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Dear Friend,
Did you know that Indigenous Peoples are the most under-resourced group to receive philanthropic dollars, receiving less than half of one percent of total foundation dollars? Despite being systemically underfunded, Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous-led organizations, like us, persevere to provide meaningful on-the-ground support to elevate Indigenous grassroots solutions to build a better world for all. Our nearly 50 year legacy of advocating for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supporting Indigenous self-determination, cultures, and political resilience is in part thanks to you, our community, who make our work possible. We recognize that when you make a gift to Cultural Survival, it is an act of solidarity, love, compassion, and activism.
If you have not made your end of year gift yet, here are 5 reasons to support Indigenous Peoples and our planet today!
1. Climate chaos is destroying Mother Earth, entire ecosystems, and the web of life. While we are all facing the consequences of climate change, Indigenous Peoples are on the frontlines, directly experiencing the devastating effects of climate change as it is impacting their food systems, traditional lifeways, and livelihoods.
2. Indigenous stewardship is vital to the health of our planet. Indigenous Peoples represent just 6.2% of the global population, yet hold tenure over 25% of the world’s land surface, steward 80% of the world’s biodiversity, and manage at least 24% of the total carbon stored above ground in the world’s tropical forests.
3. The protection and transmission of traditional knowledge is key to solving today’s challenges. Indigenous Peoples hold millennial-old knowledge and are the best experts and stewards of their environments and understand how to maintain balance and equity in the natural world.
4. Biodiversity is a result of cultural diversity. Biocultural diversity is the interdependent relationship between people, place, culture and ecology, and is reflected across Indigenous territories worldwide. Indigenous Peoples speak 4,000 of the world's 7,000 languages, and those languages hold vital, placed-based traditional knowledge about how to steward and sustain entire ecosystems. UNESCO predicts that between 50-90% of Indigenous languages (~3,000 languages) will disappear by the end of this century if action is not taken now.
4. Indigenous women are the backbone of resilient communities. Indigenous women have always been the sources of creation and redistribution. According to UNAC, women reinvest 90% of their incomes back into their families, compared to just 35% by men. When we invest in women’s rights, health, and well being, it creates a positive ripple effect that lifts up communities and entire countries. Investing in rematriation, and Indigenous women’s leadership supports a global shift of consciousness that enables the protection of our lands, waters, and air.
5. Your donation directly supports Indigenous communities around the world. Cultural Survival supports grassroots Indigenous solutions to protect, respect, and fulfill the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and your financial gift ensures that they have the resources and tools necessary to protect their dynamic cultures, languages, spiritual traditions, artistic expressions, and self-determination.
We are $29,436 away from reaching our end of year fundraising goal! December 31 is the end of the tax year and every charitable gift you make to Cultural Survival, no matter how large or small, is tax deductible! Become a member by making a gift of $25+ today, and receive four issues of our award winning publication, the Cultural Survival Quarterly, in 2021.
We recognize the challenging times we are all in, and are deeply grateful for your continued partnership to resource, support, and uphold Indigenous rights. Your gifts of time, money, and dedication to Cultural Survival enables us to support Indigenous communities across the globe and elevate Indigenous self-determination, leadership, voices, and grassroots solutions to address the chaos that exists in our world today. Thank you!
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