In Tanzania, the Indigenous Maasai people have been facing displacement for a long time.
The most recent incident of land loss involves large numbers of Maasai peoples being forced to leave their ancestral homes to make way for a game reserve. The adverse effects of losing land will be felt for a long time. In this radio program, we uncover some reasons why Indigenous Peoples worldwide face extreme poverty.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Interviewee: Edson Krenak (Krenak)
Music: 'Whispers' by Ziibiwan, used with permission
Fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources release many greenhouse gases that harm the environment. For this reason, there is global talk of the need for a transition towards the use of cleaner energy sources and the development of technologies such as battery storage systems, and other cleaner sources of energy. However, for the creation of these energy sources, so-called “transition minerals” are necessary, the extraction of which increases the danger of new displacements and the dispossession of territories from Indigenous Peoples.
Fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources release many greenhouse gases that harm the environment. For this reason, there is global talk of the need for a transition towards the use of cleaner energy sources and the development of technologies such as battery storage systems, and other cleaner sources of energy. However, for the creation of these energy sources, so-called “transition minerals” are necessary, the extraction of which increases the danger of new displacements and the dispossession of territories from Indigenous Peoples.
Fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources release many greenhouse gases that harm the environment. For this reason, there is global talk of the need for a transition towards the use of cleaner energy sources and the development of technologies such as battery storage systems, and other cleaner sources of energy. However, for the creation of these energy sources, so-called “transition minerals” are necessary, the extraction of which increases the danger of new displacements and the dispossession of territories from Indigenous Peoples.
Fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources release many greenhouse gases that harm the environment. For this reason, there is global talk of the need for a transition towards the use of cleaner energy sources and the development of technologies such as battery storage systems, and other cleaner sources of energy. However, for the creation of these energy sources, so-called “transition minerals” are necessary, the extraction of which increases the danger of new displacements and the dispossession of territories from Indigenous Peoples.
Fossil fuels and other conventional energy sources release many greenhouse gases that harm the environment. For this reason, there is global talk of the need for a transition towards the use of cleaner energy sources and the development of technologies such as battery storage systems, and other cleaner sources of energy. However, for the creation of these energy sources, so-called “transition minerals” are necessary, the extraction of which increases the danger of new displacements and the dispossession of territories from Indigenous Peoples.
A year ago, UN human rights experts expressed grave concerns about the continuous encroachment on traditional Maasai lands and housing, accompanied by a lack of transparency in, and consultation with the Maasai Indigenous Peoples, during decision-making and planning.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, by observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.
Cultural Survival's Edson Krenak gives us more on the situation in Brazil.
The Global news bulletin for this month contains news from around the world on the topic of Indigenous Rights. In this edition, we have news from Indonesia, Taiwan, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and more countries.
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.
In 2019, a landmark agreement between traditional knowledge holders who are also small-scale farmers of Khoi and San descent, and the rooibos tea industry was reached.
This benefit-sharing agreement would see a small percentage of the profits made from rooibos and honeybush tea find its way to the hands of small-scale farmers.
On the commemoration of the international day of tea, we hear from National Khoi and San Council Chairman Cecil LeFleur, who will give us an update on how COVID-19 has affected the rolling out of the agreement.
We're witnessing the acceleration of the transition to a green, low carbon, and clean economy and the increase in demand for transition minerals such as nickel, lithium, cobalt, and copper. This skyrocketing demand is driving a wave of investment into new, expanded mining projects. These projects are promoted as "green" because they aim to supply minerals used for renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles.
In this radio program, Ricardo Herdien talks about how Indigenous South Africans still struggle for land and basic services.
This interview was produced by Bush Radio 89.5 FM.
In this podcast, Cultural Survival's Avexnim Cojti met with Editor in Chief of Indigenous Russia, Dmitry Berezhkov (Itelmen), and spoke about the impacts of mining on Indigenous communities.
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya K'iche)
Voices: Dmitry Berezhkov (Itelmen)
Music: "Whispers", by The Ziibiwan, used with permission.
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission.
