Browse Items (1190 total)

On July 21, 1995, the Indigenous Council of Central America (CICA) was founded, which integrates indigenous representatives from Guatemala to Panama, including Belize.

Indian communities are now faced with the task of defending their cultural and intellectual property rights in the areas of agriculture, language, genetics, etc.

The myth that Indians are disappearing from the world has led to policies and laws that are destroying the environment that is pivotal to the prosperity of Indians. The recent rise in environmentalism has led to a focus on restoring the land that is…

Zapatista Army of National Liberation rose up in Chiapas highlighting Indigenous rights and issues including the lauding of Indigenous culture and leaders in the past while ignoring the problems facing current indigenous populations and marginalizing…

Territorial divisions within Mexico and Central America were constructed in an artificial manner, dividing and isolating indigenous peoples. This led to a division of Mayan peoples with Chiapas facing conflicts within its own territory and along its…

The Xavante people have been developing their culture in harmony with nature for centuries. They encountered whites but were able to tentatively coexist while maintaining their autonomy. The elders created the Jabiru Project which aims to guarantee…

The Colombian constitution granted all indigenous territories legal status as “Territorial
Entities" within the republic. The Indigenous movement's triumph during the constitutional
convention is particularly important since it makes Colombia the…

Indigenous leaders from Nicaragua, Panama, and Canada give their thoughts on the Zapatista uprising and how it plays into a larger indigenous movement across the continent.

Indigenous peoples along the Rio Coco that splits the countries of Honduras and Nicaragua have been subjugated to unequal land and resource agreements. Because of the Sandinista government and the Nicaraguan civil war, indigenous peoples in the area…

Indigenous groups voice opposition to the Pan-American Highway, a proposed infrastructure project that would facilitate trade between between North and South America due to possible environmental destruction and community displacement.

A proposed Pan-American Highway from Colombia to Panama would destroy important ecosystems and cut through lands of up to five indigenous communities as well as non-native communities. The Indigenous Pan-American Commission speaks up against the…

The trans-Amazon pipeline carrying Occidental and Petroperu crude oil burst spilling between 10,000 and 30,000 barrels of oil a day into the Marañon river, the main water source for many indigenous communities in the area. The Peruvian government has…