U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Begins with Women's Rights in New York

U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Begins with Women's Rights in New York

Bolivia's representative speaks on the rights of women on Monday.

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, April 21, 2025

Watch: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k17y7haxx1

NEW YORK -- Indigenous women from the far north in Russia and deep in the Amazon, and from every region of the world, spoke on the beauty and strength of Indigenous women as caregivers and wisdom holders, urging respect and real dialogue, as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues began on Monday in New York.

Bolivia's representative said, "Indigenous women have always been looking after the land, sowing seeds, speaking our languages, healing with our plants, we've been caring for others, and we've been caring for our daughters, our sons, and we are at the very heart of our community."

"But even so we continue to be rendered invisible, and are victims of discrimination,  and often we are violated, victims of violence."

Indigenous women have made significant progress in Bolivia, and are in Parliament, in the Ministry, in town halls and social organizations.

"This is a source of joy, and this is strength, but we also know that where we are is not far enough, we don't want to just be there for photo ops, or to fill a process, we want also to be heard. We want what we feel to be heard."

Indigenous women are at the heart of life, but often are on the margin of decision-making processes, she said.

"This dialogue between people must produce real results. What we know must be respected, we must be genuinely included."

She said the lives of Indigenous women must be cared for, as well as the territories. The dialogue must not be over when this meeting is over, but must continue in the schools, neighborhoods and the communities.

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Speaking eloquently of Indigenous women's lifeways in western Siberia in Russia, the representative said the hard work of nomadic women needs to be appreciated and recognized as legal work, which will mean pensions. She urged programs for entrepreneurship for Indigenous women, who are guardians of traditional knowledge, in order to create a sustainable economy of traditional people, included increased programs for crafts.

Women's rights to health care and participation in decision-making is a concern. Information is needed on how to prevent disease and uphold ethical considerations for the companies working here. Industrial companies are signing thousands of economic agreements with traditional farmers and women should have more involvement.

In her homeland in Russia, Indigenous women have a very high status in life. Many associations are headed by women. Referring to the statements by other women at the U.N. Forum, she said the violence and disappearance of Indigenous women are absent in Russia, but there are these other concerns in her homeland in Siberia.

Indigenous in Russia want to continue their nomadic lifestyle of deer raising, a delegate from Russia told the United Nations. She said Indigenous Peoples are keepers of the traditional knowledge. For the nomadic lifestyle to continue the rights of women and men must be respected, she said, during the presentations on the Rights of Women on Monday afternoon.

She said living conditions for her people are harsh, and they want to improve this by providing compensation and pension for women. Describing the lifestyle of reindeer herders, she said nomads use vast amounts of land. The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) represents Indigenous peoples in Russia, including groups from the North, Siberia, and the Far East. 

Autumn Peltier, 20, spoke on water rights and the epidemic of violence against Indigenous girls and women in the U.S. and Canada. Autumn is an Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate from the Wikwemkong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada. 

Hannah McGlade spoke on the abuses of the prison system in Australia and told the U.N. that Australia's prisons are full of Indigenous women, men, boys and girls. McGlade described the epidemic of violence targeting Aboriginal girls and women in the Pacific.

The Minister of the Environment of Colombia, Lena Estrada, speaks on protecting Indigenous knowledge, land and lifeways for future generations. Listen to her words in Espanol https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1ynJOldrzQkxR

Aluki Kotierk, Inuit and Nunavut Tunngavik President, was selected as this year's Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Kotierk began by speaking on those who have given their lives for their people, the need for protecting sacred places, and described how the so-called green technology is harmfully impacting Indigenous Peoples. Kotierk says Indigenous must be seen as active partners in development. 

The issues during the two-week session include the forced sterilization of Native Americans in the U.S. to be presented by AIM West's delegate. The Permanent  Forum research reveals the armed conflicts affecting Indigenous Peoples, and the abuse in U.S. boarding schools and Canadian residential schools. 

Suleiman Mamutov, an attorney from the Ukraine, was selected as the United Nations Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples are faced with the dangerous unknown this year. The U.S. government is seizing people with valid visas, throwing them in ICE jails and making release extremely difficult. Travelers entering the United States are being detained illegally, as reported in a series by The Guardian.

During the Permanent Forum last year, the delegates from Russia faced oppression as they spoke out about lithium and coal mining, and the loss of land and languages. Indigenous women from Peru said women and children were being shot from helicopters as they defended their land from mining.

When accused of human rights abuses, China pointed out that the U.S. and Canada are also guilty with their long history of abuse in boarding schools and residential schools.

In the U.S., the Interior's BIA report on boarding schools failed to report thousands of Native children's deaths. 

One of the powerful images is of the children standing at the train tracks yearning to go home. Many died along those tracks, of suicide, and while running away. The horrific abuse was largely covered up in the BIA's report at the U.S. Interior.

The Washington Post's year-long research provides the raw data into thousands of Native children's deaths that the U.S. Interior did not reveal. The silence and the cover-up are shocking. 

Read more at Censored News: 'Buried in History: The Native Children who Died in U.S. Boarding Schools and Were Not Reported' 

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/01/buried-in-history-native-children-who.html

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2025

Summary

UNPFII24 will take place from 21 April to 2 May 2025. Theme: "Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within UN Member States and the UN system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges"

Description
Opening Ceremony
Item 1: Election of officers
Item 2: Adoption of the agenda and organization of work

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high- level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council. The Forum was established on 28 July 2000 by resolution 2000/22, with the mandate to deal with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

More specifically, the Permanent Forum:provides expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the Council, as well as to programmes, funds and agencies of the United Nations, through ECOSOC;
raises awareness and promotes the integration and coordination of activities related to indigenous issues within the UN system;
prepares and disseminates information on indigenous issues;
promotes respect for and full application of the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and follow up the effectiveness of this Declaration (Art. 42 UNDRIP).

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https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04/from-heart-of-amazon-women-rise-above.html

The ecocide of mining in Bolivia

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Australian Indigenous brings power of warrior women to United Nations

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Fighting for the People, Protecting the Water, Dine' Rally at Navajo Nation Council

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Navajo President is a 'No Show.' Dine' Say Nygren is Selling Them out in Washington

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U.N. Permanent Forum Begins with Voices of Indigenous Women

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04/un-permanent-forum-on-indigenous-issues.html