WEBINAR: Mother languages, pillars that sustain the knowledge and cultural practices of Indigenous Peoples and their solutions to climate change

Learn how preserving, revitalizing and promoting Indigenous languages contributes to environmental stewardship

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Webinar mother languages, pillars that sustain the knowledge and cultural practices of indigenous peoples art cover

Join the FSC Indigenous Foundation for a webinar on April 4, 2024, to acknowledge the significance of preserving and enhancing Indigenous mother tongues as a vital component that fosters effective responses to climate change challenges.

Indigenous languages serve as custodians of traditional knowledge, nature-based interactions, and scientific knowledge among Indigenous Peoples. These elements actively contribute to environmental stewardship and bolster efforts to combat climate change. However, the impacts of climate change pose a threat to the vitality of Indigenous languages, endangering their survival and continuity, hence, prioritizing their preservation, revitalization, and promotion becomes imperative.

On April 4, 2024, 10-11 am Panama time / 9-10 am Central American time / 12 – 1 pm Brazil time, we are gathering with Indigenous leaders with experience in sociolinguistic and linguistic matters and a climate change perspective.

The zoom webinar will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese, Mam and K’iche’.

Join us and register here.

Panelists

Maatal Pérez

FSC-IF Indigenous Peoples Affairs Officer – Guatemala / President of the Poqomam Indigenous Mayoralty of Palín

Mayan – Poqomam sociolinguist with experience in public policy with a focus on linguistic and cultural rights of Indigenous women and Indigenous Peoples.

President of the Poqomam Linguistic Community of the Academy of Mayan Languages of Guatemala, and titular representative of Indigenous Peoples at departmental, regional, and national levels in the System of Development Councils.

Specialized studies in Indigenous Women’s Leadership at the Intercultural Indigenous University of Bolivia, Postgraduate studies in Indigenous Peoples’ Rights for the Elimination of Racism and Discrimination at the School of Political Science of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, specialization in Gender and Feminism at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Humanities CEICH, Autonomous University of Mexico UNAM.

Iguaigdigili López 

Teacher, biologist, and researcher

Biologist by profession, specialist in intercultural bilingual education, Indigenous Peoples’ law, postgraduate in higher education, consultant on gender and biodiversity, traditional knowledge, cultural revitalization, climate change. President of the Organization of Indigenous Women United for Biodiversity of Panama (OMIUBP).

Quetzaly Quintas Arista

Coordinator of the Gibäñ Dadi’idznu team “long live our language”

Young woman, 24 years old. She is originally from the community of Santa María Guienagati, a Zapotec village in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Since she was a teenager she has worked with children to raise awareness of environmental care and has been interested in learning the language of her community, currently only spoken by older adults, which led her to study a degree in Linguistics at the National School of Anthropology and History. She was a facilitator of the subject Lengua indígena at the Universidad Autónoma Comunal de Oaxaca. She is currently the coordinator of the Gibäñ Dadi’idznu team “que viva nuestro idioma” (long live our language) made up of Zapotec-speaking seniors. She is also developing projects for the dissemination and revitalization of the Zapotec language. She received a grant from Cultural Survival and collaborates as a monitor for Nidos de Lengua, an initiative of the Secretaría de Cultura y Artes del Estado de Oaxaca.

Te Ngaehe Wanikau

Title: Kaumatua / Elder, Tribe: Ngati Hikairo ki Tongariro, People: Maoríes de Aotearoa (New Zealand)

I have served on many boards, committees, and working groups at the local, national, and international levels. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve on all of them. However, the position I cherish the most is the one my elders and parents prepared me for. It is my role with my people. It has no legal description in the Western context. It is a traditional position for my whanau – family, hapu – extended family, iwi – my tribe and the people and environment we serve and protect.

My traditional teachings are: Kawa – Divine protocals, Tikanga – human protocols, Matauranga – Streams of traditional exoteric knowledge, Whakapapa – Genealogy of both people and all existing things

Opening remarks

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim

Chair of FSC-IF Council and Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT)

Hindou Oumarou is a member of the Mbororo People of Chad, part of the FSC Indigenous Foundation Council and an environmental and Indigenous Peoples activist.

She is the Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and served as the co-director of the pavilion of the World Indigenous Peoples’ Initiative and Pavilion at COP21, COP22 and COP23.

