· March, 2011

Stories about Indigenous from March, 2011

Taiwan: Nuclear Waste on Orchid Island

  31 March 2011

In 1974, the Taiwan Atomic Energy Council decided to store nuclear waste on Taiwan's Orchid Island, where the indigenous Tao people have lived for generations. More than twenty years have passed, the radioactive waste barrels have eroded with rust and it seems that no one is ready to take care of the problem.

Colombia: Indigenous Communities Protect their Food Security

  31 March 2011

Indigenous communities in Colombia are taking steps to protect their food security. Not only are they educating their communities to eat what they grow on their vegetable gardens instead of buying expensive food brought from outside but they are also protesting new laws and regulations limiting their access to milk.

Bolivia’s Conflicting Stance With the USA on Coca Chewing

  29 March 2011

The 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs ordered the elimination of chewing coca leaves within 25 years of the treaty going into effect. Bolivia has again resurfaced as a proponent to eliminate this UN ban. The US moved to block Bolivia’s request, further citing that an amendment to the article shows Bolivia’s lack of cooperation in the fight against the drug trade.

Paraguay: Photo Blog Reveals Dangers of Childbirth

  23 March 2011

Most Paraguayans are not aware of the high rates of death from childbirth and abortion in the country. These issues are rarely reported on mainstream media. This is why running into Rodrigo Alfaro’s photo blog post on death from childbirth in Paraguay is horrifying and shocking --even for a Paraguayan.

Brazil: Criminalization of Guarani-Kaiowá Leaders

  20 March 2011

Israel Sassá comments [pt] on the criminalization process that is taking place against the leaders of the indigenous Guarani Kaiowa community in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. According to him, members of the community are accused because they have been camping along federal roads after illegal farmers have stolen their...

Paraguay: Netizens Discuss Indigenous Issues on Facebook

  18 March 2011

Netizens share information and discuss indigenous issues in a Facebook group called “Por una vida digna para los indígenas del Paraguay” [es] (For a dignified life for the indigenous people of Paraguay), as journalist Sofía Masi reports in Despierta…Paraguay [es]

Peru: The Peruvian Amazon

  13 March 2011

What does the Amazon mean to Peru and, in turn, Peru to it? Juan Arellano answers these questions with a brief historical summary of the Peruvian Amazon and a compilation of what some bloggers have written about the Amazon region in Peru.

Taiwan: Social Media Makes Indigenous Voices Loud and Clear

  9 March 2011

Stories about the Taiwanese indigenous population's struggle for identity, sustainability and dignity are missing from the country's public sphere, as a result of relative social and political domination by the majority Han Chinese population. Now, thanks to social media, indigenous youth are making their voices heard and reconnecting with their traditions.

Panama: Spanish Journalist Deported

  7 March 2011

Spanish journalist Paco Gómez Nadal was deported after he was detained on February 26 during an indigenous protest against a law reforming Panama's Mineral Resources Code. In spite of the promise made by President Ricardo Martinelli to repeal the law that reforms the mining code, some Panamanians have not forgotten that the issue of the deported journalist remains unresolved.