The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) just sent out a reminder that today, March 25th, is the final chance to submit comments regarding the Yukon Flats Land Exchange proposal by the Alaskan Native Regional Corporation Doyon and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

If it’s approved they will be able to “acquire” lands around Gwich’in villages, and “the FWS will also be able to purchase native lands in other wildlife refuges within the State with the proceeds, so this land trade is detrimental to other Native communities in …

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 …

Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) have responded to the recent sentencing of Chief Donny Morris and 5 other members of the community. In no uncertain terms, they will continue to struggle for their land and rights. See the full Press Release below.

PRESS RELEASE

March 20, 2008

Kitchenuhmaykoosib, Ontario - We are saddened today that our leaders have been jailed for contempt and they’re there for what they strongly believe – to protect Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) Homelands!

As a result of our community assembly on March 18, 2008, the present Chief and Council notably, …

On March 4th, the Italian textile consortium Benetton filed a lawsuit in an Argentinian court that seeks to evict a Mapuche community from the land known as “Santa Rosa.” In February of last year, the Mapuche reclaimed the land after being violently evicted 5 years earlier.

The company claims the tract of land should be returned to them because the Mapuche didn’t listen to the order of Provincial Judge Omar Magellan, who forbade the community from making changes (that irreparably damage) the land.

So what are the changes? A gate, a …

Six of the seven members of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation were sentenced yesterday to six months in jail for opposing unsanctioned development on their Traditional lands. (video)

KIFN has yet to make any formal statements about the ruling, but Deputy Grand Chief Glen Hare, representing the 42 member communities of the Anishinabek Nation, has spoke out in support of the Six.

“In one breath we hear Ontario talk about the importance of First Nations sharing in the wealth of the province’s resource revenues, and in the next breath …

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, …

Following up the story published last week about Via Campesina’s “week of mobilization for Agrarian Reform and against the violence of big land-owners”, the women of Via Campesina and the Landless Workers Movement of Brazil organized several other actions to report—most notably, against the transnational companies Monsanto, and Syngenta.

On Friday, hundreds of women entered a research plant near Brazil’s capital of Sao Paolo, destroying a greenhouse and an experimentation field for the MON810 strain of GM corn. Patended by Monstanto, the strain was recently banned in France over concerns that it …

The Rural Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) has blockaded eight roads in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This action comes in response to the “violence and abuses” committed against 900 women two days ago.

Organized as part of a “week of mobilization for Agrarian Reform and against the violence of big land-owners”, the women of La Via Campesina decided to occupy a plot of land that was illegally acquired by the Swedish-Finnish company Stora Enso.

According to Via Campesina, Brazilian law states foreigners cannot own land that’s “less …

It was pretty much ‘business as usual’ for the month of February. Corporations continued acting as innocent third parties while Governments continued to demand indigenous People allow the theft of their lands and destruction of their cultures without question. “It’s in your best interests,” we’re told. “It’s for the greater good.”

Amidst this however, there was one important shift in the world this month–one that we can only hope will catch on in greater force. Governments began pulling back the reins of development, and a few corporations and Shareholders started withdrawing from and speaking …