Taíno Elder Mildred Karaira Gandia Crosses Over Into Koaibei (Spirit World)

Miami, Florida (UCTP Taíno News) – Taíno elder, Mildred “Karaira” Gandia Reyes de Ziegelasch crossed over into Koaibei (the spirit world) on Sunday, February 6, 2022, due to complications arising from COVID 19. A long-time representative of the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP), and a member of the Guainía Taíno Tribe of Borikén, Bibi (Grandmother) Karaira was beloved across Taíno communities through the islands and the Diaspora. Karaira was an alumnus of Tribal Link Foundation’s Project Access Global Capacity Building Workshop for Indigenous Peoples, a human rights activist, an avid gardener, a spiritual advisor, and a devoted mother and grandmother. 

“We are greatly saddened to learn about Bibi Karaira’s passing and the Confederation will pause in its work to honor and her commitment not only to the UCTP but to all Taíno Peoples” stated Kasike R. Múkaro Agüeibaná Borrero, President of the UCTP and a leader of the Guainía Taíno Tribe. Borrero continued by stating “Bibi Karaira had strong opinions, a big generous heart, and a great pride regarding our ancestors and our culture. She will be missed in this physical world and our sincere condolences extend to her immediate and extended family around the world.” 

During her time as a liaison for the Confederation, she participated in many community and international gatherings. Karaira helped to organize the Taíno delegation to the 32nd Anniversary International Indian Treaty Council Conference hosted by the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation of Florida in 2006, was a UCTP delegate to the IITC's Guatemala Treaty Conference in 2008, and was the main delegate and a signatory on a treaty between the Confederation and the St. David's Indian Community of Bermuda in 2009. In 2016, Bibi Karaira represented the UCTP at the panel on Climate Change organized by the City of Hialeah.  

The Honorable Governor of Bermuda, Sir Richard Gozney, UCTP
Liaison Mildred Karaira Gandia, and Stephen Tucker, Chairman of the
St. David’s Islanders and Native Community in Bermuda, 2009. (UCTP Photo)

Bibi Karaira made her home in Miami, Florida with her family and was on extended medical leave from her liaison responsibilities from the UCTP. She continued to mentor and offer spiritual counseling to many. 

Behike Miguel Sobaoko Koromo Sague of the Caney Indigenous Spiritual Circle stated “The hupia (Spirits) have welcomed a new soul into their community of Koaibei, and even as we mourn the loss of this beautiful grandmother, we know that she will continue to guide and advise us from the spirit realm.”

Bibi Karaira blessing Behike Miguel Sague in 2017. 

Karaira was a featured participant in many of the spiritual ceremonial gatherings organized by Behike Sague in the Miami area.

Bibi Karaira is survived by her two sons, Jose Richard Cruz Gandia Jr. and Justin “Seiba” Ziegelasch Gandia and her husband Roland Ziegelasch.

UCTPTN 02/07/2022 

Indigenous Peoples lead Peoples Climate March in Washington D.C.

Indigenous Peoples at the frontline of the Peoples Climate March are joined by actor Leonardo DiCaprio

WASHINGTON D.C. (UCTP Taíno News) — On Saturday, April 29, over 200,000 people took to the streets in Washington D.C. to demand action on Global Climate Change on the local, national, and international level. Indigenous Peoples were among those who led the march, which took place in sweltering heat that tied a record for April 29. The People’s Climate March for “climate, jobs, and justice” coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office. Along with the main march and related activities in Washington D.C., more than 300 “sister marches” were held across the U.S. and around the world. 

“This is more than a march, it is a global movement to affect positive change.” said Roger Guayakan Hernandez, a Borikén Taíno representing the United Confederation of Taíno People at the march. Hernandez was a “bus captain” for one of two buses from New York organized by the International Indian Treaty Council to assist local NY Tri-State Area Indigenous Peoples, as well as indigenous delegates to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues participate in the Peoples Climate March. 

A large and diverse representation of Indigenous Peoples from around the country and the world were present at the march. Indigenous Peoples began the day with a sunrise water ceremony that opened with a welcome from Gabrielle Tayac of the local indigenous Piscataway Nation. During the march, Indigenous Peoples were a part of the led contingent, representing frontline communities. Among the Indigenous Peoples represented at the march from throughout the Americas and the world, were Taíno, Lokono-Arawak, and Maya from Belize alongside Lakota, Dine (Navajo), Schaghticoke, Sapara, Mexica, Mohawk, Quechua, Maori, Nuba, Maasai, and many, many other indigenous Nations.

