Indigenous Leadership and land Protection
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An Alternative Approach to Bridge Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science for Conservation
This commentary argues that Indigenous knowledge and Western science should not be forced into one merged system. Instead, it calls for conservation partnerships where different knowledge systems can stand on their own terms, with Indigenous communities retaining authority over their knowledge, values, and decision-making.
Conservation Tech Without Indigenous Knowledge and Local Context Has Limits
Drones, GPS tools, satellite imagery, and apps can help communities monitor forests and biodiversity, but this commentary warns that technology alone is not enough. Conservation tools work best when they are guided by Indigenous knowledge, local priorities, and community control.
Cuts to USAID Severed Longstanding American Support for Indigenous People in the Amazon
This article reports that cuts to U.S. funding weakened long-running support for Indigenous communities in Peru and other Amazon regions. The loss of funding increased pressure on communities already defending land, livelihoods, forests, and human rights.
Like a Virus: Corruption Has Infected the Fight Against Climate Change
Grist examines how bribery, conflicts of interest, theft, and weak oversight can undermine climate projects and endanger Indigenous land defenders. The article shows that climate finance and conservation programs must include transparency, accountability, and community power.
Mongabay Investigation Spurs Brazil Crackdown on Illegal Cattle in Arariboia Territory
After reporting exposed illegal cattle ranching inside the Arariboia Indigenous Territory, Brazilian authorities moved against the activity. The case highlights how journalism, Indigenous territorial defense, and enforcement can work together against land grabbing and forest destruction.
Indigenous Communities in Indonesia Demand Halt to Land-Grabbing Government Projects
More than 250 Indigenous and local community members gathered in Merauke, Indonesia, to protest government-backed projects they say threaten customary lands. The article connects food-estate and development plans with land rights, forests, and community survival.
Indonesian Court Blocks Palm Oil Expansion, but Leaves Indigenous Land Rights in Limbo
An Indonesian court blocked a palm oil company’s expansion, but Indigenous communities still face uncertainty over formal land recognition. The article shows that stopping one destructive project does not fully protect a community unless land rights are secured.
'Unprecedented' Supreme Court Bill Threatens Indigenous Rights in Brazil
'Unprecedented' Supreme Court bill threatens Indigenous rights in Brazil | Mongabay | March 19, 2025
A proposed bill in Brazil threatened to weaken Indigenous veto power over activities affecting ancestral lands. The article focuses on constitutional rights, consent, mining, infrastructure, and the danger of rewriting land protections under political pressure.
After Outcry, Brazil Supreme Court Nixes Proposal for Mining on Indigenous Lands
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court removed a proposal that would have opened Indigenous territories to mining and other economic activities. The decision was a significant defense of Indigenous land rights against extractive development.
Indonesia's Indigenous Akit Community Faces Exploitation and Land Loss
Indonesia's Indigenous Akit community faces exploitation and land loss | Mongabay | March 21, 2025
This commentary describes how the Akit people of Indonesia have seen their territorial rights eroded as land shifts into private company control. It presents land loss as a threat to culture, livelihood, ecological stewardship, and self-determination.
Indigenous Peoples Demand Consultation as Controversial Road Paves Through Peru's Amazon
A highway project in Peru’s Amazon threatens the lands of Maijuna, Kichwa, Bora, and Huitoto peoples, as well as protected areas. Indigenous communities are demanding proper consultation and stronger safeguards before development cuts deeper into forest territories.
Colombia Creates Landmark Territory to Protect Uncontacted Indigenous Groups
Colombia created a special protected territory for Indigenous peoples living in isolation. The decision recognizes that the most important protection for uncontacted peoples is secure territory free from outside invasion, disease, and extractive pressure.
Ecuador Must Improve Conditions for Uncontacted Indigenous Communities, Human Rights Court Rules
A human rights court ruled that Ecuador must better protect uncontacted Indigenous communities. The article links land protection, oil and logging threats, state responsibility, and the right of isolated peoples to remain undisturbed.
Pressure Bears Down Around Isolated Tribes at One of the Last Frontiers of Brazil's Amazon
This article reports on rising deforestation pressure near isolated Indigenous peoples in Brazil’s Amazon. It shows how roads, land grabbing, and weak enforcement can endanger communities that have chosen no regular contact with outside society.
DRC Conflict So Far Devastating to Indigenous Lands and People
DRC conflict so far 'devastating' to Indigenous lands and people | Mongabay | March 2025
This interview describes how conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has displaced Indigenous people and disrupted access to ancestral lands. It shows how war, conservation, mining pressure, and human rights are often intertwined in forest regions.
What Pushes Indigenous Munduruku People to Mine Their Land in Brazil's Amazon
This article examines why some Munduruku people become involved in mining despite the severe damage mining causes to land, water, and health. It points to poverty, lack of alternatives, outside pressure, and the need for community-led economic solutions.
The 2025 U.N. Forum on Indigenous Issues Starts Today
The 2025 U.N. Forum on Indigenous Issues starts today | Mongabay | April 2025
Mongabay previews the 2025 U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where delegates planned to discuss extractive industries, deforestation, carbon markets, and land rights. The article shows how global diplomacy has become a key arena for Indigenous environmental leadership.
Indigenous Leaders Optimistic After Resumed U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Rome
Indigenous leaders saw progress after resumed COP16 biodiversity negotiations in Rome. The article highlights finance, participation, recognition of Indigenous peoples and local communities, and the continuing push to turn promises into practical support.
What Was Achieved, and Not, for Indigenous and Local Leaders at COP16
What was achieved, and not, for Indigenous and local leaders at COP16 | Mongabay | November 2024
This COP16 review explains the gains and disappointments for Indigenous peoples and local communities at the U.N. biodiversity summit. It shows progress in formal recognition, but also continuing concerns over funding, power, and implementation.
What Indigenous Leaders Want From the COP16 U.N. Biodiversity Conference
Indigenous leaders entered COP16 calling for direct funding, land rights, full participation, and respect for traditional knowledge. The article frames biodiversity protection as inseparable from Indigenous governance and territorial security.
What Indigenous Leaders Want From the COP29 U.N. Climate Conference
What Indigenous leaders want from the COP29 U.N. climate conference | Mongabay | November 11, 2024
Indigenous delegates outlined priorities for COP29, including climate finance, stronger rights language, and safeguards against harmful carbon markets. The article shows that Indigenous climate leadership is focused on both mitigation and justice.
Indigenous Territories and Peoples Are Key to Achieving COP16's 30x30 Target
This commentary argues that the global goal to conserve 30% of land and sea by 2030 cannot succeed without Indigenous territories. It calls for conservation targets that secure rights, support community governance, and avoid displacement.
Study: REDD+ Doesn't Work Without Indigenous Peoples, but Fails to Engage Them
A study found that REDD+ forest-carbon programs often depend on Indigenous stewardship but fail to properly involve Indigenous peoples. The article highlights the need for territorial defense, Indigenous-led monitoring, and direct governance in climate policy.
Inclusive Tracking and Recognition of Area-Based Conservation Helps People and Planet
Researchers argue that global conservation databases undercount community-governed lands and other conservation efforts outside formal protected areas. The article supports recognizing Indigenous and local stewardship as part of real conservation progress.
Colombia Decree Recognizes Indigenous People as Environmental Authorities
Colombia decree recognizes Indigenous people as environmental authorities | Mongabay | October 2024
Colombia issued a decree recognizing Indigenous peoples as environmental authorities in their territories. The measure strengthens Indigenous governance and gives formal weight to community decisions about land, biodiversity, and natural resource management.
Indigenous Guardians Embark on a Sacred Pact to Protect the Lowland Tapir in Colombia
Indigenous guardians in Colombia are working to protect the lowland tapir through a conservation effort rooted in spiritual and cultural responsibility. The story shows how species protection can be guided by sacred relationships rather than only scientific management.
Paraguay's Indigenous Paĩ Tavyterã Communities Fight Invaders, Fires and Drought
The Paĩ Tavyterã people of Paraguay face land invasion, fire, and drought while defending ancestral territories. The article connects climate stress, criminal land pressure, and the need for stronger protection of Indigenous lands.
Fires Rip Through Indigenous Territories in Brazilian Amazon
Fires rip through Indigenous territories in Brazilian Amazon | Mongabay | November 29, 2024
Fires damaged Indigenous territories in Brazil’s Amazon, raising fears that roads and development could make future invasions and deforestation worse. The article highlights the growing overlap between climate extremes and land-grabbing pressure.