Thought leaders and environmental activists from all over the world have come together at the 26th UNFCCC Conference of Parties, in Glasgow, Scotland, in an effort to unite in the battle against climate change, and to share ideas of how Western science and Indigenous Knowledge can come together for the common good of mankind. Indigenous Peoples from Ecuadorian Amazon, Chad, Alaska, Sweden, Indonesia and Australia, Russia, the USA, and many other places are making sure that Indigenous voices are heard at COP26.
Cultural Survival’s Lead on Brazil, Edson Krenak of the Krenak Peoples was at COP26, joining Indigenous delegations in making sure Indigenous voices are heard and listened to in the fight to combat climate change.
Produced by Avexnim Cojti (Maya Ki'che) and Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan)
Soundclip: Edson Krenak at COP26
Image: Edson Krenak
Music: "Anania2" by The Baba Project, used with permission
Diana Morat from Eldos FM interviews Tauriq Jenkins on the saga of Amazon.com who wants to set up shop in Cape Town, South Africa. The piece of land that has been identified by Amazon has become a bone of contention. First Nations have a strong claim to this land because in 1510 it was the site of the first battle between the Khoi and European colonizers - in this instance the Portuguese Viceroy of India, Francisco d'Almeida. This is sacred land. The issues are of human rights, of heritage, of water and flora and fauna, of recreation and refreshment, of air and stars.
December 18th is International Migrants Day – in this radio program, we look at factors that cause the migration of Indigenous Peoples, and we also explore some of the impacts of migration.
We spoke to Job Morris, from the San Youth Network, who tell us about the impacts of urbanization on San communities in Botswana that have resulted because of migration.
Produced by Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan, South Africa)
Interviewee Job Morris (Ncao Khwe (San), Botswana)
Image: Shaldon Ferris (left) and Job Morris(right) at Synet and Naro Language Project office in Botswana
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
In October 2020, a group of people representing different Khoi and San Tribes gathered at the foot of Table Mountain in South Africa. There they have created a cultural space where they will stay for an indefinite period of time in an effort to reclaim the mountain. With the temporary huts providing a little shelter, and fire providing a little warmth, they are making it known that the mountain and the area surrounding it had once belonged to their ancestors. Bradley van Sitters is among the folks camped out at the foot of the mountain.
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:
In Asia, the ancestral lands of many Indigenous Peoples have been cut across national borders. Since anti-terror laws and counter insurgency laws were introduced, Indigenous Peoples have been suspected of being insurgents or terrorists, and have been barred from traveling across borders to visit relatives. There should be no borders for Indigenous Peoples as they have existed in those territories long before these nation States came into being.
Governments or states make use of geographical boundaries to demarcate territories. Political entities come to agreements on which area belongs to whom. In some cases, borders are agreed upon by two countries, and in other cases it may have been suggested by a third party like an international conference. In many cases, borders are imposed on places, without taking into consideration the people who live in that area. In this program, we speak to Aslak Holmberg from the Saami Council in Finland, who tells us how borders have affected his life, as well as his environment.
Shannon Foster is a Sydney D'harawal Knowledge Keeper, educator, and artist. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. with the Center for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges at the University of Technology in Sydney. Drawing on traditional knowledge, Indigenous leaders have advocated for changes to current land management practices for decades to help limit anticipated future fire damage. Aboriginal people have a deep knowledge of their lands, and traditional burning practices can help prevent massive destruction.
In South Africa, in November 2019, a small but significant victory has been achieved when a benefit sharing agreement was reached with the Indigenous People of South Africa. The Khoi and San people will now benefit from the multi-million rand Rooibos tea and Honeybush industries.
Only 2% of the farmers who grow the tea are from Indigenous communities.
National KhoiSan Council chairman Cecil LeFleur talks to Indigenous Rights Radio.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris
Image: Tea
Music: Yarina, Lights in the Forrest, used with permission.
Luiz Henrique Eloy Amado is an Indigenous attorney from the Terena Peoples’ village of Ipegue, Brazil. Eloy Terena, as he is commonly known, has first-hand knowledge on the situation of Indigenous Peoples in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and an extensive experience on defending criminalized Indigenous grass-root leaders and representing Indigenous communities in land rights cases before Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.
A short update on current events from around the world on the topic of Indigenous Rights.
PRODUCTION
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan)
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. 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.
In March we commemorate two very important international days, Zero Discrimination Day on March 1st, as well International Women's day on March 8th.