“I am marching for Mother Earth and our future” said Mainaku Borrero, Taíno/Tlingit, 10yrs old. “Climate change is real.”

 UCTPTN 05.09.2017

In Times Square, unions and activists preview climate march

By Conor Skelding

12:03 p.m. | Jul. 30, 2014

Roberto Mukaro Borrero (Taino) addresses rally on Climate Change in Times Square
Photo Credit: Diane Lent

Unions and activists groups rallied in Times Square on Wednesday morning to officially launch the People's Climate March, which organizers hope will be the largest climate-related march in history.

The march is set for September 21 in New York City, two days before a United Nations summit on climate change.

"It is our desire to combat climate change," said Christopher Erikson, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers' Local Union No. 3.

"Our momentum must be governed in an orderly fashion, that provides sustainability for our goal of a livable planet, along with the security of a reliable electrical grid," he added. "We must weigh the effects of jobs on U.S. citizens."

The march was been backed by a broad array of progressive groups. Last week, two New York health care unions announced that they would encourage members to participate the march. Councilman Donovan Richards has also introduced a resolution asking the City Council to officially endorse the march.

The rally on Wednesday included remarks from representatives for the Transport Workers Union, 1199 SEIU, and 32BJ, among other unions and activist groups.

"Indigenous Peoples all over the world are on the front lines of climate change!" shouted Roberto Borrero (Taino) of the International Indian Treaty Council. "We are the canaries in the coal mine! We can see the melting of the glaciers! We can see the desertification in Africa! We can see the rising waters for Indigenous Peoples in the Pacific islands."

"We are glad to see that some of you are finally listening to the warnings that Indigenous Peoples have been shouting for 500 years now on this side of the world," he said.

"We will be here on September 21 to march along with you. Not behind you, but as equals!" he finished, before chants of "The people, united, will never be defeated!" began.

Source: Capital New York

Open-ended Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-SDG)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Please find below the announcement from DESA on what will happen during the Phase 2 of the Open-ended Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-SDG) and Sustainable Financing. As you may know the OWG-SDG 8^th Session just finished. The Stocktaking Phase where they had views from governments and from Major groups on the various sustainable development issues is over. They will now move to the informals, which are meant to be intergovernmental negotiating processes where they will reach agreement on what will be the SDGs. These meetings will take place on the following dates;

March 3-7, 2014

March 31-April 4, 2014

May 5-9, 2014

June 16-20, 2014

July 14-18, 2014

The co-chairs  of the OWG-SDG are  Mr. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya and Mr. Csaba Kōrōsi, Permanent Representative of Hungary. For more information on the reports of the various working groups please go to the website;

http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org

After July the Post-2015 Development Agenda Process will start in September 2014 at the beginning of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly. There will be a special event to review the MDGs during this event. After this High Level Event, the negotiations processes will take place on what the Post-2015 Development Agenda will be. The results of the OWG-SDG will feed into this process.

The other regional processes are the following: I cut this from the message of Chantal Line Carpienter who is the DESA focal point for Major Groups.

*Regional meeting dates: we will work with RCs to identify regional participants, please start outreaching to your constituency*

ESCAP HLPF meeting in April (2-4) with pre-consultation starting from 29 or 30 March, Bangkok

ESCWA 2-3 April in Aman, Jordan.

ECLAC first week of May in Peru

ECE may not have a meeting on the HLPF

ECA: no further info

We are planning to offer capacity building and advocacy opportunities at each meeting.

There will also be a meeting on SIDS which those in small-island developing states should consider. So this is very relevant for the Pacific Caucus and also the Caribbean. Please interact with Roberto Mukaro Borrero who is from the Caribbean and who is representing  IITC, one of the Organizing Partners for the OWG-SDGs, so he can help provide additional information on this.

*SIDS contribution and speaker for launching of International year of the SIDS*

REMINDER: deadline for submission of what the SIDS conference document should contain is 15 February,

http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=56&menu=1504<http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=56&menu=1504>

For the Launch of the international year of the SIDS, only C& Y and women submitted names. My colleagues have selected the C& Y candidate Ben Anthoy Bacar MOUSSA from Comoros*. *C&Y are working with him on his statement in French and will share with you shortly as this is a statement for all MGs.

Please let us know who from your constituency plan to be here for the PrepCom 24-26 Feb.

