Indigenous People Archives

Home Indigenous People

A long exposure picture of a Perseid meteor crossing the night sky and stars trails.

Social Justice

The Fault in Our Star Names

The International Astronomical Union has established a committee to finalize a list of official star names. Some companies offer unofficial naming rights for purchase. But the voices of certain communities are often left behind.

Ben Rowen

‘Indigenous Writing Is Going to Continue to Set the Bar for Literary Excellence’: An Interview With Alicia Elliott and Arielle Twist

Terese Marie Mailhot interviews Alicia Elliott and Arielle Twist about some recent triumphs in Indigenous literature—and about other triumphs still to come.

Terese Marie Mailhot

Aerial view of the Iriri River on Arara Indigenous land, in the Amazon, on March 15th, 2019.

News in Brief

Indigenous Communities Are Better at Preserving Biodiversity, Research Shows

A new study adds to research showing concrete links between Indigenous rights to land and sustainable conservation.

Maxine Speier

An Indigenous woman holds a Brazilian national flag stained in with a blood-like red during a march in Brasilia on April 26th, 2019, on the last day of a protest to defend Indigenous land and rights.

News in Brief

The Killing of an Indigenous Leader in Brazil Is Part of a Global Trend of Attacks on Environmentalists

In 2018, more than 160 land and environmental defenders were killed—many of them Indigenous.

Isabela Dias

Greg Grey Cloud with his horse, "my friend, my horse nation relative, my brother Leon and I, sharing and trading back emotions and communicating."

Ideas

‘The Horse Nation Is Here for Us’: How Lakota Culture Is Helping Treat Child Trauma in South Dakota

Greg Grey Cloud is combining traditional Lakota horse rituals with equine therapy to treat PTSD—and much more.

Tony Rehagen

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador speaks during his daily morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City on March 26th, 2019.

News in Brief

Mexico Asked Spain to Apologize for Its Conquest. Spain Said No.

The Spanish government rejected the Mexican president's demand, suggesting Spain's invasion of the Americas shouldn't be judged through our modern lens.

Jack Herrera

Volunteers look over the U.S.–Mexico border fence.

Social Justice

How a Border Wall Would Separate Indigenous Communities

Tens of thousands of people belonging to U.S. Native tribes live in the Mexican states and routinely cross the border to participate in cultural events.

Christina Leza

Environment

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Government Wants to Circumvent the Constitution to Allow Mining on Indigenous Lands

The Brazilian minister of mines and energy stated that Brazil would open its indigenous territories to mining interests without the consent of the affected population.

Sue Branford & Maurício Torres