On December 11, 2012, northern Ontario Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence began a hunger strike after months of calls and letter-writing, to pressure the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper and the Governor General David Johnston to “initiate immediate discussions and the development of action plans to address treaty issues with First Nations across Canada.”

Her protest is a call to action in support of the rights of First Nations Peoples and a demand that the Canadian government honor the treaty rights and Indigenous rights of First Nations.

By Febna Caven

“In a gentle way you can shake the world”--Mahatma Gandhi

Cultural Survival congratulates Board Member, Grand Chief Edward John, on his appointment as Chairperson of the 11^th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). This year's session of the Permanent Forum is taking place at United Nations in New York from May 7-May 18. This is the first time the UNPFII has elected a chair from from North America. John will serve a three year term.

Cultural Survival congratulates Board Member Grand Chief Edward John (Tl’azt’en Nation and Dene Za) on receiving a National Aboriginal Achievement Award (NAAA) in Canada. On February 24, 2012 Edward John will be recognized in Coast Salish territory (Vancouver, Canada) for his political leadership and decades of fighting for First Nations rights and freedoms. The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards is Canada’s largest and most influential annual showcase of Aboriginal achievement. Each year, the NAAA celebrates the accomplishments of 14 recipients.

On November 12th, 2010, the Canadian government endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We urge the government to move ahead with the implementation of its provisions in a principled manner that fully respects their spirit and intent.