Around Seventy members and supporters from the “the Hawaiian Kingdom Government” occupied the grounds of Iolani Palace on Wednesday, saying the grounds are the property of the “Hawaiian Kingdom.” They locked all the gates and barred government workers and the public from entering the area.

The action ended without incident on the same day, but then they returned the following day—only to leave and then once again return on Friday. The New York Times quoted the group’s leader as saying this is what they plan on doing every weekday from now on. …

The Western Shoshone Defense Project (WSDP) informs us that a public comment period will close next week, April 10th, on a proposal by the U.S. Department of Energy to increase nuclear weapons development at the Nevada Test Site, said to be ‘the most heavily-nuked region on the planet.’ The Test Site is located within the Treaty-recognized territory of Western Shoshone lands and has long been protested by Western Shoshone and their supporters.

Please take a moment in the next few days to submit your comment. You can find out how to …

Last month, the Cucapa and Kumiai Indigenous Communities of Baja California, Mexico, announced a multilateral project dedicated to making themselves autonomous, self-sufficient, traditionally-governed Peoples.

As explained in a project overview (see below), years of colonial policies on part of the Mexican government have produced “the almost complete loss of our autonomy, of our natural resources, and our culture, principally our native tongues, and the destruction of the social fabric within our communities and our forms of internal organization.”

Their situation is getting to the point now, they added, where “we will …

Here is a 5 minute summary of a two-day conference held last year at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law. Some of the topics discussed at the conference included: Indigenous Nations and the Legal Relativity of European Claims to Territorial Sovereignty in North America; Indigenous Law and its Contribution to Global Pluralism; Aboriginal Traditions of Tolerance and Reparation; Comprehending First Nations Jurisprudence; and, Ethical Space: Transforming Relations.

Following the summary you will find a handful of the full talks, all of which are available online. Each of these are about an hour long, and you will need Real Player or …

With Tibet exiles attempting to return home, the Chinese government is in the midst of conducting a “people’s war” of violence and propaganda against Tibetan Buddhists and anyone who supports the Dalai Lama. Since this began, about one week ago, anywhere up to 300 demonstrators have died and hundreds more have been detained. By the looks of things, the situation is going to get a lot worse in the coming days.

What you Can do to Help
Students for a Free Tibet ask you to “contact your local government …

13 West Papuans involved in a peaceful demonstration yesterday have been charged with subversion and rebellion under Indonesian law. The group was arrested for carrying and waving the Kejora (Morning Star) flag which the government has banned from public display.

It must be stated, however, that under the law of Special Autonomy, the People of West Papua are guaranteed the right to express their cultural practices and political aspirations. The Kejora Flag is a symbol of autonomy and independence for West Papuans.

A media alert prepared by Nick Chesterfield, …

The Canadian-based uranium giant Cameco Resources is attempting to expand their mining operation near Crawford, Nebraska. Last year they submitted a proposal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), asking permission to use another 2.4 billion gallons of water over the 4.7 billion they currently exploit (per year) from the High Plains aquifer, the largest aquifer in America.

If the expansion is approved as Cameco hopes it could seriously infringe on those who depend on water from the High Plains - and several interconnected aquifers; among them, the People of Pine …

As of January 1st, the indigenous town of Sanmin, located in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan, will be known as the Namasiya Township–marking the first day of a new government-backed effort to reclaim the names of Indigenous towns.

According to a an article on Tawain headlines, “the name rectification is in line with appeals from the indigenous movement as well as the “New Partnership between the Indigenous Peoples and the Government of Taiwan” treaty signed by President Chen Shui-bian in 1999 and reaffirmed in 2002…”

The treaty is made up of seven …

Black Mesa Indigenous Support has sent out an urgent call for people to help protect Yucca Mountain.

Located 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Mountain range is located on Shoshone territory as defined in the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. The US government however refuses to acknowledge the treaty and is currently planning to make the Mountain range into a major nuclear waste repository.

The Shoshone and numerous other Indigenous Nations, all of whom hold Yucca Mountain sacred, have been actively opposed to the plan from the beginning. …

Today, a group of Lakota calling themselves the Lakota Freedom Delegation are in Washington DC to announce their Nation’s withdrawal from all U.S. Treaties.

Information is fairly short at the moment, but they sent out a press release last week, explaining:

“For far too long our people have suffered at the hands of the colonial apartheid system imposed on the Lakota Sioux. Our treaties with the United States government are nothing more than worthless words on worthless paper – repeatedly violated in order to steal our culture, our land and our ability to maintain our way of life.

The devastation …