By Bobbie Chew Bigby (Cherokee)
The Keepers of the Earth Fund (KOEF) is proud to announce that in 2023 we awarded over half a million dollars in small grants to support Indigenous projects on issues related to community empowerment for land defense and autonomy; the transmission of Indigenous knowledge; traditional medicine and Indigenous spirituality; food sovereignty and Indigenous economies; and the various forms of resistance to mining for the energy transition.
By Gerard Beelt Tiwow (CS Intern)
"Na ang buhay ng batang isinilang ay maging kasing tatag at kasing tibay nga punungkahoy at kagubatn at higit salahat ay lumaki ang bata na nakaugat sa lupa." (May the child that is born grow as strong and sturdy as the tree and the forest where it grows, and be rooted to the earth.)-- Teduray Prayer
Carlos Antonio Sopprani Durand, Human Resources Associate, is from Lima, Peru. He holds a bachelor's degree in Organizational Psychology from the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. He has experience in human resources, having worked as a Human Resources Assistant and as a Recruitment and Selection Specialist. His experience includes managing end-to-end selection processes for different profiles, managing an internship program, creating and adapting job descriptions, structuring an organization and functions manual, and collaborating on numerous human resources-related projects. He enjoys being with people and believes that each interaction can make you a better person. He wanted to contribute his skills to Cultural Survival's mission because he thinks that everyone needs the opportunity to show and express themselves, especially Indigenous Peoples, who are so rich in cultures and traditions. Carlos speaks Spanish and English. Reach Carlos at carlos.sopprani@culturalsurvival.org.
World Youth Skills Day is celebrated every year on July 15th with the aim of highlighting the importance of skills and competencies in the development and success of youth. This initiative seeks to promote the acquisition of relevant skills for employment, entrepreneurship, and active participation in society.
For more than a century, the Kankanaey and Ibaloy Peoples of Itogon, Benguet province in the Cordillera region of Northern Luzon in the Philippines have been waging a struggle against the injustices of large-scale corporate mining. As they continue to fight to reclaim their land, lifeways, and resources, they vow to keep fighting as long as it takes—generations, if necessary—until they are successful.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.