Takeaways: IIPWG May 2026 Newsletter
Items excerpted from the May 2026 Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) Newsletter. IIPWG strategy calls take place the third Thursday of the month. Learn more.
Presentation: Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact
Daniel Aristizabal (Secretary General of the GTI-PIACI of the Amazon Conservation Team), presented about Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (IPIIC or PIACI in Spanish) emphasizing that IPIIC demonstrate “the highest form of self-determination” and are “completely and intrinsically related to the well-being of their ecosystems.” The majority of IPIIC live in the Amazon Basin and Gran Chaco region, though IPIIC live in Paraguay, India, Indonesia, and other areas as well.
In 2013, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights released guidelines to protect IPIIC, and international consensus establishes the precautionary principle of no-contact. By virtue of remaining in isolation, IPIIC do not give their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) to incursions. Respecting the rights of IPIIC requires that their territories remain free from projects, extractions, investments, and other forms of contact. To align with international guidance, Aristizabal underlined the ongoing request from Indigenous partners and allies for the establishment of no-go zones that prohibit projects, investments, and other developments in the territories of IPIIC.
For more information see GTI-PIACI’s Instagram. Additional resources include GTI PIACI’s mapping of IPIIC territories and Tallgrass Institute's Investor Brief: Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact, released today.
Debrief: Mounting Threats to Sacred Land in the Arctic Refuge
A representative of the Gwich’in Steering Committee (GSC) debriefed IIPWG participants about serious threats to the Gwich’in on multiple fronts: the June 5 oil and gas lease sale of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the proposed Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation (KIC) snow road, and the newly approved state budget of $175 million for seismic testing this winter. These are an existential threat to the Gwich'in and considered a coordinated effort to industrialize Iizhik Gwats'an Gwandaii Goodlit, the Sacred Place Where Life Begins – the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge which serves as calving grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd.
The GSC underscores how there is not a substantive business case for drilling in the Arctic Refuge despite ongoing pressure. The two prior lease sales were projected to bring close to a billion dollars to the public and fell significantly short—the 2021 sale brought in $16.5 million and the 2025 sale drew no bidders. The representative noted that these sales have been driven by the federal government instead of industry demand. Please follow updates from the GSC here.
May IIPWG Canada Call
IIPWG Canada provided a debrief from the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB) about the organization’s efforts to solicit Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives and input on nature-related disclosures. An Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) representative updated participants about OSC’s revised Action Plan for Truth and Reconciliation, which will be released later this year. The call also highlighted forthcoming reports about corporate Indigenous relations and assessment of Reconciliation Actions Plans in British Columbia. To learn more about IIPWG Canada, register here.