Working towards an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Cultural Survival supports Indigenous communities who are organizing and taking action locally for the well being of their members. This includes Indigenous community radio stations that are lifelines in rural communities where the internet is not accessible. In lieu of crises like climate change and the pandemic, Indigenous radio stations remain strong and continue to build trust within communities to uplift their struggles and voices. Community radio is a tool to spotlight local stories, essential information, knowledge, and solutions, especially during times of emergency.
Cultural Survival recognizes and supports Indigenous community radio stations that inform and support their communities in their own languages with culturally relevant information to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, our Indigenous Rights Radio has produced over 740 programs in over 150 Indigenous languages in response to COVID-19. In recent months, Cultural Survival has been supporting communities in Mexico, Nigeria, India, and the United States.
However, Indigenous communities are facing new challenges since the pandemic. While many community radio stations continue their responsibilities of disseminating information, Indigenous journalists, communicators, and broadcasters face risks of criminalization for their work. They also play a critical role in mitigating and stopping the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 in their communities. Despite these challenges, Indigenous community radio stations have proven essential due to their community-based, Indigenous character and coverage in Indigenous languages, particularly in remote rural areas that are not served by mainstream media.
Thanks to a grant from MacArthur Foundation’s Equitable Recovery Initiative, in 2021 and early 2022, Cultural Survival supported 40+ Indigenous artists and distributed 15 grants totaling $78,000 through our Indigenous Community Media Fund to 15 Indigenous community radio stations across Mexico, Nigeria, India, and the United States. Cultural Survival's grants funded infrastructure needs, broadband internet access, training, audiovisual production, and the sustainability of the communication processes of community radio stations to respond to Indigenous Peoples’ need for information on COVID-19.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
(617) 441-5400
www.cs.org
Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience since 1972. We envision a future that respects and honors Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.
