Fighting Intelligently

Fighting Intelligently

tbarj
March 30, 2013
 

Last Updated on October 4, 2013

Listening to Art Manuel and Shawn Atleo discuss the current challenge to the indigenous peoples movement, what jumps out is that fighting intelligently is contingent on education. When one is consumed by anger, the pain of the past prevents that intelligence.
Confronting the status quo at the UN and in each of its member states can only succeed if the indigenous peoples movement strengthens indigenous nations by reforming indigenous institutions and supporting indigenous governance.

The same can be said for the human rights movement in general; when non-indigenous peoples ask what they can do to support the indigenous peoples movement, they should be told to democratize their own institutions and governments to prevent them from inhibiting the democratic development of indigenous ones.

We don’t deny the value of NGOs like the Center for World Indigenous Studies, Indian Law Resource Center and International Indian Treaty Council in making opportunities for indigenous nations possible at the UN. We are merely suggesting participants understand and respect the different roles involved in implementing UNDRIP. There is clearly confusion about that, and maybe we are helping to clarify them.
The indigenous peoples movement is stronger when everyone understands what NGOs can do, and what governing authorities can do. They can complement each other, but they are not equivalent.

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. 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

 
#Indigenous Peoples Movement #Editorial

Related Posts

Keep us independent for $10/m and get our book, "Everyday Acts of Resurgence", free!