SEPTEMBER 2017 NEWSLETTER
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Welcome to Autumn! We end September having celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Many events around the world took place in celebration of UNDRIP. The University of Colorado Law School and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues hosted one such event in Boulder, where Indigenous leaders from around the world and participants reflected on the history of the declaration, lessons learned and discussed paths forward to achieve its implementation. In this September issue, IFIP reminds the philanthropic community of the many ways to contribute to the realization of the implementation of UNDRIP.
10th anniversary of UNDRIP at Colorado Law School.
We focus this issue on UNDRIP’s Article 16: Right to Media. We share with you projects and partnerships using various forms of media platforms to amplify Indigenous identity and to advocate for Indigenous rights. Underpinned by the values of respect and reciprocity, these partnerships use media platforms ranging from radio, documentaries, podcasts to video games, to share authentic storytelling of Indigenous narratives.
Each of the organizations highlighted in this e-newsletter, use the power of media to reach a diversity of audiences. Understanding the prevalence of electronic devices in many youth’s lives, one member innovatively used the technology of video gaming to transmit timeless knowledge from elders to a new generation of Indigenous youth. Others are using media and film to raise awareness and spread Indigenous wisdom to a broader audience, acknowledging the power of experiencing Indigenous knowledge as a valuable influencer for wider, positive social change.
Access to media in their own language can facilitate a process for which Indigenous communities reclaim their own narratives by shaping the way their stories are told and how their experiences and wisdom is shared. In this sense, we hope readers will see the value of investing in Indigenous media as a strategic platform to help bolster self-determination.
We also invite you to read the statement of the Indigenous Media and Communication Caucus read at the 16th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues that addressed the challenging obstacles faced on the ground by Indigenous journalist.
In solidarity,
Lourdes Inga, Executive Director of IFIP
Never Alone: Storytelling for the Next Generation
by Amy Fredeen, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Cook Inlet Tribal Council For more than 30 years, CITC has provided opportunities for individuals, families, and communities within... ...
Indigenous Women: The New Voices of Nepal Community Radio
by Angelica Rao, Cultural Survival Staff Deep in the center of the bustling city of Kathmandu, where life continues amidst the rubble of the 2015 earthquake that shook Nepal to... ...
Case Study: Joint Initiatives Preserving Indigenous Knowledge
by Barbara Savage, Founder of Tribal Trust Foundation For nearly twenty years, the Tribal Trust Foundation (TTF) has been an advocate for Indigenous Peoples. We frequently respond to requests for... ...
Looking to the Timeless and Timely: Experiencing Indigenous World Views Through Media
by Ashley Hernandez, based on an interview with Sofia Arroyo, Executive Director of Sacred Fire Foundation and edited by Sacred Fire Foundation Mounting global issues, such as climate change and... ...
Reclaiming the Narrative: Indigenous Media as a Tool of Empowerment
by Ashley Hernandez, based on an interview with Nidia Bustillos There are many ways in which philanthropy approaches women’s empowerment. For Nidia Bustillos, a member from News Agency for Indigenous... ...