Eyes on the Future: An Open Letter to President Biden from Indigenous Peoples
Dear President Biden, Congratulations to you and Vice President Harris on your historic election. We pray for the success of your administration and your efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce global conflicts, respond to challenges presented by global climate change, and restore the ecological integrity of the planet. Today, as we begin the work of Building Back Better, we are confident that you and Vice President Harris recognize and will honor the fundamental role of Indigenous peoples in addressing the world’s most urgent challenges, including global climate change, biodiversity loss, extreme poverty, and other social and environmental conflicts. The Trump administration has done enormous harm over the past four years to the relationship between the U.S. government and Indigenous peoples, not only in the United States but also around the world. It is of the utmost importance that your administration and the 117th Congress take urgent action to repair this damage. Domestically, this means restoring government-to-government relations with Tribes; honoring the government’s treaty and trust obligations; investing in Tribal health, education, and economic development programs; and promoting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Internationally, the United States must become a champion for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and, in our foreign policy and foreign assistance, engage Indigenous Peoples as partners — through their own social, political, and legal institutions — in addressing the world’s most urgent challenges and in advancing security, prosperity, sustainability, and peace. As we begin the work of Building Back Better, we humbly, hopefully, and insistently urge your administration to carry out the following actions in the first 100 days of your presidency: Draft a National Action Plan for implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Secure permanent protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and halt construction of the Dakota Access and Enbridge Line 3 pipelines. Secure permanent protection for the sacred sites Mauna Kea, Bears Ears National Monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Reengage and revitalize the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls (U.S., Canada, Mexico). Commit to engaging and supporting the work of United Nations bodies that address Indigenous peoples’ rights, includingUN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and provide funding for the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. Make Indigenous Peoples’ issues a standing agenda item at the UN Security Council. Commit to transforming USAID’s development model to one that is based on human rights, a model that — with regard to Indigenous peoples — invests in strengthening their collective rights to lands, territories, and resources; recognizes and respects their right to self-determination; and embraces a standard of free, prior, and informed consent. Commit to promoting and implementing effective actions for the protection and respect of the human rights of Indigenous defenders globally. Confirm that Indigenous Peoples will have a prominent, meaningful space in the 2021 Global Summit for Democracy. Pardon and free Leonard Peltier. Nominating a daughter of the Laguna Pueblo, Rep. Deb Haaland, as the next Secretary of the Department of the Interior is an inspired, important choice. We believe that she is uniquely qualified for this position, and we are confident that she has the vision and wisdom needed to usher in a new era of true government-to-government relations between the United States and Native American Nations; an era that not only recognizes but also celebrates the role of Native Americans in creating a stronger, more sustainable, more resilient USA. Revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on your first day in office also fills us with hope, but, as you know, there is so much more work to do. As you asserted in your inaugural address to the nation, “there’s much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain.” For Indigenous Peoples, these words carry enormous significance. Only a strong resolve, together with bold and visionary actions, will enact systemic change and stop the long historical process of dispossession of Indigenous lands and violations of their rights. Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, said during your inauguration ceremony, “While we have our eyes on the future, history has its eyes on us.” President Biden, you have the unique opportunity and power to change history and set strong foundations to begin moving toward a future where Indigenous peoples are allowed to assume their rightful role as partners in creating a more just and sustainable world; where they are self-determined, and their collective rights to territories, resources, and knowledge are recognized and respected. We are prepared and motivated to collaborate with your administration in moving forward toward this brighter future. Brian Keane, Former Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Former Advisor — Indigenous Peoples’ Issues — USAID and Land is Life Co-Founder and Board Member Casey Box, Executive Director, Land is Life Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Tin Hinane Association — Mali, Former UNPFII Chair, Land is Life Board Member Marcos Terena, Inter Tribal Committee (ITC) — Brazil and Land is Life Co-Founder and Board Member Cecilia Baltazar Yucailla, Kichwa Indigenous leader from Ecuador and Land is Life Board Member Gleb Raygorodetsky, Land is Life Board Member Bernadette Demientieff, Gwich’in Steering Committee Executive Director Gregorio Mirabal, Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) Jiten Yumnan, Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur – India Jackson Shaa, Narasha Community Development Group, Kenya Daniel Kobei, Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program (OPDP), Kenya Gloria Ushigua, Sapara Indigenous activist from Ecuador Alicia Weya Cahuiya, Waorani Indigenous activist from Ecuador Killa Becerra, Inga Indigenous activist from Colombia Ole Kaunga, IMPACT Kenya and PARAN Alliance Basiru Isa, The Network of Indigenous Peoples and Local Population for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem in Central Africa (REPALEAC) Nicolas Salazar Sutil, Forest Guardians Elias Kimaiyo, Sengwer Indigenous Community, Kenya Tezera Getahun, Pastoralist Forum Ethiopia (PFE) On behalf of Land is Life, an international coalition of Indigenous Peoples.