The Organizing Partners for the Indigenous Peoples' Major Group are Tebtebba and IIN (Indigenous Information Network from Kenya, for the South and International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) for the North. There is very minimal participation of indigenous peoples in these processes because there is very little support for this and the DESA only supports one or two persons from the South. For Tebtebba, we have Galina Angarova who is based in New York to engage on a more full-time basis with this process, among others and for IITC they have Roberto Mukaro Borrero., also based in NY. For IIN this is Lucy Mulenkei whose email is mulenkei@yahoo.com.

If you want more information please email them. Galina's email is galina@tebtebba.org and Roberto's is roberto@treatycouncil.org.

Best regards,

Vicky

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

Executive Director

Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education)

Convenor, Asian Indigenous Women's Network

email: vicky@tebtebba.org

phone: 63-74-4447703

mobile: 63-9175317811

www.tebtebba.org

www.indigenousclimate.org

www.asianindigenouswomen.org

Rights Groups File Emergancy Petition to Stop Imminent Deportations to Haiti

Washington, D.C. (UCTP Taino News) - Today six civil and human rights groups filed an emergency petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to halt the roundups, detention, and imminent deportations of hundreds of Haitian nationals by the United States government. The precautionary measures petition argues that deporting people at this moment to Haiti will result in serious human rights violations, including deprivations of the rights to life, family, and due process, and freedom from cruel or unusual punishment.

One year later, Haiti is still reeling from the devastating January 2010 earthquake and is burdened with a massive cholera epidemic, political unrest, and rampant street violence. Deportations from the U.S. to Haiti have been stayed on humanitarian grounds since the January 12, 2010.

Advocates and community members were shocked when, on December 9, 2010, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unexpectedly announced that it was lifting the ban on deportations to Haiti and that it would resume deportations in January 2011, the one-year anniversary of the earthquake.

Romy Lerner, Supervising Attorney at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center said,”We are deeply concerned that this policy is tearing apart the Haitian community. Our petition alleges that the United States has violated the human rights of the Haitians who are at risk of imminent deportations by separating them from their families without considering their ties to the United States or the welfare of their U.S. citizen children. In Miami, the community is terrified of what is about to happen.”

The petition was submitted by University of Miami School of Law Human Rights and Immigration Clinics, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Alternative Chance, and the Loyola Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice.

A letter supporting the petition to the IACHR was also submitted with 285 signatures from organizations and individuals around the country. The International Indian Treaty Council and the United Confederation of Taino People are among the signatories on the letter, which was also sent to the U.S. State Department.

The petitioning organizations and supporters are urging calls to elected officials and the media today to urge that the US government reverse course, and stop its plan to commence deportations of Haitians this month.

UCTPTN 01.12.2011

Treaty Council Expands Board of Directors

Panama (UCTP Taino News) - At its recent meeting held in Panama, the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) voted in representatives from Mexico and the Caribbean to its Board of Directors. Founded in 1974, the IITC is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, and South America, the Pacific, and most recently from the Caribbean, working together for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples as well as the recognition and protection of Indigenous Rights, treaties, traditional cultures and sacred lands.

The nominations of Saul Vicente Vasquez (Zapoteca) of Oaxaca, Mexico and Naniki Reyes Ocasio (Taino) of Boriken (Puerto Rico) were unanimously accepted by all standing board members. Roberto Borrero (Taino) was also nominated for and accepted as an alternate Board member. Both Reyes Ocasio and Borrero are representatives of the United Confederation of Taino People.

The IITC Board meeting followed a special Human Rights Workshop and the annual International Treaty Council Conference with indigenous representatives arriving in Kuna Nation territory from throughout the Americas.

UCTPTN 09.29.2009

Expert Meeting on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Concludes First Session in Geneva

Geneva, Switzerland (UCTP Taino News) - The United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) concluded its inaugural session in Geneva on Friday, 3 October with the adoption of a number of proposals to the Human Rights Council. The Durban Review Conference on Racism, the right of Indigenous People to education, and the participation of Indigenous Peoples in sessions of the Council and United Nations human rights treaty bodies were the focus of some of the proposals presented.

The Expert Mechanism is mandated to provide thematic expertise on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to the UN Human Rights Council. The group met from 1-3 October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva with more than 400 registered to the historic meeting. A majority of those attending the inaugural session were Indigenous Peoples who actively participated in the three-day meeting making recommendations to the newly formed body as well as relating human rights situations affecting their communities.

