From October 20 to 24 the imagineNATIVE film festival drew hundreds of indigenous and non-indigenous film enthusiasts from around the globe to diverse downtown Toronto, Canada.

Celebrating its fifth year, participants noted that this was the most successful festival yet. The imagineNATIVE film festival is one of the few solely indigenous-run and programmed festivals in the arts community today.

Inequality in health care access and coverage has become a key issue for American Indian voters in the upcoming Presidential election on November 2.

Senator John Kerry disclosed his health policy plan on September 28 that promises to provide billions of dollars to Native American health programs if he is elected. According to Indianz.com Bush's campaign aides believe that Kerry's proposed budget for 2005 is impractical and will "break the bank."

Sunday, June 20, is World Refugee Day, as designated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Countries around the world will commemorate the day.

Wayúu indigenous people from Alta Guajira region of Colombia have asked for international help in the wake of a brutal attack on the town of Bahía Portete.

An indigenous Garo youth was killed on January 3 by forest guards during a protest of the Ministry of Environment’s Botanical Garden and Eco-Park in the Modhupur forest of the Chandranath Hills.[1] Although no specific individuals are presently accused, the Modhupur forest people blame Bangladesh Nationalist Party members for intimidating indigenous protestors from agitating against the Eco-Park.

Shopping Can Change the World!

Take the "Fair Trade Challenge" - buy ALL of your holiday gifts from Fair Trade sources!

The holiday season is upon us, and you may be wondering how to spend your dollars ethically, and ensure the gifts you give benefit those who made them as well as those who receive them. Thankfully, lots of great purchasing alternatives exist, such as fairly traded goods from around the world.

Occupying a position marked by ethnic discrimination, social exclusion and violated rights, the Batwa ‘Pygmies’ of Africa’s Great Lakes region continue to fight a battle for equality that is steadily deteriorating their society.  The Batwa, a forest hunter-gatherer group numbering approximately 70,000 to 80,000[1], are spread throughout Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  Continually disabled by dominant neighbors and deforestation, today, the Batwa struggle is fu

Tribal representation in the federal government has long been criticized for a lack of native consultation and a failure to take Native tribes seriously as true sovereign nations. Over the past few months, tensions between Native organizations and the Department of Interior (DOI) have grown to historically high levels as hopes for meaningful reform have turned sour.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2003 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership in Conservation, sponsored by Ecotrust. The $25,000 award will be presented to an individual whose leadership has improved the economic, environmental, political and social conditions in his or her region. The award may be used for one or more of the following activities: professional development, program improvement, research, or a traditional activity, or ceremonial participation. Additional information is available from Ecotrust. Who may be nominated?

After five days of a hunger strike, an opposition coalition within the Bolivian national congress has found its conditions met and is ready to end this stage of resistance. The coalition, comprising the Pachakuti Indigenous Movement (MIP), the Movement Towards Socialism (MAP) and the New Republican Force (NFR), joined protesters in demanding a second emergency session of Congress to discuss compensation for the victims of Bolivia’s previous dictatorships etc.

A commission sponsored by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations has called for Indonesia to give Papua more powers of self-government. The commission says the key to peace in the region is the immediate implementation of the “Special Autonomy Law”. It recommends that power sharing be put into practice by Indonesia, in lieu of plans to divide Papua into three provinces. Also, it cautions that a continuance of extreme violence in Papua could destabilize the entire country, and that a military crackdown could lead to calls for humanitarian intervention from the international community.

National Party leader Bill English has called for an end to the exclusively Maori seats in Parliament. Mr. English has argued that “modern Maori are highly skilled operators in our current political system, their voices are heard at every level and the Maori seats have outlived their usefulness." This view has been rejected by the New Zealand Government, which counters that the Maori seats “safeguard against tyranny of the majority.” The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is also opposed to English’s plan.