Dear Relatives,

As we make waves for a season traditionally associated with gratitude, we find ourselves on the heels of a recent election that brings grave concern and consequences for the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, women, 2SLGBTQIA+, and Mother Earth. The election of President-elect Trump renews and exacerbates ongoing threats to sacred lands, waters, Indigenous self-determination, and the urgent fight against climate change– issues that impact not just Indigenous Peoples, but all living beings on our planet.

At the same time, this season brings the national myth of Thanksgiving to the forefront—a narrative often sanitized to hide the violent history of genocide, land theft, and exploitation. For Indigenous Peoples, this is not a time of celebration, but of remembrance and resilience—a reminder of the strength of our ancestors and the responsibilities we carry forward.

Yet even amidst these challenges, there is hope. Hope in the power of truth-telling. Hope in the collective action of those willing to dismantle harmful systems and rebuild in ways that honor justice and balance. As we move forward, let us commit to learning, unlearning, and doing the work necessary to repair relationships—with the land, with each other, and with future generations.

This season, may we not only reflect on the work ahead but also on how we can come together to ensure a more equitable and just future. Here at the Indigenous Environmental Network, we remain committed to rejecting all forms of extraction, exploitation, abuse, and contamination, and we urge real action to halt biodiversity loss, climate change, threats to Indigenous Peoples and Earth defenders, and other urgent threats to our living planet. In these dire times, we renew our commitment to advancing Indigenous rights, sovereignty, jurisprudence, and other non-rights-based pathways found in customary law and Traditional Indigenous Knowledge. We ask you, our supporters and allies, to join us in the fight for environmental, economic, racial, social, and gender justice.

This Giving Tuesday, we humbly ask for your investment in Indigenous leadership. Join us in this shared fight to defend Mother Earth, protect the Sacred, resist false solutions, and renew our responsibility to ensure a healthy planet for the next seven generations.

The factions of the capitalist conglomerates continue to push technofixes that will further lock us into decades of extraction, and emissions, expand the damage to the natural systems, and waste, and eliminate resources that are important elements for the future survival of all living beings on Mother Earth.

We are fully committed to maintaining the momentum forward and protecting the positive changes we fought for in the previous four years, working for the redistribution of funding from false solutions [carbon markets, hydrogen, climate geoengineering, carbon capture utilization and storage, AI, cryptocurrency, and more] to building sustainable communities to adapt and thrive in the new climate reality we all face.
Your investment in Indigenous Sovereignty is an investment in our shared future.
Donate by December 3 to meet our $10,000 goal for our #GivingTuesday campaign!




Keep In in the Ground

Another member of our KIITG team, Brenna TwoBears (Ho-Chunk, Din�, Standing Rock), spoke with Tribal Chairman of the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, Juan Mancias, and Executive Director of the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribes Christa Mancias, where they described their ongoing fight against the Rio Grande LNG Pipeline. TwoBears also shared some post-election reflections as it relates to our Keep It In The Ground campaign. Click here to read: Post-Election Reflections: United States of Fossil Fuels

SHUT Down DAPL- Join us in pushing the Biden Administration to SHUT DOWN the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) during the Lame Duck period! From November until inauguration day, we will hold President Biden and his Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to STOP DAPL. Stand with us in solidarity to advocate for the protection of the Standing Rock (SRST) and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes (CRST) against the Black Snake. Click here to read "What's Next: Indigenous Youth and STOP DAPL, and grab a few graphics to amplify this call to action on your social media feeds. We anticipate there will be updates and more to share with your networks as the days fly by before January 20, 2025 - so stay up to date on our social platforms, newsletters, and website. (Links found below)

Indigenous Just Transition

Tipi Building and Fungi Foray - Back in Bemidji, Minnesota at IEN HQ, the Indigenous Environmental Network and Watermark Art Center co-sponsored a tipi-building workshop at the Rail River Folk School during the week of November 18-23. Rory Wakemup (Anishinaabe), a multidisciplinary artist led local community members in a workshop of constructing life-sized canvas tipis. During this time, Wakemup also showcased his mixed media show Smart Wars– Fighting for Gaa-miinigoowiziyang– “What We Were Given” in the Miikanan Gallery at the Watermark Art Center.

