· February, 2009

Stories about Indigenous from February, 2009

Brunei: Fund drive for flood victims

As part of the efforts to collect donations for flood victims, charity drives have been organized in recent weeks in Brunei. The heavy downpour last month caused heavy floods and landslides in the country, affecting homes of more than 200 families, and destroying milllions of dollars in properties and crops.

25 February 2009

Fiji: Samoan PM criticisizes Fiji's government

Bloggers in Fiji and around the Pacific are remarking on recent comments by Samoa’s Prime Minister harshly criticizing Fiji’s military government. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said in an interview that he believes Fiji’s self appointed Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has no intention of relinquishing power. He also called on the people of Fiji to reclaim its government

25 February 2009

Peru: Portrayal of Andean Life in Llosa's Movies

The recent film "The Milk of Sorrow" by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa was recently awarded with the Golden Bear at an international film festival in Berlin. Even though the film has yet to open in Peru, debate has started whether or not Llosa's portrayal of Andean life is accurate or in some cases racist towards the indigenous communities that figure prominently in her movies.

22 February 2009

Worldwide: 2,500 Languages Disappearing

An interactive map of endangered languages, showing 2,500 out of 6,000 tongues at risk, has been released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The international organization asks users to contribute comments to a project that has many bloggers worried about preserving cultures.

20 February 2009

Indigenous Activists Seek New .indigi Domain

Marginalized and oppressed for centuries, indigenous peoples – native communities around the world often considered minorities by states – are seeking Internet autonomy. Encouraged by the opportunity to create new...

20 February 2009

Guadeloupe: Where is it exactly?

French West Indian blogger Fwiyapin questions the way in which traditional French media are dealing with the Guadeloupean crisis – images of Guadeloupe and Madagascar mixed up on ITélé, or...

20 February 2009

Brazil: Blogging from riverside communities in the Amazon

Encouraged by the NGO Saúde e Alegria, youngters from 31 riverside communities in the Amazon are learning the benefits of blogging. Armed with media kits – sound equipment, editorial desks, video equipment and an Internet connection – they have started to show their faces to the world.

19 February 2009

Colombia: The Awá Indigenous Community Caught in the Middle

The ongoing conflict deep within the Colombian jungle between the FARC, ELN and the Colombian Armed Forces often finds people caught in the middle. Authorities are investigating the killing of dozens of members of the Awá indigenous community, and are blaming the FARC guerrillas for the crime. Many say that the Awá have been targeted because of the suspicion that they are acting as informants, something which the government denies. Nevertheless, this indigenous group is now being displaced from their land because of the violence.

17 February 2009

USA: Native Americans, “Yes we can”

Kept invisible for centuries, Native Americans in the United States are increasingly using blogs and online citizen media to promote and preserve their rights and traditional ways of life. With the election of President Awe Kooda Bilaxpak Kuuxshish (Barack Obama’s adopted Crow Tribe name) indigenous peoples see new reasons to be optimistic.

17 February 2009

Bahamas: Artistic Tourism

“All studies about the creative industries…and tourist development indicate that a failsure way of driving tourists to a destination is by creating a purpose for them to visit…but a word...

14 February 2009

Jamaica: Dancehall Ban

Following the broadcast ban on Rampin Shop and other sexually explicit songs, Raw Politics…Jamaica Style! thinks that dancehall must rehabilitate its public image, while Long Bench believes that while the...

12 February 2009

Cuba: “Cachaito” Passes On

Havana Times reports that one of the founding members of the famous Buena Vista Social Club, Cuban bass player Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, has died at a Havana hospital after complications...

11 February 2009