Indigenous peoples
From tears to joy
Deb Haaland’s nomination for Secretary of the Interior raises hopes for long-neglected Indigenous communities By Linda Pentz Gunter “For many Native Americans, the Department of the Interior has been known as a back-alley haven for shills, thieves and crooked, money-hungry American Indian-hating cronies. “But now, we’ll have… »
Yennayer 2971: Berber New Year in North Africa
In North Africa among the Berbers, the January 12th is the 1st day of the year 2971 of the Amazigh (Berber) calendar which begins in 950 BC, date of the victory of the Berber king Chachnaq over the pharaoh Ramses III where the Berber king Sheshonq I was enthroned Pharaoh… »
Western Sahara: A Rare Look Inside Africa’s Last Colony as U.S. Recognizes Moroccan Occupation
The United States has become the first nation in the world to recognize Morocco’s annexation of Western Sahara. The Trump administration announced the major policy shift on December 10 — International Human Rights Day — as part of a deal that saw Morocco become the fourth Arab nation to normalize… »
Indigenous Leaders want Traditional Knowledge to be Centrepiece of New Global Biodiversity Framework
By Alison Kentish Once omitted from biodiversity treaty negotiations, indigenous people now have a say in a landmark global framework expected to be signed by 190 countries The picturesque Mahuat River in Dominica is one of 8 communities that make up the Kalinago Territory – a… »
Algerian Jews between Disenchantment and Nostalgia: uprooting duel and eternal regrets
Desire for the past, and illness from a distant land, two emotions not taken into account as pathological. The origin of the Algerian Jews is very old and little known. As for the whole of North Africa, the Jewish presence on Algerian soil since at least the Roman period (Caesarean… »
Juukan Gorge: how could they not have known? (And how can we be sure they will in future?)
How could they not have known? That was the question on everyone’s lips after leaders of the Australian defence force claimed not to have known about the atrocities committed by special forces in Afghanistan. It is now being asked about the leadership of Rio Tinto after that company ignored the wishes… »
U.S. Recognizes Morocco’s Occupation of Western Sahara in Latest Betrayal of Sahrawi People
We continue to examine the U.S.-brokered deal between Morocco and Israel to normalize relations. As part of the deal, the U.S. will become the first country in the world to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, which Morocco has occupied since 1975 in defiance of the international community. We convene… »
Payments for the poor, taxation of the rich: Bolivia’s left-wing party returns to power
Bolivia elections 2020: MAS, the left-wing party of Evo Morales and Luis Acre claimes a landslide win. With this election victory, the Bolivian population has taught the ruling right-wing elite several lessons. It is a clear rejection of the opression and violence against the Indigenous population, social injustice and the… »
Four Days in Occupied Western Sahara — A Rare Look Inside Africa’s Last Colony as Ceasefire Ends
In this special rebroadcast of a Democracy Now! exclusive documentary, we break the media blockade and go to occupied Western Sahara in the northwest of Africa to document the decades-long Sahrawi struggle for freedom and Morocco’s violent crackdown. Morocco has occupied the territory since 1975 in defiance of the United… »
Epistemic Violence against Indigenous Peoples
By Silvel Elías – IWGIA Injustice regarding the validity of ancestral knowledge has been one of the many racist practices established by the colony. For five centuries, a systematic attack has persisted, in a bid to bring an end to the creation, conservation and transmission of the knowledge of native… »