On the 9th of August, we celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This is an international celebration that commemorates the date of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at the United Nations (UN) in 1982. This year’s theme was ‘COVID-19 and Indigenous peoples’ resilience’.
Preservation of culture and knowledge has been a priority as Indigenous people fight against the COVID 19 pandemic. All over the world, Indigenous people are doing the same within their communities. Indigenous knowledge is key to obtain practical ways to fight this pandemic, listen to what our land is telling us, and reduce the risk of future pandemics.
Indigenous peoples around the world are using self-determination and cultural knowledge to fight this pandemic, once again showing their capability to adapt and survive during the most trying circumstances.
To celebrate this year’s theme, the UN hosted a virtual event that featured a panel discussion on the innovative ways Indigenous peoples continue demonstrating resilience and strength in the face of the pandemic while confronting grave threats to survival. Find more information here.
Indigenous communities reacted swiftly in response to the COVID19 pandemic and implemented measures early on to protect Indigenous communities. Our partners at AIGI have highlighted this through their timely webinar series on the COVID 19 pandemic concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Their webinars ‘Governing Through Crisis’ and ‘International Resilience Through COVID’ are accessible here.
We would like to acknowledge all of our Indigenous brothers and sisters during this time and commemorate how strong and resilient our peoples are in the face of adversity.