Land is Life Board Chair Brian Keane Testifies on The Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas
On Friday November 20th, Land is Life’s Board Chair, Brian Keane, gave testimony to the U.S. Congress’s Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s hearing on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in the Americas. Among other witnesses, Brian examined the human rights situation faced by Indigenous peoples in the region and offered important recommendations for congressional and executive branch policy and action. In his intervention, Brian, a former Expert Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the country’s first Advisor on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues for U.S. Foreign Assistance, told the Commission that the state of affairs for Indigenous peoples in the Americas and around the world is one of crisis. “Indigenous peoples are under assault. They are being forcibly evicted from their territories and deprived of their resources. Their livelihoods are being decimated. They are labelled, by governments, as terrorists for speaking up about the abuses their communities suffer; they are threatened, targeted for violence, assassinated.” At least 30 million and up to 50 million Indigenous people live in Latin America and the Caribbean, suffering from widespread discrimination that is reflected in higher rates of poverty and reduced access to healthcare, education and other public services throughout the region. Although there is growing recognition of the contributions of Indigenous peoples to sustainable development, conservation and the management of climate change, extractive and other industries are provoking a growing number of environmental and social conflicts. On this pressing issue, Brian stated that despite this pattern of assault, “Indigenous Peoples continue to contribute tremendously to global development, to global food security, and conflict resolution” and that they are “on the frontlines in efforts to protect forests and other critical ecosystems, to safeguard biological diversity, to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of global climate change.” Further, he asked the incoming 117th Congress to work closely with the Biden/Harris Administration to take “bold and visionary actions” that are necessary to address this crisis, and to “put into practice the ideals expressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”. Brian made a set of practical recommendations to the incoming Administration and Congress aimed at enacting systemic change. He emphasized the essential role of Indigenous peoples in addressing the global environmental, economic and social crises the world is facing, stating – “Indigenous peoples are not simply passive recipients of development, they are active participants, with their own visions of what development looks like. Their traditional knowledge, their ways of living, and their land and resource management strategies are vital to building resilient societies, ensuring global food security and enhancing sustainable economies, and they should be engaged as partners – through their own social, political and legal institutions – in the development process.” Read Brian Keane’s Full Testimony Here
COVID-19 And Security Risks In Africa – Webinar
On Thursday, November 19th, join Land is Life for a conversation with key Indigenous leaders and activists from all over Africa about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase of security risks for Indigenous Peoples and activists. – Alison Wright, Director of the Environmental Defenders Collaborative, Global Greengrants Fund (Moderator) – Milka Chepkorir, Sengwer Community Leader, Kenya – Thomas Nkuna, Indigenous fisher community leader from Kwanibela, South Africa – Jemimah Kerenge, Maasai Human Rights defender, Land is Life´s Indigenous-led Grantmaking Program Director, Kenya – Robert Agenonga, environmental activist, Human Rights Defender and researcher, Uganda REGISTER FOR WEBINAR TODAY
Webinar: Beyond the Election: What’s at Stake for Indigenous Rights in Alaska?
