Latest news with #landdefense
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Young Indigenous leaders in Colombia's violent Cauca gather to resist violence and elect new voices
Adriana Pazu wiped away tears as she remembered a colleague who was shot dead earlier this year by an armed dissident group for defending their land. Pazu, an Indigenous authority from the Nasa territory of San Francisco, Toribío, was attending an Indigenous youth assembly this week in Las Delicias, Cauca, a region long affected by conflict. Despite years of threats and an official security detail, Pazu's colleague Edgar Tumiña was killed — months after one of his bodyguards was killed in an earlier attack. 'He gave everything to protect this land and our youth,' Pazu said, her voice breaking. 'Now, there are only a few of us left, holding onto this responsibility.' She said she's prepared to carry on, even at great personal risk. 'I've told my family — I'm willing to give my life for this fight. Not with weapons, but by guiding, by speaking, by defending life and territory,¨ she told The Associated Press during the assembly. ¨If death comes, it won't scare me. What scares me is leaving these young people unprotected.' In a region where natural resources are often exploited for illegal mining, deforestation and logging, confronting that illegal activity can be dangerous. It's especially so in regions like Cauca, where violent groups frequently target Indigenous children and teenagers for recruitment. Pazu's journey began years ago as a semillero leader — part of a weekend school where Indigenous youth are nurtured like seeds to grow into future leaders and defenders of their communities. These semilleros offer a sanctuary — teaching traditional Nasa culture, nonviolent resistance, community rituals, arts, and self-defense — empowering youth with identity, skills, and solidarity to protect their lands and heritage. 'Youth process' High in the mountains of northern Cauca, the Indigenous reserve of Las Delicias sits in a region long scarred by violence. Its cemetery holds the body of Breiner David Cucuñame, a 14-year-old community member killed three years ago in a confrontation with dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the leftist guerilla group that signed a peace agreement with the government almost a decade ago. Although one of many, Cucuñame's death became a symbol of the risks facing Indigenous youth and their deep commitment to defending their land. That legacy is one reason Las Delicias was chosen to host this year's Indigenous youth assembly, the event's 39th session. Brightly painted chiva buses — traditional, open-sided vehicles common in rural Colombia — carried hundreds of young people from across Cauca's Nasa territories up narrow mountain roads to the reserve. They gathered to elect new leaders, share ancestral knowledge, and strategize how to protect their lives, culture, and land amid growing threats. 'We chose Las Delicias because it's been hard-hit … a young person was murdered. We want to show that there's still a youth process there,' said Jhoiner Medina, 30, the outgoing leader of the Cauca youth movement. Targeted assassinations Violence in Cauca, and many other regions, intensified after Colombia's 2016 peace deal, as criminal groups and dissident factions moved to claim territory and control drug trafficking routes once held by demobilized FARC rebels. Medina said children and teens have been the most affected. 'Armed groups have continued to recruit children and adolescents, and we are trying to offer alternatives through art, culture, and political training,' he said. The violence was evident in Las Delicias. Just below the cemetery where Cucuñame is buried, three burned-out military and police vehicles sit where residents set fire to them last year after a government operation that destroyed a drug lab. Authorities say residents were pressured by armed groups. But some in the community say distrust of official forces runs deep in this conflict-ridden region. According to Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, Indigenous communities in Cauca are among Colombia's most organized and socially cohesive — a strength that has made them a direct target of armed and criminal groups since the 2016 peace deal. These groups, vying for control over trafficking routes and illicit economies, have sought to fracture the communities' social fabric through targeted assassinations of traditional leaders, economic coercion, and infiltration of youth culture, Dickinson told AP. Dickinson described youth movements as 'crucial' to resisting recruitment and preserving cultural autonomy. 'It brings us together' Held every two years, the youth assembly draws as many as 600 youth from across the region to elect new leaders, evaluate progress, and develop strategies to protect their communities from violence. It also serves as a space to celebrate cultural identity through dance, music, and traditional practices — which organizers say are increasingly threatened by globalization and displacement. Jhony Baicue Camago, 14, from the López Adentro Indigenous reserve in Cauca, spent four years in a semillero and now serves in the Indigenous Guard. He said the assembly is a vital space for young people to speak out, especially amid threats such as forced recruitment, sexual violence and extortion by armed groups. Camago, who hopes to become a nurse, said cultural traditions like dance and music help unify and empower his community. 'When we play the drums, when we dance, there's a strength. It brings us together,' he said. But the dangers are real. Camago said he knows young people who have been recruited — and raped — by armed groups. 'They use us as mere bait,' he said. 'They send us to the front lines of the war.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
15-07-2025
- Associated Press
Young Indigenous leaders in Colombia's violent Cauca gather to resist violence and elect new voices
