Staff, Making Contact National Radio Project: One in three native women have been victims of sexual assault and the murder rate of indigenous women is consistently higher than the national average. Andrea Smith, author of Conquest: Sexual Violence and Native American Genocide explains the connection between violence against women, and the colonization of native lands and bodies.
Bethania Palma Markus, Truthout: While indigenous people around the planet battle poverty and capitalist intrusions on their land and into their culture, in California, the most basic hurdle in self-determination - federal recognition - is blocked. Specifics of California history make it impossible for many to meet federal criteria.
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, Truthout: The recent signing of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the invigoration of the Native Indian movement show that it's time to recognize their rights in the face of their ongoing struggle.
Four Arrows, Truthout: Indigenous peoples must consciously confront and oppose the hegemony of the Christian worldview that informs the forces of economic oppression and ecological destruction, says Four Arrows.
Bethania Palma Markus, Truthout: A group of indigenous peoples from the US and Canada joined in a 'Unity Ride' to the UN to plead for their sacred sites and their way of life against ongoing environmental destruction and cultural genocide.