On Wednesday, October 28th, join Land is Life, the Gwich’in Steering Committee, Native Peoples Action and NoVo Foundation for an insightful conversation with Indigenous leaders and activist about what’s at stake for Indigenous rights in Alaska in the context and beyond of the upcoming US election. Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 Time: 9:00 AM AKDT, 10:00 AM PDT, 1:00 PM EDT Duration: 1.5 hours (about 15 minutes per intervention and 30 minutes for Q&A, ends at 2:30 PM ET) REGISTER TODAY
Justice for Celempilo: Indigenous Fisherman Shot Dead by Rangers in South Africa
On September 16, a young man was shot dead as he and his two friends were fishing on Lake St Lucia, adjacent to the ancestral territory and lands of the Nibela community in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Celempilo Mdluli, reportedly 30 years old, was fishing with his friends Senzo and Duduzi when they were suddenly attacked by a group of wildlife rangers. Celempilo fell to the ground. The other two Indigenous fishermen say it was very dark, but they heard him begging for his life. Yet, three further shots were fired. After the incident, Celempilo’s body was taken to the local morgue. The conservation agency responsible for the rangers has yet to condemn the killing or indicate how justice will be served. Nearly a month after the shooting, the police have yet to visit the crime scene or interview witnesses. The Nibela Indigenous traditional fishing community, whose ancestral lands lie on Nibela peninsula adjacent to the lake (the largest estuarine lake in Africa), are worried that justice will not be done for this young man and his family, and they fear for their own lives as they need to fish to feed their families. Members of the Nibela community have come to depend on the lake for fish as their basic food security as there are few other livelihood opportunities for them in this rural part of the province. Rangers alleged in a local newspaper that the fishermen might have been rhino poachers. The conflict arises after the top-down imposition of a marine protected area and nature reserve around the area, which was subsequently declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. In 2008 it was renamed the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Despite the Nibela’s ownership of their communal lands adjacent to the lake, the conservation and fisheries authorities have failed to consult them. The waters around the community have been zoned as a restricted area for the benefit of the ecotourism industry, from which the Nibela derive no benefit. With support from Land is Life, the Nibela community has been able to secure the services of an independent pathologist to conduct an autopsy. The Legal Resources Centre, a human rights legal organization, is assisting in their struggle to find out why this happened and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Unfortunately, there is little interest in this case in South Africa—one of the most violent countries in the world, where deaths like this, caused by police or conservation officers, are not uncommon. The Nibela indigenous fisher community is desperate to shine a light on what has happened and is calling for international solidarity to condemn the killing of a young fisherman and for justice to be served. Land is Life will continue supporting the Nibela community as they struggle to defend their right to fish in their own waters safely and sustainably, and to live in their territories free of violence. Since 2019, Land is Life has coordinated an Indigenous-Led Security Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa to respond to threats to safety and security facing Indigenous communities and organizations across the region. This approach is also being piloted in the Amazon via our Regional Coordinator in Colombia. We are also exploring an additional pilot of this approach in Asia.
Land is Life Appoints Jemimah Kerenge as Global Director of Indigenous-Led Grantmaking Initiative
Land is Life is proud to announce the appointment of Jemimah Kerenge as Global Director of its Indigenous-led grantmaking initiative. This pioneering program is an approach developed by Land is Life and its global network to provide support to our grassroots Indigenous partners around the globe through small, flexible grants. Jemimah, a Maasai from Kenya, will lead efforts to help Indigenous peoples promote and protect their rights, implement community-based development projects, and maximize the capacities of their organizations. Funds are used locally for workshops, medical emergencies, legal support, campaigns, regional gatherings, travel to meetings, self-determined development programs, and general expenses for Indigenous peoples’ organizations. “Land is Life has created a grantmaking platform for Indigenous peoples to air their views and voices, which is instrumental in supporting Indigenous peoples globally through initiatives that directly touch their livelihoods and help secure their territories and rights,” says Jemimah. “I believe that when given leadership opportunities, Indigenous women can bear great success. My most important personal achievement is getting a platform at Land is Life to exercise my leadership abilities as an Indigenous woman.” On the whole, the Indigenous-led grantmaking program aims to support initiatives that enhance the collective rights of Indigenous peoples, covering a wide array of subjects like human rights, land, resources and biodiversity, climate change, food sovereignty, women, youth and elders, traditional knowledge systems and practices (including language, arts, and sports), education and economic empowerment, and strengthening of Indigenous livelihoods. The Land is Life Global Team wishes Jemimah best of luck in her newly appointed position.
