Indigenous Rights
A Christmas Message from the KAIROS Team
December 17, 2025
As Christmas approaches, we’re pleased to share a short message of gratitude and reflection from the KAIROS team. We invite you to watch the video — and share it with your family, friends, and networks. Make your Christmas gift here. This is…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Executive Director, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
The beauty and the burden: Indigenous realities at COP30
December 4, 2025
When I think back on COP30, one of the first things that stands out is how often I saw Indigenous words, concepts and teachings being used in meeting titles, in discussion themes and even in the branding of events. And…
Post filed in: COP30, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
Presenting the World Blanket Exercise at WIPCE 2025 – “A powerful healing ceremony”
November 24, 2025
“A powerful healing ceremony.” That’s how Indigenous peoples describe the World Blanket Exercise (WBE) when I and members of the WBE team delivered a 30-minute presentation on it at WIPCE 2025 (World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education), held in Aotearoa…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights, KAIROS Blanket Exercise
Celebrating Indigenous education as I stand in solidarity with land defenders against state oppression
November 19, 2025
Español The big snail shells sound. The drum calls for a gathering. Let’s begin. I think of Darío. A member of the local Mana Whenua tribe from central Auckland gives us the pōwhiri (traditional welcome) in his native language and thus…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
KAIROS responds to Budget 2025
November 6, 2025
Security for whom? Federal Budget 2025 prioritizes economic growth, militarization and border security over justice, equity, reconciliation, sustainability and peacebuilding The federal government finally tabled its long-awaited Budget 2025 on November 4. In our pre-budget submissions to Finance Canada and…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Gender Justice, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Migrant Justice, Statements
KAIROS denounces violence against Indigenous partners in Ecuador
November 3, 2025
KAIROS strongly opposes the criminalization of Indigenous leaders in Ecuador who peacefully demonstrate to express their concerns. KAIROS supports their cry: “We are not terrorists.” Ecuador’s armed forces have retaliated against its civilian population for demonstrating peacefully to defend and…
Post filed in: En Español, Global South, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
September 30: Honouring truth, carrying memory, walking together
September 30, 2025
On September 30, we pause as a country — not to celebrate, but to remember. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are not symbolic gestures. They are living commitments. They are reminders etched in memory,…
Post filed in: Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Uncategorized
Honouring the Fall Equinox – September 22nd
September 22, 2025
On September 22, the sun reaches a moment of balance — the Fall Equinox. Day and night are equal, reminding us of the natural cycles that guide our lives. Across many Indigenous nations, the Equinox is a time of reflection,…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters
September 3, 2025
Each year, on September 30th, communities across Turtle Island mark Orange Shirt Day – the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors of residential schools, their families and the children who never came home. This day reminds us…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
KAIROS letter in The Hill Times: Canada shouldn’t trade on its values when seeking new partners
September 3, 2025
The Hill Times published this letter by KAIROS’ Silvia Vasquez-Olguin in its September 3, 2025 issue. RE: Observers eye fall sitting for bills to implement still-secret trade pacts with Indonesia and Ecuador Last October, I accompanied the delegation of Indigenous…
Post filed in: Global South, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
Indigenous youth as agents of change on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
August 9, 2025
Each year on August 9, we mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a day established by the United Nations to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the globe. It is also an opportunity to…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Iconic symbols of Métis culture
June 27, 2025
Métis culture is immediately recognizable through its vibrant artistic expression. Some of the most iconic symbols include: The Métis Sash The colourful woven sash (or ceinture fléchée) is more than just a piece of clothing. Traditionally used as a belt,…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Resistance and the Red River rebellions
June 25, 2025
One of the most significant figures in Métis history is Louis Riel, a political leader, spiritual visionary and fierce defender of Métis rights. In 1869, when Canada attempted to take over the Red River territory without consulting its people, Riel…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
The origins of the Métis Nation
June 23, 2025
When we speak about Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island, it’s essential to understand that Indigenous identity is diverse and multifaceted. Among the First Nations, Inuit and Métis, each has their own cultures, histories and experiences. This week, as part of…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: Inuit ways of knowing the world
