Indigenous Rights

US Department of Defense spending on critical minerals for military use has risen sharply over the past decade. Grants totaled an estimated 621 million dollars between 2015 and 2025, with most of the increase occurring from 2021 onward. Indigenous communities have raised concerns over consultation and environmental impacts at project sites.

19 Mwezi wa tano, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

A new national assessment shows that colonization has increased Māori vulnerability to climate-driven floods, storms, and erosion in Aotearoa New Zealand. The report urges greater inclusion of Māori knowledge and authority in adaptation planning.

A new study published earlier this month in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems has uncovered a gap between advocacy and empirical evidence for scaling indigenous farming systems to counter climate change impacts on agriculture. Researchers led by Kamaljit Sangha at Charles Darwin University reviewed 49 articles on practices by Indigenous peoples and local communities, or IPLCs. The findings highlight benefits like soil protection and biodiversity support, but call for more data on productivity and economic value.

19 Mwezi wa tatu, 2026 Imeripotiwa na AI

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from the U.S. Air Force over open detonation of obsolete munitions on Tarague Beach in Guam. The site holds cultural importance for the CHamoru people and sits above the island's main drinking water aquifer. A federal appeals court had ruled in favor of requiring environmental analysis under NEPA.