Land is Life Publishes New Book on Free, Prior and Informed Consent
Land is Life, in collaboration with the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) and Abya Yala Press, proudly presents “From Consultation to Consent: Debates and Experiences in Abya Yala.” This is an important editorial effort to promote the regional discussion on the subject of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the Indigenous Peoples. The book, published in Spanish, was conceived as a result of the meeting on Consent and Consultation Protocols from Abya Yala, held last year by COICA with the support of Land is Life and Oxfam from November 12th to 13th in Quito, Ecuador. Participants proposed to deepen the discussion by inviting experts in Indigenous rights, academics, indigenous leaders and activists to hold a deeper reflection on the relationship between consent and prior consultation. “The book aims to reflect on consent as one of the fundamental rights of Indigenous peoples, representing the legal and political foundation for self-determination in contexts of the relationship between the State and Indigenous Peoples” says David Suárez, Land is Life’s FPIC Program Coordinator. From the principles of self-determination and legal pluralism, there are better alternatives for the regulation of consultation mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples in order to obtain their consent and avoid the long list of setbacks in terms of rights, that is found in current consultation regulations issued by the executive and legislative bodies of different States. “Within this range of alternatives, Indigenous-built consent protocols constitute a decisive experience in the process of building consent from Indigenous Peoples” says Jose Proaño, Land is Life’s Latin America Program Director. Starting today, the book will be distributed among Indigenous leaders and organizations, activists, academics and policy makers playing an important role in Land is Life’s regional strategy on FPIC.
Press Release: Fires And Deforestation In Territories With Registries Of Indigenous Peoples In Isolation
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION Download the Press Release: Español, Português, English Download the Report: Español, Português, English As the new forest fire season moves forward, the situation of extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation becomes critical, warns an international group of organizations.The Trinational Report: Fires and Deforestation in Territories with Records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, presented today, launches an international alert on the serious situation faced by indigenous peoples in isolation and provides recommendations for the implementation of protection measures for these peoples and their territories.Wednesday, August 26, 2020. More than twenty indigenous and civil society organizations, which are part of the International Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact in the Amazon, Gran Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado (GTI PIACI), launched today an international alert on the threat posed by forest fires and deforestation to Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation in the regions of the Amazon, the Great American Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado, in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.During 2019, these regions suffered dramatic increases in the incidence of forest fires and deforestation, a scenario that begins to repeat itself in 2020 as fires once again spread throughout the Amazon and the Great American Chaco. This situation aggravates the condition of extreme vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation, since fires and deforestation destroy the territories where they live, where they develop their culture, and which provide their means of subsistence.The Trinational Report: Fires and Deforestation in Territories with Records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, presented today at a virtual press conference, draws attention to the serious situation faced by indigenous peoples in isolation, and presents recommendations for States, multilateral organizations, and civil society in these countries, with the aim of implementing urgent protection measures for these peoples and their territories. “The daily life of indigenous peoples in isolation is marked by numerous threats that place them, for the most part, in a situation of constant mobilization and despair. The voracious increase in forest fires and deforestation aggravates their situation and renders them increasingly vulnerable”, explained Antenor Vaz, lead author of the Report and consultant to Land is Life, the organization currently holding the secretariat of the GTI PIACI. For the preparation of this report, Vaz and his colleagues from Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay carried out an analysis of the serious events that occurred during 2019 in vast regions of the Amazon, the Great American Chaco and Brazilian Cerrado with the use of maps, georeferenced information and direct testimonies. Following a collaborative methodology, in which representatives of various indigenous peoples participated as protagonists, the researchers analyzed information from a total of 99 indigenous territories with records of indigenous peoples in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay, which allowed them to verify the vertiginous increase of hot spots in 2019 compared to 2018. In such a period, these hotspots grew 258% in Bolivia, 259% in Brazil, and 185% in Paraguay. Likewise, the hot spots detected in the 32 conservation units (protected areas) with presence of Indigenous Peoples Living in Isolation increased by 744.38% in Bolivia, 347.87% in Brazil, and 44.15% in Paraguay. The Trinational Report is based on local reports prepared, respectively, by the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) in Brazil, the Amotocodie Initiative (IA) in Paraguay, and the Central Indígena de Comunidades Tacana II del Río Madre de Dios (CITRMD) in Bolivia. “In addition to all the impacts caused by colonization, in 2019 the indigenous peoples in isolation in Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay were subjected to an unprecedented wave of fires and deforestation in their territories, which demands solutions that are impossible to address under the sole focus of local and international regulations established