NEW YORK CITY, New York (April 20, 2017) –  Indigenous women of the world stand on the frontlines of intensifying climate change impacts, and are simultaneously vital solution bearers and leaders of efforts to restore justice and health to diverse communities and the Earth.

 

In parallel to the 2017 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues happening in New York City in April, Indigenous women leaders from across the U.S. and around the world will gather for a public event, ‘Indigenous Women Protecting Earth, Rights and Communities’, to be presented by the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on April 26, 2017 at the Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza #8g, New York, NY 10017.

 

Women leaders will share stories and solutions on topics including; resistance efforts from Standing Rock to the Amazon; climate change solutions;  Indigenous rights and frontline communities; and the tenth anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

The diverse struggles and solutions of Indigenous women leaders will be contextualized within a frame of rapid climate change, health issues, biologic and cultural diversity loss, and destructive economic frameworks - demonstrating exactly why honoring Indigenous voices, rights and knowledge is so essential for the survival and prosperity of all life on Earth.

 

Speakers to date for ‘Indigenous Women Protecting Earth, Rights and Communities’ include, Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca; Ponca Nation Council Woman, WECAN Advisory Council Member, USA); Kandi Mossett (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara; Lead Organizer on the Extreme Energy & Just Transition Campaign with the Indigenous Environmental Network, USA); Lucy Mulenkei (Maasai; Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network, Kenya); Betty Lyons (Onondaga; President and Executive Director of the American Indian Law Alliance, USA); Michelle Cook (Diné; human rights lawyer and founding member of the of the Water Protector Legal Collective at Standing Rock, USA); Heather Milton Lightening (Pasqua First Nation, Cree, Anishinabe, Blackfoot and Dakota; Indigenous Tar Sands Campaigner with Polaris Institute, Canada); and Alina Saba (Limbu; Nepal Policy Center, Nepal).

 

Press and media are encouraged to reach out with all inquiries and interview requests in advance, during or after the event. Ample opportunities will be available during the event for interviews, audio and video recording, and dynamic photos of women leaders.