International Day of the World's Indigenous People Celebrated in San Francisco

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

International Day of the
World's Indigenous People

SAN FRANCISCO - With a "Free Leonard Peltier Now!" banner as a backdrop, the American Indian Movement - West chapter celebrated the "International Day of the World's Indigenous People" on Tuesday.

August 9 has been designated as International Day of the World's Indigenous People around the globe by the United Nations. August 9 is a symbolic recognition as the first day Indigenous peoples entered the UN system with the establishment of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1983 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Fuifuilupe Niumeitolu, of Tonga, representing solidarity on behalf of Pacific Islanders, opened the special occasion with prayer and song cast to the winds.

The program included a panel which discussed concerns that impact the lives of indigenous people around the globe. The panelists included: Dr. Paul LaRudee, solidarity speaker for Palestine Freedom Movement; Perry Matlock, shell-mound specialist; Michael Corral and Luta Candelaria AIM-WEST youth speaking about victory at Sogorea Te; and David Escobar, for El Salvador Three Nations, on challenges posed by UN Declaration on Rights of Worlds Indigenous Peoples.

Also on the program was a special showing of "The Sixth Sun: Mayan uprising in Chiapas" (1996), a film by Saul Landau. The distinguished filmmaker was on hand to introduce the award-winning film.

photo by AIM-West

posted August 10, 2011 7:30 am edt