Communities Band Together to Save Besieged Reserve in Bolivia
Communities band together to save besieged reserve in Bolivia | Mongabay | November 2024
Communities near Bolivia’s Tucabaca Valley Municipal Wildlife Reserve formed a movement to defend the area from clearing, fire, infrastructure, and mining pressure. The reserve includes Indigenous communities whose knowledge and dependence on the landscape are central to protection efforts.
We Need an Indigenous Conservation State of Mind
We need an Indigenous conservation state of mind | Mongabay | November 28, 2024
This commentary argues that many Indigenous cultures carry a conservation ethic rooted in responsibility to land, water, animals, and future generations. It calls for conservation to learn from Indigenous worldviews rather than treating them as secondary to outside science.
If All Life Mattered, What Would Decision-Making Look Like?
This analysis explores Indigenous and community worldviews that recognize rivers, forests, mountains, animals, and plants as beings with agency and value. It asks how governance would change if societies took interdependence and reciprocity seriously.
At COP16, Conservationists Will Be Neighbors With the Legacy of Fortress Conservation
This commentary uses Colombia’s Los Farallones region to show how fortress conservation can displace or alienate local people. It argues that biodiversity policy must respect those who have long lived with and cared for protected landscapes.
Deforestation Plunges but Environmental Threats Remain as Colombia Hosts COP16
As Colombia hosted COP16, Indigenous groups emphasized that lower deforestation numbers do not erase historic debts or current land threats. The article connects national conservation progress with unresolved questions of Indigenous rights and territorial protection.
COP16 Biodiversity Meeting Recap: Progress Made, but Still Far to Go
COP16 biodiversity meeting recap: Progress made, but still far to go | Mongabay | November 4, 2024
Mongabay’s COP16 recap describes progress on biodiversity finance and participation while noting unfinished work. Indigenous and local community leaders saw openings for recognition but continued to press for stronger rights, funding, and enforcement.
COP16: A Fund Unlike Any Other Will Pay Tropical Nations to Save Forests
COP16: 'A fund unlike any other' will pay tropical nations to save forests | Mongabay | October 2024
This article examines a proposed tropical forest finance mechanism and the challenge of making forest protection payments fair. It is relevant to Indigenous land protection because climate finance often depends on the forests Indigenous peoples and local communities already protect.
Biodiversity Credit Approaches Multiply as Concerns Cloud Confidence
Biodiversity credit approaches multiply as concerns cloud confidence | Mongabay | November 2024
Biodiversity credit markets are expanding, but concerns remain about credibility, land rights, and benefits for communities. The article shows why Indigenous peoples and local communities must be protected from conservation finance schemes that use their territories without real consent.
Record Number of Indigenous Land Titles Granted in Peru Via Innovative Process
A partnership in the Peruvian Amazon helped secure 37 Indigenous land titles in record time. The article presents land titling as a practical conservation and rights strategy that can protect forests while strengthening community authority.
Indigenous Peoples Won in Court — but in Practice, They Face a Different Reality
This article reports that governments often fail to fully implement international court rulings that favor Indigenous land rights. It shows that legal victories matter, but enforcement, funding, and political will determine whether communities regain real control.
Ahead of COP16, Groups Warn of Rights Abuses Linked to 30x30 Goal
Ahead of COP16, groups warn of rights abuses linked to 30x30 goal | Mongabay | September 18, 2024
Human rights organizations warned that the global 30x30 conservation goal could lead to abuses if implemented through exclusionary protected areas. The article stresses that conservation targets must include Indigenous rights, consent, and secure tenure.
U.S. Government Watchdog: Human Rights Still at Risk in Overseas Conservation Aid
A U.S. Government Accountability Office review found continuing human rights risks in conservation-related foreign aid. The article adds to concerns that conservation funding can harm Indigenous peoples if donors fail to enforce rights protections.
Maasai Women Struggle to Survive Amid Forced Evictions in Conservation Area
Maasai women in Tanzania describe the consequences of forced evictions tied to conservation and tourism. The story shows how fortress conservation can damage livelihoods, culture, safety, and women’s rights.
How the Brazilian Military Sabotaged Protection of Indigenous People in the Amazon
This investigation examines failures by Brazil’s military to protect Indigenous peoples in the Amazon. It shows how weak or hostile state action can leave communities exposed to miners, loggers, disease, and violence.
We Need White Men on Our Side to Save the Amazon, 92-Year-Old Indigenous Chief Raoni Says
Indigenous leader Chief Raoni called on global leaders to support Amazon protection and Indigenous territorial demarcation. The article frames recognition of Indigenous lands as a necessary part of national and global climate policy.
Communities Fend Off Attacks as Officials Study Brazil's Anti-Indigenous Land Rights Bill
Indigenous communities in Brazil faced attacks while courts considered a law that could restrict land rights to a narrow historical cutoff date. The article shows how legal uncertainty can embolden land grabbers and increase violence.
Indonesia Expands IPLC Land Recognition — but the Pace Is Too Slow, Critics Say
Indonesia issued land titles for more than 1 million hectares to Indigenous peoples and local communities, but advocates warned that recognition remains far too slow. The article shows the gap between policy announcements and the scale of land still awaiting recognition.
Reporting Confirms Alleged Indigenous Rights Violations in Nepal Hydropower Project
Reporting on a Nepal hydropower project confirmed concerns about Indigenous rights violations. The story connects renewable energy development with consultation, consent, and the risk that climate infrastructure can harm Indigenous communities.
Indigenous Communities Sidelined for Suriname's New Carbon Credit Program, Critics Say
Critics say Suriname’s carbon credit program gives Indigenous and Tribal peoples too small a role and too little benefit from forests they help protect. The article highlights the danger of climate finance systems that monetize Indigenous territories without equitable governance.
Community Consultations Must Also Include Women, Not Just Men
Community consultations must also include women, not just men | Mongabay | August 14, 2024
This commentary argues that conservation and land decisions must include Indigenous women, not only male leaders. It connects gender justice with land rights, traditional knowledge, and more inclusive conservation outcomes.
Climate Change Could Return a Stolen Lake to Indigenous People a Century Later
The Semá:th people and researchers are calling for restoration of a drained lake as climate change makes the old lakebed harder to keep dry. The story links historical land theft, climate adaptation, wetlands restoration, and Indigenous-led repair.
In Sumatra, a One-Time Illegal Logger Grows Back a Forest for His People
A former illegal logger in Sumatra turned toward forest restoration and community benefit. The article shows how local knowledge, Indigenous or customary land ties, and practical livelihood alternatives can support forest recovery.
On Canada's West Coast, Clam Gardening Builds Resilience Among Indigenous Youth
Indigenous youth on Canada’s West Coast are learning clam gardening, an ancient coastal stewardship practice. The story connects food sovereignty, marine restoration, intergenerational knowledge, and cultural resilience.
For Indigenous Communities, AI Brings Peril — and Promise
Grist reports that artificial intelligence and data infrastructure raise new risks for Indigenous lands, water, energy systems, and cultural knowledge. The article also shows how Indigenous communities are developing ways to use technology while defending sovereignty and data rights.
Ten States Fund Prisons Using Stolen Indigenous Lands
This investigation found that state trust lands taken from Indigenous peoples generate money for prison systems, often through extractive industries. The article connects land theft, fossil fuel development, carceral funding, and the broader land-back movement.
A Filing Error Put 90,000 Acres of Yakama Nation Land in Washington's Hands
Grist reports on 90,000 acres of Yakama Nation land managed as Washington state trust lands because of a filing error. Returning the land could strengthen tribal sovereignty and improve environmental stewardship within the reservation.
Growing a Word Forest: The Kenyan Teacher Trying to Save Her Language From Extinction
Juliana Loshiro is teaching Yaakunte in northern Kenya while linking language revival to forest protection. Students plant and label trees, showing how language, traditional ecological knowledge, and Indigenous stewardship can grow together.
We Play for Indian Country: How the Bilingual Basketball League Is Preserving Indigenous Languages
The Bilingual Basketball program uses sport to help Native youth learn and celebrate Indigenous languages. The story shows language revitalization as a living cultural practice tied to identity, healing, community pride, and intergenerational continuity.
Mimal Indigenous Protected Area Dedicated in Arnhem Land
Mimal IPA dedicated in Arnhem Land, protecting 1.6m hectares | The Courier-Mail | June 2026
The Mimal Indigenous Protected Area in Arnhem Land protects about 1.6 million hectares of country rich in threatened species, rock art, sacred places, and cultural landscapes. Managed by Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation and Indigenous rangers, the project strengthens a major conservation corridor while supporting jobs, traditional knowledge, and First Nations stewardship.
