16 h. ago Indigenous lands must be recognised as part of climate policy, says Brazilian minister

Sonia Guajajara tells Cop30 the rights of traditional communities must be maintained in the face of exploitation by the mining industryCountries must recognise the demarcation of Indigenous lands as a key component of tackling the climate crisis, and civil society must help in the defence of such lands against mining interests, Brazil’s minister for Indigenous peoples has said.Sonia Guajajara, a longtime Indigenous activist before being appointed a minister by President Lula da Silva, said: “[Among the goals of the Cop30 summit is] a request that countries recognise the demarcation of Indigenous lands as climate policy.” Continue reading...

Politics

17 h. ago Vatican returns contested Indigenous artifacts to Canada after 100 years

The Catholic Church is reckoning with its colonial past

Politics

19 h. ago Pope returns 62 artifacts to Canada's Indigenous peoples as part of reckoning with colonial past

The Vatican has returned 62 artifacts to Indigenous peoples from Canada

Politics

37 h. ago Protesters blockade Cop30 summit over plight of Indigenous peoples

Munduruku people demand to speak to Brazil’s president, saying they are never listened toCop30: click here for full Guardian coverage of the climate talks in BrazilProtesters blockaded the main entrance to the Cop30 climate conference for several hours early on Friday morning, demanding to speak to Brazil’s president about the plight of the country’s Indigenous peoples.About 50 people from the Munduruku people in the Amazon basin blocked the entrance with some assistance from international green groups, watched by a huge phalanx of riot police, soldiers and military vehicles. Continue reading...

Politics

41 h. ago ‘Will it change the weather? Will wildlife cope?’: Europe’s rush to build energy projects in Chile might not be as green as it seems

The country’s government is upbeat about the economic prospects of the growing number of windfarms, solar parks and industrial complexes but others warn of ‘green colonialism’For generations, Alfonso Campos’s family has raised sheep in the grasslands of San Gregorio, a tranquil area in Magallanes province, in the far south of Chile’s Patagonia region. Now, he says, his farm will be encircled by three massive containers of ammonia, a desalination plant, a hydrogen plant, gas pipelines and hundreds of wind turbines.“If the ammonia leaks, it will poison everything,” he says. “The noise of the windmills will also upset the animals, and the landscape will be turned into an industrial desert.” Continue reading...

Science

3 d. ago Photos show Indigenous participants at the People's Summit held alongside the COP30 climate meeting

While delegates at a U.N. conference discussed how to fulfill past promises on fighting climate change, a boisterous gathering focused on the same topic from a very different perspective was taking shape.

Culture

3 d. ago A flotilla kicks off the People's Summit for activists at UN climate talks

As United Nation climate talks get underway in Belem, a different kind of conference is kicking off: the People’s Summit, a gathering of activists, organizers, environmentalists and Indigenous groups from around the world

Politics

4 d. ago Tussles break out between protesters and security at Cop30 in Brazil

Dozens storm venue at climate conference that has encouraged NGOs and Indigenous groups to play unprecedented role in talksThere were tussles between protesters and security guards at the Cop30 climate talks late on Tuesday night, when a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people stormed the conference centre in Belém.Several dozen men and women, some in brightly coloured feather headdress, ran through the entrance, pushing at least one door off its hinges, before striding through the metal detectors and entering the Blue Zone. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Prince William makes heartfelt pledge to brave activists facing death threats from gangs

On his final day in Brazil today, Prince William spoke to indigenous people in Belem who told him about the pight to save their land in the Amazon from deforestation

Events

8 d. ago ‘Drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping’: the lawless rush for rare earth minerals in Venezuela

Guerrilla groups have seized control of mining areas, exploiting Indigenous people and fuelling environmental ruin on the border with ColombiaFor months, Brig Gen Rafael Olaya Quintero, commander of the Orinoco naval force, has been chasing tin and coltan traffickers across the waterways at Colombia’s border with Venezuela.His mission has become more urgent since the global shift towards clean energy has generated an unprecedented rush for rare earth elements and critical minerals. These materials are vital components in electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, fighter jets and guided missiles, with demand also driven by increased defence budgets in the EU, US and China, and throughout the world. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago A decade after Brazil’s deadly dam collapse, Indigenous peoples demand justice on the eve of COP30

Ten years after Brazil’s worst environmental disaster, the Indigenous Krenak people are still mourning what they call “the death of the river.”

Events

2 w. ago What to know about uncontacted Indigenous peoples and efforts to protect them

A report says at least 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups remain worldwide and face growing threats from logging, mining, missionaries and organized crime

Politics

2 w. ago Brazil and Peru are failing uncontacted people – and the Amazon’s future is at stake | Julio Cusurichi Palacios and Beto Marubo

As Cop30 approaches, a new report makes it clear the survival of isolated tribes is under threat as protections are eroded. It’s time our countries fulfilled their obligations to defend Indigenous peopleA new report published on Monday by the NGO Survival International reveals 196 uncontacted Indigenous groups across 10 countries in South America, Asia, and the Pacific, according to a five-year study titled Uncontacted peoples: At the edge of survival. Half of these groups – tens of thousands of people – face extinction within a decade due to industrial activity, criminal gangs and missionary incursions, with logging, mining and agribusiness cited as the primary threats.The report also warns that even indirect contact, such as disease spread by outsiders, could devastate populations, while the climate crisis and illegal activities further endanger their survival. Continue reading...

Events