How are Indigenous Peoples discriminated against, and furthermore, how are Indigenous Women discriminated against?
In this program we pay homage to Xoroxloo Duxee, an Indigenous Woman from Botswana who died from starvation and dehydration because access to a water well in the desert had been restricted.
Producer: Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan, South Africa)
Interviewee: //Uruseb, researcher on Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous peoples' day is about honoring indigenous resistance, and celebrating the contributions of indigenous peoples all over the world. In this newsletter we celebrate the activism of Antie Pua Case from Hawaii, and other activists around the world who fight to preserve our mountains, our rivers, our valleys, our Earth. The program ends with a song by Taino artist Brothery Mikey, who produced a song called "Like the Mauna", inspired by the Indigenous People of Hawaii's efforts to protect the sacred Mauna.
Indigenous Rights Radio Program on a case where the Newar indigenous community in Nepal obtained a victory in their legal battle against the government after about 7 years of continuous struggle.
Interviewees: Advocate Shankar Limbu
Music: Remember your children: by Solidummay.
Introductory Music: "Burn Your Village to the Ground" by A Tribe Called Red. Used with permission.
Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, conducted an official visit to Guatemala, a country where 61 to 65% of population identify as Indigenous. Shaldon Ferris interviewed her about her visit.
MUSIC
"Whispers" by Ziibiwan. Used with permission.
Indigenous Rights Radio Intro track features "Burn your Village to the Ground" by @a-tribe-called-red. Used with permission.
Indigenous Peoples from around the world represent a disproportionate number of refugees and internally displaced persons due to a number of reasons, including conflict. They are one of the main targets of violence, displacing them from their ancestral land and territories. Vulnerability to displacement as an intersectional issue is often overlooked, a situation that has further increased the vulnerability of these populations. This radio program recounts the experience of Nwe Oo, an Indigenous Rakhine refugee who is currently taking shelter in California, United States.
West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly known as Dutch New Guinea. A 13-year dispute with the Netherlands over whether the former Dutch colony would become an independent state or an Indonesian province culminated in 1962 in its annexation by force by the Indonesian military and the denial of the right of self-determination to its people, who today identify as over 50% Indigenous West Papuan. Our producers interviewed John Anari and Les Malazer for the latest information on the process of recognition of sovereignty for Indigenous West Papuan communities.
Between 1904 and 2004, the German state officially denied that genocide against the Indigenous Herero and Nama people in land that is now known as Namibia had ever occurred under German colonial rule, despite conclusive historical sources and internationally recognized investigations. Hear how communities are sorting through the painful legacy of this violence and indifference in the present in the following interview with Martinus Fredericks, Nama leader and activist.
This year's theme for conversations at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was "Indigenous Peoples Collective Rights to Lands and Resources". Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Igorot Kankanaey, Philippines), UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues, says that the theme connects to many important conversations happening now in the world, including the threat that extractive industries pose to resources located on Indigenous-owned territories.
The reduction in size of the Bears Ears National Monument by the Trump Administration runs contrary to the principles established in Article 26 of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We spoke to Braidan Weeks, the Communications Coordinator for Utah Diné Bikéyah, about the importance of Bears Ears, the unlawfulness of the actions taken by the Trump administration, and the advocacy currently underway to defend the monument led by the Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition.
Indigenous South Africans go on a yearly 400 mile pilgrimage to bring awareness to ongoing violations of basic human rights of South Africans, the withholding of remains and sacred items belonging to Indigenous communities by museums, as well as to reconnect to the earth and environment through the rigorous journey from coast to coast. We spoke to two South African Indigenous rights activists to hear their takes on how this tradition has shaped their activism.
It was the Wampanoag People, the people of the first light, that encountered the Pilgrims when they arrived to Turtle Island (North America) from Europe in 1620. Since 1863, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States, mythologizing the violent events that followed European arrival into a story of friendship and mutual sharing. But the reality is that the Wampanoags’ generosity was met with genocide, and this truth has been systematically suppressed in the US education system, government, and popular culture.
A close relationship with local environments and ecosystems is more critical than ever in the face of a rapidly changing climate. This program features two perspectives from Indigenous communities that are practicing resiliency to global warming by adapting their traditional knowledge and science to put a changing climate into the context of their communities' history and lifeways.
