Indigenous Peoples have a strong presence at the Copenhagen United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)summit, where their main message is: “First, respect our rights!”  
 
Indigenous representatives from every continent have been gathering at all the pre-Copenhagen meetings (in Bali, Bonn, Bangkok, and Barcelona), putting together the platform of the Indigenous Peoples Global Caucus on Climate Change. 

Here is their statement:

Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Human Rights Day: 10 December 2009
 

The concept of non-discrimination lies at the heart of human rights. For this reason, it has been designated the official theme of this Human Rights Day, which occurs every year on the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. And for this and many other reasons it should be an unofficial theme every day, every year, for everyone.

The recent visit of Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima in Didipio last 05 November is commendable and shows seriousness and sincerity on the part of the commission to undertake a top level investigation with regards to complaints of human rights violations committed by OceanaGold Philippines Inc (OceanaGold) against the indigenous peoples’ residents of Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.

It appears that the White House Tribal Nations Conference held on November 5th, 2009 will be the first of many such meetings. President Barack Obama has now signed a presidential memorandum establishing “regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration” between tribal nations and the federal government.

Cultural Survival Executive Director Ellen Lutz was in Washington November 2 for a hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding Panama's violation of the rights of Ngobe people by constructing a dam on their territory. The hearing was held at the request of Panama, which apparently hoped to justify its support of the dam project.

The Cape Wind project, which would place 130 wind turbines in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts, was put on hold in October when the Wampanoag Nation objected to the project, saying that their spiritual ceremonies require an unobstructed view of the sunrise. They also are objecting because they say the shoals on which the turbines would be built is a Wamapanoag burial ground.

The bad new is that the repressive tactics of Philippine National Police are increasingly violent against the Indigenous people of Didipio who are trying to prevent further demolitions of their homes by the mining company, OceanaGold Philippines, Inc (OGPI). A mobile unit of the National Police is now stationed inside the offices of OGPI, clearing signaling the people that their government stands with the mining company and against them. 

Ecuadorian police have attacked peaceful Shuar Indigenous protesters near the town of Macas in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon, leaving at least one Shuar teacher dead. 
 

Nueva Vizcaya --  An alarming situation continues in the upland village of Didipio, in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, where Ifugao indigenous peoples live.  Homes of Ifugaos known for their anti-mining sentiments were searched without warrants by security personnel of a mining company.