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Parts of this site were translated using AI. Accuracy may vary.
Recognizing their contributions on Indigenous Peoples Day 2025
Saturday, 9 August 2025 | By Climate Champions
Each year on 9 August, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples recognizes the knowledge, leadership and enduring contributions of Indigenous communities around the world. It also marks the anniversary of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982, a key moment in the global recognition of Indigenous rights.
This year’s theme focuses on AI and the urgent need for stronger safeguards, inclusive governance and respect for data sovereignty as new technologies take shape. Despite Indigenous Peoples playing a critical role in protecting biodiversity and advancing climate and nature solutions, they remain underrepresented in financial, political and technological systems that shape global decision-making.
As part of the COP Impact Makers campaign, which highlights individuals driving climate solutions from the ground up, discover four Indigenous leaders making a powerful difference. Their work reflects the depth and diversity of Indigenous-led action, from territorial defence and agroecology to community finance and urban climate planning.
General Coordinator, COICA | Uitoto, Colombia
Fany Kuiru is the first woman to lead COICA, the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin. Representing more than 500 Indigenous groups across nine countries, COICA helps shape land and climate policy across the region. Under Fany’s leadership, the organization launched the Amazon for Life Fund, a financial mechanism governed by Indigenous institutions and designed to direct funding to locally led initiatives.
The fund reduces dependence on intermediaries and builds long-term autonomy through co-design, capacity support and transparent governance. Fany believes protecting the Amazon requires a rights-based model that centres Indigenous Peoples as both custodians and decision-makers.
General Coordinator, CAIANAS | Terena, Brazil
Ederval Antonio leads CAIANAS, an Indigenous organization based in the Terena territory of Cachoeirinha in Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state. Founded by local families in 2015, CAIANAS helps restore land, revitalize water systems and support traditional agroecological practices.
The organization protects springs, improves soil fertility, distributes native seedlings, and preserves Terena seed varieties. CAIANAS also runs environmental education in village schools, trains young people in agroecology and climate resilience, and has established a centre for traditional Terena healing.
General Coordinator, UNIVAJA | Matis, Brazil
Bushe Matis leads UNIVAJA, which represents the Indigenous Peoples of the Vale do Javari in western Brazil, a vast and biodiverse territory home to several communities living in voluntary isolation. Under his leadership, UNIVAJA has strengthened its role in territorial monitoring, legal defence, and coordination between Indigenous groups.
The organization’s surveillance teams use drones, GPS and traditional knowledge to track illegal activities across 8.5 million hectares. UNIVAJA has also played a central role in legal victories at Brazil’s Supreme Court and contributed to public health coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tribal President, Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians | United States
Rudy Ortega Jr. is the elected Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians in northern Los Angeles County. Under his leadership, the Tribe is developing a comprehensive Climate Resiliency Plan addressing extreme heat, drought and environmental stress in an urban context.
The plan includes large-scale tree planting, the development of community cooling hubs, and the creation of youth employment opportunities through the Tribal Conservation Corps – all of which are rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and implemented in collaboration with public health and academic partners.
