News and views from the world's indigenous frontlines
Articles by John Schertow
Indigenous Peoples: A Leading Force In Global Fight Over Seabed Mining
Above photo: More than 300 protestors filled the main street of Pātea. Te Korimako o Taranaki. As governments and corporations race to secure minerals needed for the global energy transition, Indigenous peoples across the Pacific are emerging as some of the most influential voices shaping the future of seabed mining. The debate centers on vast deposits of nickel, cobalt, manganese and other minerals found on the world’s seabeds.
International Tribunal Accuses Canada Of ‘Genocide’ Against Indigenous Peoples International Tribunal Accuses Canada of ‘Genocide’ Against Indigenous Peoples
An international human rights tribunal has concluded that Canada committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Indigenous Peoples through its residential school system and related colonial policies. The preliminary findings were released Friday by the 57th session of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT), an independent international opinion tribunal thatspent a weekhearing testimony from residential school survivors, legal experts, researchers and Indigenous advocates in Montreal.
The Clean Energy Transition’s Indigenous Sacrifice Zones
Above photo: Shompen Anthropological Survey of India. It has become abundantly clear that the clean energy transition is “business as usual” for Indigenous Peoples. At least a dozen major cases have emerged where Indigenous rights are being overtly dismissed in order to secure supplies of lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt and other strategic minerals. The unprecedented demand is reshaping landscapes and economies across the globe.
Indigenous Land Is At The Center Of Nevada’s Lithium Boom
New Amnesty International report warns Nevada’s lithium rush is violating Indigenous rights. Amnesty International says the growing lithium mining industry in Nevada is violating the rights of Indigenous Peoples. A report released Tuesday argues that federal agencies and mining companies are fast-tracking mining projects without obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of affected communities.
Emergency Court Action Sought As Drilling Begins In Sacred Black Hills
Above photo: Community members defended the land near sacred Lakota site Pe’ Sla, where exploratory drilling has begun in the Black Hills around South Dakota, on April 30, 2026. Angel White Eyes Tribal advocates have asked a federal court to immediately halt a graphite drilling project atPe’ Sla, a site sacred to the Lakota and other Indigenous nations, warning that ongoing activity risks irreparable cultural and environmental harm.
Emergency Court Action Sought as Drilling Begins at Sacred Black Hills Site Pe’ Sla
Dear reader, Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life. From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections, the threat is global—and it is growing. What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives. Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented.
Canada Greenlights Mine in Kaska Territory Despite Indigenous Opposition
Dear reader, Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life. From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections, the threat is global—and it is growing. What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives. Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented.
Modern agriculture is collapsing under climate change. Indigenous farming has answers.
Dear reader, Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life. From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections, the threat is global—and it is growing. What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives. Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented.
Sámi Communities Say New Mining Project Threatens Reindeer Herding Traditions
Dear reader, Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life. From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections, the threat is global—and it is growing. What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives. Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented.
US transfers sacred Oak Flat site to Resolution Copper, dealing blow to tribal opponents
Photo: The Dye Clan on Wikimedia (CC) Last Updated on March 18, 2026 WASHINGTON –The U.S. Forest Service transferred ownership of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper on Monday, a major setback for opponents of a massive mine at a site the San Carlos Apache Tribe considers sacred. The transfer came three days after the 9th U.S. Circuit appeals court denied a request for an injunction from tribes and environmental activists seeking to derail the project.
Indigenous Water Governance Models Are Emerging Amid Growing Water Crisis
Above photo: Chief Jimmy Lulua drilled a spot big enough to offer tobacco and gratitude, and pull some water from the lake to take to court on Friday. Emilee Gilpin. A sweeping analysis of academic research shows that Indigenous peoples are increasingly asserting influence over water governance systems around the world.
Indigenous Families Forced To Flee From Indonesian Security Forces
New raids and aerial strikes by Indonesian security forces in the central highlands of West Papua have once againforced Indigenous civilians to fleetheir homes and makeshift refugee camps into surrounding forests. Residents of Puncak Regency, already displaced by earlier clashes, were among those uprooted in the latest wave of violence that began with intensified military operations at the end of January.
First Nations Oppose Proposed Changes To Indigenous Rights Law
Above photo: Terry Teegee, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, speaks to a gathering of First Nations and government leaders on Nov. 4, 2025. B.C. government.