June 20, 2025
Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) refers to the rich body of traditional Inuit knowledge developed over thousands of years of life in the Arctic. It includes philosophy, environmental knowledge, values and social structures—everything needed to live in harmony with the land and…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Echoes of the Arctic: The power of Inuit throat singing
June 18, 2025
Inuit throat singing—known as katajjaq—is more than music. It’s a living expression of Inuit history, land and kinship. Traditionally performed by women in pairs, katajjaq uses deep, rhythmic vocal sounds that mimic the Arctic: wind, water, birds and even animals…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
The impact of climate change on Inuit homelands
June 16, 2025
This Indigenous Peoples Month, we honour the strength and leadership of Inuit communities—especially as they confront the frontlines of climate change with resilience, knowledge and vision. Inuit communities live in some of the most climate-impacted regions on Earth. The Arctic…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
First Nations governance: Resurgence of sovereignty
June 13, 2025
For thousands of years, First Nations peoples governed themselves through diverse systems of law, leadership and diplomacy — systems rooted in land, kinship and responsibility. These were not primitive structures. They were sophisticated, relational and resilient. Then colonization imposed foreign…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
First Nations languages: voices of land, culture and spirit
June 11, 2025
Language is more than words, It’s how we express love, teach values, share stories, pass down Knowledge and connect to the spirit of our ancestors. For First Nations peoples, language is deeply tied to the land, the natural world, ceremony…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
We are all treaty people: honouring First Nations nationhood and responsibilities
June 9, 2025
June is Indigenous History Month — a time to honour the rich cultures, diverse Nations and lived realities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This week, we centre our attention on First Nations peoples, their sovereignty and the Treaties…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Five ways to honour Indigenous History Month
June 7, 2025
June is Indigenous History Month — a time to recognize, learn from, and uplift the voices, truths, and brilliance of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Turtle Island. Here are five meaningful ways to honour this month (and beyond):…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
What Does Allyship Look Like?
June 6, 2025
Allyship isn’t a title — it’s a verb. A responsibility. A lifelong practice. During Indigenous History Month, and every month, true allyship means showing up — with humility, with action, and with heart. Here’s what real allyship looks like: Listening…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Indigenous Peoples have always been changemakers
June 4, 2025
From resistance to resurgence, our communities are filled with leaders, healers, artists, Knowledge Keepers, land protectors, and visionaries shaping a better future — not just for Indigenous peoples, but for all. Indigenous changemakers are reclaiming languages, reviving ceremonies, leading climate…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
Lessons From the Serviceberry
June 3, 2025
“All Flourishing Is Mutual” Over three weeks, a vibrant and diverse group from across Canada and beyond gathered virtually each Tuesday to explore The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This book study was held in…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
June 1st marks 10 years since the release of TRC’s Final Report
June 2, 2025
This report documented the horrific truths of Canada’s residential school system — stories shared by over 6,000 Survivors, families, and communities. It gave voice to the pain, the strength, and the truths that Indigenous peoples have carried for generations. The…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People
May 1, 2025
May 5 marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S), a day set aside to honour the lives that have been lost, the families left in pain, and the strength of…
Post filed in: Indigenous Rights
This Christmas, we invite you to be part of the change we all long for – a world of hope, justice, and dignity.
December 10, 2024
Hope, again, is not naive optimism or despairing pessimism: it is an active, nonviolent and shared struggle for justice and peace. -Zoughbi Zoughbi, Director at KAIROS partner organization Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center. At KAIROS, we are Indigenous Peoples,…
Post filed in: Ecological Justice, Gender Justice, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
Justice for MMIWG2S! No more excuses!
December 7, 2024
The following content may be triggering. To reach the national support line, dial 1–844-413‑6649 (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Indigenous women, girls and 2-Spirit people are traditionally sacred as life and care givers. However, they are…
Post filed in: Gender Justice, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights
