News of Note 2/14/25: FPIC and Debt-for-Nature Deals, Defining Tribal Sovereignty, Indigenous Impact Investing Series
Top Stories
Ecuador’s next debt-for-nature deal falls short of Indigenous involvement (Mongabay)
“Following the success of its first debt-for-nature swap for the Galapagos, Ecuador received $460 million dollars that will be allocated to the conservation of the Amazon… However, Indigenous leaders have denied these claims and say they have not been involved in full participation. [...] This situation stems from the government’s failure to conduct a free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) with Indigenous peoples at every stage of the process, as required by Ecuador’s Constitution.”
Protections continue for Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument (Native American Rights Fund)
“The U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona dismissed two consolidated cases filed against the 2023 Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument designation. [...] The National Monument protects thousands of historic and scientific objects, sacred places, vital water sources, and the ancestral homelands of many Indigenous Peoples. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni lands include cultural and sacred places of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiutes, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Colorado River Indian Tribes.”
Stop Confusing Tribal Sovereignty with Race (Native News Online)
“Treaties are not symbolic gestures; they are legally binding agreements between sovereign nations. Just as the United States signs treaties with foreign nations, it has entered into 374 treaties with tribal nations, affirming their self-governing status. These agreements are a clear acknowledgment that tribal sovereignty is based on political status, not race. [...] Despite this legal framework, the misconception that tribal identity is racial rather than political has been used to undermine tribal nations’ rights.”
GreenMoney Journal Indigenous Peoples & Impact Investing Issue - Part 1
Small Wings, Big Impact: Revitalizing Tribal Lands and Livelihoods (Euchee Butterfly Farm)
Supporting Indigenous Self-Determination Through a Spectrum of Capital (The Christensen Fund)
A Community Centered Approach to Closing Credit Access Gaps: Native CDFIs (Center for Indian Country Development)
Breaking Barriers: Catalyzing Indigenous Entrepreneurship Toward Financial Inclusion (Roanhorse Consulting)
Video: Rematriating Economies Apprenticeship (Roanhorse Consulting)
Podcast: Historic Loss Assessment Report quantifies $1.17 trillion in land theft from Colorado’s Native Nations (People of the Sacred Land’s Truth, Restoration, and Education Commission)
More News
Red Alert! Violent Raids and Arrests in Mapuche Communities in Chubut, Argentina (Cultural Survival)
Indigenous Peoples’ leaders from the global south assert their right to self-determination (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
Despite Some Gains, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Remain Lowest-Scoring Indicator in Third Annual Clean Car Report (SIRGE Coalition)
Brandi Morin in Ecuador Part 2: Indigenous resistance to a made-in-Canada mine (Ricochet)
Indigenous Women Spotlight the Climate Crisis in New Mexico at Gathering Inside the Roundhouse (Inside Climate News)
Senate passes legal changes to "supercharge" Indigenous Business [Australia] (National Indigenous Times)
Boost Indigenous business to counter Trump's tariff threats, leaders say (Canadian Press/Yahoo Finance)
Indigenous Behind Bars (The Progressive)
Superbowl 2025 Not In Our Honor Statement (Not in Our Honor)
Repatriation to Indigenous groups is more than law, it’s human rights (The Conversation)