Official Marking of Land for Brazil’s Uncontacted Kawahiva People Begins After 27-Year Wait
Brazil began demarcating the Pardo River Kawahiva Indigenous territory after decades of delay. The protected area is critical for the survival of an uncontacted people threatened by logging, mining, land grabbing, and agribusiness expansion in the Amazon.
UBC Researchers Find Indigenous Lands Can Outperform Protected Areas on Conservation
UBC researchers reviewed more than 100 studies and found that Indigenous-managed lands often match or outperform government protected areas on forests, biodiversity, and carbon storage. The findings reinforce the case for funding, recognizing, and respecting Indigenous land stewardship.
What the U.S. Could Learn About Mining on Indigenous Lands
This article compares U.S. mining policy with stronger Indigenous consultation and consent systems in other countries. It focuses on lithium and other minerals needed for the energy transition, showing how climate solutions can reproduce colonial harms if Indigenous land rights are weak.
Indigenous Peoples Bear the Brunt of Climate Change and Get Almost None of the Money to Fight It
Indigenous communities are among the most exposed to climate impacts, yet climate finance systems rarely deliver money directly to them. The article shows why direct funding, land rights, and self-determination are essential parts of climate justice.
Meeting Climate Targets Requires Humanity to Reorient Its Relationship With Nature
This article discusses large-landscape conservation, including the Yellowstone-to-Yukon vision, and the role of Indigenous stewardship in protecting ecosystems. It argues that meeting climate and biodiversity goals requires changing how societies relate to land, wildlife, and Indigenous governance.
California Launches Landmark Tribal Stewardship Policy
California announced a policy goal of expanding meaningful tribal stewardship over at least 7.5 million acres of land and coastal waters. The policy links conservation, cultural restoration, co-management, and the historical injustice of unratified treaties.
California Sets 7.5 Million-Acre Tribal Stewardship Goal
This interview explains California’s new tribal stewardship goal and how it may expand co-management, land return, and access to ancestral places. It highlights both the promise of the policy and the need for durable authority rather than symbolic consultation.
How Weaving, Glamping and Kayak Tours Are Helping to Tackle Deforestation in Argentina’s Gran Chaco
Communities in Argentina’s Gran Chaco are developing ecotourism, weaving, and local livelihoods as alternatives to selling timber or clearing forest. The story shows how conservation can succeed when local and Indigenous communities receive practical economic options that keep forests standing.
Washoe Tribe Completes Historic 10,274-Acre Land Return Near Lake Tahoe
The Washoe Tribe acquired more than 10,000 acres of ancestral land near Lake Tahoe, now known as WélmeltiɁ Preserve. The land return supports habitat restoration, cultural practices, tribal sovereignty, and youth reconnection with ancestral homelands.
Washoe Tribe Buys 10,000 Acres in One of California’s Largest Ever Land Returns
The Washoe Tribe’s purchase of former Loyalton Ranch represents one of California’s largest tribal land returns. The land includes forests, sagebrush, meadows, and culturally important places that will be managed for conservation and Washoe cultural renewal.
The Land Has Been Calling Us Back, and We Are Answering That Call
This article explores the meaning of the Washoe land return in the Sierra Nevada. Tribal leaders describe the land as a place for gathering, ceremony, medicine, food, and healing from generations of displacement.
Klamath Indigenous Land Trust Purchases 10,000 Acres as Salmon Return
The Klamath Indigenous Land Trust purchased 10,000 acres along the Klamath River as salmon return after dam removal. The acquisition links land-back, river restoration, cultural fire, salmon recovery, and Indigenous-led conservation.
Klamath Indigenous Land Trust Purchases 10,000 Acres for Conservation as Salmon Return Upriver
This article covers the Klamath Indigenous Land Trust’s major land purchase after the removal of Klamath River dams. The project gives Indigenous stewards a larger role in healing salmon habitat and restoring lands long altered by industrial use.
A Magical Place: Revived California Land Purchased for $10 Million
'Magical place': Revived California land purchased for $10 million | SFGATE | January 6, 2026
The Klamath Indigenous Land Trust’s purchase of former reservoir lands represents a major Indigenous-led private land acquisition. The story connects salmon return, cultural restoration, stream repair, and land-back momentum in the Klamath Basin.
A Framework for Kara-Kichwa Data Sovereignty in Latin America and the Caribbean
This paper presents an Indigenous data sovereignty framework grounded in Kara-Kichwa legal systems, ancestral memory, collective authority, and biocultural ethics. It expands land protection conversations into knowledge governance, digital sovereignty, and the right of Indigenous peoples to control data about their territories and cultures.
Returning the Commons to Indigenous Hands
Returning the Commons to Indigenous Hands | Atmos | November 23, 2025
This article examines how returning public and conservation lands to Indigenous stewardship can benefit people and ecosystems. It emphasizes that land-back must include funding, authority, and respect for Indigenous decision-making rather than symbolic transfers.
Washoe Tribe to Acquire 10,000 Acres in Largest Sierra Nevada Land Return
This local report details the funding and conservation partnerships behind the Washoe Tribe’s acquisition of Loyalton Ranch. The article frames the purchase as both ecological protection and the return of ancestral land to Indigenous care.
The Relationship Between Indigenous Peoples’ Lands and Conservation Outcomes
This research reviews evidence on how Indigenous lands compare with protected areas for conservation outcomes. The article supports the idea that Indigenous governance should be treated as a central conservation strategy, not an afterthought.
Governments and Philanthropies Renew $1.8 Billion Land Tenure Pledge
Governments and philanthropic funders renewed a major pledge to support Indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant communities in securing land rights. The pledge recognizes that secure tenure is one of the strongest tools for protecting forests and reducing climate risk.
Indigenous Peoples’ Advocacy at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
IWGIA explains how Indigenous peoples organize within U.N. climate negotiations through the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change. The article highlights advocacy for rights, direct participation, free prior and informed consent, and climate policy grounded in Indigenous priorities.
How Indigenous Negotiators Fared in 2024
How Indigenous Negotiators Fared in 2024 | Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim | IISD | March 13, 2025
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim reviews Indigenous participation in major environmental negotiations during 2024. The article explains where progress was made, where negotiations fell short, and why Indigenous leadership must shape biodiversity, climate, and desertification policy.
From Uprooted to Uplifted: The Movement to Restore Indigenous Land Rights
This article examines land-rights restoration as a strategy for climate mitigation, forest protection, and social justice. It focuses on how Indigenous and local community-led solutions can create durable conservation outcomes when communities hold real authority over land.
Indonesia’s Indigenous Communities Sidelined From Conservation
Indigenous communities in Indonesia continue to face barriers to managing forests that overlap with conservation areas. The article shows how top-down conservation can undermine the very communities whose knowledge and stewardship help protect biodiversity.
New Human Rights Principles Aim to End Fortress Conservation Abuses
This article discusses principles intended to prevent conservation projects from displacing or abusing Indigenous peoples. It highlights the shift away from fortress conservation and toward rights-based models that protect both people and ecosystems.
Tribal Lands Were Stolen. What Happens When Those Ancestral Territories Are Returned?
Vox explores how land-back projects can support ecological restoration, cultural healing, and climate resilience. Examples include Indigenous-led restoration of wetlands, native plants, rivers, and sacred places damaged by colonial land seizure.
Protecting Biodiversity Hinges on Securing Indigenous and Community Land Rights
WRI explains why biodiversity protection depends on recognizing the land rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. The article argues that conservation goals will fail if governments ignore the people who have long protected forests, savannas, wetlands, and other ecosystems.
Rights for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to Forests and Biodiversity
This briefing calls for conservation policies that protect land rights, women’s traditional knowledge, community decision-making, and Indigenous authority. It argues that biodiversity protection should strengthen, not weaken, the rights of the people who care for forests and territories.
Indigenous Peoples Call for Direct Funding to Protect Nature at COP16
At the COP16 biodiversity summit in Colombia, Indigenous representatives called for direct funding and meaningful participation in nature protection. The article highlights a central demand: conservation finance should reach Indigenous communities rather than being controlled mostly by intermediaries.
Do Indigenous Peoples Really Conserve 80% of the World’s Biodiversity?
Mongabay examines the widely repeated claim that Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity. The article supports Indigenous-led conservation while warning that movements are stronger when they rely on accurate evidence and avoid unsupported statistics.
How Scientists Debunked One of Conservation’s Most Influential Statistics
This article explains why the claim that Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity was challenged by researchers. It reinforces the importance of defending Indigenous stewardship with careful data, not oversimplified claims that opponents can use to discredit conservation work.
