Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines — Indigenous Youth leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered in the historic mountains of Sagada for the Leaders and Guardianship Gathering from April 26 to 27, 2026, a two-day sub-regional assembly aimed at strengthening solidarity and advancing collective action among Indigenous Youth movements.
The event, organized by the Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network (AYIPN), together with the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), Pawanka Fund, Synchronicity Earth, and Youth Climate Justice Fund, brought together delegates from the Philippines, Indonesia, West Papua, Malaysia, Uchina Loochoo, and Nepal.
Prior to the official gathering, the delegates participated in the 42nd Cordillera Day celebration in Tadian, Mountain Province, a historic annual commemoration bringing forward the continuing struggle of Indigenous Peoples for self-determination, land rights, and cultural identity, providing delegates the opportunity to witness firsthand the resistance in Cordillera, engage with local communities, and participate in cultural performances during the solidarity night.
Delegates then went on a symbolic Sagada tour for cultural immersion and historical integration with the local communities, visiting heritage sites that reflected the rich cultural history of the town, learning traditional weaving practices that preserve Indigenous knowledge passed down through generations while promoting intergenerational learning, and exploring Sagada’s coffee livelihood that sustains community-based economies amid modern development pressures.
The official assembly opened with a traditional Lumad ritual that grounded the gathering in Indigenous spirituality and ancestral traditions, followed by a keynote address on the broader realities faced by Indigenous peoples across Asia delivered by the AYIPN Secretary General, Funa-ay Claver.
“They may call us different names; they may call us rebels, barbarians, savages, etc. But the truth is that we are defending life itself, we are defending our land, we are defending the environment,” Funa-ay said at the conclusion of her address.
A major part of the gathering involved country and regional situation reports that revealed how Indigenous communities across Asia face deeply connected struggles despite different political contexts. Among the highlighted issues include corporate encroachment, destructive development projects, militarization, political repression, mining operations, and attacks against Indigenous communities defending their territories.
Discussions continued on the second day, highlighting the presentation on Global Geopolitics and Political Economy of Southeast Asia delivered by the IPMSDL Global Coordinator, Paul Belisario, deepening the participants’ political analysis and strengthening their understanding of the larger systems affecting Indigenous communities and their collective rights.
Participants also strengthened the major regional campaigns of AYIPN: Indigenous Lands in Indigenous Hands (ILIH) and, as part of it, Indigenous Peoples Youth Actions for Strengthening and Solidarity (IP-YASS), aimed at defending ancestral lands, preserving Indigenous knowledge systems, strengthening youth leadership, documenting human rights violations, and expanding regional cooperation among Indigenous youth organizations.
Furthermore at the gathering, participants mapped their journey forward by outlining priorities for the joint mechanism and planning concrete collective actions through a workshop and collective discussions focused on the assessment of local organizational needs and identification of strategic goals.
The assembly concluded with participants sharing powerful commitments to continue advancing the collective struggle of Indigenous Peoples across the world, with a strong focus on defending ancestral lands, asserting the right to self-determination, and strengthening grassroots movements within their communities.
More than a gathering, the Southeast Asia Indigenous Youth Leadership and Guardianship Gathering 2026 became a powerful affirmation that Indigenous youth across Asia remain united in solidarity, strengthening a growing movement committed to defending their peoples, lands, and life itself. As part of a broader effort for regional strengthening, this gathering marks an important step in building stronger collective action and shared leadership, with the upcoming South Asia and Mekong regional gathering set to continue expanding this united movement for self-determination and the defense of Indigenous rights.
