Mother Earth Journal

TOFINO, British Columbia—The pristine and biologically intact homelands of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations in Tofino on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island is the site of the Ninth International Funders for Indigenous Peoples conference May 15-17.

“We are pleased to be meeting in the coastal region of British Columbia, with its unparalleled beauty, rich biological diversity, and vibrant culture of Indigenous Peoples,” said IFIP’s executive director Evelyn Arce.

In choosing this locale, IFIP recognizes advances made by First Nations in Canada that serve as models to inspire other Indigenous Peoples around the world.

“We also wish to add our voice of encouragement to the Canadian government to adopt UNDRIP: the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2007 by 144 countries,” Arce said. “It is the most comprehensive and advanced set of international instruments dealing with Indigenous Peoples‘ human rights. Only Canada and the US have yet to ratify and approve it.” (Information on the UN Declarations here.)

The conference—Building and Sustaining Coalitions: Finding Common Ground for Education, Environment and Human Rights Advocacy—draws donors and grantmakers from the U.S. and Canada, and Indigenous participants from around the world.

This year’s keynote speakers are Lydia Hwitsum, Chief of Cowichan Tribes, and Ice Wisdom’s Eskimo-Kalaallit Elder from Greenland Angaangaq Lyberth. The conference features “Meet the Author,” and “Meet the Artist” events, film screenings, and a special celebration in honor of IFIP’s 10th birthday. There are post tour options May 18-22.

The prestigious Annual IFIP Awards Celebration will honor The Sidney Myer Fund and The Myer Foundation in recognition of their outstanding progress towards improving Indigenous education and well-being and support for better natural resource management in Australia.

Hereditary Chiefs and peoples in the traditional costume of their Tla-o-qui-aht, Ahousaht, Hequiaht, Toquaht, and Yu-lu-il-ath communities will greet Ken Wilson, Christensen Fund executive director and IFIP president, and other IFIP dignitaries at opening ceremonies on Tin Wis Beach, Saturday, May 15 at 9 am.

Dr. Wilson and guests will arrive in a hand carved canoe and request permission to land. After the Tla-o-qui-aht Beach Keeper chants their traditional greeting he will grant permission. Visitors come ashore stern first to show they come in peace. The Beach Keeper will then ground their canoe as a way of requesting the visitors stay until the ceremonies conclude.

During the luncheon Saturday and Sunday local artisans and craftspeople will display their creations, all for sale, in the Tin Wis Hall. As evening falls Sunday, 120 guests will meet at Esowista / Long Beach for a traditional salmon bake. The visitors will enjoy welcoming speeches from local tribal leaders, and drumming, singing, and storytelling.

Among this year’s speakers are Julio Cusurichi Palacios, Shipibo-Conibo nation from the Amazonian region of Madre de Dios, Peru; Ross McMillan, president and CEO of Tides Canada Foundation; Gary Martin, executive director Global Diversity Fund in the U.K.; Grandmother Mona Polacca, Hopi/Havasupai/Tewa, International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Mothers; Valerie Segrest, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; Florina Lopez, Panama Kuna, coordinator of the Indigenous Women’s Biodiversity Network of Abya Yala; Dan Smith, Laich-Kwil-Tach First Nation, Vancouver Island; Peter Brand, FirstVoices coordinator; Gathuru Mburu, founding director of the Institute for Culture and Ecology; and Octaviana Trujuillo (Yaqui), chairman of the Applied Indigenous Studies Program at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Full speaker bios here.

Sessions explore the UNDRIP in policy and funding decision-making; community voices from Russia and Canada building Indigenous and environmental partnerships; accessing the digital divide to gain ground on culture, education and language preservation; remembering our past, reclaiming our future—innovative ways to integrating traditional knowledge and practices with present day community engagement—and a host of others.

IFIP is known for catalyzing thoughtful and engaged collaborations among participants. This year, IFIP coordinated its meeting to run just after the International Congress of Ethnobiology in Tofino.

IFIP is an affinity group of the Council on Foundations dedicated to assembling international grantmakers in support of Indigenous philanthropies and fostering funding partnerships to improve the lives of Indigenous people globally. IFIP accomplishes this by increasing knowledge and understanding of the unique issues faced by Indigenous Peoples by facilitating dialog among its grantmaking members and between that membership and Indigenous communities.

The Annual IFIP Conference is the largest vehicle bringing grantmakers and Indigenous communities together for meaningful dialogue and respectful interaction. Sponsors include The Christensen Fund, Kalliopeia Foundation, Ford Foundation, Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas, The Ocean Foundation, SEEDS, Garfield Foundation, Grassroots International, Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation, the Kenny Family Foundation PK, and The Mailman Foundation.

For more information contact Evelyn Arce, Tel: (518) 358 – 9500, email: evelyn@internationalfunders.org, or visit the Ninth Annual IFIP Conference.