Indigenous Rights and Outer Space
This paper applies Indigenous rights and sovereignty principles to space policy, satellite constellations, and astronomy. It expands Indigenous environmental protection into the dark and quiet sky, arguing that consultation and anti-colonial governance should apply beyond land and water.
Land Matters: How Indigenous Land Restitution Can Inform Loss and Damage Policy
This academic article connects Indigenous land restitution with climate loss-and-damage policy. It argues that climate justice must address colonial land dispossession and learn from Indigenous struggles for territory, repair, and self-determination.
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Culture in Sustainable Forest Management
This research examines how Indigenous knowledge and culture can strengthen sustainable forest management. The article emphasizes that forest policy should recognize spiritual values, customary practices, and community governance rather than treating forests only as economic resources.
In India, the Pristine Island of Great Nicobar Threatened by a Mega-Development Project
Great Nicobar Island is home to vulnerable Indigenous communities and rare ecosystems, but a massive development project threatens forests, coral reefs, and tribal reserves. The article shows how infrastructure projects can endanger both biodiversity and Indigenous survival.
Indigenous Filipinos Fight to Protect Biodiverse Mountains From Mining
Indigenous Filipinos fight to protect biodiverse mountains from mining | Mongabay Video | 2024
Indigenous Tagbanua communities and local allies are resisting mining threats in biodiverse mountains in the Philippines. The video story shows how land defense, water protection, and cultural survival are connected in Indigenous-led environmental campaigns.
The Best Protection for Forests? The People Who Live in Them
This article reports on evidence that Indigenous and tribal peoples are critical guardians of forest ecosystems. It explains how land grabs, weak legal rights, and outside conservation models can undermine the people most capable of protecting forests.
Indigenous Peoples’ Lands Are Vital for Global Biodiversity Conservation
This scientific study finds that Indigenous peoples’ lands are important for mammal conservation and global biodiversity goals. The research supports policies that recognize Indigenous rights, strengthen partnerships, and respect the authority of Indigenous landholders.
As Climate Crisis Alters Their Lands, Indigenous Peoples Turn to Courts
As climate crisis alters their lands, Indigenous Peoples turn to courts | UNEP | August 8, 2023
UNEP examines how Indigenous peoples are using courts to demand action on climate change, pollution, and threats to their territories. The article shows legal strategy becoming an increasingly important tool for land defense and climate accountability.
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
The Nature Conservancy argues that future conservation must be based on authentic partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities. The article emphasizes that conservation outcomes improve when community rights, leadership, and traditional knowledge are respected.
The Rise of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas
The rise of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas | The Narwhal | 2024
The Narwhal’s Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas coverage explains how Indigenous-led conservation is becoming central to Canada’s climate and biodiversity strategy. These stories show IPCAs as tools for governance, cultural renewal, habitat protection, and reconciliation.
Indigenous Protected Areas in Australia
Australia’s Indigenous Protected Areas program supports Traditional Owners who voluntarily manage land and sea country for biodiversity conservation. The program demonstrates how government conservation targets can be advanced through First Nations leadership, ranger work, and cultural land management.
Indigenous Land Rights for Better Conservation Outcomes
This article argues that conservation is stronger when Indigenous peoples have secure land rights and control over territories. It criticizes exclusionary conservation policies that displace communities and calls for rights-based conservation rooted in self-determination.
Mongabay’s Indigenous Peoples and Conservation Series
Series: Indigenous Peoples and Conservation | Mongabay | Ongoing
Mongabay’s Indigenous Peoples and Conservation series gathers reporting on threats to Indigenous territories and successful Indigenous-led conservation. The series is useful for tracking land defense, community stewardship, protected areas, and conflicts between conservation policy and Indigenous rights.
Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Conservation Reporting Project
Indigenous peoples, local communities and conservation | Mongabay | 2024
Mongabay’s reporting project calls for stories about Indigenous and local community-led conservation around the world. It reflects a broader journalism shift toward centering communities that protect biodiversity while facing land pressure, extraction, and climate change.
Indigenous Peoples and Conservation Special Reporting Project
Mongabay Special Reporting Project: Indigenous Peoples and Conservation | Mongabay | 2018
This project description explains Mongabay’s effort to cover Indigenous conservation, land threats, and community-led environmental protection. It helped frame Indigenous peoples not as obstacles to conservation, but as leaders and rights-holders whose territories are central to biodiversity protection.
Forests Thrive When Indigenous People Have Legal Stewardship of Their Land
This article summarizes evidence that legal recognition of Indigenous land rights helps forests, biodiversity, and climate stability. It argues that conservation policy should prioritize secure tenure and community authority rather than treating Indigenous stewardship as informal or secondary.
People v Tigers: Evicted Indian Tribe Camp in Reserve to Reclaim Ancient Lands
Members of the Jenu Kuruba tribe are trying to reclaim ancestral lands inside India’s Nagarhole tiger reserve after being displaced by conservation policies. The article illustrates the conflict between wildlife tourism, fortress conservation, and Indigenous rights to land, culture, and livelihood.
With Only Three Women Left, an Amazon Tribe Faced Extinction. An Unexpected Birth Now Brings Hope
The Akuntsu people of Brazil, devastated by violence and deforestation, gained new hope with the birth of a child. The story connects cultural survival with rainforest protection, showing how defending Indigenous territories is also a defense of peoples pushed to the edge of extinction.
Rainforests Pushed to Breaking Point by New Demands for Resources
This report warns that cattle, agriculture, gold mining, energy, and infrastructure are placing compounding pressure on tropical forests. The article is relevant to Indigenous land protection because many of the threatened forests overlap with Indigenous territories and frontline forest defenders.
Māori Climate Risk Worsened by Colonization, Report Finds
A national climate assessment in Aotearoa New Zealand finds that colonial exclusion from decision-making has worsened Māori vulnerability to floods, storms, erosion, and other climate impacts. The article connects climate adaptation with Indigenous governance, land rights, and self-determination.
War, Climate Change, and AI: What’s at Stake at This Year’s U.N. Indigenous Forum
The U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues focused on survival amid war, climate disruption, militarization, and emerging technologies. The article shows how Indigenous land, health, culture, and environmental protection are increasingly affected by overlapping global crises.
Indigenous Peoples Rush to Stop False Climate Solutions Ahead of Next International Climate Meeting
Indigenous leaders warned that carbon markets, offsets, and geoengineering could become new threats to Indigenous territories if adopted without consent. The article frames climate policy as a land-rights issue and calls for safeguards against projects imposed on Indigenous lands.
Campaign Launched to Protect 80% of the Amazon
Indigenous organizations launched the Amazonia for Life campaign calling for protection of 80% of the Amazon. The campaign centers Indigenous territorial management as a key strategy for preventing ecological collapse in the world’s largest rainforest.
We’re True Guardians of the Forest: Quilombola Community Near Belém Demand Land Rights
Quilombola communities near Belém, Brazil, are demanding land rights and political recognition as forest guardians. Although Afro-descendant rather than Indigenous, the story fits the broader land-protection theme by showing how traditional communities defend forests through territorial rights and cultural continuity.
Bluey to Be Available in an Australian Indigenous Language for the First Time
The Australian children's series Bluey is being dubbed into Yolŋu Matha for NAIDOC Week, marking the first time the show will be available in an Australian Indigenous language. The project brings together local voice actors, Yolŋu Radio, Aboriginal Resource and Development Services, Ludo Studio, and the ABC to celebrate language, children’s media, and cultural continuity.
Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge Systems and Practices for Climate Change Adaptation
This research examines how Indigenous communities use traditional ecological knowledge, observation, values, and daily practices to respond to climate change. The article emphasizes that Indigenous knowledge is not simply information, but a living system tied to land, culture, governance, and survival.
Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation in Canada
Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation | Environment and Climate Change Canada | May 7, 2026
Canada’s Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation program supports Indigenous communities in leading or co-leading protected areas and other conservation measures. The program connects biodiversity protection with Indigenous governance, cultural authority, and Canada’s national conservation targets.
Nearly Two Decades After Landmark Indigenous Rights Declaration, Countries Still Aren't Complying
Indigenous leaders at the United Nations warned that many governments still fail to fully implement the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The article focuses on land rights, direct climate finance, consent, and the gap between international promises and real-world enforcement.
Indigenous Health Can't Be Separated From Environmental Health, Leaders Tell U.N.
Indigenous representatives argued that health, land tenure, biodiversity, food sovereignty, and self-determination are inseparable. The article connects environmental protection with public health and shows how climate and conservation policy can fail when it ignores Indigenous authority.