LAS DELICIAS, Colombia (AP) — Adriana Pazu wiped away tears as she remembered a colleague who was shot dead earlier this year by an armed dissident group for defending their land. Pazu, an Indigenous authority from the Nasa territory of San Francisco, Toribío, was attending an Indigenous youth assembly this week in Las Delicias, Cauca, a region long affected by conflict. Despite years of threats and an official security detail, Pazu's colleague Edgar Tumiña was killed — months after one of his bodyguards was killed in an earlier attack. 'He gave everything to protect this land and our youth,' Pazu said, her voice breaking. 'Now, there are only a few of us left, holding onto this responsibility.' She said she's prepared to carry on, even at great personal risk. 'I've told my family — I'm willing to give my life for this fight. Not with weapons, but by guiding, by speaking, by defending life and territory,¨ she told The Associated Press during the assembly. ¨If death comes, it won't scare me. What scares me is leaving these young people unprotected.' In a region where natural resources are often exploited for illegal mining, deforestation and logging, confronting that illegal activity can be dangerous. It's especially so in regions like Cauca, where violent groups frequently target Indigenous children and teenagers for recruitment. Pazu's journey began years ago as a semillero leader — part of a weekend school where Indigenous youth are nurtured like seeds to grow into future leaders and defenders of their communities. These semilleros offer a sanctuary — teaching traditional Nasa culture, nonviolent resistance, community rituals, arts, and self-defense — empowering youth with identity, skills, and solidarity to protect their lands and heritage. 'Youth process' High in the mountains of northern Cauca, the Indigenous reserve of Las Delicias sits in a region long scarred by violence. Its cemetery holds the body of Breiner David Cucuñame, a 14-year-old community member killed three years ago in a confrontation with dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the leftist guerilla group that signed a peace agreement with the government almost a decade ago. Although one of many, Cucuñame's death became a symbol of the risks facing Indigenous youth and their deep commitment to defending their land. That legacy is one reason Las Delicias was chosen to host this year's Indigenous youth assembly, the event's 39th session. Brightly painted chiva buses — traditional, open-sided vehicles common in rural Colombia — carried hundreds of young people from across Cauca's Nasa territories up narrow mountain roads to the reserve. They gathered to elect new leaders, share ancestral knowledge, and strategize how to protect their lives, culture, and land amid growing threats. 'We chose Las Delicias because it's been hard-hit … a young person was murdered. We want to show that there's still a youth process there,' said Jhoiner Medina, 30, the outgoing leader of the Cauca youth movement. Targeted assassinations Violence in Cauca, and many other regions, intensified after Colombia's 2016 peace deal, as criminal groups and dissident factions moved to claim territory and control drug trafficking routes once held by demobilized FARC rebels. Medina said children and teens have been the most affected. 'Armed groups have continued to recruit children and adolescents, and we are trying to offer alternatives through art, culture, and political training,' he said. The violence was evident in Las Delicias. Just below the cemetery where Cucuñame is buried, three burned-out military and police vehicles sit where residents set fire to them last year after a government operation that destroyed a drug lab. Authorities say residents were pressured by armed groups. But some in the community say distrust of official forces runs deep in this conflict-ridden region. According to Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the International Crisis Group, Indigenous communities in Cauca are among Colombia's most organized and socially cohesive — a strength that has made them a direct target of armed and criminal groups since the 2016 peace deal. These groups, vying for control over trafficking routes and illicit economies, have sought to fracture the communities' social fabric through targeted assassinations of traditional leaders, economic coercion, and infiltration of youth culture, Dickinson told AP. Dickinson described youth movements as 'crucial' to resisting recruitment and preserving cultural autonomy. 'It brings us together' Held every two years, the youth assembly draws as many as 600 youth from across the region to elect new leaders, evaluate progress, and develop strategies to protect their communities from violence. It also serves as a space to celebrate cultural identity through dance, music, and traditional practices — which organizers say are increasingly threatened by globalization and displacement. Jhony Baicue Camago, 14, from the López Adentro Indigenous reserve in Cauca, spent four years in a semillero and now serves in the Indigenous Guard. He said the assembly is a vital space for young people to speak out, especially amid threats such as forced recruitment, sexual violence and extortion by armed groups. Camago, who hopes to become a nurse, said cultural traditions like dance and music help unify and empower his community. 'When we play the drums, when we dance, there's a strength. It brings us together,' he said. But the dangers are real. Camago said he knows young people who have been recruited — and raped — by armed groups. 'They use us as mere bait,' he said. 'They send us to the front lines of the war.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
CBC
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
First Nations leaders in Ontario's Ring of Fire region demand Bill 5 be struck down
Rudy Turtle says the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation will never stop defending the land. In the case of Ontario's Bill 5 — proposed legislation aimed at expediting development — he says "we're not going to back down." "We need to continue to protect our environment and make sure that things are done properly," said Turtle, former chief of Grassy Narrows. "Any changes that are made at any time, we have to really look at the pros and cons." Turtle is chair of the First Nations Land Defence Alliance, a group of First Nations that's been pushing back against development without Indigenous consultation. This includes the surge of mining claims staked in northwestern Ontario using the province's online, free-entry system. Northwestern Ontario is home to the Ring of Fire, a crescent-shaped mineral deposit in the James Bay lowlands that's long been eyed as a critical source for the electric vehicle battery industry. According to the Wildlands League, a not-for-profit conservation organization, more than 40,000 mining claims have been staked in the Ring of Fire area — a 60 per cent jump since 2022. Under Bill 5, the Ring of Fire could become designated as a special economic zone, where those considered to be trusted proponents could conduct business while being exempt from provincial or municipal laws and regulations, including requirements for permits. The province says Bill 5, called the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, will reduce red tape by making it easier for developments to get off the ground. But dozens of First Nations leaders and advocates across the province are questioning what this means when it comes to Indigenous consultation and environmental protections. "They're saying that Native people will prosper," said Turtle. "We've never benefited from an industry coming into our area." "We always end up [with] the short end of the stick." 