Stories about Indigenous from January, 2009
Bahamas: A Better Way
“The Bahamas is so very rich in culture that we could all be benefitting from it. But we’re not”: Nicolette Bethel explains why.
Trinidad & Tobago: Pelham and Pan
From Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean Free Radio publishes another podcast, this time focusing on “veteran producer and steel orchestra arranger, Pelham Goddard” as he discusses the evolution of steel pan music.
Australia Day brings on a stoush
Australian bloggers are debating the appropriateness of celebrating the anniversary of European occupation in 1788 as Australia Day.
Turkey: Armenian “Martin Luther King Jr.” Commemorated
The second anniversary of a murdered journalist once again had the power to move mountains in strained relations between between Armenia and Turkey, two states separated by the biblical mount Ararat and an unholy history. Yesterday's commemoration might not have been on such a large scale, but newspaper articles, editorials, and reaction from bloggers show that the murder of a prominent member of Turkey’s dwindling Christian Armenian minority by a Turkish ultra-nationalist continues to shock the world.
Ecuador: Correa Faces Pressure From Indigenous Groups
In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa is facing pressure from indigenous groups over his government's support of a new mining law. The coalition led by the National Confederation of Indigenous Nations (CONAIE) say that there was very little discussion and that it would violate the communities' sovereignty, as well as cause environmental contamination. Correa must decide how to face these mobilizations from groups that historically have been strong backers of his government.
Ukraine: Lily Hyde's “Dream Land” – the Crimean Tatar “Anne Frank”
Window on Eurasia writes about Lily Hyde’s “Dream Land” – a book by a Ukraine-based British freelance journalist, who “tells the story of the return of the Crimean Tatars to their homeland in the early 1990s from the perspective of Safi, a 12-year-old girl who comes back with her parents,...
Peru: Changing Indigenous Last Names to Avoid Discrimination
In Peru, some citizens see the necessity to change their last names, especially those that are typically indigenous, such as from “Quispe” to “Quimper,” as a way to avoid discrimination [es]. Eland Vera compares this to the practice by some movie stars in the United States who have done the...
Morocco: The Amazigh People
From Warp to Weft shares information about the Amazigh New Year, Yennayer, and of the Amazigh (Berber) people of Morocco.
Trinidad & Tobago: Clear the Way for Carnival
To get into gear for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Caribbean Free Radio posts the first in a series of podcasts with rapso group 3 Canal.
Azerbaijan: Mud Volcanoes
Joe's Trippin’ pays a visit to the Qobustan State reserve in Azerbaijan. The blog says that while there are as many as 600,000 rock paintings in the territory of the reserve, its main attraction is nearly half of the world's 700 mud volcanoes. The entry also provides information on how...
Grenada: Spice It Up
The Nomadic Gourmet gives a brief introduction to “Grenada – the Island of Spice.”