As we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020, we indigenous youth continue to be pillars for sustainable development by working hand in hand.
Indigenous peoples for the longest time have experienced oppression as development in the guise of extractive industries has destroyed our ancestral territories. Indigenous youth continue to experience inaccessibility to education and other social basic services such as health. As Covid-19 pandemic struck this year, indigenous peoples are greatly affected as limited clinics and hospitals are inaccessible to indigenous communities and testing for them is not reachable. In education, as online learning is introduced, it has become difficult for families to afford gadgets and internet to provide to their children. Difficulty for strong signal is also lacking thus indigenous youth are not experiencing quality education.
Despite many challenges during this pandemic, indigenous youth continue to work together to address and help in their means to their indigenous communities such as giving out of relief, information drive on Covid 19 and continue to address local struggles may it be through online engagements and engagement on the ground.
We are one with all Indigenous Peoples on their defense to their land, life and resources. Indigenous youth carry a greater responsibility as the next holder and changer of the future. It takes courage in our line of work and advocacy where lives are at risk. It takes passion and motivation to be able to stand with the oppressed and marginalized and join them in their struggle. It takes collective power to be able to achieve a significant change.
Let us remember and honor the Indigenous youth leaders who dedicated themselves in serving the people at the same time take lessons from the work that they have put through. Let us call on other Indigenous youth to be part of a growing number of Indigenous Peoples human rights defenders.
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