Tribes Condemn FERC Approval Of Energy Storage Project
In a decision that has ignited fierce opposition from Indigenous leaders and environmental advocates, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Jan. 22 issued a 40-year license to build theGoldendale Energy Pumped Storage Project, a 1,200-megawatt energy storage facility southeast of Goldendale in Klickitat County, Wash. The project, developed by Rye Development, represents one of the largest new pumped-storage energy ventures in the United States in more than a decade.
Indigenous Nations Extend Legal Personhood To The Colorado River
Above photo: Colorado Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores (L) and US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (R) sign CRIT water rights agreement in April, 2024. Megan Mendoza/The Republic. The Colorado River Indian Tribes took a key step in Indigenous environmental law by designating the Colorado River — the life source for millions across the Southwest — as a “living being” with legal rights under tribal law.
AI-Designed Insecticidal Corn a New Threat to Indigenous Seed Heritage – Intercontinental Cry
Last Updated on October 17, 2025 Artificial intelligence has reached the cornfield. A newly designed maize variety, developed using AI-assisted genetic tools, is being hailed by some as progress and by others as a threat. For Indigenous peoples across the Americas — the original cultivators of maize — it represents another incursion into the genetic and spiritual heritage they have spent generations protecting.
What Happens When Indigenous Nations Take Back Their Lands
Above photo: Land back sign along The Great River Road in Aitkin County Minnesota. Few phrases spark more panic in Canada than “land back.” The moment people hear it, a familiar fear floods the air:Are they going to take over? Kick us out of our homes? Erase entire towns? We saw how this hysteria plays out in Oka, Gustafsen lake, and Caledonia. Headlines screamed disruption and disorder.
20 Major Wins For Indigenous Rights In 2025
Above photo: Norlando Meza. So far, 2025 has been a powerful year for Indigenous rights. Over the past 6 months we have seen many hard-fought victories and long-awaited acts of justice for Indigenous Peoples across the globe. While these wins vary in scale and geography, a common thread runs through them all: Indigenous leadership.
Free People: The Imazighen of North Africa
North Africa is widely portrayed as a part of the ‘Arab world’ or even together or associated with the Middle East, with the unfortunate misconception that Arabs are indigenous to North Africa. Yet there is an extensive ‘non-Arab’ population in North Africa: the true Indigenous people of the region. We are called Amazigh, plural Imazighen, a word which means “free people” in the Indigenous Tamazight language.
What is decolonization and why does it matter?
Eric Ritskes is a Managing Editor at Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, a newly established Open Access journal committed to the vital work of decolonization. The much-anticipated first issue of Decolonization Journal is now available at Decolonization.org Decolonization is a goal but it is not an endpoint.
Panama: Situation Turns Critical for the Naso
A critical situation is developing in Naso territory, Bocas del Toro province, Panama. Some 50 Naso protesters are blockading the access road to the Boynic hydroelectric project, preventing workers from entering the construction site of the 30 megawatt dam, which is scheduled for completion later this year. The protesters are demanding the government ratify an agreement that was made two weeks ago, on Aug. 14, 2013.
Panama: Ngäbe Communities Remain on High Alert
Ngäbe communities in Panama remain on high alert after the government announced its intention to evict the Tabasará River area in western Panama. Gathered on the banks on the river Tabasará, Ngäbe from the village of Kiabda and other affected communities have established a protest camp to halt the completion of a 28.58 megawatt hydroelectric dam, Barro Blanco. The completion of the project will result in the communities losing their homes, livelihoods and cultural heritage.
Indigenous activists block entry to the Barro Blanco hydro dam
A 30-strong splinter group of Ngäbe from the M10 resistance movement has blocked the entrance to the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in western Panama, preventing workers from entering the site. The 15 year struggle of the Tabasará river communities to protect their livelihoods, their culture, and their ancestral heritage now appears to be entering a tense new phase.
Ngäbe communities facing evictions call for international solidarity
Ngäbe communities in western Panama are calling for support from the international community after officials from the Honduran-owned energy company, GENISA, warn that they will soon be evicted from their homes to make way for the flooding of the Barro Blanco hydro dam reservoir. Ricardo Miranda, a spokesperson from the Movimiento 10 De Abril (M10) resistance movement, told IC, “The situation for the Ngäbe people is critical and tense with the imminent closure of the Barro Blanco gates.
Broken Promises Fuel a New Wave of Anti-Mining Protests in Panama
An indigenous Ngobe protester was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest during confrontations with the police this morning, 5th February, in San Félix, Panama. It has been confirmed that three more people have been hurt with local residents insisting many more are injured. In flat contradiction, the Security Minister Jose Mulino has stated that his officers are not carrying guns. In retaliation to the death, Ngobe protestors have set light to a police station in San Félix.
