April 23, 2026
New York
The following is a statement delivered at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by Cultural Survival grant partner, Samuel Stanley, from Botswana. Samuel is Chairperson of the Indigenous Ink Network and the Director of the Indigenous Youth Summit.

Madam Chair,

Distinguished Members of the Forum, Excellencies, Indigenous brothers and sisters.

States, Companies, and International Human Rights Bodies Must Defend Indigenous Land Defenders: Cultural Survival Calls for Action to Protect Indigenous Defenders in New “Defending the Land, Paying with Life” Report

By Kelaia Acevedo (CS Intern) 

The global celebration of Earth Day is an opportunity to focus on environmental stewardship, climate conservation, sustainability, and simply appreciating local flora and fauna; it is an invitation to engage all of our senses with the Earth, whether as individuals or in community.

April 22, 2026 – NEW YORK, NY — Cultural Survival and the “Nihizhi” Podcast are joining forces to amplify Indigenous voices through a new podcast.

April 21, 2026, New York
Statement presented at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Margarita Diaz, representing the Wuxhtaj Council; a partner in the 2025 Community Media Project, spoke at UNPFII 25, where she highlighted the lack of medical services for Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala. She also called on the Guatemalan government to stop criminalizing defenders of Indigenous territories and rights.

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2026

At the UN, Over 100 organizations Call for the Immediate Release of Indigenous Rights Activists from Russian Jail, While 70 Indigenous Groups and Allies Write to Putin Directly: “Speaking out is not a crime!” 
 

By Clemente Flores (Kolla) and Soledad Sede

By Edson Krenak (Krenak) CS Staff, Member of the SIRGE Coalition and Jan Morrill, Earthworks, Member of the SIRGE Coalition

Guarani Indigenous communities in Southern Brazil continue to call on the German car manufacturer BMW to uphold their rights and fulfill commitments made over a decade ago.
 

An Auto Factory Built on Ancestral Land

On April 20-May 1, 2026, the 25th 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 "Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.”

By Dr. Daniel Rogei (Maasai)

Scholars denounce serious violations of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in Brazil, arguing that FUNAI's handling of consultations around the FICO railway has compromised the rights of multiple Indigenous communities affected by this major infrastructure project.