INTERVIEWEES
Elizabeth Azzuz (Yurok), Cultural Fire Management Council
Jannie Staffansson (Saami), Arctic and Environment Unit of the Saami Council
Indigenous communities in Honduras have stewarded the Muskitia, a rain forest which includes one of the richest concentrations of biodiversity in the world, for centuries. Osvaldo Munguia is a representative of MOPAWI, an organization that partners with Indigenous groups to protect this UNESCO world heritage site from being overtaken by logging, mining, and forestry business interests.
MUSIC
"Remember Your Children," by Salidummay. Used with permission.
Introduction: "Burn Your Village to the Ground" by A Tribe Called Red. Used with permission.
Lakes and forests in the Mt. Talinis area of the Phillipines are under threat from recent expansions of the energy industry. Apolinario Carino is working with the organization PENAGMANNAK, a federation of 17 Indigenous Peoples’ community groups, to pioneer community management strategies of reforestation designed to empower the Indigenous groups to shape the future of their lands. Apolinario hopes to share the knowledge that they have gained from these experiences in order to better combat climate change on a global scale.
Indigenous communities often hold invaluable knowledge about medicinal plants and healing practices rooted in the environment and resources of their traditional homelands. Anoop Pushkaran Krishnamma is working with the Kerala Kani Community Welfare Trust in partnership with Indigenous communities in India to record and preserve this knowledge, allowing for healing practices to be utilized by future generations.
George ‘Bic’ Manahira describes how his community established the
world's first community-run octopus, sea grass, and mangrove reserve in partnership with Blue Ventures, a UK-based NGO, in order to strengthen the traditional sea-resource-based livelihood of the coastal Indigenous communities in Madagascar. They hope to expand and improve on the model in collaboration with other Indigenous groups and leaders in the coming years.
The Kalinga Mission for Indigenous Children and Youth, led by Donato Bumacas, promotes values of biodiversity conservation, with the goal of poverty reduction. These values are upheld using Indigenous traditional knowledge systems and technologies to conserve and maintain the local forests. Sustainable Indigenous agricultural technology is implemented, with the goal of passing these systems down to future generations, as this knowledge was passed down to them.
Avexnim Cojti (Maya K'iche') highlights the difference between consent and consultation with the help of Joan Carling, longtime advocate for Indigenous rights and former expert member to the UNPFII, in the context of decisions made by Indigenous communities regarding resource and land management. Joan explains that consent (or refusal of consent) is given at the conclusion of a process of consultation. Consultation, defined as an open, collective deliberation, is a crucial precursor to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2017, 16th Session
Week 1
Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Kumar/Sunuwar) asks Joan Carling, longtime advocate for Indigenous rights and former expert member to the UNPFII, how she assesses the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Asia.
MUSIC
"Remember Your Children," by Salidummay
Music from a seashell, recorded at the opening ceremony of the 16th UNPFII
Indigenous solidarity has coalesced into a powerful movement thanks to the activism and perseverance of Indigenous leaders from communities around the world. Indigenous leaders that are defending land, language, culture, and the environment face acute persecution, both from governments directly and from extrajudicial actors.
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Vicky Tauli-Corpuz discusses the challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in protecting their claim to ancestral lands in the face of government-sanctioned landgrabbing in the name of conservation.
Music: Melodies of Nepal, by classical Instrumental band Sur Sudha
IRR Producer Shaldon Ferris reports on the official statement by Vicky Tauli-Copruz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, concerning the threat of the Dakota Access Pipeline to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
Indigenous Rights Radio Producer Shaldon Ferris interviews Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, about the Dakota Access Pipeline. Vicky describes the central tensions underlying the current conflict, and details the opportunities for recourse available to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe through both local and international governing bodies.
Credits:
Interview with Vicky Tauli-Corpuz
Production by Shaldon Ferris
It's time to recognize that celebrating the life of Christopher Columbus is the same as celebrating the erasure of Indigenous existence.
"We believe it is important to hear the other side of the story-- the Indigenous side-- because there are detrimental implications to learning about the side of history that makes heroes of colonizers, and erases those who were colonized" say Shaldon Ferris and Avexnim Cotji, Indigenous Rights Radio producers.
