Public Event at the Naropa University Nalanda Events Center – Thursday Evening, April 13th

Rising Voices 5 brings together Indigenous science and western science in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. A distinguished panel of Indigenous activists and leaders will share their experiences and provide an opportunity for public dialogue on developing strategies for an actionable future in an era of uncertainty and climate change denial. 

Speakers include:

By Chantelle Bacigalupo

It is no secret that communities of color face a disproportionate burden of environmental hazards, and tribal communities are no exception. Marathon for Justice is a documentary by EmpathyWorks Films that tells the story of marginalized communities in Philadelphia, the Navajo Nation, and the Black Hills emphasizing the environmental injustices that these groups struggle against and fight with daily.

By Chantelle Bacigalupo

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, released the following end of mission statement on March 3, 2017, following an official visit to the United States. 

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, is conducting an official country visit to the United States of America from 22 February to March 3, 2017. As part of this visit, the Special Rapporteur will attend a series of regional consultations to examine the situation of indigenous peoples in the United States as it relates to energy development. The dates of these consultations and their host institutions are as follows:

We have serious challenges ahead as the Trump administration threatens the core values we hold dear.  I, like many, am outraged and deeply concerned about the recent presidential memoranda and executive orders that give momentum to detrimental social policies, the Keystone XL and Dakota access pipeline, an expedited environmental review process with disregard for environmental degradation and climate change. Moreover, ultimately the lack of a social justice and humanitarian conscience on display in these early days of the administration's sweeping changes.