This is an urgent letter from Domingo Antun, leader of the Shuar Arutam Maikuaints Peoples in Ecuador. The Maikuaints are facing imminent displacement as Solaris Resources, a transnational mining corporation, advances operations on Shuar ancestral territory without tribal consent. This is not merely a land dispute but an existential crisis for a people whose spiritual, cultural, and physical identity is inextricably bound to these lands and waters.
By Veronique Wanyema Saleh, Coordinator of Femmes Pymees
In the heart of South Kivu, a region rich in mineral wealth, a program jointly launched by Cultural Survival and Femmes Pymees en Action (Pygmy Women in Action), Radio Kivu FM, Congo, has been empowering Indigenous Pygmy communities to reclaim their rights and protect their ancestral lands from mining activities.
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. The annual session is the third-largest meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York. It brings more than 2,000 Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, Member States, UN agencies, and other stakeholders together every year to discuss and cover Indigenous issues.
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.”
By Onambani Jules, Radio Director
In the lush, forested region of southern Cameroon, the Indigenous Bagyeli and Bakola communities, with a combined population of around 2,500, face growing threats to their ancestral lands and traditional way of life. Scattered across the Ocean department, these communities have long relied on the forest for their livelihoods and cultural identity. However, the encroachment of agribusiness, logging, and development projects has led to widespread deforestation and land grabbing, jeopardizing their existence.
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.
By Verónica Aguilar (Ñuu Savi, CS Staff)
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:
Geovany Cunampio Salazar (Emberá) was born in the Piriatí Emberá community in eastern Panama. He is an active member of the General Emberá Congress of Alto Bayano, the traditional government structure of the Emberá Peoples of Alto Bayano. He was Secretary General of the General Emberá Congress of Alto Bayano from October 2012 to April 2021, where he accompanied the process of collective land titling of the Indigenous communities of Piriatí Emberá and Ipetí Emberá and the international lawsuit against the Panamanian State in Kunas de Madungandi and Embera de Bayano vs Panama. Geovany holds a Law and Political Science degree from the University of Panama and a Diploma in Strategic Communication for Indigenous Peoples from the Inter-American University of Panama. He served as Technical Secretary of the National Council for the Integral Development of Indigenous Peoples of Panama (CONDIPI) under the framework of a project to support the National Development Plan of Indigenous Peoples in Panama and as an international consultant for Indigenous Foundation FSC, based in Panama. Reach Geovany at geovany.cunampio@culturalsurvival.org.
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.
