Hey everyone and welcome to Episode Two of The Indigenous Rights Report. I’m your host, John Ahniwanika Schertow.
For over two decades I’ve been telling stories that the media ignores–stories of Indigenous resistance, resilience, and renewal that keeps moving forward against all odds.
Now I’m bringing these crucial stories to your ears—so you can stay even more connected to the movement that is reshaping our world from the ground up. Some stories speak of victory. Others, of urgent alarm. All of them remind us what it means to protect land, life, and law no matter the consequences.
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You can also find more than 3000 articles at our website, icmagazine.org
Now Let’s get things started with two major legal milestones coming out of Colombia.
For the first time in its history, Colombia has granted legal protection to Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation.
The Constitutional Court has handed down a landmark ruling ordering the government to define protected boundaries, ban extractive activities, and respect the self-determination of these uncontacted communities.
The decision follows years of advocacy work from Indigenous organizations and rights defenders, who have consistently warned that loggers, miners, and developers are a threat to some of the most vulnerable peoples in the Amazon.
It’s a rare case where the law has moved to shield Indigenous lives before contact is forced—and potentially fatal.
The Colombian government also formally recognized the self-governance of nearly 200 Indigenous territories across the country. That means these communities now have the authority to make their own decisions on land use, conservation, and cultural protection.
This monumental shift gives Indigenous leaders real tools to stop illegal deforestation, mining, and drug trafficking in their territories. And it reflects a growing awareness: that if the Amazon is going to survive, it will be because Indigenous peoples are protecting it.
Next, we head to Arizona, where a U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked a land swap deal that would have paved the way for a massive copper mine.
The Resolution Copper project—backed by mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP—has long been opposed by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
The mine would destroy Oak Flat, a sacred site used for ceremonies, prayer, and gathering medicines.
The judge’s ruling doesn’t end the fight, but it buys critical time for the Apache. It also sends out a signal that Indigenous spiritual and cultural rights are being taken more seriously in American courtrooms.
And in Malaysia’s Sarawak region, the Iban people are once again sounding the alarm over illegal and destructive logging on their lands.
Even after multiple court wins, timber companies are continuing to cut through forests that have sustained Iban communities for generations.
A new investigation by Inkstick Media has revealed how firms are exploiting regulatory loopholes—and how the government is failing to enforce Indigenous land protections.
For the Iban, this is not just a fight over land—it’s a struggle for their way of life, food systems, and future.
Now to a quieter, more personal story—though no less powerful.
Across the U.S., Native American women are reclaiming the tradition of facial tattoos. These markings, once banned and stigmatized under colonization, are now being revived as acts of cultural pride and personal sovereignty.
For many, it’s not just body art—it’s ceremony. The return of these tattoos is helping women reconnect with their lineage, their lands, and their roles as matriarchs and knowledge keepers.
It’s a strong reminder that resistance isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s a single line—inked in ceremony and carried in dignity.
North of the US/Canada border, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation has signed a historic agreement with the governments of Canada and B.C. to reclaim authority over child and family services.
The Coordination Agreement will allow the Nation to create and deliver its own services grounded in Tŝilhqot’in laws, language, and values.
This is one of the first agreements of its kind under Canada’s Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families—and it represents a major step toward ending the cycle of colonial child apprehensions.
As Chief Joe Alphonse said, this is about restoring “balance and strength to our families, children and communities.”
And in the Black Hills of South Dakota, NDN Collective has mobilized against a proposed gold mining project near Pe’Sla—a sacred Lakota site.
Pe’Sla is not just a landmark; it’s a ceremonial center woven into the spiritual and cultural fabric of the Lakota people.
The proposed mining would desecrate that land, disrupt local ecosystems, and violate the Indigenous right to protect sacred sites.
NDN Collective is calling for an immediate halt to the proposal and urging allies to stand in defense of the Black Hills.
Their message is clear: our sacred sites are not for sale.
You can follow the campaign at ndncollective.org.
HOST: You’re listening to the Indigenous Rights Report, where we cut through the silence and bring you the stories that mainstream and alternative media often ignores.
Next up, you’ll hear how Kanaka Maoli organizers succeeded in halting the U.S. Army’s lease extension at Pōhakuloa (Po-hawk-a-loo-a) and how a massive carbon credit scheme in Kenya has once again been suspended over Indigenous rights violations.