She is the gender representative and Congo Basin Region and Focal Point on Climate Change in the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC).

She was recognized by BBC as a top 100 women leader and by TIME’s Women Leaders in Climate Change and is a National Geographic Explorer.

This webinar is organized within the framework of a webinar series: Resilient Roots: The wisdom of Indigenous women and youth in the fight against climate change. Watch our website and social media for upcoming webinars.

Watch a recording of the webinar below.

ENGLISH

MAM

K’ICHE

Latin American and the Caribbean Climate Week 2023: Indigenous Women and Their Powerful Messages on Climate Change

Indigenous women from around the world are on the frontline against climate change.

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Indigenous Women on the Frontline Against Climate Change

The “Latin American and the Caribbean Climate Week” is approaching, and Indigenous women from all over the world have joined our campaign, ‘Indigenous Women on the Frontline Against Climate Change,’ to highlight their crucial role in the fight against this environmental issue that currently jeopardizes life on Earth. We united their voices from diverse regions of the world.

The series of climate weeks leading up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, makes its stop in Latin America, with Panama as the host, from October 23 to 27.

Panama is one of our primary hubs where we are implementing our Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program. Here, we will continue to demonstrate that Indigenous solutions are a key strategy to address climate change and prepare for COP28 in December.

In this context, we have been showcasing the strategic work carried out by Indigenous women globally. We have gathered messages that demonstrate that, despite being one of the most affected populations by this issue, they lead the implementation of climate solutions. Their knowledge of Indigenous solutions that have existed for millennia is essential in the current effort to reverse the damage to our Mother Earth. Listen to some testimonials!

Empowered Indigenous women against climate change

Mataal Magdalena Pérez – Maya Poqomam (Guatemala)

She highlights the essential role of women in preserving mother tongues and their connection with nature, serving as a pillar of resilience against environmental devastation and climate change.

Olga Kostrova, a member of the Chulymtsy People (Russia)

She discusses the role of women in her community in monitoring changes in nature and raising awareness about environmental issues that affect both the forests and the food security of the community.

Anne Samante – Indigenous leader from the Maasai community (Kenya)

Anne highlights the critical role of Indigenous women, who are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts due to gender disparities and resource scarcity.

Gloria López, member of the Lenca Indigenous People (Honduras)

Gloria discusses the pivotal role of Indigenous women in guiding their families to adopt positive actions and the valuable work carried out by Indigenous women’s organizations in transmitting ancestral knowledge, which serves as a source of climate solutions.

Indigenous young women are also on the frontline against climate change

Jeptoo Kibichum – Endorois Indigenous People (Kenya)

She discusses the multifaceted role of Indigenous women who are active in areas such as preserving ancestral agricultural knowledge and collaborating on adaptation strategies.

Kandra Ehrman – Guna Indigenous People (Panama)

As a young Indigenous woman, she stands out as the first diver in her community and as an activist for climate change. She also works towards the empowerment of Indigenous women.

Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge is vital to combat the climate crisis

Takeaways from Africa Climate Summit and Climate Week 2023

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Last week in Nairobi, Kenya, governments, businesses, international organizations, civil society, and Indigenous leaders met at Africa Climate Week 2023 and African Climate Summit to highlight solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while adapting to the climate crisis.

One message from the week is clear: Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral knowledge is vital to combating the climate crisis. If we scale up Indigenous-led actions and funding, we can protect our planet, peoples, and future.

Many stakeholders have identified nature-based solutions as key programmatic priorities in the next decade in the fight against climate change. Indigenous Peoples have been the world’s nature-based solution providers for thousands of years.

Highlights from Africa Climate Week

Over 30,000 people gathered for Africa Climate Week and Summit to explore solutions. In the opening ceremony, Anne Samante of the National Indigenous Peoples Coordinating Committee on Climate Change and MPIDO read a statement that was put together in an Indigenous Peoples pre-summit.

Indigenous Peoples “are not only victims but we also come with solutions,” Anne Samante said.

The gathering concluded with the Nairobi Declaration – a common position for Africa leading up to COP28 with commitments around climate finance, renewable energy, a Global Climate Finance Charter, green minerals, and economic transformation. A key theme discussed throughout the week was the potential and need to include youth, one of Africa’s most valuable resource. The President of Kenya Dr. William Ruto acknowledged the role Indigenous Peoples play in their cultural landscapes in protecting forests, savannahs, marine environments, and drylands.

