By Brandi Morin (Cree/Iroquois). Photos by Ian Willms

Around the world, mining operations have deepened poverty in Indigenous communities and destroyed traditional livelihoods, leaving environmental devastation in their wake.

By Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag) 

By Human Rights Watch and ACLU

(Washington D.C., February 6, 2025) – The United States government’s decision to permit Lithium Americas to mine at Thacker Pass in Nevada violated Indigenous people’s rights, Human Rights Watch and the ACLU said in a report released today. The 18,000-acre mining project is under construction and will extract lithium from one of the world’s largest known deposits.

Cultural Survival's community includes people from all walks of life, with beautiful stories to tell of your own about why you decided to become an advocate for Indigenous Peoples' rights. Sharing these stories further connects our community, provides much-needed solidarity and validation to our staff and partners on the ground, and helps us inspire others to join our movement. We are excited to spotlight members and former interns of our community and highlight your contributions and perspectives through our Cultural Survival Spotlight series. 

By Press Release by Native American Rights Fund

(WASHINGTON D.C., 2/2/2025)—A coalition of Tribal organizations, representing Tribal Nations and their citizens and communities, is calling on the Administration to ensure that recent executive actions do not undermine the unique sovereign political status of Tribal Nations as sovereign nations with which the federal government has trust and treaty obligations, or disrupt federal funding that flows from those relationships for essential Tribal programs.

Cultural Survival strongly condemns the violent attack on Indigenous students and Indigenous Peoples’ rights activists’ protests on January 15, 2025, against the removal of the term "Adivasi" (Indigenous in Bangla) from school textbooks in Bangladesh.

Come learn about international human rights mechanisms, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and how they can aid in your advocacy efforts and put pressure on the U.S. government, both locally and nationally, to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights. 

We invite Tribal members and community advocates in preparation for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Third Universal Periodic Review of the United States in November 2025.

By Maya Chipana Lazzaro (Quechua, CS Staff)

World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture (WDAAC) is celebrated annually on January 24 to recognize and honor the contributions of African and Afrodescendant communities worldwide. Established by UNESCO in 2019, this day emphasizes the revival of African cultural heritage, the celebration of artistic creativity, and solidarity among African and Afrodescendant peoples globally.