Indigenous Peoples gather at Climate Change Summit

Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world gather at major Climate Change Summit

Anchorage, Alaska--Two weeks ago in the most southern region on Earth, an ice shelf the size of Jamaica broke free in Antarctica. Starting today, in one of the most northern regions on Earth, over 500 Indigenous Peoples are meeting at the Indigenous Peoples' Global Summit on Climate Change.

Issues being discussed revolve around the direct effects of climate change on Indigenous Peoples including:

*Indigenous Rights* *Cultural Impacts* *Carbon Markets* *Energy--coal, nuclear, tar sands, etc.* *Flooding of the Pacific Island region and other territories due to rising ocean levels* *Forest and biodiversity loss* *REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries)* and more...

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE WITH members of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests (and others)

The purpose of the summit is to enable Indigenous peoples from all regions of the globe to exchange their knowledge and experience in responding to the impacts of climate change, and to develop key messages and recommendations to be articulated to the world at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009.

Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world depend upon the natural environment. Their rich and detailed traditional knowledge reflects and embodies a cultural and spiritual relationship with the land, ocean and wildlife.

Indigenous Peoples are applying traditional knowledge in local climate mitigation and adaptation solutions. It is the Indigenous Peoples that are applying a rights-based approach to national and global negotiations on climate change and global warming.

The Summit runs through 24 April 2009.

ENDS

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