Among the many presentations made at the session a joint oral statement on the points of consideration of the EMRIP study on Education was presented by the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) and the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP). The presentation was made by IITC Executive Director Andrea Carmen. The IITC presented several other interventions during the session. Both the IITC and the UCTP participated within the Global Indigenous Caucus sessions to the EMRIP.

As mandated by the Human Rights Council through a resolution adopted at its session last week, the Expert Mechanism began to identify and suggest proposals for its consideration in 2009. In connection to the upcoming UN Durban Review Conference on racism taking place next year, the Experts were asked to assist the Preparatory Committee of the Conference by submitting recommendations as contributions to its outcome. The Experts recommended that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action should acknowledge that the right of self-determination and the principle of free, prior and informed consent are now universally recognized through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In addition, the Experts recommended that the Declaration be considered as one of the human rights standards in the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review process.

The Experts also began work on preparing a study on lessons learned and challenges to achieve the implementation of the right of Indigenous Peoples to education to be concluded in 2009. In another proposal, the Expert Mechanism invited the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to contribute to the study and requested the Human Rights Council to authorize a two-day technical workshop/review to finalize the study.

At the meeting’s opening, John Henriksen (Norway) was elected to serve as Chairperson-Rapporteur of the first session and Jose Carlos Morales (Costa Rica) as Vice Chairperson-Rapporteur. The other three members of the Expert Mechanism are Catherine Odimba Kombe (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Jannie Lasimbang (Malaysia) and Jose Molintas (Philippines).

The Expert Mechanism will hold its second session in 2009 with the date to be decided at the 10th regular session of the Human Rights Council scheduled to be held in March 2009.

UCTPTN 10.06.2008

International Indian Treaty Council Issues Resolutions

UCTP representative Mildred Karaira Gandia meets with Maya spiritual leaders in Chimaltenago, Guatemala.

UCTP Taino News - The International Indian Treaty Council held its 34th annual conference in Chimaltenago, Guatemala from June 19 – 22, 2008. The 275 registered delegates at this conference, representing Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, adopted by consensus a series of resolutions to guide their work defending the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the local, national, and international levels.

Among those in attendance, representatives of the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) participated in the plenary sessions and working groups as well as during spiritual ceremonies led by the local Mayan traditional spiritual authorities. Naniki Reyes Ocasio of the Caney Quinto Mundo, UCTP Liaison Mildred Karaira Gandia, and youth representative Justin Ziegelasch contributed directly to the drafting of the final conference resolutions via specific working groups. As a result of their participation the Taino People are specifically mentioned in the resolutions on “Land, Territories and Natural Resources, Treaties and the Implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” and the “Sacred Sites”.

The IITC reaffirmed for example the “land rights and self determination of Indigenous Peoples including the Taino, Cree, Dakota, Yaqui and Mayan peoples that are divided by colonial borders”. The IITC also calls upon the “United States Government and the Island of Boriken (Puerto Rico) to recognize the Taino People of Boriken as the original inhabitants and Indigenous Peoples with full rights as recognized by the UN Declaration, including the right to self-determination.

“This much appreciated support from our indigenous sisters and brothers is extremely important for all our Taino People” stated Mildred Karaira Gandia. “It shows that the Taino are indeed part of the larger hemispheric movement defending the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” Karaira added “Making these connections today as our ancestors did long ago not only unifies us across borders but it strengthens us on a spiritual level.”

Other resolutions adopted at the conference focused on the position of the CANZUS group and the UN Indigenous Rights Declaration, Lakota and Dakota Treaties, The Right to Food Sovereignty, The Rights of Women and Children, and Economic Justice and Migration.

The final resolutions will be posted at the websites of the International Indian Treaty Council and the United Confederation of Taino People in English and Spanish.

UCTPTN 07.24.2008

Annual International Indian Treaty Conference to begin in Guatemala

Chimaltenago, Guatemala (UCTP Taino News) - The 34th Annual International Conference of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) begins this week on June 19-22, 2008 in the city of Chimaltenango, Guatemala. The conference will focus on strategic topics that designed to assist in the promotion and defense of the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

According to a recent IITC news release, the organizers are looking forward to the most diverse, pluralistic participation of representatives and authorities of Indigenous Peoples from the IITC member countries, as well as from all countries whose people have a keen interest in discussing strategies, plans, programs, visions and goals to continue working towards the challenging objective of ending the racism, discrimination, oppression, marginalization, exploitation, and imposition that Indigenous Peoples, are currently facing.