At the U.N., Indigenous Leaders Tackle How to Enforce Global Climate Court Rulings
Indigenous advocates used the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to press for accountability when governments ignore climate and human rights rulings. The article highlights struggles over mining, oil extraction, storms, and land protection in Indigenous territories.
War, Climate Change, and AI: What's at Stake at This Year's U.N. Indigenous Forum
This article previews a U.N. forum centered on Indigenous survival amid conflict, militarization, climate change, and emerging technology. It shows how land protection and cultural rights are increasingly tied to global debates over war, displacement, and environmental harm.
Mongabay Launches New Desk Reporting On, With, and For Indigenous Communities
Mongabay announced a dedicated Indigenous Desk to expand environmental reporting that centers Indigenous voices and perspectives. The initiative reflects growing recognition that conservation journalism must cover land rights, cultural knowledge, and community leadership from Indigenous points of view.
A Changing Climate for Indigenous Knowledge
A changing climate for Indigenous knowledge | UNESCO Courier | January 18, 2026
UNESCO explores how climate change threatens Indigenous knowledge systems, languages, and livelihoods while also showing why these knowledge systems are crucial for adaptation. The article emphasizes that secure land rights and language survival are deeply connected to conservation success.
Preservation of Indigenous Languages
Preservation of Indigenous Languages | Arctic Portal | January 8, 2026
This article discusses the International Decade of Indigenous Languages and the global effort to revitalize endangered languages. It frames language preservation as essential to self-determination, cultural continuity, traditional livelihoods, and relationships with land and ecosystems.
Top 10 Indigenous News Stories That Marked 2025
Top 10 Indigenous news stories that marked 2025 | Aimee Gabay | Mongabay | December 29, 2025
Mongabay’s year-end roundup highlights major Indigenous land, conservation, climate, and rights stories from 2025. The list includes land-back efforts, conservation victories, threats to land defenders, and Indigenous leadership in global climate negotiations.
The Australian School Spearheading an Indigenous Language Revival
The Australian school spearheading an Indigenous language revival | The Guardian | December 1, 2025
The Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School in New South Wales is using bilingual education to revive an endangered Aboriginal language. The school links language learning with culture, confidence, academic success, and community-led cultural restoration.
How Indigenous Cultural Burns Can Help Heal Forests
This interview explains the difference between prescribed burns and Indigenous cultural burning. It shows how cultural fire can restore ecosystems, reduce wildfire danger, support food and fiber plants, and reconnect forest management with Indigenous knowledge.
What Was Achieved for Indigenous Peoples at COP30?
What was achieved for Indigenous peoples at COP30? | Mongabay | November 27, 2025
This article reviews the outcomes of COP30 for Indigenous peoples, including land rights, climate finance, and participation in climate decision-making. It captures both the progress made and the frustrations Indigenous leaders expressed about being excluded from final decisions.
Turning Stink Bug Infestations Into Lunch in India
In Mizoram, India, the Mizo community uses traditional ecological knowledge to turn seasonal stink bug outbreaks into food, oil, and animal feed. The article presents Indigenous food practices as sustainable, low-waste responses to pest cycles and climate-related food insecurity.
A Patch of Indigenous Land, Rich in Metals, Pits Prominent Alaska Native Leaders Against Each Other
This article examines conflict over mineral development on Indigenous-owned land in Alaska. It raises difficult questions about economic opportunity, ecological protection, energy transition minerals, and who has authority to decide the future of Indigenous lands.
Donors Renew $1.8 Billion Pledge for Indigenous Land Rights
Donors renew $1.8 billion pledge for Indigenous land rights | Mongabay | November 12, 2025
Donors renewed a major global pledge to support Indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant communities in securing land rights and protecting forests. The article notes the continuing challenge of ensuring that funding reaches communities directly.
Indigenous Delegates Prepare for COP30 With Focus on Justice, Land, and Finance
Indigenous representatives entered COP30 calling for stronger land rights, climate justice, loss-and-damage support, and direct finance. The article shows how Indigenous forest stewardship became central to climate negotiations in Brazil.
New Pledge, Old Problems as Indonesia's Latest Indigenous Forest Promise Draws Skepticism
Indonesia pledged to recognize more Indigenous and customary forests, but advocates warned that past delays and bureaucratic barriers remain unresolved. The article highlights the difference between announcing land recognition and actually securing community control.
Using Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Rights to Revive Species and Sustain Communities
This IUCN session focuses on how traditional knowledge, cultural rights, and community authority can strengthen species restoration. It reflects a wider shift away from conservation that separates people from nature and toward conservation led with communities.
Indigenous Women and the Path to a Just Energy Transition
Indigenous women leaders argue that the energy transition must not reproduce extractive harms on Indigenous lands. The commentary calls for consent, rights protection, and a transition rooted in justice rather than simply replacing fossil fuel extraction with mineral extraction.
How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law
How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law | Inside Climate News | October 17, 2025
This article follows the Kichwa People of Sarayaku and their Living Forest declaration, which frames the forest as a living being with legal and spiritual significance. It shows how Indigenous legal thought is shaping new approaches to rights, conservation, and anti-extraction work.
Indigenous Guardians Successfully Keep Extractives Out of Ecuador's Amazon Forests
Indigenous guardians in Ecuador’s Amazon use territorial patrols, monitoring, and community governance to resist illegal extraction. The article presents guardianship as a practical model of land defense, biodiversity protection, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Seven Indigenous Paths to Protect the Amazon
Seven Indigenous paths to protect the Amazon: Voices from the land | Mongabay | September 29, 2025
Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon Basin describe solutions for forest protection, including land rights, cultural governance, direct finance, and human rights protections. The commentary presents Indigenous leadership as central to any credible Amazon conservation plan.
Indigenous Women in Peru Use Technology to Protect Amazon Forests
Indigenous women in Peru are using technology to monitor forests and defend their territories from threats. The story shows how modern tools and traditional knowledge can work together when communities control the process.
Indigenous Fishers Lead Science-Backed Conservation of Colombia's Wetlands
Indigenous fishers in Colombia are helping guide wetland conservation through local knowledge and scientific collaboration. The article shows how community-based stewardship can protect fisheries, biodiversity, and livelihoods at the same time.
Protecting Indigenous Amazon Lands May Also Protect Public Health
Research covered by Mongabay suggests that Indigenous-managed forests can reduce deforestation and bring public-health benefits by helping control smoke and air pollution. The article connects land rights, forest protection, climate mitigation, and human health.
Forests on Indigenous Lands Help Protect Health in the Amazon
Forests on Indigenous lands help protect health in the Amazon | Mongabay | September 12, 2025
This short article summarizes findings that Indigenous forests provide health benefits beyond their borders. It reinforces the idea that Indigenous land protection is not only a cultural and conservation issue, but also a public-health strategy.
Deforestation Threatens Public Health. Securing Indigenous Land Rights Can Help
Inside Climate News reports on research linking secure Indigenous land rights with lower tree loss and public-health benefits. The article shows how protecting Indigenous authority over forests can reduce pollution and climate-related health risks.
Indigenous Worldviews Strengthening Climate Resilience
Indigenous Worldviews Strengthening Climate Resilience | UN Climate Change | August 8, 2025
UN Climate Change highlights Indigenous worldviews as essential to climate resilience. The article emphasizes stewardship, interdependence, and care for all life as knowledge systems that have helped communities adapt to environmental change for generations.
How Cambodia's New Environmental Code Undermines Indigenous Peoples' Rights
This commentary argues that Cambodia’s environmental code threatens Indigenous rights by failing to adequately protect community land and governance. It warns that conservation law can become harmful when it centralizes state control and weakens Indigenous tenure.
Indigenous Leadership and Science Revive Panama's Degraded Lands
Indigenous leadership and science revive Panama's degraded lands | Mongabay | July 31, 2025
This article highlights restoration work in Panama that combines Indigenous leadership with scientific research. It presents land recovery as both ecological repair and cultural renewal.
Indigenous Representatives Still Excluded From COP30 Decision-Making, Says Leader
Indigenous leaders warned that even highly visible participation at climate summits does not guarantee real power in final decisions. The article focuses on the need for Indigenous peoples to help shape climate policy, not merely be showcased by it.
Indigenous Groups Debate Use of Land Agreements in Ecuador's Protected Areas
Indigenous communities in Ecuador are debating agreements that allow management of ancestral lands inside protected areas. The article explores whether such arrangements strengthen autonomy or leave too much power in the hands of the state.
How Indigenous Practices Can Help Protect Forests
How Indigenous practices can help protect forests | The Washington Post | 2025
This article explains how Indigenous cultural burning practices are being revived in California and elsewhere to reduce wildfire risk and restore ecosystems. It highlights fire as a cultural, ecological, and climate-resilience tool.
