Last Updated on October 7, 2013
Last week, when the Portuguese people marched against IMF austerity measures imposed by the EU against their country, they asserted their right to self governance as a sacred duty and social obligation. When Indigenous nations arrive in Rio de Janeiro this summer to discuss sustainable development, they will assert those same duties and obligations usurped by the UN.
As Dr. Mirjam Hirch argued three years ago in her post Nations are Governing Authorities, Not NGOs, original nations have laws, cultures and governing authorities that exercise political and policing powers over 80 % of the world’s remaining biodiversity. When they are denied their role by the UN, she says, the world’s ability to solve complex problems is undermined.
When the UN attempts to relegate Indigenous authorities to the status of mere advocates, it is championing the laws of states over the laws of nations. And the laws of states, as we know, are more oriented toward protecting investment portfolios than toward saving the planet or humankind.
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. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
