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. 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.
By Nichodimas Cooper (Nama, CS Journalism Fellow)
Reposted from Crushing Colonialism
By Jen Deerinwater (Cherokee) and Jesse Deer In Water (Cherokee)
By Ella Nathanael Alkiewicz (Labrador Inuit)
Living with my ancestors’ knowledge, my mother’s genes, and having centuries-old Inuit principles becomes a privilege and a challenge in today’s world.
The Serankwa community, located in the rural area of Aracataca within the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, has faced severe attacks since March 6, 2026, due to clashes between outlaw groups vying for territorial control. These clashes have brought high levels of violence to the area, resulting in injuries to 13 people—2 of whom sustained serious injuries. Direct attacks by these armed groups against the communities have also been reported, including the burning of homes and livestock pens, as well as the killing of animals.
By Phoebe Farris (Powhatan-Pamunkey)
On March 9-19, 2026, women from around the world participated in this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 70) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and at nearby off-site UN-affiliated offices to address global inequities facing women and girls.
An investigation into how unregulated sand extraction is draining water sources and reshaping pastoral life in Kenya’s drylands.
By Lucas Kasosi (Maasai, CS Fellow)
At sunrise along the Olkeriai River in Mashuuru, Kajiado County, the riverbed no longer looks like a waterway. Instead, it looks like an open quarry: scarred, excavated, and restless.
Today, March 12, Moscow’s Basmanny Court held another hearing on Daria Egereva's pretrial detention. The court extended her pretrial detention for three months, as requested by government investigators. The hearing was held in public and was attended by diplomats from several embassies, her husband, and her children. She is facing 20 years in jail on terrorism charges.
On March 10, 2026, Cultural Survival announced the release of its annual "In Memoriam" report, documenting the harrowing murders of 46 Indigenous land and rights defenders across Latin America in 2025. The report underscores the persistent and systemic crisis facing Indigenous Peoples, who are disproportionately targeted for their essential work in stewarding and protecting vital ecosystems and territories.
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.
