summit.
Janene Yazzie (Navajo) is Development Program Coordinator for International Indian Treaty Council and the council’s representative as co-convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group of the U.N. High-level Political Forum on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Production: Shaldon Ferris (San, South Africa)
Image: Janine Yazzie

Galina Angarova is a representative of the Buryat people, a Russian Indigenous group. Galina holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. She served on the board of International Funders for Indigenous Peoples for seven years. Please join us in welcoming Galina. She will commence her role on October 1st, 2019.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris 
Interviewee: Galina Angarova
Image: Galina Angarova
Music: Canmandalla by Yarina, used with permission.

The 18th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on the rights of Indigenous Peoples was held from April 22nd to May 3rd 2019. The theme for this year was Traditional Knowledge: Generation, Transmission and Protection.

We got a chance to speak via Skype to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, on the meaning behind this particular theme and why it was chosen.

MUSIC
Lights in the Forest by Yarina.
Used with permission.