Enhancing Tribal Sovereignty: Speaking at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

In April 2024, I was honored to represent Ko-kwel people at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 23rd Session. Representation is important, and the more we’re known, the harder it is to erase us. I was honored to speak our Miluk language at the United Nations, and participate in discussions about Indigenous issues that we all have in common.

I spoke on matters regarding our sovereignty, culture, and self-determination which were themes repeated all week through every Indigenous Peoples’ Organization from around the globe. My speech addressed the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), self-determination, and the need for consistent, non-competitive funding for language programs as repair for our cultural loss suffered through our ancestors in boarding schools. The following is the speech I made and submitted for inclusion in the official report on Indigenous Issues in the twenty-third session of the Permanent Forum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o1iNu8LPM0