Judith Kipkenda from the Ogiek Peoples of Kenya and the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus read the Indigenous Peoples’ declaration in the closing ceremony. It includes the following key themes: (1) Indigenous focal points and participation at African Union and United Nations level, (2) free, prior, informed consent (FPIC) and stopping evictions of Indigenous Peoples from their lands, (3) recognition and strengthening traditional knowledge systems and partnerships to integrate this knowledge with scientific knowledge, among others.

“Although we as Indigenous Peoples contribute the least to climate change, we suffer the most from its consequences. We are here with solutions and lessons,” Judith Kipkenda said.

Indigenous knowledge systems for adaptation actions in Africa

In an Africa Climate Week side event organized on September 8jointly by the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Adaptation Actions in Africa, Indigenous leaders and key stakeholders discussed the necessity of including Indigenous knowledge for effective and long-term solutions to the climate crisis.

Dr. Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, Division Manager, Climate and Green Growth Department, African Development Bank, and Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, FSC Indigenous Foundation Council Chair, gave opening remarks.

“Those with Indigenous knowledge have higher adaptation and lower vulnerability, they make informed decisions and used local knowledge of diversification of crops,” said Dr. Dorsouma.

“It is the time to trust Indigenous Peoples and learn from Indigenous Peoples,” said Hindou Ibrahim.

Then, a panel discussed the importance of Indigenous knowledge in addressing climate adaptation in Indigenous Cultural Landscapes, including Dr. Arona Soumaré, Regional Principal Climate Change Officer, AfDB; Daniel Kobei, Executive Director, Ogiek Peoples Development Program, Balkisou Buba, Vice President of the Cameroon Branch of the Network of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Sustainable Management of Central Africa Forests Ecosystem (REPALEAC); and Roopa Karia, Environment Office Director, USAID Kenya and East Africa. Salina Sanou, FSC-IF Regional Director for Africa and Asia, moderated the event.

“We are moving away from a do not harm to an inclusive approach, “ said Dr. Soumaré of the AfDB.

“While working with science, we need to consider Indigenous knowledge. Women are holders of that knowledge,” said Balkisou Buba.

“Indigenous Peoples must be part of climate strategies from the design phase,” said Daniel Kobei, emphasizing that Indigenous knowledge is different from traditional knowledge.

“A real concern from USAID is the legal rights of Indigenous Peoples and the human rights of Indigenous Peoples,” said Roopa Karia.

Dr. Alejandro Paredes, Interim Managing Director of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and Dr. Olufunso Somorin, Regional Principal Officer, Climate Change and Green Growth Program at the African Development Bank, closed the event.

Speakers agreed that Indigenous knowledge is powerful and we need to use it in climate adaptation strategies and actions. Indigenous knowledge is the future.

We invite you to join us to make this future a reality as we carry this message to COP28 and work to elevate Indigenous-nature-based solutions with concrete actions.

Virtual event: USAID & Indigenous Peoples: Co-creation Efforts and Lessons Learned

Sara Omi, Coordinator of the Economic Empowerment Plan for Indigenous Women of Panama, will speak about the FSC Indigenous Foundation and our Indigenous Peoples Alliance for Rights and Development (IPARD) Program

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To commemorate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, on Wednesday, August 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET, USAID’s Inclusive Development Hub will host the virtual event, “USAID & Indigenous Peoples: Co-creation Efforts and Lessons Learned.” This event will showcase the impact of co-creation efforts that support Indigenous Peoples issues in Latin America.

You will hear from Agency partners and USAID staff working on the ground with Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala, Panama & Colombia. Speakers will include:

Aj’bee Jimenez, Senior Advisor for Indigenous Peoples Issues, USAID/Guatemala
Sara Omi, Coordinator of the Economic Empowerment Plan for Indigenous Women of Panama, FSC Indigenous Foundation
Karina Ballén, Senior Manager in Mental Health and Psychosocial Care, International Organization for Migration
Diana Aguas, Differential Approach Specialist, International Organization for Migration

USAID Deputy Administrator Paloma Adams-Allen and Senior Advisor on Indigenous Peoples Issues Stephanie Conduff will provide opening remarks.

If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact reasonableaccommodations@usaid.gov.

For questions on this event, please contact idcommunications@usaid.gov

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