A few weeks prior, our lead gardener for the IEN teaching garden, Kaylee Carnahan, held a few hands-on inoculation workshops, engaging students from the local area on how to cultivate several mushroom species using three different methods. Kaylee and our local staff inoculated logs with chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and blue oysters and they also inoculated straw with wine cap mushrooms. Participants left with mushroom spawn to continue their cultivation at home.

In the Southwest, IEN’s Indigenous Just Transition Lead Coordinator, Loren White Jr. (Arikara, Hidatsa, Mandan) and KIITG Co-lead Coordinator and Mining Organizer, Talia Boyd (Din�) attended the Energy Democracy Meeting which convened 48 people from 31 organizations to talk strategically about energy democracy. Part of the convening’s goals included building a people-powered energy model beyond what is outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act, designed for our communities. Moreover, the convening also hosted discussions around creating a decentralized energy model as the pathway to energy justice for disadvantaged and frontline communities, and for successfully addressing the climate crisis. IEN staff and other attendees raised the importance of rooting the work in decolonial and Indigenous values and practices. They warned that renewable energy, too, had a potential to be a false solution-- especially given the impact on critical and rare earth mineral mining that has outsized impacts on Indigenous communities and lands.

Across the world in Busan South Korea, IEN joined the Just Transition Alliance, Society of Native Nations, and the Indigenous Peoples Caucus for the Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastics to demand the halt of plastic production and the divestment from the petrochemical industry to move towards an Indigenous-led Just Transition.


IEN Climate Justice Program attends UN Biodiversity and Climate Change Meetings

UNCBD COP16

In Cali, Colombia, IEN sent a large delegation from Turtle Island (U.S and Canada), Brazil, and Colombia, to the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. At COP16 our delegation tracked, advocated, and intervened on multiple issues on the Conference agenda, and participated in various panel discussions, events and was active in the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB). IEN joined many other Indigenous Peoples and local communities to advocate for the establishment of a Subsidiary Body on the Implementation of Article 8(j), which marked a pivotal achievement for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) at COP16. This historic mechanism provides Indigenous Peoples with a formalized platform to influence the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's goals and targets. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework includes four overarching goals aimed at halting biodiversity loss by 2050, such as increasing ecosystem resilience, equitable benefit-sharing, and sustainable resource use. It also outlines 23 targets for 2030, including conserving 30% of global land and waters (30x30), restoring degraded ecosystems, and reducing harmful subsidies.

While this represents significant progress toward amplifying Indigenous voices and safeguarding Traditional Knowledge, vigilance is required to ensure it is not misused to commodify Indigenous knowledge or perpetuate harmful initiatives such as biodiversity offsets. Additionally, COP16 officially recognized the contributions of African Descendants to biodiversity conservation, expanding the scope of IPLC representation among the 196 participating nations. These outcomes underscore both the opportunities and challenges ahead in protecting Indigenous rights and biodiversity.
UNFCCC COP29

From South America to the Middle East, our climate justice program led our IEN delegation to attend the 29th Conference of Parties for the United Nations Framework on the Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. IEN sent an eight-member delegation to the climate conference and there they participated in several panel discussions, sat in on negotiations, and participated in formulating the positions of the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC). In addition, IEN delegates actively participated in the Facilitative Working Group (FWG) and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform Annual Gathering of Knowledge Holders, where two of our delegates, Mary Lyons and Priscilla Settee were recognized as esteemed Knowledge Holders.