Indigenous Guards: The Shield of Colombia's Amazon
Indigenous guards in Colombia’s Amazon use community organization, traditional authority, and territorial patrols to protect forests and communities. The article shows land defense as a disciplined, collective, and nonviolent form of environmental protection.
UNESCO Appoints Indigenous Co-Chairs to Protect Languages and Knowledge Amid Climate Crisis
UNESCO appointed Indigenous scholars to lead work on Indigenous knowledge governance, language protection, and research rematriation. The article connects language survival with data sovereignty, climate resilience, and the right of communities to control their own knowledge.
First Congress of Forest Basin Leaders Results in Call for Direct Financing
Forest basin leaders called for climate and conservation finance to reach Indigenous peoples and local communities directly. The article highlights a major demand in global conservation: stop routing money through systems that leave frontline communities underfunded.
Nine Takeaways on Brazil's Crackdown on Illegal Mining in Munduruku Lands
This article reviews Brazil’s efforts to remove illegal miners from Munduruku territory and the challenges that remain. It connects Indigenous land defense with mercury contamination, forest protection, enforcement, and long-term community health.
From Porter to Conservation Leader, the Inspiring Journey of Marlyse Bebeguewa in Cameroon
Marlyse Bebeguewa’s conservation work in Cameroon shows how local and Indigenous women can become leaders in forest protection. The article highlights community knowledge, perseverance, and leadership in conservation careers.
After Crackdown on Illegal Miners, Indigenous Munduruku Still Grapple With Health Aftermath
Even after enforcement actions against illegal mining, Munduruku communities continue facing mercury contamination and health risks. The article shows that land protection must include long-term medical, environmental, and cultural recovery.
How Language Revitalization Boosts Indigenous Health
UBC reports on research showing that Indigenous language revitalization may improve health and well-being. The article connects language, identity, cultural continuity, and community resilience.
In a Big Win, Yurok Nation Reclaims Vital Creek and Watershed to Restore Major Salmon Run
The Yurok Nation regained Blue Creek and surrounding watershed lands in a major land-back conservation victory. The restored stewardship is aimed at salmon recovery, forest healing, and the return of ancestral lands to Indigenous care.
The Yurok Tribe Have Reclaimed Blue Creek, 138 Years After It Was Taken From Them
This short article summarizes the return of Blue Creek to the Yurok Tribe. The land-back effort protects a critical salmon refuge and represents one of California’s largest conservation-linked land returns.
Methods to Recognize the Amazon's Isolated Peoples
This interview discusses how researchers and advocates identify and protect isolated Indigenous peoples without forcing contact. The article emphasizes territorial protection, caution, and respect for self-isolation.
Rich Countries' Energy Transitions Threaten Indigenous Peoples
Inside Climate News reports that many mining projects for energy transition minerals are located on or near Indigenous territories. The article argues that climate solutions cannot be just if they repeat extractive patterns that harm Indigenous lands.
Developing a Mixed-Methods Pipeline for Community-Oriented Digitization of Kwak'wala Legacy Texts
This paper describes work to digitize Kwak'wala legacy texts in ways that support community language revitalization. It shows how technology can help preserve Indigenous language materials when designed around community needs and cultural context.
Indigenous Land Defenders Face Rising Threats Amid Global Push for Critical Minerals
Grist reports on violence and harassment faced by Indigenous land defenders resisting mining and other corporate projects. The article connects the critical minerals boom with human rights risks for communities defending land and ecosystems.
Manage People More and Bears Less, Say Indigenous Elders in World's 'Polar Bear Capital'
Indigenous elders in Churchill, Manitoba, argue that polar bear management should better reflect local knowledge and human behavior. The article shows how coexistence with wildlife can be improved when Indigenous experience guides policy.
Indigenous Rights Advocates Petition to Overturn Indonesian Conservation Law
Indigenous rights groups challenged an Indonesian conservation law that they say continues to sideline communities from managing ancestral lands. The article highlights a recurring global problem: conservation laws that protect nature on paper while weakening Indigenous authority.
From Chickens to Cassava, Brazil's Munduruku Seek Alternatives to Mining
Munduruku communities in Brazil are developing food and farming alternatives to illegal gold mining. The article shows how economic self-determination, food sovereignty, and land protection can work together.
German Supermarket Palm Oil Linked to Indigenous Rights Abuses in Guatemala
This investigation links palm oil supply chains to alleged Indigenous rights abuses in Guatemala. It shows how global consumer markets can affect land rights, forests, and community safety far from where products are sold.
Indigenous Conservationists Lead the Fight to Save Mentawai's Endangered Primates
Indigenous conservationists in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands are working to protect endangered primates and forest habitat. The article shows how local leadership can challenge outside assumptions and create stronger conservation outcomes.
We Can't Talk Solutions Without Understanding Complexities: Kari Guajajara on Brazil's Amazon
Indigenous leader Kari Guajajara discusses Brazil’s Amazon, climate politics, and the need to understand complex local realities. The interview emphasizes that solutions must be shaped by the people living in and defending the forest.
What Does Bioeconomy Truly Mean? Indigenous Groups Seek Answer to Dodge Capitalist Traps
Indigenous groups across the Pan-Amazon are questioning how the term “bioeconomy” is being used by governments and investors. The article warns that economic projects can become another form of extraction unless Indigenous definitions, rights, and priorities guide them.
Want Climate Solutions in Indigenous Territories? Better Get Consent
Indigenous leaders called for stronger consent protections before climate projects are placed on Indigenous lands. The article focuses on carbon markets, offsets, geoengineering, and the danger of treating Indigenous territories as tools for outside climate plans.
Indigenous Youth at the U.N. Share Environmental Setbacks and Solutions
Indigenous youth leaders at the U.N. described threats to land, water, and culture while also presenting community-led solutions. The article highlights young Indigenous leadership in global environmental and rights forums.
Colombia's Amazon Peoples Provide Solutions
José Homero Mutumbajoy discusses the role of Colombia’s Amazon peoples in conservation and climate solutions. The interview centers Indigenous governance as a source of practical answers rather than a side issue in environmental policy.
The Latest Issues in Peru's Amazon
Indigenous leader Julio Cusurichi discusses threats facing Peru’s Amazon, including land pressures and environmental harms. The article provides a community perspective on what protection, recognition, and justice require.
Indigenous Stewardship Plays a Key Role in Protecting Imperiled Primates
This article reports on the importance of Indigenous stewardship for primate conservation. It shows how protecting habitat and respecting Indigenous land management can support both endangered species and human communities.
We Belong to One Ocean
Indigenous and coastal leaders called for a meaningful role in the high seas biodiversity treaty. The article connects ocean protection with ancestral knowledge, cultural relationships to marine life, and Indigenous participation in international law.
Indigenous Delegates at the U.N. Raise Alarm on Isolated Peoples in the Amazon
Indigenous delegates warned that isolated peoples in the Amazon face rising threats from extraction, disease, land invasion, and weak enforcement. The article stresses that protecting territories is the most important way to protect peoples who choose isolation.
Indigenous Nations Fought for a New National Monument. Will It Survive?
Indigenous nations helped win national monument protections, but political changes raised questions about whether those protections would last. The article shows both the promise and vulnerability of conservation victories tied to federal policy.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Isn't Dying — It's Adapting and Transforming
This commentary argues that traditional ecological knowledge should not be treated as static or disappearing. Instead, Indigenous knowledge systems continue to adapt through lived practice, changing environments, and community innovation.
Indigenous Communities Come Together to Protect the Colombian Amazon
Indigenous communities in Colombia are coordinating to defend Amazon forests and strengthen territorial governance. The article highlights collective action as a powerful tool for conservation and self-determination.
Bluey to Be Available in an Australian Indigenous Language for the First Time
The Australian children's series Bluey is being dubbed into Yolŋu Matha for NAIDOC Week, marking the first time the show will be available in an Australian Indigenous language. The project brings together local voice actors, Yolŋu Radio, Aboriginal Resource and Development Services, Ludo Studio, and the ABC to celebrate language, children’s media, and cultural continuity.
Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge Systems and Practices for Climate Change Adaptation
This research examines how Indigenous communities use traditional ecological knowledge, observation, values, and daily practices to respond to climate change. The article emphasizes that Indigenous knowledge is not simply information, but a living system tied to land, culture, governance, and survival.
Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation in Canada
Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation | Environment and Climate Change Canada | May 7, 2026
Canada’s Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation program supports Indigenous communities in leading or co-leading protected areas and other conservation measures. The program connects biodiversity protection with Indigenous governance, cultural authority, and Canada’s national conservation targets.
