Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples For decades, the IAF has distinguished itself for its investments in Indigenous communities. Some 42 million people belong to over 800 Indigenous groups in Latin America and the Caribbean.52 The extreme poverty rates are more than three times those of the non-Indigenous and non-African-descendent population.53 The average income of Indigenous workers is 27% lower than that of their non-Indigenous peers.54 Indigenous peoples hold jobs that are most affected by economic impacts and have less access to health care than others in the region, making them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.55 In FY 2020, at least 32% of active IAF grants supported Indigenous groups. These efforts build the capacity of Indigenous people to take full advantage of economic development opportunities while preserving cultural heritage.

Example: Indigenous community land rights are enshrined in Colombia’s constitution, yet ethnic communities there face encroachment on their territorial rights by illegal armed actors and those who collude with them. IAF grantee Etnollano works with Indigenous groups in the Eastern Plains to forge leadership skills, recover Indigenous land management and conservation methods, and strengthen the capacity of vulnerable Indigenous groups to protect against illegal land grabbing. Etnollano has helped Indigenous groups including the Sikuani, Sáliva, and Amerúa successfully register claims to sovereign land according to Colombian law. As a result, regional governments granted 224 families the title to 1,300 hectares of productive land they had lived on for centuries. To help Indigenous communities effectively coordinate to provide input into local development plans mandated by the Peace Accords, Etnollano supported the creation of a new regional organization of Indigenous associations. The regional organization has become a credible representative for Indigenous groups in the region and participated in national dialogues with state officials, including members of the National Land Restitution Unit, which is in charge of investigating land claims and repairing victim losses. More recently, Etnollano has contributed to reducing the spread of coronavirus among Indigenous communities by collaborating on health contingency plans in four departments.

Example: High rates of illiteracy, hunger, and poverty limit the ability of the Guarani, once one of the largest Indigenous groups in Latin America, to engage in local governance and the economy. IAF grantee Associação de Cooperação Técnica para o Desenvolvimento Humano–Outro Olhar (Outro Olhar) in Brazil is working with the Popygua Solidarity Network, a veteran Guarani organization, to expand the businesses, rights, and protections of approximately 890 Guarani people. Outro Olhar is pairing Guarani elders and youth to build leadership skills and teach sustainable agricultural practices to increase their harvest yields, promote environmental conservation, and diversify the nutritional content of their diets. In order to sell their produce at a premium, Otro Olhar is helping Guarani farmers certify their sustainable methods of production with a participatory oversight process. Outro Olhar is also supporting youth entrepreneurs to expand Tembiapo, the first youth-led Guarani business and online marketplace, which sells Guarani handicrafts, essential oils, and jewelry.