Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
21 October to 1 November 2024, Cali, Colombia
AGENDA ITEM: OPENING STATEMENT
DATE: 21 OCTOBER 2024
Statement on behalf of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) delivered by Manuel Jesus Mavisoy Juagibioy of the Mesa Permanente de Concertacion.
Thank you, Madame President.
By Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Koĩts-Sunuwar, CS Staff)
From October 21 to November 1, 2024, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Conference of Parties (COP16) is happening in Cali,
SIGN ON NOW TO THIS STATEMENT BY NOVEMBER 6, 2024.
This statement is to articulate the rights of Indigenous Peoples globally to express our deep concern that financial institutions are continuing to fail to respect, recognize, and strengthen the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and local communities, and in particular, the inherent cross-cutting impacts on biodiversity and climate.
Nixon Piaguaje Yaiguaje is an Indigenous leader, politician, and journalist from the Siona Peoples in the Colombian Amazon. The Siona People are under many threats to their existence. He is currently the Communication Coordinator for OZIP and director of Radio Waira 104.7 FM, which represents the 11 Indigenous Peoples of Putumayo who are members of the Indigenous Organization of the Putumayo Area. Nixon Piaguaje Yaiguaje is part of Cultural Survival's Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 delegation in Cali, Colombia.
In the United States, 21 states and Washington, D.C. now celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, or a holiday of a similar name, on the second Monday of October, as an official holiday or via proclamation. In 2021, Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day, however he did not replace Columbus Day.
By commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize colonization persists today and perpetuates oppression and violence against Indigenous Peoples as well as their sovereignty and self-determination.
KatieLee Riddle descends from the Iwi of Rongowhakaata on the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island. She is a Māori researcher at Te Kotahi Research Institute, an interdisciplinary research hub based at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand that specializes in Māori-focused initiatives, research, and capacity-building to support the aspirations of Iwi, Māori, and Indigenous communities.
It's time to recognize that celebrating the life of Christopher Columbus also celebrates the erasure of Indigenous existence. While there is a growing movement around the country to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, more work remains to be done. We are excited to share some local and national events celebrating Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples Day.
On October 14-15, 2024, Mni Ki Wakan (Water is Sacred) (“MKW”) Co-conveners, Cultural Survival, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, UMN-Twin Cities-American Indian Studies Department, and partners are convening the Mni Ki Wakan Summit, themed, “Confluence of Rising Currents: Indigenous Water Justice, Co-Governance, & Indigenous Youth Leadership.” The MKW Summit will take place in the ancestral and traditional territory of the Dakota people, Mniśota Makoce, The Land of Misty & Foggy Waters.
By Tia-Alexi Roberts (Narragansett, CS Staff)
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
