Indigenous Youth, Carry the Torch Forward! Live the Legacy of Our Heroes!
As we commemorate Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day, it is a moment to honor the courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of Indigenous leaders, warriors, elders, women, and youth whose lives have been dedicated to defending our lands, and cultures.
Across Asia and around the world, Indigenous Peoples have long stood at the frontlines of struggles against dispossession, militarization, corporate extraction, and climate injustice. Many of our heroes faced harassment, criminalization, and violence but they stood firm in their conviction that our lands and identities are not for sale.
The legacy of our Indigenous Peoples heroes lives in our rivers, mountains, languages, stories, and the victories that communities continue to claim today. Their bravery is reflected in our daily acts of resistance: asserting self-determination, defending our ancestral territories, and standing for climate justice.
As Indigenous youth, we continue their struggle.
We live their legacy when we return to our roots, when we keep alive the culture and land they fought for. We live their legacy when we study our history — stories of courage, identity, and freedom. We live their legacy when we carry on our heroes’ life lessons to build a just future. We continue it when we organize, mobilize, and refuse to be silenced.
We recognize that the threats faced by our IP heroes are the same threats we face today: red-tagging, imperialist development aggressions, militarization, loss of land, and systemic attacks on our rights. But we also recognize the power passed onto us: the power of community, solidarity, and collective action.
To our Indigenous heroes, we remember you, we carry your stories, and we will continue your legacies. The Indigenous Youth will carry the torch forward to keep Indigenous lands in Indigenous hands.
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