World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous storytelling production company Wapanatahk Media has reached a television development deal with Anthony Johnson and Dr. James Makokis, a Two-Spirit Indigenous couple and winners of season 7 of The Amazing Race Canada.

The factual series will follow Johnson and Makokis as they pursue their mission to educate the masses about Indigenous cultural teachings, helping Canadians embark on their own transformational journeys and welcoming them into Nizhoni Acres, the couple's dream property, which they are currently renovating using the prize money from Amazing Race.

The state of Germany has agreed to compensate the state of Namibia, by means of a development fund of 1.4 billion Euros, over 30 years. How will this agreement benefit the descendents of the victims of the thousands of people who were tortured and murdered by the colonial rulers of the South Western African country of Namibia, in the early 1900's.
Diana Morat from Eldos FM, a community radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa interviews Martinus Fredericks, a direct descendent of Cornelius Fredericks, who was a Nama leader who fought along Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi.

South Africa has been branded as “the Rainbow Nation” because of the diversity of its citizens. The country boasts a very liberal constitution and eleven official languages, which however do not include Indigenous languages. What is becoming more and more apparent lately is the exclusion of the Khoi and San languages especially from school curricula, radio, and television. IYX Radio is a new internet radio station that hopes to change the narrative.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Sharri Cannel (San)

In South Africa on November 1, 2019, a benefit sharing agreement was reached after many years of intense negotiations. This industry wide agreement was the first of its kind, and was launched between the Khoikhoi and San people, and the rooibos industry.

The increasing cases of new variants of Coronavirus in India has resulted in much suffering and despair. Though the virus does not discriminate, India’s 104.30 million indigenous peoples largely concentrated in the seven states of North-east India, and the central tribal belt stretching from Rajesthan to West Bengal, have been more adversely impacted, due to the lack of awareness and precautionary measures and due to ongoing obstacles in accessing government services.

"Peace, justice and strong institutions: the role of indigenous peoples in implementing Sustainable Development Goal 16". That is the theme for the 20th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by resolution 2000/22, with the mandate to deal with Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights. Cultural Survival spoke to Kenneth Deer (Mohawk) about the history and work of the Permanent Forum. 
Image: Kenneth Deer

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by with the mandate to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights.
Andrea Carmen (Yaqui) from the International Indian Treaty Council was there in the beginning, and in this radio program, she tells us all about the history of the forum, the present state of the forum, and the forum of tomorrow.

The coronavirus  (COVID-19)  pandemic  poses  a grave  health threat to Indigenous peoples around the world. Indigenous communities already experience poor access to healthcare, significantly higher rates of communicable and non-communicable diseases, lack of access to essential services, sanitation,  and  other key  preventive measures, such as  clean water, soap, disinfectant, etc.
Produced by
Shaldon Ferris
Interviewee: Shani Mangola (Hadza)
Music: Whispers by Ziibiwan, used with permission.
Image: Shani Mangola

Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes and violence; a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights and opportunities for all. To get us there, women need to be at every table where decisions are made. In this podcast, we speak to Jannie Staffansson (Saami), a renowned Indigenous climate change expert and a Cultural Survival board member. Staffansson tells us about balancing traditional lifeways today.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris

UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate World Radio Day's 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio. Cultural Survival's Indigenous Rights Radio supported the Khwe people from the Okavango region in starting Khwedam Radio – a radio station that will assist the Khwe and !Xun speaking San Peoples  to be able to communicate better with each other in remote regions of Namibia.