· June, 2010

Stories about Indigenous from June, 2010

Belize: Mayans Win Right to Land

  30 June 2010

Repeating Islands reports on a landmark court ruling “in favor of 38 Mayan Communities in the Toledo District”, which confirms their rights to the land surrounding their communities.

South Africa: Rethinking customary law

  28 June 2010

Pierre de Vos discusses South African customary law: “When I studied law at Stellenbosch University, we did not study a single aspect of customary law. It was as if customary law (and the millions of people who lived in terms of it) did not exist.”

India: Economic Blockade In Manipur State

  15 June 2010

The northeastern state of Manipur in India is facing a humanitarian crisis with the price of necessities soaring up as it has been subjected to a blockade of the National Highway 39 (NH-39) connecting Imphal (Manipur) with Kohima (Nagaland).

Taiwan: Indigenous conference brings together Austronesian speakers

  11 June 2010

Life in Taiwan reports on an international conference for indigenous peoples held in Taiwan. The conference brought together people from Austronesian-speaking countries to discuss issues such as health, education and endangered languages. Austronesian languages are spoken in the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and parts of Southeast Asia.

Dominica: A Day in the Life

  10 June 2010

Dominica Weekly highlights a documentary which “brings to life the rich heritage and culture of the Kalinago (Carib) people in Dominica.”

Peru: The Blogosphere Remembers Bagua

  8 June 2010

A year from the tragic incidents in Bagua, where officially 34 people died (23 of them were policemen) and unofficial reports speak of a much larger number of casualties, Peruvians used blogs to express their different feelings: pain, frustration, and disenchantment were the predominant sentiments.

Peru: A Year Since Bagua

  5 June 2010

June 5 marks a year of the Baguazo, the name given to the unfortunate events that took pace in Bagua where officially 34 people died, of which 23 were policemen; however, unofficial reports claim the number of deaths is greater, especially from the side of the civilian protesters. Here is an account of reactions and of some events planned to commemorate the first anniversary of the incidents.

Taiwan: Chiayi Sound Project

  1 June 2010

“Chiayi Sound Project initiated from 2008. It mainly focuses on field recording in southern Taiwan – Chiayi, the recording topics include oral history, nature environment, folk music, industry, religion and local events.” Check the project's latest recording of Mayasvi, one of the two most important rituals of Tsou indigenous people.