World Conference on Indigenous Women

February 1, 2021, the day on which the newly elected parliament had scheduled its first official parliamentary session in Myanmar after the election held in November 2020. Just hours before the scheduled sessions, the military conducted a house-raid and arrested several elected leaders and politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, politician, diplomat, author, and a 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and president Win Myint and other senior government figures. The Myanmar military then declared a state of emergency and imposed curfews putting restrictions on public gatherings.

Humanity NPC travelled to the home of Rooibos Tea in Wuperthal, South Africa, to talk to the Indigenous people there about the origins of the tea, and how it had been in their families for generations. This podcast also discusses the benefit sharing agreement, which promises that a benefit of the sales of the tea will go to the Indigenous Khoi and San people of the region and what it means to the people of Wuperthal.
Produced by Humanity NPC
Music by Collin Fredericks
Funded by OXFAM South Africa
Image by Tristen Taylor

Freelance Journalist Maria Clara Valencia talks to us about the vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples in Colombia in the face of COVID-19. Maria also gives us an in depth description of the social ills that the Indigenous Peoples in this region are facing. More importantly, we hear about the resilience of these communities and how they are planning to survive.

As covid-19 is sweeping across the globe and humanity as a whole battles with the consequences of this pandemic, one cannot help but to be reminded of the epidemics of the past, particularly the ones that caused pain and suffering and death  amongst Indigenous Peoples.

Aneeqa Duplessis from Voice of The Cape Radio went to Hangberg in CapeTown, where she spoke to local residents to find out how the restrictions placed on them by being locked down is affecting poor communities.
CapeTown is home to a population of people of whose ancestry includes that of Indigenous Khoi and San people, as well as those of slave ancestry.
Voices: Aneeqa Duplessis
Radio Station: Voice of the Cape, South Africa

The Ainu people, who are approximately 20 000 in number are the only officially recognized indigenous peoples in Japan. After lengthy battles by the Ainu people, the Japanese government finally recognized them as Indigenous Peoples of Japan, which is a real victory for the Ainu community, but Ainu indigenous peoples’ representatives say that the struggles of Ainu are not over yet. They continue to face discrimination, they are not yet free to celebrate their culture, to speak the Ainu language or to express their distinct identity. 

In this program, producer Dev Kumar Sunuwar talks about Sunuwar language, the mother tongue of Sunuwar Indigenous Peoples of Nepal, called Koits-lo. The Sunuwar are one of 59 Indigenous Peoples legally recognized by the government of Nepal. They live in the eastern part of Nepal, alongside of the Likhu, Sunkoshi and Khimti Rivers, mainly in the Ramechhap and Okhaldhunga districts. Sunuwar people call themselves “koits” in their mother tongue. According to the 2011 Census, The Sunuwar have a population of 57 thousand, of which only 18 thousand can speak their mother tongue.

Tharu is the mother tongue of the Tharu people, and it is divided into 2 categories, namely Rana Tharu and Dangaura Tharu, both belonging to the Indo-aryan language family. The Tharu peoples  areamongst the largest indigenous communities in Nepal, they number 1.8 million people according to 2011 census. The Tharu are one of Nepal’s 59 Indigenous communities, comprised of 50 different clans with cultural differences. Each clan has slightly different dialects and tones when speaking their mother tongues. Among the 1.8 million, some 1.5 million speak their mother tongue.

This program includes short voice clips of four different languages spoken by four different sub-clans of Rai Indigenous communities of Nepal namely: Bantawa, Chamling, Kulung and Puma. Rai is one of Nepal’s 59 Indigenous Peoples, legally recognized by the government, but debate among Rai Indigenous communities still continues about Rai not being their ethnic identity, but posts given to the topmost leaders during the ancient kingship system of Nepal.

Khwedam is spoken by the Bwabwata San People in Namibia. There are also some speakers in Botswana and South Africa.
This program provides a sound clip of Khwedam, and gives some information about the Indigenous People who speak the language.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Music: Lights in the Forest by Yarina. Used with permission.