Nearly Two Decades After Landmark Indigenous Rights Declaration, Countries Still Aren't Complying
Indigenous leaders at the United Nations warned that many governments still fail to fully implement the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The article focuses on land rights, direct climate finance, consent, and the gap between international promises and real-world enforcement.
Indigenous Health Can't Be Separated From Environmental Health, Leaders Tell U.N.
Indigenous representatives argued that health, land tenure, biodiversity, food sovereignty, and self-determination are inseparable. The article connects environmental protection with public health and shows how climate and conservation policy can fail when it ignores Indigenous authority.
At the U.N., Indigenous Leaders Tackle How to Enforce Global Climate Court Rulings
Indigenous advocates used the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to press for accountability when governments ignore climate and human rights rulings. The article highlights struggles over mining, oil extraction, storms, and land protection in Indigenous territories.
War, Climate Change, and AI: What's at Stake at This Year's U.N. Indigenous Forum
This article previews a U.N. forum centered on Indigenous survival amid conflict, militarization, climate change, and emerging technology. It shows how land protection and cultural rights are increasingly tied to global debates over war, displacement, and environmental harm.
Mongabay Launches New Desk Reporting On, With, and For Indigenous Communities
Mongabay announced a dedicated Indigenous Desk to expand environmental reporting that centers Indigenous voices and perspectives. The initiative reflects growing recognition that conservation journalism must cover land rights, cultural knowledge, and community leadership from Indigenous points of view.
A Changing Climate for Indigenous Knowledge
A changing climate for Indigenous knowledge | UNESCO Courier | January 18, 2026
UNESCO explores how climate change threatens Indigenous knowledge systems, languages, and livelihoods while also showing why these knowledge systems are crucial for adaptation. The article emphasizes that secure land rights and language survival are deeply connected to conservation success.
Preservation of Indigenous Languages
Preservation of Indigenous Languages | Arctic Portal | January 8, 2026
This article discusses the International Decade of Indigenous Languages and the global effort to revitalize endangered languages. It frames language preservation as essential to self-determination, cultural continuity, traditional livelihoods, and relationships with land and ecosystems.
Top 10 Indigenous News Stories That Marked 2025
Top 10 Indigenous news stories that marked 2025 | Aimee Gabay | Mongabay | December 29, 2025
Mongabay’s year-end roundup highlights major Indigenous land, conservation, climate, and rights stories from 2025. The list includes land-back efforts, conservation victories, threats to land defenders, and Indigenous leadership in global climate negotiations.
The Australian School Spearheading an Indigenous Language Revival
The Australian school spearheading an Indigenous language revival | The Guardian | December 1, 2025
The Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School in New South Wales is using bilingual education to revive an endangered Aboriginal language. The school links language learning with culture, confidence, academic success, and community-led cultural restoration.
How Indigenous Cultural Burns Can Help Heal Forests
This interview explains the difference between prescribed burns and Indigenous cultural burning. It shows how cultural fire can restore ecosystems, reduce wildfire danger, support food and fiber plants, and reconnect forest management with Indigenous knowledge.
What Was Achieved for Indigenous Peoples at COP30?
What was achieved for Indigenous peoples at COP30? | Mongabay | November 27, 2025
This article reviews the outcomes of COP30 for Indigenous peoples, including land rights, climate finance, and participation in climate decision-making. It captures both the progress made and the frustrations Indigenous leaders expressed about being excluded from final decisions.
Turning Stink Bug Infestations Into Lunch in India
In Mizoram, India, the Mizo community uses traditional ecological knowledge to turn seasonal stink bug outbreaks into food, oil, and animal feed. The article presents Indigenous food practices as sustainable, low-waste responses to pest cycles and climate-related food insecurity.
A Patch of Indigenous Land, Rich in Metals, Pits Prominent Alaska Native Leaders Against Each Other
This article examines conflict over mineral development on Indigenous-owned land in Alaska. It raises difficult questions about economic opportunity, ecological protection, energy transition minerals, and who has authority to decide the future of Indigenous lands.
Donors Renew $1.8 Billion Pledge for Indigenous Land Rights
Donors renew $1.8 billion pledge for Indigenous land rights | Mongabay | November 12, 2025
Donors renewed a major global pledge to support Indigenous peoples, local communities, and Afro-descendant communities in securing land rights and protecting forests. The article notes the continuing challenge of ensuring that funding reaches communities directly.
Indigenous Delegates Prepare for COP30 With Focus on Justice, Land, and Finance
Indigenous representatives entered COP30 calling for stronger land rights, climate justice, loss-and-damage support, and direct finance. The article shows how Indigenous forest stewardship became central to climate negotiations in Brazil.
New Pledge, Old Problems as Indonesia's Latest Indigenous Forest Promise Draws Skepticism
Indonesia pledged to recognize more Indigenous and customary forests, but advocates warned that past delays and bureaucratic barriers remain unresolved. The article highlights the difference between announcing land recognition and actually securing community control.
Using Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Rights to Revive Species and Sustain Communities
This IUCN session focuses on how traditional knowledge, cultural rights, and community authority can strengthen species restoration. It reflects a wider shift away from conservation that separates people from nature and toward conservation led with communities.
Indigenous Women and the Path to a Just Energy Transition
Indigenous women leaders argue that the energy transition must not reproduce extractive harms on Indigenous lands. The commentary calls for consent, rights protection, and a transition rooted in justice rather than simply replacing fossil fuel extraction with mineral extraction.
How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law
How a Declaration of Ancestral Wisdom Is Changing Law | Inside Climate News | October 17, 2025
This article follows the Kichwa People of Sarayaku and their Living Forest declaration, which frames the forest as a living being with legal and spiritual significance. It shows how Indigenous legal thought is shaping new approaches to rights, conservation, and anti-extraction work.
Indigenous Guardians Successfully Keep Extractives Out of Ecuador's Amazon Forests
Indigenous guardians in Ecuador’s Amazon use territorial patrols, monitoring, and community governance to resist illegal extraction. The article presents guardianship as a practical model of land defense, biodiversity protection, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Seven Indigenous Paths to Protect the Amazon
Seven Indigenous paths to protect the Amazon: Voices from the land | Mongabay | September 29, 2025
Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon Basin describe solutions for forest protection, including land rights, cultural governance, direct finance, and human rights protections. The commentary presents Indigenous leadership as central to any credible Amazon conservation plan.
Indigenous Women in Peru Use Technology to Protect Amazon Forests
Indigenous women in Peru are using technology to monitor forests and defend their territories from threats. The story shows how modern tools and traditional knowledge can work together when communities control the process.
Indigenous Fishers Lead Science-Backed Conservation of Colombia's Wetlands
Indigenous fishers in Colombia are helping guide wetland conservation through local knowledge and scientific collaboration. The article shows how community-based stewardship can protect fisheries, biodiversity, and livelihoods at the same time.
Protecting Indigenous Amazon Lands May Also Protect Public Health
Research covered by Mongabay suggests that Indigenous-managed forests can reduce deforestation and bring public-health benefits by helping control smoke and air pollution. The article connects land rights, forest protection, climate mitigation, and human health.
Forests on Indigenous Lands Help Protect Health in the Amazon
Forests on Indigenous lands help protect health in the Amazon | Mongabay | September 12, 2025
This short article summarizes findings that Indigenous forests provide health benefits beyond their borders. It reinforces the idea that Indigenous land protection is not only a cultural and conservation issue, but also a public-health strategy.
Deforestation Threatens Public Health. Securing Indigenous Land Rights Can Help
Inside Climate News reports on research linking secure Indigenous land rights with lower tree loss and public-health benefits. The article shows how protecting Indigenous authority over forests can reduce pollution and climate-related health risks.
Indigenous Worldviews Strengthening Climate Resilience
Indigenous Worldviews Strengthening Climate Resilience | UN Climate Change | August 8, 2025
UN Climate Change highlights Indigenous worldviews as essential to climate resilience. The article emphasizes stewardship, interdependence, and care for all life as knowledge systems that have helped communities adapt to environmental change for generations.
How Cambodia's New Environmental Code Undermines Indigenous Peoples' Rights
This commentary argues that Cambodia’s environmental code threatens Indigenous rights by failing to adequately protect community land and governance. It warns that conservation law can become harmful when it centralizes state control and weakens Indigenous tenure.
Indigenous Leadership and Science Revive Panama's Degraded Lands
Indigenous leadership and science revive Panama's degraded lands | Mongabay | July 31, 2025
This article highlights restoration work in Panama that combines Indigenous leadership with scientific research. It presents land recovery as both ecological repair and cultural renewal.
