On April 21-May 5, 2025, the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s session theme will focus on "Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges.”
Cultural Survival's community includes people from all walks of life, with beautiful stories to tell of your own about why you decided to become an advocate for Indigenous Peoples' rights. Sharing these stories further connects our community, provides much-needed solidarity and validation to our staff and partners on the ground, and helps us inspire others to join our movement. We are excited to spotlight members and former interns of our community and highlight your contributions and perspectives through our Cultural Survival Spotlight series.
OPEN LETTER TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITIES
Barra Velha / Bahia – Brazil, March 21, 2025
To the authorities of the Federative Republic of Brazil,
To the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,
To the United Nations Human Rights Council,
To the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
To international organizations, the media, and global civil society:
By Lucas Kasosi (Maasai, CS Intern)
If cities had ghosts, Nairobi would be haunted by the whispers of those it displaced. Beneath its glass towers and frantic highways lies a past rarely acknowledged: a history of forced removals, treaties signed under duress, and land slipping through Maasai hands like water.
Each year, on March 24, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed.
By Carmem Cazaubon (CS Intern)
Por: Rolando Gutierrez Hernández, Director de las Radios Comunitarias del COPINH y Tania Carolina Hernández, Equipo Técnico COPINH.
El Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras “COPINH”, es una organización de base comunitaria conformada por el pueblo indígena Lenca, con presencia en 5 departamentos de Honduras. A lo largo de nuestra trayectoria como COPINH, hemos establecido pilares de lucha contra el capitalismo, patriarcado y el racismo.
The 2025-2026 MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda includes 5 priorities, please urge your state legislators to co-sponsor these 5 important bills today by signing this letter!
We at Cultural Survival are disheartened and dismayed that a North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation, ordering the non-profit organization to pay at least $660 million in damages to Texas-based oil company Energy Transfer.
By Edson Krenak (Krenak, CS Staff)
Government and industry will do whatever it takes to push through mining projects, but Indigenous opposition is strong in the heart of the Andes
By Brandi Morin (Cree/Iroquois), Photos by Ian Willms
By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar, CS Staff)
In Tanzania, the Maasai, one of Africa’s most iconic Indigenous Peoples, are relentlessly struggling to protect their ancestral lands, cultural heritage, and way of life. Despite facing challenges such as forced evictions, environmental degradation, and systemic marginalization—often justified under the guise of conservation and tourism development—there is still hope for dialogue and constructive solutions.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
