By Montoya Whiteman of First Nations Development Institute & Toni Plummer-Alvernaz of Montana Native Women’s Coalition (reposted from First Nations Development Institute) 

By Linda Ferrer

For immediate release:                                                                               

We at Cultural Survival support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in demanding that the United States government and the United Nations acknowledge and respond to the gross human rights and Treaty violations that have occurred from the construction of the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has not given their Free, Prior and Informed Consent to and has outwardly opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline project, which would threaten their main water source, the Missouri River, and disturb sacred burials sites.

Building upon the momentum generated from the Working Groups established onMay 11 at Suffolk University Law School, this follow-up event will allow Working Groups to continue their discussions on responding to challenges identified during the state-wide listening sessions, namely, lands, ICWA, Indian arts and education. Additionally, part of event will be devoted to examining state recognition/acknowledgment.

All are welcome to attend.

Hōkūle’a will arrive in Boston in just a few days, and you won’t want to miss their arrival! Part of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, Hōkūle’a will be making a stop in Boston, MA from July 9th to the 14th.

Hokuleʻa is a performance-accurate full-scale replica of a waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe operated by the Polynesian Voyaging Society.  

But first, if you don’t know too much about Hōkūle’a, here is some background and information about what they’ve been up to recently.

Reviving the Legacy of Exploration

On May 10, 2016, the Library of Congress featured Native American writers on a panel, "Spotlight on Native Writers." Eric Gansworth, Linda LeGarde Grover, and Stephen Graham Jones read excerpts from their work and Deborah Miranda moderated the discussion and Q&A.

Josephine Wildcat Bigler, one of four remaining native Yuchi speaking elders, has died at the age of 95. She was born on a Yuchi allotment in Oklahoma on May 24^th, 1921. Yuchi was the primary language spoken in Josephine’s family, which included her parents, Maxey Wildcat and Lizzie Bighead Wildcat, and five siblings. Throughout her life, Josephine was active in Native American communities through her role as an educator and through her work with the United Methodist Church.

Come learn about the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and how it can aid in your advocacy efforts and put pressure on the US government to respect Indigenous Peoples' rights. Hear about how Indigenous communities are using the process in claiming their rights.     

Indigenous community activists celebrate the win outside of Cambridge City Hall

The second Monday in October will now be recognized as Indigenous Peoples' Day in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

On Monday, June 6th, 2016, Cambridge City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day in the city of Cambridge, making it the first major city in the northeastern United States to enact this change.