We're here in New York City at the People's Climate March, marching alongside Indigenous communities from all over the world who have joined together to demand action towards solutions for climate change. Here are some words from Winona LaDuke, a long time leader of the Native environmental movement in the United States.
Dr. Dalee Sambo Dorough (Innuit, Alaska, USA) discusses her early engagement in the politics of Indigenous Peoples land rights, and shares her insight into why the defense of land merits extra international legal attention. She urges leaders to have optimism, and take “the long view” approach to making progress in the protection of Indigenous rights.
UN Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli Corpuz discusses the international trade deal known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership which is being negotiated by Canada,The United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. She discusses why governments are pushing for it, and its implications for Indigenous Peoples.
Dayamani Barla, Indigenous tribal journalist and activist from Jharkland, India, discusses how Indigenous Peoples have been displaced from their traditional farming lands in the name of dams, mining and other development projects.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar and Jagat Dong from Nepal, for Cultural Survival after attending the Indigenous Terra Madre conference held in November, 2015 in Meghalaya, North East India.
Terra Madre means "Mother Earth" in Latin. The theme of the Indigenous Terra Madre conference was to celebrate the bio and cultural diversity that is the asset of Indigenous communities. The aim of this gathering is to share ideas, to come together, and be inspired or be warned, and to make people aware that our local food systems. It also seeks to build awareness that "the way we cooked in the past, and the wild plants around us are more important for our health than all the medicines we take.
The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986 to promote an alternative to fast food.
Analee Johnson, Sami, of Sweden, says that the Slow Food movement believes that the food we produce should be good, clean, and fair. She gives an example of marketing Sami traditional food of Reindeer meat.
Bibhudutta Sahu, of the North East Slow Food & Agrobiodiversity Society explains that local food is always the best, because mother nature has been kind enough to provide us what we need.
Interviewees discusses the main challenges to food security for a rising global population. Dhrupad Choudhury of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, argues that Indigenous farmers are doing important work to tackle challenges the world is facing today due to climate change. Indigenous farmers have the building blocks of stress tolerant crops, as well as sustainable agricultural practices because they are dependent only on the resources available to them.
Dr. Winona LaDuke describes her practices experimenting with various types of maize.
Participants discuss what food sovereignty means for Indigenous Peoples. Speakers include Native American activist, and author Dr. Winona Laduke, and Dr. Grazia Borrini-Feyerabend, Global Coordinator of the ICCA Consortium, and David Strelneck, Senior Advisor at Ashoka Foundation.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar and Jagat Dong from Nepal, for Cultural Survival after attending the Indigenous Terra Madre conference held in November, 2015 in Meghalaya, North East India.
Researcher Elizabeth Hacker describes research about how Indigenous individuals create their own frameworks to define "well-being" to counter Western ideas of well-being. She found three important concepts for Indigenous well being are, Meeting basic material needs; social harmony and sense of belonging; and cultural identity. Dev and Elizabeth discuss examples from her research in India and Kenya.
Dr. Daphne Miller from the University of California tells us that Indigenous Peoples who eat the diets of their ancestors are immune to many chronic diseases. Indigenous diets are also suited to local environments: farmers farm in a cycle, use different kinds of seeds, conserve water, engaging practices that are not only sustainable and organic but also regenerative.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar and Jagat Dong from Nepal, for Cultural Survival after attending the Indigenous Terra Madre conference held in November, 2015 in Meghalaya, North East India.
Albert Deterville, Expert Mechanism representative of Latin American and the Caribbean, discusses the Expert Mechanism, as created by the UN, on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the process in which they aid the monitoring of rights in regions around the world.
Listen to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples speak about an incident in July 2015 in Southern Belize affecting the rights of the Maya people.
Christopher Kuaiwa of Hawaii speaks about the destruction of a sacred mountain in his community and wants to spread his message of advocacy for Indigenous Rights throughout the world. He also participated in an intervention and proposed recommendations in the Permanent Forum regarding the 30-meter telescope that is proposed to be built on the sacred mountain calling to halt construction and divest.
Cristina Coc, a Q'eqchi Maya woman of southern Belize, shares how Mayan groups in Belize have been fighting for their rights for over 30 years. After many meetings with the State, the Belize national court has acknowledged legal Indigenous rights to their land and affirmed that the government may not use, destruct, or occupy Indigenous land.