for indigenous peoples with a history of contact”, explained Vaz, the report’s lead author. The Report also highlights that the common denominator for the increase in forest fires is human action, driven by expansionary practices of agribusinesses and extractive industries. This, coupled with the lack of effective regulatory frameworks for the protection of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation, makes the latters’ situation increasingly precarious. “The loss of territory caused by deforestation and fires leads the people to displacement in search of safer places, and this brings with it other dangers: involuntary proximity to neighbouring populations and possible contagion of disease. The situation is further complicated by the presence of Covid-19, whose exponential growth puts the lives of these peoples, as well as the living heritage of the Americas and of humanity, at serious risk”, the Report concludes. Bolivia’s Local Report presents findings on State actions promoting the expansion of the agricultural frontier without an accompanying conservation policy. In the words of Adamo Diego Cusi, researcher and activist, representative of the Takana people and author of the Report on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Forest Fires in Bolivia, “there are laws in Bolivia that promote the expansion of agribusiness and the agricultural frontier, without considering the negative effects that this has on indigenous peoples and the environment. As a result, fires are increasingly aggressive and their consequences devastating.” According to this report, 6.4 million hectares were burned in Bolivia in 2019, of which 94% were lowlands, located for the most part in the departments of Santa Cruz (65%) and Beni (29%), in the Bolivian Amazon Basin. In addition, it was reported that the same year, 36 indigenous territories were affected by forest fires, with a total of 226,714 hectares burned. The same report states that the hot spots and forest fires in indigenous territories and protected areas have permeated the lives of Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation. In general, forest fires in 2019 exceeded historical records since 2010, and any effective response to the fires was overwhelmed. Moreover, in two Absolute Reserves for Indigenous Peoples living in Isolation (in process) and 16 indigenous and peasant territories with records of Indigenous Peoples in Isolation, there was presence of 36,034 hot spots. In the case of Brazil, the local report describes the criminal organization of various groups of farmers that clear
Land is Life Stands with the Gwich’in People in their struggle to Defend the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Trump administration formally announced last Monday that is pushing ahead with plans to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The first leases to drill for oil and gas in the heart of an iconic pristine coastal plain, could be sold by the end of 2020. It’s a reckless move that will transform one of the largest stretches of wilderness in the US forever. The destructive decision ends 60 years of protections for this fragile ecosystem, home to Indigenous peoples like the Gwich’in, who have protected the Arctic for generations. Oil drilling threatens nine thousand Gwich’in people who make their home on or near the migratory route of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, and have depended on caribou for their subsistence way of life for thousands of years. In a public statement about the decision, executive director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee Bernadette Demientieff said: “We will attend every court proceeding, every senate hearing, every public event. We will fight this every step of the way.” A safe climate future requires unequivocally respecting Indigenous land rights and ending the age of big oil. We must stand with the Gwich’in and all efforts to reverse this decision must be done. “The fight to keep oil development out of the birthing grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd is far from over. Land is Life continues to stand with the Gwich’in people and to do everything we can to support them in their struggle to protect Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, the Sacred Place Where Life Begins. This is an attack on the Gwich’in people and a flagrant violation of their rights. We will not let it stand”, stated Brian Keane, Chair of Land is Life´s Board of Directors. We urgently need your support in this struggle. Together we can stop oil drilling plans in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, so that the Gwich’in peoples’ way of life can safely continue in their territories, as they have done for thousands of years. SUPPORT THE GWICH’IN STEERING COMMITTEE TODAY
Land is Life’s Releases Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation in the Amazon Report
Land is Life proudly presents the English translation of the regional report “Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation- Territories and Development in the Amazon and the Gran Chaco Region.” The report, originally produced in Spanish by Land is Life last year, was constructed from eleven local reports prepared by indigenous organizations and allies from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela, which used a consensual reference methodology, according to the specific political, historical and cultural contexts of each country. This effort represents the most comprehensive report on the topic in the past decade. One of the most critical findings is the identification and verification of more than double the number of indigenous groups living in voluntary isolation than previously formally recognized. The report provides a clear overview of the status of land rights recognition for these groups, as well as maps that identify the extractive and development projects that threaten those lands and territories. It additionally offers an analysis of the existing opportunities to protect the lives of community members and the biocultural diversity of their territories. The document closes the gap between studies on Indigenous Peoples Living in Voluntary Isolation in South America, by presenting a regional perspective on the reality of these peoples. Land is Life remains committed to supporting these populations as they confront the issues that impact their right to self-determination and protection of their lands and territories.