Honor Indigenous Peoples' Day! Defend the Land from Corporate Plunder!

Globally the situation of Indigenous People is worsened by heightening war and militarism across the world and growing economic crisis. At the helm of the crises is the United States whose relentless pursuit to maintain its global domination by any means necessary. On this International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (IDWIP), IWA raises the calls from our siblings in the International Indigenous Peoples Movement (IPMSDL): “Indigenous Peoples, Fight for a Future Free from Attacks, Plunder & Imperialist Wars!” 

Indigenous People relentlessly organize and defend themselves and their lands from the impacts of US imperialism including: resource extraction, forced displacement, and the destruction of land because of wars. This year the United States authored the Pax Silica Declaration and Agreement to counter China's dominance in the AI and microchip sectors. Pax Silica brought together 24 national signatories and one non-signatory to coordinate on the development, manufacturing and proliferation of the new global AI supply chain under US control. A major component of the agreement includes the mining and collection of critical minerals. In its pursuit to shore up its military preparations and dominance, the US has created an agreement that directly threatens indigenous populations with further displacement and extraction; along with increasing the rate of environmental destruction as a result of the construction of AI Data Centers which will poison the land and water and reduce significant biodiversity.

Indigenous Peoples are further impacted by policies imposed on countries by international finance institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). Agreements imposed on countries by IMF/WB require countries to sign onto agreements which reclaim land for manufacturing. IMF/WB rely on false narratives of development, climate adaptability and just transition. These words cloak the true intention of the IMF/WB which is to ensure countries are kept poor and desperate and allow imperialist countries to plunder land and resources in the name of development. The greenwashing of IMF/WB agreements is deceitful and only works to further remove the self-determination and prosperity of indigenous populations.

Overall the situation of indigenous peoples grows more dire every year because of the worsening global crises. But in the face of their struggles the fights indigenous people take up become more militant, more determined, and more important. The whole world has to join arm in arm with our indigenous brothers and sisters who are taking steps to protect their land, culture, and right to exist in a world that sees them as disposable and displaceable. IWA wishes to extend our appreciation to the organizations we have worked with who partner with indigenous women and peasant women who are on the frontlines of struggling to protect their land and our futures. We extend solidarity and thank our sisters in Asian Rural Women's Coalition, National Federation of Peasant Women (AMIHAN), Coordinador Nacional Agrario, Comité de Desarrollo Campesino (CODECA) and Serikat Perempuan Indonesia (SERUNI). IWA echoes the call of IPMSDL to mobilize and strengthen our movement for self-determination and liberation. Let us raise the call, “Indigenous Peoples, Fight for a Future Free from Attacks, Plunder & Imperialist Wars!” and calls on all our members around the world: Women: Honor Indigenous Peoples' Day! Defend the Land from Corporate Plunder!