Democracy and justice cannot exist without freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Today, by and large, the mainstream media is owned and controlled by socially and economically powerful people, resulting in a lack of access, voice, and participation of Indigenous Peoples. On the auspicious day of World's Press Freedom Day, Indigenous broadcasters call attention to the right of Indigenous Media, Article 16 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Land defenders and water protectors are often targeted by violence when there are protests against the development of dams and mines on Indigenous territories. But what is often left out are the threats to journalists covering the aggressions and reporting on grassroots events. Such violence affects them too, yet this is not brought to light as often. Speaking to Cultural Survival, Indigenous journalists around the world reiterate that Indigenous Peoples’ rights are also human rights.
Produced by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Sunuwar)
Interviewees:
Nina Sangma (Garo)
David Morales (Wayuu, Iipuana clan)
Jenni Monet (Laguna Pueblo)
Image: Canva (free use)
"Burn your village to the ground", by The Halluci Nation, used with permission