News of Note 1/2/26: Indigenous Leaders Arrested in Russia, Pingpu Recognized by Taiwan, 2025 in Review
This post includes news from the weeks ending 12/26/25 and 1/2/26.
Top Stories
IIPFCC calls for the immediate release of imprisoned Co-Chair, Daria Egereva (International Indigenous Peoples' Coalition on Climate Change)
“Ms. Egereva’s arrest was part of a coordinated operation by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), which targeted at least seventeen Indigenous leaders across Russia whose homes were raided, electronic devices confiscated, and who were accused under spurious terrorism-related charges. This targeted attack on Indigenous leaders represents direct retaliation for their participation in United Nations processes, and sets a dangerous precedent for the treatment of Indigenous Peoples who participate in global human rights and climate change meetings.”
From Erasure to Recognition: Taiwan’s Pingpu Indigenous Identity Act (IC Magazine)
“In October, Taiwan passed the Pingpu Indigenous People’s Identity Act, formally recognizing groups like the Siraya, Makatao, and Taivoan as Indigenous peoples. For the 980,000 people who identify as Pingpu, the moment is historic. [...] Some see the Pingpu Indigenous Identity Act as a breakthrough; a long-overdue redress to centuries of erasure toward restoring rights to Taiwan’s Indigenous communities. But not all are convinced the Act will deliver real change. As activist Iban Nokan from the Atayal nation warns, ‘“recognition” without genuine autonomy risks reproducing colonial dynamics under a new label.’”
2025 in Review
Indigenous Leadership and Collective Power in 2025 (Amazon Watch)
Our Favorite Stories of 2025 and Storylines we’ll track in 2026 (Tribal Business News)
Some of 2025’s big stories in Indigenous politics could heat up in 2026 (Indigenous WatchDog)
Fights against development projects marks 2025 for Nepal’s Indigenous people (Mongabay)
Global Indigenous Peoples News Bulletin #11 (December 2025) (Weave News)
More News
Indigenous peoples face rights violations in Asia’s renewable energy boom (Bulatlat)
A Filipino tribe fights to stay as a ‘Smart City’ rises on a former US base (Al Jazeera)
How ‘Green’ Narratives Are Used to Dismantle Indigenous Rights in India (The Diplomat)
Minorities by Law, Indigenous by History: Chakma Struggles in Bangladesh (IC Magazine)
Fiji wrestles with plans to restore Indigenous rights over world-famous surf breaks (The Guardian)
LETTER From the Marianas to American Samoa: Our ocean is not a sacrifice zone (Pacific Daily News)
‘The source of all life is here’: plan to mine lithium in Chilean salt flat sparks fears of water scarcity (The Guardian)
Sámi reindeer herders protest EU-backed graphite mine, fearing lost grazing ground (Mongabay)
Ellinor: “While I still have power to fight for Indigenous rights in Norway, I will” (Amnesty International)
B.C. First Nations cautions premier against changing UN law for Indigenous rights (The Canadian Press)
First Nations chiefs unite against Canada pipeline (ICT News)
The Bad River Band is suing to protect its wild rice from an oil pipeline (Grist)
Michigan Attorney General Opens Criminal Investigation into Indian Boarding Schools (Native News Online)
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Tribes rebuild energy future after $2B federal collapse in 2025 (Tribal Business News)
Indigenous Groups Fight to Save Rediscovered Settlement Site on an Industrial Waterfront in Texas (Inside Climate News)
Klamath Indigenous Land Trust Purchases 10,000 Acres as Salmon Return (Native News Online)
Native people refuse to be erased from America’s past, present or future (Los Angeles Times)