11 Indigenous Leaders You Should Know
BY YESICA BALDERRAMA OCTOBER 11, 2021
Whether in Peru, Brazil, Canada or the United States, Indigenous peoples have rich histories and knowledge that are increasingly endangered as colonial languages and cultures become the norm. Many Indigenous groups struggle to be legally recognized and gain equal rights as minorities in their respective countries.
Here's a list of Indigenous leaders—politicians, activists, linguists, teachers, and artists—working to preserve their heritage and secure the rights of their communities by bringing awareness to Indigenous issues.
1. MYRNA CUNNINGHAM KAIN
Myrna Cunningham Kain, a Miskito feminist and Indigenous rights activist, began her career as a teacher and later attended medical school at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, becoming the country’s first Miskito doctor. She practiced general medicine and surgery until 1979, and then served as the first female governor of the Miskito region, formerly known as the Region of North Atlantic Coast, in the 1980s. Among her achievements, Dr. Cunningham Kain has advocated for the rights of Indigenous people and women and awareness of climate change impacts on Indigenous communities. She has also represented Indigenous concerns as a leader of several United Nations committees.
2. HILARIA SUPA HUAMÁN
Hilaria Supa Huamán's early experiences of sexism, racism, and violence while she worked as a maid left her with lifelong arthritis and influenced her present political action. In 2006, she was elected to Peru's Congress and took her oath in Quechua, her primary language, an act that caused stoked anti-Indigenous sentiment among her peers. As a leader of the Women’s Federation of Anta, she openly criticized the modern effects of colonialism in Peru and encouraged the preservation of the ancient cultures of the Andes. She advocates for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse, and marginalized, poor Indigenous communities. In the 1990s, Huamán spoke out against the Peruvian government’s forced sterilization of Indigenous women [PDF].
More:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/651088/indigenous-leaders-you-should-know
= new reply since forum marked as read
