News of Note 8/15/25: Thailand’s Landmark Indigenous Rights Law, BC Recognizes Cowichan Aboriginal Title, Alaska and Yukon MMIP Agreement

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Thailand Passes Landmark Law to Protect Indigenous and Ethnic Ways of Life (IC Magazine)
”Thailand’s House of Representatives has unanimously approved Senate revisions to the “Bill on the Protection and Promotion of the Way of Life of Ethnic Groups”, finalizing the country’s first legislation dedicated to safeguarding the rights, traditions, and cultural practices of its Indigenous and ethnic communities. The Senate’s changes, passed without opposition, include a key wording shift that replaced the broader term ‘groups of people’ with ‘Thais’. Lawmakers say the change emphasizes that Indigenous and ethnic peoples are not outsiders, but an integral part of the nation’s identity.”

B.C. Supreme Court recognizes Cowichan Aboriginal title in landmark ruling (MLT Aikins)
“The British Columbia Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490. The Court recognized the Cowichan Nation’s Aboriginal title to part of the Fraser River’s south arm and affirmed its constitutional right to fish in those waters for food. The trial, which spanned 513 days over five years, was described as the longest in Canada’s history. The 863-page judgment will have wide-reaching legal implications.”

Yukon, Alaska sign agreement to address missing and murdered Indigenous people (The Canadian Free Press)
“The Yukon has signed an agreement with the state of Alaska to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people. The territorial government says the memorandum of understanding was initiated in April 2024 and was signed in Whitehorse on Tuesday. It says in a news release that the document marks a ‘significant milestone’ that will strengthen cross-border collaboration.”

Debates Indígenas August 2025

• Forced Displacement of Indigenous Peoples: The Role of the Inter-American Human Rights System

• Forced Displacement in Indigenous Communities of the Sierra Tarahumara

• After Seven Years of Struggle, Colombia’s Constitutional Court Rules in Favour of the Je’eruriwa People, Survivors of Forced Displacement

• The Forced Displacement of the Mayangna People of Nicaragua

• Empty Territories and Violated Rights: The Forced Displacement of Indigenous Communities in Ecuador

• A Chronicle of Forced Displacement and Human Rights Violations in Chiapas

More News

• 20 Major Wins for Indigenous Rights in 2025 and 9 Indigenous Rights Disasters in 2025 (IC Magazine)

• 4 Calls to Action for International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2025 (Cultural Survival)

• For Indigenous communities, AI brings peril — and promise (Grist)

• Indigenous alliance unveils Brazil’s first Native-led emissions strategy (Mongabay)

• Indigenous Ecuadorians say axing ministries hurts Amazon forest (Context / Thomson Reuters)

• Stop making broken promises to our indigenous communities [in Bangladesh] (Dhaka Tribune)

• Indigenous peoples [in the Philippines] condemn land-grabbing, violence in the name of ’development’ (Bulatlat)

• Mexico wants Adidas to pay up after Mexican-American designer launches Indigenous-inspired shoe (Reuters)

• Yukon First Nation says mineral staking 'unwelcome, unlawful' during land-use planning process (CBC News)

• Why Indigenous Americans are fighting for access to a sacred spot in Texas (NPR)

• Tribal nations scramble to save clean energy projects as federal support vanishes (Grist)

• Tribes, NARF join legal fight to protect Chuckwalla National Monument (ICT News)

• IACHR and REDESCA call for urgent respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights amid impacts from extractive industries (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights)

• Indigenous stewardship is the ignored climate solution (Context / Thomson Reuters)