i n t he new s Canada: Haida Gwaii to Require Visitors Pledge August
Locals of Haidi Gwaii, an archipelago located in British Columbia, Canada, presented the Haida Gwaii Pledge, a new tourism management tool that asks visitors to make a promise to treat Haida Gwaii with respect and care.
Aotearoa/New Zealand: –ori Petition to Change Ma New Zealand’s Name September
The Ma–ori Party has launched a petition to change New Zealand’s official name to Aotearoa, the Te Reo Ma–ori language name for the country, and for the government to restore all original Te Reo Ma–ori place names across the nation by 2026.
U.S.: Passamaquoddy Tribe Reacquires Land September
The Passamaquoddy Tribe will soon regain control of the site of an ancient fishing village located at a remote lake in Meddybemps, Maine. The site was formerly used as a dumping ground for toxic military waste.
Canada: First National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Observed September
On September 30, 2021, Canada held its first-ever observation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to commemorate the missing and murdered children from residential schools and honor the healing journey of residential school survivors.
U.S.: White Sands Discovery Confirms Early Human Activity September
Evidence of a set of preserved footprints in White Sands National Park in New Mexico, dating back 23,000 years, confirms human activity on the North American continent a full 10,000 years prior to the date previously acknowledged in the field of archaeology. 2 • www. cs. org
U.S.: President Biden Recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day October
President Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day for October 11, 2021, refocusing the federal holiday of Columbus Day toward recognition of Native Peoples.
U.S.: President Biden Restores Three National Monuments October
President Biden announced that he will restore environmental protections to the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase- Escalante national monuments in Utah, and a third marine monument off the New England coast.
Ecuador: Indigenous Peoples Sue to Halt Oil Development October
Indigenous communities from Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest have filed a lawsuit against the government to halt its plans for a massive expansion of oil and mining extraction in the region that endangers millions of acres of pristine and sacred land and the livelihood of Indigenous Nations.
Norway: Court Rules Wind Farms Harmful to Sámi October
Memorial for Indigenous children who died in the residential school system in Canada, Art Gallery, Vancouver, B.C. Photo by Nati Garcia.
an executive order formally supporting the U.S. Department of Interior investigation into the schools, to be done in consultation with the state’s Tribes.
Norway: Sámi Request Return of Sacred Drum October
The Sámi are asking for the return of a sacred drum expropriated by Denmark in 1691. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by Denmark and Norway, affirms their right to the historic artifact.
Australia: Land Returned to Eastern Kuku Yalanji Peoples
Two wind farms in western Norway are harming Sámi reindeer herders by encroaching on their pastures, the country’s Supreme Court has ruled. The Court also found that Traditional Sámi reindeer herding is a form of protected cultural practice.
October
U.S.: Wisconsin Governor Apologizes for Boarding Schools
Aotearoa/New Zealand: First Indigenous Woman Governor-General Sworn In
October
October
Tony Evers, governor of the State of Wisconsin, issued a formal apology for the state’s role in boarding schools for Native children at an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event. Evers also signed
The Daintree Rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia, has been returned to Indigenous landowners, the Eastern Kuku Yalanji Peoples.
Dame Cindy Kiro, the first Ma–ori woman to be named New Zealand Governor-general, was formally sworn in to the largely ceremonial role in parliament on October 21.
