Defending Indigenous Rights

International agreements have recognized the unique conditions of indigenous communities, but these communities have never been truly safe from encroachment. Their rights to their land, language, culture, and beliefs continue to be chipped away. In the name of progress, the expansion of development and extractive industries, driven by state-corporate collaboration, undermines these communities, forcing them to relinquish their rights and submit to an oppressive, hegemonic power structure. Yet forms of resistance persist, whether through direct action or advocacy, even in the face of siege and pressure of far greater powers. Literature can play a role not just by amplifying narratives of resistance but also by rearticulating the wisdom, strength, and beauty of indigenous existence and the systems that sustain it.

Abroorza A. Yusra (Indonesia)
Mama Fun (Indonesia)
Marsten L. Tarigan (Indonesia)

Moderator: Saras Dewi (Indonesia)