Reconstruction of the Mo5ol-Uraha of the Sakha People of Siberia
When ethnologist Waldemar Jochelson made his collection of Sakha (Yakut) material culture for AMNH, he noted that “The conical summer dwelling of the old-time Yakut (Mo5ol-Uraha), made of ornamental birch bark, all parts of which I was able to bring back, is no longer…
Vulnerable Communities: How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected Indigenous People in the Russian Arctic?
With the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the world has found itself in a global health emergency, which has caused a dramatic loss of human life worldwide and brought normal life around the world to a halt for the better part of a…
FINDING THE NEXUS BETWEEN WATER, ENERGY AND FOOD IN THE ARCTIC
The Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council will launch the first water, energy and food nexus study in the Arctic. The project will identify interconnections between water, energy and food systems in ways that will contribute to the attainment of the UN…
7 Native American Inventions That Revolutionized Medicine And Public Health
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, a time of recognition for the substantial contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. But, the month and remembrance, like many Native influences, still frequently go unrecognized in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s…
After 250 years, Native American tribe regains ownership of Big Sur ancestral lands
A northern California Indian tribe’s sacred land is now back under their ownership, thanks to the help of a conservancy group.The Esselen Tribe, one of the state’s smallest and least well known tribes, inhabited the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Big Sur coast for…
Russia: Amendments to ‘Foreign Agents’ Law – A Death Sentence for Civil Society
Civil Rights Defenders expresses grave concern over proposed package of draft laws to Russian legislation regulating association. The amendments could mean a death sentence for unregistered initiatives and independent non-governmental organisations. In November 2020, the Russian government proposed amendments to broaden its notorious 2012 ‘foreign agents’ legislation,…
Commissioner for Human Rights calls on the State Duma to refrain from adopting legislation which violates the rights of NGOs and civil society activists
“I have been following closely recent discussions concerning a number of new bills related to NGOs and, in particular, I note that Russian civil society has expressed criticism of these bills. Based on all the information received, I call on the State Duma of…
Rivers for Recovery: Protecting Rivers and Rights Essential for a Just and Green Recovery
On the 20th Anniversary of the landmark World Commission on Dams Report, a new report from International Rivers and Rivers without Boundaries charts an alternative course for post-pandemic energy development than the revitalization of a failing hydropower industry. As Rivers for Recoverydetails, despite the rhetoric of the hydropower industry, the…
Conservation International’s star-studded advertising campaign remembers to save the rainforests, but forgets Indigenous Peoples
Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford, Ian Somerhalder. These are the big names that Conservation International has recruited for its new advertising campaign. It’s called Nature is Speaking, and the celebrities play the role of nature: Harrison Ford is…
Denmark set to end all new oil and gas exploration
Denmark will end all new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, as part of a wider plan to stop extracting fossil fuels by 2050. Its government also agreed to cancel its latest licensing round on Thursday, which gives firms permission to search…