Indigenous Representatives Still Excluded From COP30 Decision-Making, Says Leader
Indigenous leaders warned that even highly visible participation at climate summits does not guarantee real power in final decisions. The article focuses on the need for Indigenous peoples to help shape climate policy, not merely be showcased by it.
Indigenous Groups Debate Use of Land Agreements in Ecuador's Protected Areas
Indigenous communities in Ecuador are debating agreements that allow management of ancestral lands inside protected areas. The article explores whether such arrangements strengthen autonomy or leave too much power in the hands of the state.
How Indigenous Practices Can Help Protect Forests
How Indigenous practices can help protect forests | The Washington Post | 2025
This article explains how Indigenous cultural burning practices are being revived in California and elsewhere to reduce wildfire risk and restore ecosystems. It highlights fire as a cultural, ecological, and climate-resilience tool.
Indigenous Guards: The Shield of Colombia's Amazon
Indigenous guards in Colombia’s Amazon use community organization, traditional authority, and territorial patrols to protect forests and communities. The article shows land defense as a disciplined, collective, and nonviolent form of environmental protection.
UNESCO Appoints Indigenous Co-Chairs to Protect Languages and Knowledge Amid Climate Crisis
UNESCO appointed Indigenous scholars to lead work on Indigenous knowledge governance, language protection, and research rematriation. The article connects language survival with data sovereignty, climate resilience, and the right of communities to control their own knowledge.
First Congress of Forest Basin Leaders Results in Call for Direct Financing
Forest basin leaders called for climate and conservation finance to reach Indigenous peoples and local communities directly. The article highlights a major demand in global conservation: stop routing money through systems that leave frontline communities underfunded.
Nine Takeaways on Brazil's Crackdown on Illegal Mining in Munduruku Lands
This article reviews Brazil’s efforts to remove illegal miners from Munduruku territory and the challenges that remain. It connects Indigenous land defense with mercury contamination, forest protection, enforcement, and long-term community health.
From Porter to Conservation Leader, the Inspiring Journey of Marlyse Bebeguewa in Cameroon
Marlyse Bebeguewa’s conservation work in Cameroon shows how local and Indigenous women can become leaders in forest protection. The article highlights community knowledge, perseverance, and leadership in conservation careers.
After Crackdown on Illegal Miners, Indigenous Munduruku Still Grapple With Health Aftermath
Even after enforcement actions against illegal mining, Munduruku communities continue facing mercury contamination and health risks. The article shows that land protection must include long-term medical, environmental, and cultural recovery.
How Language Revitalization Boosts Indigenous Health
UBC reports on research showing that Indigenous language revitalization may improve health and well-being. The article connects language, identity, cultural continuity, and community resilience.
In a Big Win, Yurok Nation Reclaims Vital Creek and Watershed to Restore Major Salmon Run
The Yurok Nation regained Blue Creek and surrounding watershed lands in a major land-back conservation victory. The restored stewardship is aimed at salmon recovery, forest healing, and the return of ancestral lands to Indigenous care.
The Yurok Tribe Have Reclaimed Blue Creek, 138 Years After It Was Taken From Them
This short article summarizes the return of Blue Creek to the Yurok Tribe. The land-back effort protects a critical salmon refuge and represents one of California’s largest conservation-linked land returns.
Methods to Recognize the Amazon's Isolated Peoples
This interview discusses how researchers and advocates identify and protect isolated Indigenous peoples without forcing contact. The article emphasizes territorial protection, caution, and respect for self-isolation.
Rich Countries' Energy Transitions Threaten Indigenous Peoples
Inside Climate News reports that many mining projects for energy transition minerals are located on or near Indigenous territories. The article argues that climate solutions cannot be just if they repeat extractive patterns that harm Indigenous lands.
Developing a Mixed-Methods Pipeline for Community-Oriented Digitization of Kwak'wala Legacy Texts
This paper describes work to digitize Kwak'wala legacy texts in ways that support community language revitalization. It shows how technology can help preserve Indigenous language materials when designed around community needs and cultural context.
Indigenous Land Defenders Face Rising Threats Amid Global Push for Critical Minerals
Grist reports on violence and harassment faced by Indigenous land defenders resisting mining and other corporate projects. The article connects the critical minerals boom with human rights risks for communities defending land and ecosystems.
Manage People More and Bears Less, Say Indigenous Elders in World's 'Polar Bear Capital'
Indigenous elders in Churchill, Manitoba, argue that polar bear management should better reflect local knowledge and human behavior. The article shows how coexistence with wildlife can be improved when Indigenous experience guides policy.
Indigenous Rights Advocates Petition to Overturn Indonesian Conservation Law
Indigenous rights groups challenged an Indonesian conservation law that they say continues to sideline communities from managing ancestral lands. The article highlights a recurring global problem: conservation laws that protect nature on paper while weakening Indigenous authority.
From Chickens to Cassava, Brazil's Munduruku Seek Alternatives to Mining
Munduruku communities in Brazil are developing food and farming alternatives to illegal gold mining. The article shows how economic self-determination, food sovereignty, and land protection can work together.
German Supermarket Palm Oil Linked to Indigenous Rights Abuses in Guatemala
This investigation links palm oil supply chains to alleged Indigenous rights abuses in Guatemala. It shows how global consumer markets can affect land rights, forests, and community safety far from where products are sold.
Indigenous Conservationists Lead the Fight to Save Mentawai's Endangered Primates
Indigenous conservationists in Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands are working to protect endangered primates and forest habitat. The article shows how local leadership can challenge outside assumptions and create stronger conservation outcomes.
We Can't Talk Solutions Without Understanding Complexities: Kari Guajajara on Brazil's Amazon
Indigenous leader Kari Guajajara discusses Brazil’s Amazon, climate politics, and the need to understand complex local realities. The interview emphasizes that solutions must be shaped by the people living in and defending the forest.
What Does Bioeconomy Truly Mean? Indigenous Groups Seek Answer to Dodge Capitalist Traps
Indigenous groups across the Pan-Amazon are questioning how the term “bioeconomy” is being used by governments and investors. The article warns that economic projects can become another form of extraction unless Indigenous definitions, rights, and priorities guide them.
Want Climate Solutions in Indigenous Territories? Better Get Consent
Indigenous leaders called for stronger consent protections before climate projects are placed on Indigenous lands. The article focuses on carbon markets, offsets, geoengineering, and the danger of treating Indigenous territories as tools for outside climate plans.
Indigenous Youth at the U.N. Share Environmental Setbacks and Solutions
Indigenous youth leaders at the U.N. described threats to land, water, and culture while also presenting community-led solutions. The article highlights young Indigenous leadership in global environmental and rights forums.
Colombia's Amazon Peoples Provide Solutions
José Homero Mutumbajoy discusses the role of Colombia’s Amazon peoples in conservation and climate solutions. The interview centers Indigenous governance as a source of practical answers rather than a side issue in environmental policy.
The Latest Issues in Peru's Amazon
Indigenous leader Julio Cusurichi discusses threats facing Peru’s Amazon, including land pressures and environmental harms. The article provides a community perspective on what protection, recognition, and justice require.
Indigenous Stewardship Plays a Key Role in Protecting Imperiled Primates
This article reports on the importance of Indigenous stewardship for primate conservation. It shows how protecting habitat and respecting Indigenous land management can support both endangered species and human communities.
We Belong to One Ocean
Indigenous and coastal leaders called for a meaningful role in the high seas biodiversity treaty. The article connects ocean protection with ancestral knowledge, cultural relationships to marine life, and Indigenous participation in international law.
Indigenous Delegates at the U.N. Raise Alarm on Isolated Peoples in the Amazon
Indigenous delegates warned that isolated peoples in the Amazon face rising threats from extraction, disease, land invasion, and weak enforcement. The article stresses that protecting territories is the most important way to protect peoples who choose isolation.
Indigenous Nations Fought for a New National Monument. Will It Survive?
Indigenous nations helped win national monument protections, but political changes raised questions about whether those protections would last. The article shows both the promise and vulnerability of conservation victories tied to federal policy.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge Isn't Dying — It's Adapting and Transforming
This commentary argues that traditional ecological knowledge should not be treated as static or disappearing. Instead, Indigenous knowledge systems continue to adapt through lived practice, changing environments, and community innovation.
Indigenous Communities Come Together to Protect the Colombian Amazon
Indigenous communities in Colombia are coordinating to defend Amazon forests and strengthen territorial governance. The article highlights collective action as a powerful tool for conservation and self-determination.
