Amplifying Indigenous Voices at the 25th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

On April 20-May 1, 2026, the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) took place. This year’s session theme focused on "Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.” Over 1,000 delegates attended despite funding cuts and visa and travel challenges in the current political climate, raising concerns over the lack of implementation of the Declaration. 

Cultural Survival was on the ground, working to amplify Indigenous voices and Indigenous-led solutions. We partnered with the UNPFII and UNDESA to run the Indigenous Media Zone, hosted and cohosted several side events, parallel events, and discussions, and supported our fellows and grant partners in their advocacy efforts by hosting events and organizing meetings with several government missions and key experts. Thank you to all who crossed paths with us and collaborated with us! 

We are grateful to have been able to support the participation of several partners: Samuel Stanely (San), Chairperson of the Indigenous Ink Network and the Director of the Indigenous Youth Summit; Arlene Greist (Iñupiat Ilitqusiat), Elder from Ambler Road Tribal Council in Alaska; Jen Deer in Water (Cherokee), Founder of Crushing Colonialism Magazine; Margarita Diaz (Maya Popti’), representative from the Wuxhtaj Council in Guatemala; Rosa Fátima Mamani Quispe (Uru Murato), member of Chimpu Warmi Network of Bolivia.

Watch the Opening Ceremony and Main Sessions

The recordings of the Opening Ceremony of the 25th Session of the UNPFII of general sessions and side events are available here.

Watch the Livestreams from the Indigenous Media Zone of the UNPFII

If you missed the livestreams from the Indigenous Media Zone, you can still access all of them on our YouTube page. 

• Interview with Elder Petuuche Gilbert (Acama) on the impacts of uranium mining and nuclear energy, Crushing Colonialism

• Human Rights Updates from Ryūkyū. ACSILs and Ichiariba Choodee Podcast

• Entrevistas de cierre con los miembros expertos del El Foro Permanente Patricia Gualinga Montalvo (Ecuador) y Rodrigo Eduardo Paillalef Monnard (Chile), Indigenous Rights Radio and Cultural Survival

• Indigenous Knowledge vs False Solutions, Indigenous Environmental Network

• The Indigenous Determinants of Health, Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance

• Richtersveld Indigenous Nama Community (South Africa) - Critical Mineral Mining Effects on Health

• Climate Change & Indigenous Women Reproductive Health Rights, AIM West

• Economías criminales y territorios Indígenas amazónicos, Amazon Watch

• Interview with UNPFII Expert Member Ms. Emma Rawson-Te Patu (New Zealand), Indigenous Rights Radio and Cultural Survival

• Comunicación, salud y conflicto Indígenas: Soberanía narrativa desde los territorios, CONCIP – National Commission of Communication of the Indigenous Peoples of Colombia

• Securing Freedom for Indigenous Rights Defenders in Siberia, International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia

• Launch of Mother Earth Medicine Podcast, Cultural Survival and Nihizhi Podcast

• IPNeSA Journey So Far: Achievements, Challenges and Way Forward to Achieve Health and Wellbeing, Indigenous Peoples Network of Southern Africa

• Voces Indígenas que salvan vidas: por qué los medios Indígenas son importantes para la salud comunitaria, Indigenous Media Caucus

• Indigenous Waterviews: An interview with Mona Polacca on Indigenous Water Ethics, Indigenous Environmental Network

• Interview with UNPFII Expert Member Mr. Edward Porokwa (Tanzania), Indigenous Rights Radio and Cultural Survival

• ¿Cómo afecta la extracción de minerales de transición a los territorios de los Pueblos Indígenas? Cultural Survival

• Interview with UNPFII Expert Member Ms. Brenda Gunn (Red River Métis) from Canada, Indigenous Rights Radio and Cultural Survival

• Table Mountain Biocultural Community Protocol – Biocultural Rights Approach to Indigenous Wellbeing, ACRRA

• In Conversation: Indigenous Women on Health, Healing and Conflict, Wayfinders Circle

• Indigenous Feminisms and Nepal Indigenous Genz Collective: A discussion of hope and liberation, Indigenous Environmental Network

• Interview with UN Special Rapporteur Albert Barume, Indigenous Rights Radio and Cultural Survival
   
• Ensuring the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the context of conflict, Crimean Tatar Resource Center

Listen to Indigenous Rights Radio Interviews with Indigenous Leaders

Read Interventions Made and Submitted by Cultural Survival and Partners

• Intervention by Samuel Stanley from Botswana

• Intervention on Behalf of the Chimpu Warmi Network in Bolivia

• Intervention by Consejo Wuxhtaj and Consejo del Pueblo Maya from Guatemala

• Intervention by Arlene Greist (Iñupiat Ilitqusiat), Elder from Ambler Road Tribal Council

• Intervention by the Indigenous Journalist Association

Watch Our Side Event: Defending the Defenders: Protecting Indigenous Defenders in a Context of Escalating Criminalization, Violence, and Threats

Read Our Report: “Defending the Land, Paying with Life”

at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Cultural Survival releases an advocacy brief, “Defending the Land, Paying with Life”, that analyzes the structural violence behind these murders in the context of international human rights legal frameworks and launches recommendations towards the parties responsible for protecting defenders and implementing Indigenous rights, including companies, States, the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Presidency of COP Escazu’s governing board, and the international community.

 

Listen to the First Episode of Mother Earth Medicine Podcast

Cultural Survival and the “Nihizhi” Podcast are joining forces to amplify Indigenous voices through a new podcast. Mother Earth Medicine: An Ancestral Intelligence Podcast to Heal Our Future”  officially launched on Earth Day, April 22, at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
 

Cultural Survival and Our Partners in the News

• War, climate change, and AI: What’s at stake at this year’s UN Indigenous forum, Grist

• Bolivia Is Poisoning Indigenous Peoples to Death. Canada Is Signing the Cheques, Indigenous Insider

• Cultural Survival demands binding protections for Indigenous land defenders, Charity Journal

• Inside Russia's War on Indigenous Voices, Indigenous Insider

• ‘A bellwether for new forms of repression’: 2 Indigenous rights advocates remain behind bars in Russia, Grist

• AI is a double-edged sword for Indigenous land protection, UN experts warn, Grist

• Nearly two decades after landmark Indigenous rights declaration, countries still aren’t complying, Grist

• Indigenous Peoples bear the brunt of climate change — and get almost none of the money to fight it, Grist