'This is so wrong' Bill 5 was introduced by Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce last month. In addition to the creation of special economic zones, it would revoke a number of regulations related to development and procurement, and change just under a dozen provincial laws. Through this legislation, the Endangered Species Act would be replaced with a new Species Conservation Act, which "introduces tougher penalties, including hefty fines, jail time and additional compliance tools, ensuring no tolerance for bad actors," Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for the premier's office, told CBC News in an email. On Thursday, Ontario's standing committee of the interior debated Bill 5 before holding the first public hearing about the legislation. Sol Mamakwa, the NDP MPP for Kiiwetinoong and a member of Kingfisher Lake First Nation, describes the bill as "a step backwards." "It's very colonial, very oppressive," Mamakwa said. "This is so wrong." The provincial government says the bill aims to respond to economic threats coming from U.S. President Donald Trump, while maintaining high environmental standards, labour laws and the province's duty to consult with First Nations. They're saying that Native people will prosper. We've never benefited from an industry coming into our area. "Projects streamlined through our proposed special economic zones are also of common interests for First Nations — they support legacy infrastructure and will unleash additional economic opportunity by bringing road construction, hydro hookups, healthcare, schooling, jobs and other services back to their community," said Jensen. For Mamakwa, it comes down to competing definitions of economic reconciliation. "When we talk about economic reconciliation, it is not the same as inherent Aboriginal and Treaty rights," he said. "The government can certainly invest as much as it wants in economic reconciliation, but without first and foremost respecting the rights of First Nations rights holders, these projects cannot move forward." More than 130 written submissions were received by the standing committee about Bill 5, said Mamakwa, and an unprecedented number of speaker requests. Thursday's meeting saw presentations from numerous First Nations leaders in the northwest, including Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Anishinabek Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation and Neskantaga First Nation. "Ontario is claiming they are fast-tracking this legislation and eliminating red tape to respond to tariffs and global economic instability. However, it is clear their goal is to fast-track development in our territories, and eliminating red tape really means eliminating our rights," said Nishnawbe Aski Nation's Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler in a news release issued Thursday. A final public hearing will be held Monday before the bill is debated, amended and put forward for a third reading, which Mamakwa expects will happen the first week of June before the legislature rises for the summer. Replacing the Endangered Species Act Grassy Narrows First Nation is known for its more than 20-year blockade against clear-cut logging in its territory. Its members understand the impact of industrial pollution first-hand, after the Dryden Paper Mill dumped about nine tonnes of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River System in the 1960s and '70s. About 90 per cent of the First Nation's members experience symptoms of mercury poisoning as a result. One of Turtle's main concerns with Bill 5 is the repeal of the Endangered Species Act. He used the example of the removal of wolves from Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. and how that disrupted the entire ecosystem for decades. "There's a real environmental impact any time the environmental chain is broken," he said. "That's why many of our people are speaking up, because they know that." Anna Baggio, conservation director for the Wildlands League, describes the government's proposed Species Conservation Act as a "shell" of the Endangered Species Act. It is clear their goal is to fast-track development in our territories, and eliminating red tape really means eliminating our rights. - Nishnawbe Aski Nation's Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler "They've narrowed the definition of habitat to only focus on nests and dens. They have eliminated recovery and protection objectives for species. They are going to allow harmful activities to go ahead, as long as the proponent registers first," she said. However, the provincial government says the legislation includes "an enhanced Species Conservation Program, which will directly invest $20 million each year in projects to conserve and protect species across Ontario, quadrupling current funding." Court challenges, protests on the horizon Several First Nations in the region have already taken the Ontario government to court over its Mining Act, including Grassy Narrows. A dozen Treaty 9 First Nations are also suing the province over the way resource and land management decisions are made in the region. Three First Nations in Treaty 9 have already said they'll challenge Bill 5 if it's passed in the legislature. Jason Rasevych, president of the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association and a member of Treaty 9 community Ginoogaming First Nation, called Bill 5 an example of "political theatre." "We knew it wasn't going to be viable, that it was impossible to do without the government approaching it from an aspect of achieving free, prior and informed consent of communities," he said. He anticipates developments fast-tracked through Bill 5 may also end up in the courts, he said. Meanwhile, Mamakwa says he expects resistance from First Nations will play out "not just in the courts; it'll be on the land." The First Nations Land Defence Alliance has led multiple protests outside of Queen's Park over developments without Indigenous consultations. A citizens' protest of GTA residents against Bill 5 is already planned for Friday afternoon at Premier Doug Ford's office at 4 p.m. ET.