The plight of the Chagossians
“I had two dogs. They were my companions. During low tides they would catch fish and retrieve them to me on the shore. My heart still hurts when I remember the day they took the dogs from us to put in the incinerator. We were afraid and convinced that we could have the same fate if we did not obey.” The testimony of Rita Bancoult, a former inhabitant of the Diego Garcia.
Celebrating Seven Years of Self-Governance in Cherán, Michoacán
On Sunday May 27, 2018, the indigenous Purépecha municipality of Cherán, Michoacán, named its Third Council of Elders (Consejo Mayor, Consejo de Keris) to their communal government. Cherán has been practicing a traditional form of self-government for seven years.
Water Protectors Name and Shame Chase Bank to Divest From Fossil Fuels in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en
After over a decade of Wet’suwet’en on the front lines of pipeline construction in so called Northern Canada, local Front Range community members and Indigenous activists from the Arapaho nation are joined by water protectors from around the world to turn their attention to the funders of the fossil fuel industry. For the TransCanada coastal gaslink pipeline (CGP) project, JP Morgan Chase is the primary investor.
Integrating indigenous knowledge into national climate adaptation plans at COP24
When it comes to state action on climate change, there is perhaps no better exemplar than Bolivia. After all, the plurinational state has integrated indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) into its climate mitigation and adaptation process. However, the state of Bolivia is far from alone in its climate change leadership.
Darfur, Indigeneity, and How to Confront an Empire in 2015
On July 24, 2015, Minni Minnawi, a leader from the Darfuri rebel group Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), requested that US President Barrack Obama, while visiting several East African capitals, address Sudan’s civil war and Darfur. “Mr. President […] I, hereby humbly appeal to your Excellency to take resolute action as the people of Darfur are looking at you and still expecting you to fulfil your promise”, stated Minnawi, referring to Obama’s pre-presidential promise to help the plight of Darfur.
Native leaders are raising environmental justice demands at COP25
MADRID – Indigenous delegations from around the globe raised environmental justice demands and awareness during negotiations here of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Dec. 2-13.
Lumad News and Analysis on Intercontinental Cry
The Lumad is a term being used to denote a group of indigenous peoples of the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning “native” or “indigenous”. The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (literally “indigenous peoples”), the autonym officially adopted by the delegates of the Lumad Mindanaw Peoples Federation (LMPF) founding assembly on 26 June 1986 at the Guadalupe Formation Center, Balindog, Kidapawan, Cotabato, Philippines.
Uranium mine water permits spur call for help
RAPID CITY – The Western Mining Action Network is circulating a call that asks for help from tribal members and clean energy advocates to delay EPA water permit hearings over the proposed Dewey-Burdock Project, which aims to leach radioactive uranium from aquifers in the unceded treaty territory of the Black Hills for private production of nuclear power and weaponry. The Sept.
Understanding Native American religion is important for resolving the Dakota Access Pipeline crisis
In recent weeks, protests against the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline across North Dakota have escalated. Native American elders, families and children have set up tipis and tents on a campsite near the pipeline’s path in the hope of stopping the pipeline’s construction. Dave Archambault Jr., the leader of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe that is leading the efforts to stop the pipeline, summed up what is at the heart of the issue.
Help us bring Indigenous Voices to 47 million people!
This is a profound time in our shared history. It is a moment full of rage as well as promise. Fear as well as potential. With each passing day, more battle lines are being drawn to save the planet. So, why don’t we get to read about it in newspapers, hear them on the radio or see them on tv? The fact is, we have never been able to rely on major media to tell stories that matter–and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. That’s why we are creating our own podcast and TV show.
Executives, Loggers Charged in Murders of Indigenous Land Defenders in Peru
Environmental defenders applauded Friday as prosecutors in Peru charged five men in the powerful logging industry with the murders of four Indigenous land protectors. After a years-long investigation, “Peruvian justice did a 180,” said the Rainforest Foundation. After a years-long investigation, two executives and three loggers were formally accused on Wednesday of murdering Edwin Chota, Jorge Ríos Pérez, Leoncio Quinticima, and Francisco Pinedo in 2014.
Indigenous Rights Report #19
This is the Indigenous Rights Report for the week of October 26, 2019.
Navajo, Hopi will have objects, human remains repatriated by Finland
WASHINGTON – The Hopi and Navajo are among 26 tribes that will see the return of ancestral remains from Finland, where the items have been held in a museum after being taken from Colorado almost 130 years ago. The repatriation, announced Wednesday during Finnish President Sauli Niinistö’s visit to the White House, follows years of cooperation between the tribes and the National Museum of Finland to identify the objects and link them to specific tribes.