Statement from Special Rapporteur Vicky Tauli-Corpuz on the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations and how Indigenous Peoples' rights must be respected in order to solve climate issues such as deforestation.
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.
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.
Bestang Dekdeken discusses the problems with FPIC as it is currently enforced in the Philippines, for example, how mining coorporations and extractive industries are able to find loopholes in FPIC in order to carry out their projects.
Bestang Dekdeken discusses the work of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and their struggle in the Philippines Cordillera region to defend their land against the government and mining corporations.
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.
Alta Outcome Document, produced from the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Alta, Norway on 10–12 June 2013
Alta Outcome Document, produced from the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in Alta, Norway on 10–12 June 2013
Maylei Blackwell - Cherokee and Thai from California, USA
Maylei Blackwell works with Indigenous migrants from Mexico who live in the Los Angeles area. Blackwell states that being fixated on geographic boundaries only inhibits one from seeing immigrants as our Indigenous brothers and sisters.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent means that Indigenous Peoples are able to use their lands and resources however they choose, and that they are included in a consultation process if any development projects are proposed on their land.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to live according to their worldview, principles and beliefs. They have sovereignty over their land, food, water and resources.
The Alta outcome document sets out key issues for Indigenous Peoples and solutions on topics including the rights to land, air, water, and livelihoods.
Join Cultural Survival at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 as we talk to leaders about what the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent means to them.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview youth leader Ta'Kaiya Blaney of the Sliammon FIrst Nation in British Colombia, Canada, about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview youth leader Ta'Kaiya Blaney of the Sliammon FIrst Nation in British Colombia, Canada, about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview Maori leader Catherine Davis about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent in the context of New Zealand.
Join us at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2013 in New York, as we interview leaders about the right to Free, Prior, Informed Consent.
Join Cultural Survival as we interview Dayamani Barla, winner of the 2013 Ellen Lutz award for Indigenous Leadership, as we catch up with her at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, May 2013.
In order for this right to be applied fairly, it should respect the following: 1. From the start of a project, there should be a consultation with the Indigenous People of the area; 2. There should be sufficient time devoted to ensuring that the community receive all of the information about the projects and its impacts; 3. Information should be distributed in accordance with the traditional ways of each community; 4. Any form of trying to influence the opinions of the people should be avoided; 5. All the details of decisions taken should be recorded.
For the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent to be correctly applied, it is important to know that this right is applicable to all Indigenous Peoples. It must be adhered to with respect for indigenous communities’ own methods of communication and each person’s opinion must be heard. Furthermore, it means that there should be meetings with representatives of the government, companies, and Indigenous Peoples in order to arrive at an agreement that benefits the community.
In order to ensure that the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is complied with, there should be community meetings which make people aware of what is happening and could happen in their area. In addition to this, projects must be supervised in order to ensure that decisions made in the community meetings, are implemented during the development project.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent clearly states that the government should not force people to change their method of organisation, thinking, or decision making, nor spread inaccurate information to misinform Indigenous Peoples.
It is important to demand that this law is complied with because it protects the environment, guarantees clean water and air, and it is a mechanism of controlling development projects to ensure that truly benefit indigenous communities.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent is stated in national and international laws, and can be applied in defence of lands and territories when there is a project that will cause irreparable damage.
It is important to have all the information about the potential impacts of development projects on the environment, the community and the people. The information should be available in a way in which everyone can understand, and in the native language of the people it will affect.
It is important that indigenous communities obtain sufficient information prior to the start of a project in order to have an accurate discussion about the potential changes.
The negotiation process between the government and Indigenous Peoples should be free of threats, bribes or any manipulation by the government of the decisions of Indigenous Peoples.
The UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples along with other international instruments, recognises the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent as a right of Indigenous Peoples.
States should obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent before approving any development project that will affect the lands and resources of Indigenous Peoples.
States must obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent from Indigenous Peoples before taking legislative or administrative measures which will affect them.
Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples states that no one can forcibly displace indigenous communities from their territories.
The right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent means that governments have to inform indigenous communities about any development projects they want to start in their territories, and listen to their opinions before beginning the project.