On Tuesday April 21, 2015in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Cultural Survival began regional visits to various Indigenous community radios in Guatemala. As part of ICFJ’s Regional Initiative for Investigative Journalism in the Americas, this second phase has selected 20 Indigenous journalism projects focused on improving community radio programming to receive funding. An ICFJ trainer has been serving as a mentor and guide to the community journalists as they produce investigative radio stories.

Proud to Be Indigenous Week starts Monday, April 20. Are you part of it yet?!

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Over the past few weeks, Guatemala has witnessed some of the worst violence against journalists in recent times. Election years are the most dangerous times for journalists in Guatemala, regardless of their political leanings. So far in 2015, three journalists have been killed, many have received threats and been assaulted, and over 10 Indigenous community leaders have been jailed.

Translated and reposted from CHIRAPAQ

By Asia Alsgaard

Douglas Limón (Oneida) is an artist in White Bear Lake, Minnesota who is well known for his beadwork, however, he was drawn to cradleboard construction by the birth of his youngest son Gavino. Unfortunately, he found few people who could help him. Eventually, he was able to learn from Judy Pamp while they were attending an arts festival in Saginaw, Michigan. He was able to successfully construct a cradleboard for his son and has since continued to construct cradleboards.

(Photo credit: Magda Dany)

On March 19, 2015, members of Radio Snuq Jolom Konob, alongside ancestral leaders, community elders, and various human rights organizations, took to the streets demanding that the town’s mayor re-open the radio premises in Santa Eulalia, Guatemala. Supporters and radio members gathered in front of the municipal building demanding to speak with the mayor to resolve this issues.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of those interviewed

By Asia Alsgaard

By Madeline McGill

From March 9 to 20, 2015, thousands of women will be meeting in New York City for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) at the United Nations. Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and non-governmental organizations will be gathering to evaluate the progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was originally adopted 20 years ago in 1995.

By Asia Alsgaard