Outcomes of COP29 included the adoption of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) and the expansion of global carbon markets under Article 6 highlighted deep inequities for Indigenous Peoples and other vulnerable communities. While developed countries pledged $300 billion by 2035, this commitment pales in comparison to the $7 trillion annual fossil fuel subsidies, with no assurance the funds will be direct, accessible, or grant-based, further creating issues of access for Indigenous Peoples, small island countries and countries in the Global South affected by climate change. Instead, the reliance on carbon markets perpetuates a system of exploitation, risking Indigenous lands for fossil fuel extraction, critical mineral mining, and carbon offsets under the guise of renewable energy and biodiversity credits. COP29 reinforced the entrenched colonialism and capitalism that prioritize profit over people and ecosystems, marking a grim setback for climate justice and Indigenous sovereignty. Listen to Native America Calling’s show, featuring IEN’s Executive Director, Tom BK Goldtooth where he shared his reflections about the outcomes of COP29 and its relevance for Indigenous Peoples.

Meeting with Senator Ed Markey at COP29. With Janene Yazzie (NDN Collective), Jacob John (Wisdom Keepers), Lorenzo Serna (NDN C), Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Tribe Environmental Ambassador), Senator Edward J. Markey, Sade Nabahe (Markey Legislative Assistant, Tom Goldtooth, Great Grandmother Mary Lyons, and Tamra Gilbertson (IEN)




Organizing from Montana to New Mexico to South Korea…On the first of this month in Missoula, Montana, Indigenous Feminisms Organizer, Claire Charlo (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes) participated in the Indigenizing the ZACC: Walk With Purpose where local community members honored Native American Heritage Month and raised awareness about violence against Indigenous Peoples. Carissa HeavyRunner and Kevin Howard, parents of Mika Westwolf, led a meaningful walk through downtown Missoula, emphasizing that the fight for justice for Mika Westwolf remains ongoing. The next day, Norm Sands and Teyana Viscarra of Way of the Sacred Mountain joined the walk and brought a tipi for the community to paint red, symbolizing the movement to end violence against Indigenous Peoples. The tipi was gifted during a special ceremony led by IEN’s Claire Charlo and Carissa HeavyRunner on November 2, 2024.


Aakaluk Blatchford (Inupiaq/Yupik-Village of Unalakleet), IEN Geoengineering Outreach Organizer is on the ground in Busan. She has participated in various panels with other grassroots movements and spoke about the Just Transition Pillars for a Global Plastics Treaty. On November 27th, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics and allies protested in the plenary to uplift elder Lisa Bellanger, demanding time on the floor for her to provide the statement to declare non-negotiables and demands of our delegation.



What’s happening and upcoming events…


Join: International Indigenous Peoples’ for the THE DEATH-CYCLE OF PLASTICS: Addressing the Impacts of the Full “Life”- Cycle of Plastics on Indigenous Peoples & other Frontline/ Fence-line Communities



Hybrid press conference on November 30th from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm KST (GMT+9)
In person: Press Room 211-212
Korean interpretation available
Click here for Virtual Option
Meeting ID: 811 0526 5589
Passcode: iipfp24
Livestream on IIPFP Instagram @iipf.plastics

The International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Plastics (IIPFP) and other Frontline and Fenceline Communities will gather in UNITY and CEREMONY to have our voices heard and upheld in these spaces, and to speak up about the disproportionate impacts that the full “life”-cycle of plastics continues to have on our lives, communities, and ecosystems.

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Join us at 6:00pm on Tuesday, December 3 at Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University



The fight for climate justice continues! Rally with movement leaders and leading members of Congress to learn how we can continue to push for climate, clean energy, and environmental justice during a Trump Administration.
We’ll hear from leading climate champions on Capitol Hill about how to push back against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel agenda, as well as from movement leaders about how we can keep up the fight in our communities.
Building a strong movement for climate justice is more important than ever. Join us!

The Climate Fight AheadStart: Tuesday, December 03, 2024. 6:00 PM

Where:

Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University . 730 21st St NW, Washington, D.C. , DC 20037 US
Virtual - Click here to sign up and receive a link to join.


