Stories about Indigenous from October, 2010
Ecuador: The Kichwa of Ecuador and the Oil Companies
Waves of Change points us towards I am a Defender of the Rainforest, a 2008 documentary by the Kichwa people of Ecuador, where they documented their struggles with oil companies who invaded their autonomous territories.
Guatemala: Photo Essay: ‘K'iche’ People Reject The Exploitation of their Natural Resources’
James Rodríguez begins his photo essay reporting that, “On a historic day, residents from the municipality of Santa Cruz del Quiché – one of Guatemala’s most important hubs and the birthplace of the Maya K’iche’ people – unanimously rejected the exploitation of natural goods and resources, in particular through mining...
Peru: Thousands of Indigenous People Block Rivers in Protest
Globalizado reports [es] that thousands of indigenous people in the Amazon are blocking the mouth of rivers Marañon and Tigre. The communities are protesting the constant contamination of the rivers by oil company Pluspetrol, which they accuse of neglecting those affected by a recent oil spill [es] and of not...
Chile: Natividad Llanquileo, voice of the Mapuche hunger strike
Natividad Llanquileo was the spokesperson of the Mapuche prisoners that were on hunger strike for more than 80 days; she is 26 years old and a law student. Media from different countries and social networks have been moved by this girl's image and steady voice that explains the hunger strike, the demands of the prisoners and the dignity of the Mapuche.
Russia: “Siberian Nationalism”
Window on Eurasia writes about “Siberian nationalism” – here and here.
Myanmar (Burma): The Plight of the Karen
The ethnic minority of the Karen are one of the groups that have been targeted by the Burmese army in its effort to defend the military regime. Burma Matters Now brings us a few videos that speak out about the plight of the Karen people as they try to survive in a violent environment.
Brazil: The Xingu River is no place for Belo Monte
On August 26 the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, signed a decree that transfers the concession to harness the hydroelectric potential of the Belo Monte Dam on the Amazon Xingu River. Indigenous people and river dweller have been organizing themselves into social and environmental resistance movements against the construction of the dam for their present way of life and means of survival will suffer a disastrous impact if the dam is built.
El Salvador: Nothing to Celebrate on ‘Día de la Raza,’ Columbus Day
In the blog El Trompudo Carlos Molina argues [es] that there is nothing to celebrate on the “día de la raza” (Colombus Day): “It should be the saddest day of our lives, because it was the day that started the robbery and looting of everything our natives had built.”
Chile: All Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike
The general hunger strike carried out by Mapuche prisoners prosecuted under Chile's anti-terrorism law reached its final closure today. The end was reached after prisoners in the cities of Angol and Victoria, as well as a Mapuche youth held in youth detention center, ended their strike. Most Mapuche prisoners had ended the protest on October 2.
Chile: Most Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike
Following intense negotiations with the Chilean government, 25 Mapuche prisoners being held at jails in the cities of Concepción, Angol, Temuco and Valdivia, ended a hunger strike that lasted 82 days. Nonetheless, 14 Mapuche prisoners held and hospitalized in several cities have not ended the strike.
Bangladesh: Vanishing Identity
“Indigenous peoples have become the most marginalized and vulnerable group in the country of Bangladesh in its thirty eight years of independence,” informs photojournalist and photo-blogger Monirul Alam. He has started a project which involves a visual and narrative documentation of the Indigenous people expressing their daily life, their cultural...