If these stories matter to you—and they should—help break the silence. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
Now, let’s get back to the report.
In southeastern Guatemala, the Xinka people have once again rejected the Escobal silver mine.
For over a decade, they’ve faced violence, displacement, and court battles over the mine, which is operated by Canadian company Pan American Silver.
Now, after a lengthy consultation process ordered by the courts, the Xinka have said clearly and plainly: “No.”
They want the mine shut down permanently and their right to free, prior, and informed consent upheld—not just in rhetoric, but in law.
We will find out if Pan American Silver respects their wishes soon enough.
In a major decision, Hawaiʻi’s Board of Land and Natural Resources has voted against extending the U.S. Army’s lease of nearly 20,000 acres at the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island.
This land has been used for live-fire bombing exercises since the 1950s, despite its deep cultural and ecological significance to the Kānaka Maoli.
Opposition has grown steadily in recent years, as Native Hawaiian communities have raised concerns about unexploded ordnance, damage to endangered species habitats, and the desecration of sacred lands.
With the current lease set to expire in 2029, this rejection marks a pivotal moment in the broader struggle to protect ʻāina from military occupation and environmental harm.
In India’s Rajaji National Park, Indigenous families who were evicted in the name of conservation have reoccupied their traditional homes.
The Van Gujjar community was pushed out under a strict wildlife protection policy that treated them as intruders on their own land. But now, they’ve returned—planting crops, repairing shelters, and asserting their right to live with the forest, not apart from it.
Their quiet reoccupation challenges the myth that conservation means human exclusion.
For the Van Gujjars, protecting biodiversity and defending Indigenous rights go hand in hand.
In central India’s Bastar region, Adivasi communities are under siege.
More than 100 civil society organizations from around the world have issued an emergency statement, condemning the Indian government for what they call “escalating state violence” against Indigenous people.
Reports detail arbitrary arrests, killings, and militarized crackdowns—especially in areas where communities are resisting mining and displacement.
This international outcry is calling for accountability, immediate demilitarization, and respect for Adivasi self-governance.
As always, Indigenous resistance is being met not with dialogue, but with force.
And in the high mountains of northern Chile, Indigenous communities are once again organizing against mining in their ancestral lands.
A new project known as “Pascua Lama 2.0” is being quietly revived by Canadian company Barrick Gold. But Diaguita and Colla communities—who successfully shut down the first Pascua Lama mine years ago—are refusing to let history repeat itself.
They say the damage to glaciers, water sources, and sacred sites is unacceptable—and they’re calling for the full rejection of any new extraction in their territories.
A high-profile carbon offset project in northern Kenya—touted as the world’s largest soil carbon initiative—has been suspended once again.
The project, which sold credits to companies like Netflix and Meta, has come under fire for violating the rights of Indigenous pastoralist communities, including the Maasai, Borana, and Samburu.
Verra, the certifying body behind the scheme, suspended its approval following legal challenges and mounting evidence that the project restricts traditional grazing practices and lacks proper community consent.
A Kenyan court had already ruled against the scheme in January. For many, the case has become a global example of how carbon markets, when poorly regulated, can reinforce dispossession rather than support climate justice.
Finally, I bring you news of a wave of popular resistance in panama that is facing severe repression.
What began as protest against a controversial overhaul of the country’s Social Security Fund has grown into a wider movement—bringing together teachers, unions, students, and Indigenous peoples demanding justice and democratic accountability.
At the center is Law 462, which critics say shifts the burden of austerity onto the working class and marginalized communities. Protesters have faced police violence, mass arrests, and threats of legal retaliation. Yet, the mobilizations continue. Indigenous leaders in particular have warned that this law echoes a broader pattern of neoliberal policy that sacrifices rights, land, and sovereignty in the name of economic “reform.”
That wraps up this edition of the Indigenous Rights Report. Whether it’s courtroom victories, cultural revivals, or new paths to sovereignty, these stories show us what it means to lead with strength, memory, and purpose.
As always, you can follow more stories at icmagazine.org, and support this podcast by subscribing, sharing, or becoming a patron.
Until next time—stay grounded.
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.
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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
