According to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, climate change has disproportionately exacerbated many challenges global Indigenous communities face, including political and economic marginalization, loss of land and resources, human rights violations, discrimination, and unemployment. Yet despite these challenges and despite the contributions Indigenous Peoples make towards effective environmental governance, Indigenous voices and perspectives have been historically marginalized in global climate debates and discourse. As climate change continues to threaten the survival of Indigenous communities worldwide, the need to respect and integrate Indigenous contributions to global climate negotiations is critical.

In this Northwestern Buffett "Building Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges and Possibilities" webinar, Signe Leth, senior advisor at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous Women & Land Rights, Asia program, joins Northwestern University assistant professor of political science Kimberly Marion Suiseeya for a conversation drawing distinct connections between land rights, Indigenous rights, and climate governance to demonstrate the centrality of Indigenous rights in addressing both climate change and advancing justice.

This webinar is part of the Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs’ Building Sustainable Futures: Global Challenges and Possibilities series, which focuses on a different United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) each quarter.

This and other Winter 2021 webinars focused on SDG 13: Climate Action are co-sponsored by the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) and sustainNU.