By Radio B'alam - Voces Mayas
In the neighborhoods of Oakland, California, you’ll hear the rhythms of marimba music, see colorful traditional clothing, and hear the distinct sounds of the Mayan Mam language being spoken. Fleeing the civil wars in Guatemala during the 1980s, many Mam people sought refuge in the U.S. Over the decades more have continued to migrate, and today Oakland is home to thousands of Mam people—one of the largest concentrations of Mam people outside Guatemala.
By Ellen Moore, Earthworks
From June 10 to 13, 2025, heavy rainfall hit Obi Island in Indonesia. As a result, muddy floods submerged three villages in the Island where one of largest nickel mining companies in Indonesia, Harita Group, has been operating.
By Bryan Bixcul (Maya-Tz’utujil), SIRGE Coalition Global Coordinator
By Lucas Kasosi (Maasai, CS Intern)
“When you are no longer allowed to talk to your ancestors, to pray in your forest, to feed yourself, then you are no longer fully alive.”
—Alex Ahimbisibwe, Batwa Indigenous leader, educator, and founder of BIDO
Dear Cultural Survival Community,
By Oliver Lopez
On a breezy morning in April 2025, after a long week of discussions at the 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 32 delegates, Indigenous leaders, and Elders from around the world were invited by Comunidad Integradora de Saberes Andinos (CISA) and New York City’s Riverside Park Conservancy to gather at the Riverside Park Bird Sanctuary.
Carmem Cazaubon, Capacity Building Program Assistant, is from Brazil. Currently based in Rio de Janeiro, she grew up in the coastal town of Rio Grande. She holds a Bachelor's degree in History with a focus on Anthropology. Carmem has been supporting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and cultural resilience through research, international advocacy, and grassroots engagement. She is passionate about cultural diversity, travelling, and being in nature. In her free time, she plays in a carnival group and watches independent movies from around the world. Carmem is fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Italian. Contact her at: carmem.cazaubon@
By Tia-Alexi Roberts (Narragansett, CS staff)
Although rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth, they harbor over half of its plant and animal species. These vital, biodiverse regions regulate the global climate by collecting carbon and producing oxygen. For millions of Indigenous Peoples, rainforests are homelands, providing food, medicine, and cultural identity. Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge is crucial for forest sustainability and environmental resilience.
New documentary by acclaimed journalist Brandi Morin captures Shuar Peoples' resistance to a copper mining project threatening 268 square kilometers of pristine Amazon rainforest
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.