The conference organizers also note that although certain advances have been made in the field of domestic and international law, they are as yet insufficient and Indigenous Peoples are still facing difficult situations worldwide.

A delegation representing the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) is now in Guatemala to attend the conference and includes Naniki Reyes Ocasio of the Caney Quinto Mundo, and Mildred Karaira Gandia (UCTP Liaison), and Justin Seiba Ziegelasch, a youth delegate. In an historic moment for Taino People, the UCTP is scheduled to be officially welcomed as IITC affiliates before the assembly gathered in Chimaltenago.

The history and current situation of Mayan Peoples in Guatemala as well as implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the local to the international level will be some of the featured issues discussed at the conference. Other topics to be addressed include land and natural resource rights, treaties and agreements, reparations and redress processes, free prior and informed consent, self determination, environmental and racial justice. Dialogs will take place via panels, workshops, commissions, and training sessions.

Communications related to the conference can be directed to Conferencia2008@treatycouncil.org and additional information can be found at IITC website at http://www.treatycouncil.org/.

UCTPTN 06.18.2008

Biological Diversity Convention Working Group Meets in Geneva

Geneva (UCTP Taino News) — The sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) opened on 21 January 2008, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Continuing the work of the fifth meeting of the Working Group, held in October 2007, the Working Group will work toward the elaboration and negotiation of an international regime on ABS.

The meeting is being attended by over 520 participants, representing Parties to the Convention and observer States, indigenous and local communities, inter-governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, United Nations sister agencies, and the business community.

Representatives of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, International Indian Treaty Council, Foundation for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge, Juventud Indigena Argentina, Consejo Autonomo Aymara, Centro Estudios Multidisciplinarios Aymara Bolivia, and the United Confederation of Taino People are among those actively engaging the process.

In a statement to the plenary, these organizations affirmed that the proposed “international regime should only apply to genetic resources, derivatives and products and associated traditional knowledge that have been accessed with the free prior and informed consent of, and mutually agreed terms with, Indigenous peoples who are the owners of such resources and knowledge under traditional systems and customary law and consistent with international human rights law.”

The results of the deliberations of the Working Group are scheduled to be submitted for consideration by the Conference of the Parties to the CBD at its ninth meeting, to be held from 19-30 May 2008, in Bonn, Germany.

Photo (IISD): Indigenous representatives attending the sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS)

UCTPTN 01.25.2008

================

See also:

Access, Benefit Sharing, and the Convention on Biological Diversity
http://uctp.blogspot.com/2007/10/access-benefit-sharing-and-convention.html

Taino People affiliated with the International Indian Treaty Council

UCTP Taino News - The United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) has been formally accepted as affiliates of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) by consensus of the IITC Board of Directors. The Taino affiliation will be reconfirmed by the indigenous assembly gathered at the upcoming IITC Treaty Conference which will be held from 4-7 April 2008 in Guatemala. The theme of the 2008 IITC Treaty Conference will be “Implementing the UN Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Free Prior Informed Consent”.

The IITC is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America and the Pacific working for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of indigenous rights, treaties, traditional cultures and sacred lands. The IITC was founded in 1974 at a gathering by the American Indian Movement in Standing Rock, South Dakota attended by more than 5000 representatives of 98 Indigenous Nations.

The UCTP represents indigenous Taino People from throughout the Caribbean region at the international level as well as supports local Taino organizations and community representatives at the local and national levels.

UCTPTN 01.01.2008

Floyd Red Crow Westerman Crosses Over Into the Spirit World

The UCTP pauses to offer condolences to the family of Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Dakota) who crossed over into the spirit world this morning in Los Angeles, California. A renowned American Indian activist-singer-songwriter, Westerman made his big screen debut in the movie Renegades (1989) and is best remembered for his role as elder/leader Ten Bear in Dances with Wolves (1990). His songs like "Custer Died For Your Sins" and "BIA Blues" have helped spread the American Indian Movement's message throughout the world. Floyd performed with countless musicians including Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley in large benefit concerts for Indian self-determination, human rights and environmental protection. He toured the world with Sting to publicize the plight of the Rainforest People who are dying along with the Rainforests and, as caretakers, must be protected if the rain forests are to go on providing for all life on Earth. Red Crow has been an ambassador of good will representing the International Indian Treaty Council from the time of its founding. Services are pending.