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Uphold the Treaty, STOP STAMP
Tonawanda Seneca Nation

November 11, 2024 marks the 230th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Canandaigua - one of the most important treaties to the Haudenosaunee and remains the law of the land to this day. The treaty upholds Haudenosaunee sovereignty by establishing “a firm and permanent friendship” between the Haudenosaunee and the United States, and enshrines the right of the Haudenosaunee to the “free use and enjoyment” of their lands.

Today, we join the Tonawanda Seneca Nation Council of Chiefs in calling on State and Federal officials to honor the Treaty, respect the Nation’s sovereign rights, and stop the industrial development of the WNY STAMP site on the boundary of the Nation’s reservation territory. Scroll down to take action in solidarity, then keep reading to learn more. Click here to learn more and take action.

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FracTracker Community Sentinel Awards … 10th Anniversary…
This annual award recognizes grassroots environmental leaders across the nation with an award and $1,000 prize. This is the tenth annual awards ceremony and will be held both virtually and in-person in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! A unique online series is also taking place where you can meet leaders from across the United States working to protect their communities from oil & gas harms.

Join us at the event to celebrate environmental leaders who demonstrate extraordinary courage and commitment to promoting environmental justice, particularly against the backdrop of fossil fuel impacts on communities. Click here to learn more and join in person or online.




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Join us for the New York City premiere of Oscar-qualified film, YINTAH
YINTAH, meaning “land,” is a feature-length documentary on the Wet’suwet’en nation’s fight for sovereignty.

Following the film, please stay for a Q&A with film protagonist and Wet'suwet'en land defender Howilhkat Freda Huson, as well as co-director Michael Toledano. Afterward, join us for a reception.
RSVP for Free admission.

Doors open at 6:30 PM, film begins promptly at 7 PM.







Spanning more than a decade, YINTAH follows Howilhkat Freda Huson and Sleydo’ Molly Wickham as their nation reoccupies and protects their ancestral lands from several of the largest fossil fuel companies on earth. YINTAH is about an anti-colonial resurgence—a fierce and ongoing fight for Indigenous and human rights.

The film reveals the hypocrisy of the Canadian government’s espousal of reconciliation while it seizes Indigenous land at gunpoint for resource extraction.



From Indian Country and Beyond....

COP29 Baku Agreement Is Simply a Bad Deal Despite the fact that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record with global average temperatures of more than 1.5�C above pre-industrial levels, governments agreed on a weakened decision on cutting carbon emissions... Click here to read more.

Gas flaring by Conoco, Hess played role in two NW North Dakota wildfires - Reports from the North Dakota Fire Marshal - …burning of gas at oil wells in northwest North Dakota as the source for two wildfires last month... Click here to read more.

Earth's Water Cycle Off Balance for 'First Time in Human History - "We must reshape our shared relationship with water, across borders and cultures, for sustainable, impactful, and just transitions," says the global commission behind a new report... Click here to read more.

At COP29 Threat of Carbon Markets Looms Large - As COP29 negotiations enter the final stages, Indigenous Peoples, civil society and climate justice groups are outraged at how carbon markets are being touted as a solution to the climate crisis. Carbon markets are false solutions that distract from real emission cuts, violate the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and give more power to corporations... Click here to read more.

Trump Taps Oil Drilling Enthusiast Governor to Oversee Federal Land and Water - Doug Burgum served as a kind of middleman between Trump’s campaign and the fossil fuel industry during the 2024 race... Click here to read more.

The Biodiversity Market Mirage - Biodiversity is in crisis. Nature is being degraded and destroyed at a dizzying pace, and entire species are being eradicated as their habitats disappear. Over the past years, the obvious solution to stop destroying ecosystems and uphold the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been overshadowed by various ploys to quantify and put a financial value on nature... Click here to learn more and download the PDF

Trump’s Appointments Reflect a More Openly Hawkish Face of US Empire - In appointing Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz and Pete Hegseth to his administration, Trump emboldens volatile warmongers... Click here to read more.




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IEN Staff & Management



The Indigenous Environmental Network - PO Box 485 - Bemidji - MN - 56619

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