Why Indigenous Communities Belong at the Center of Climate Action
We are all related; us, plants, animals, water, air, and soil. We are all related.” Asheninka Mino, a medicine man from the Indigenous community of Asheninka in Peru, repeated these words as we walked through the mountains of Mora, New Mexico. “To achieve peace is to achieve harmony with Pachamama (Mother Earth)—to respect it and nourish our relationship with her,” he continued. He was teaching undocumented youth the importance of being rooted as we organize for our immigrant communities.
Why does Canada spy on its own indigenous communities?
Researchers and journalists have begun to reveal the extent to which Indigenous activists and organizations in Canada are subject to surveillance by police, military, national security intelligence agencies and other government bodies.
More Pipelines Mean More Threats of Sexual Violence for Indigenous Women
Later this month, the South Dakota Water Management Board will be holding five hearings on water permits needed for the Keystone XL pipeline expansion, which will cross several rivers as it makes its way from the tar sands in Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska. If the pipeline expansion is approved — it’s been on hold for nearly a decade — it will affect several tribal and First Nations communities along its route.
31 Alaska Native Nations Sue EPA to Block Pebble Mine
A coalition of 31 Bristol Bay, Alaska Native nations as well as regional fishing and conservation organizations who are also resisting the proposed Pebble Mine, sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the proposed mine on Tuesday.
Greta and Tokata at the Front Lines
On a world tour for climate justice, Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg visited Native America Oct. 6-8, attracting a gymnasium full of enthusiasts at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, leading a march on Rapid City Hall alongside youth climate leader Tokata Iron Eyes, and speeding off to the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. “Indigenous people have been leading this fight for centuries,” she said.
The growing demand for charcoal could end the Mikea tribe's way of life
MIKEA FOREST, Madagascar — A spear, an ax, a fire starter crafted from cow horn, a hand-carved pipe, and tobacco: these are all of Bezery’s material possessions, and he carries them at all times. A member of the Mikea tribe, the last group of hunter-gatherers in Madagascar, Bezery has lived off food he gathers from the forest for his entire life — 60 years, perhaps, although he said he doesn’t know his age. He’s gone years without drinking anything, relying instead on a water-rich yam called balo.
Pit River Tribe proclaims victory in the fight to protect Medicine Lake Highlands
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared a victorious win for the Pit River Tribe and Indigenous Nations in a decades fought dispute over geothermal leasing on federal land within California’s sacred Medicine Lake Highlands.
Amazonian community takes land rights struggle against oil palm expansion to Peru’s highest court
On Wednesday 25 September, Peru’s Constitutional Tribunal will hold a hearing with implications for the future of the Amazon rainforest, Indigenous peoples’ rights, and the fight against climate change. The case has been brought by an indigenous community against the Regional Government of Ucayali and a palm oil company, Plantaciones de Pucallpa SAC (now Ocho Sur P), to demand land titling, more than seven years after they were dispossessed of significant parts of their traditional territory.
The Klamath River now has the legal rights of a person
This summer, the Yurok Tribe declared rights of personhood for the Klamath River — likely the first to do so for a river in North America. A concept previously restricted to humans (and corporations), “rights of personhood” means, most simply, that an individual or entity has rights, and they’re now being extended to nonhumans.
Eight Labrador Inuit trapped in a 19th century human zoo
“It is too long until the year is over because we would very much like to return to our country, because we are unable to stay here forever, yes indeed, it is impossible!” In October 1880, when Abraham, a 35-year-old Christian Inuk from Hebron, Labrador, wrote these words, he had been in Germany for less than one month. His decision to travel to Europe had been most difficult.
A Pipeline Runs Through it?
In 2013, Enrique Peña Nieto’s government deregulated Mexico’s energy sector, opening it up to foreign investors for the first time 75 years. In what he called an “historic opportunity”, the Mexican President proclaimed “This profound reform can lift the standards of living for all Mexicans.” But not everyone stands to see their quality of life materially improve from the deregulated sector.
Mni Ki Wakan Summit rallies for U.N. protection from pipeline oil spills in Lakota Territory
RAPID CITY – Advocates for the U.N. declaration of a World Indigenous Peoples Decade of Water have partnered with local organizations to drum up grassroots support at the Mni Ki Wakan (Water is Sacred) Summit here Aug. 13-15. The international public event is taking place on the heels of conveners’ presentation in Geneva to the 12th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, EMRIP.
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