The Indigenous Peoples of the so-called Americas have lived for over 500 years in confrontation with an invasive society that holds an opposing worldview. As a result, we are now facing an environmental and ecological crisis that threatens the survival of humanity and much of natural life. Despite this confrontation, Indigenous Peoples have sustained and protected 80% of the remaining biodiversity in the world.
Indigenous Sovereignty arises from Traditional Indigenous Knowledge (TIK), which belongs to each Indigenous nation, tribe, first nation, community, etc. It consists of spiritual ways, culture, language, social and legal systems, political structures, and inherent relationships with lands, waters, and everything upon them.
We are unified in our recognition that the ancestral teachings, lifestyles, language revitalization, spirituality, cultures, and leadership of our people, as well as the survival of our future generations are entirely dependent upon our respectful, inherent relationship with the natural world and our responsibility to the sacred principles and Original Instructions given to us by the Creator. Our lands, waters, and air are at the core of our existence – we are the land, we are the water, we are the air; and the land, water, and air is us.
We honor the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, whose laws are drawn from their inherent relationship with Mother Earth; we commit to advancing Indigenous rights, sovereignty and jurisprudence, and other non-rights-based pathways found in customary law and traditional Indigenous knowledge.
We reject all forms of depredation, exploitation, abuse, and contamination, and we urge real action to halt biodiversity loss, climate change, threats to Indigenous Peoples and Earth defenders, and other urgent threats to our living planet.
Donate online with a debit or credit card, or with your PayPal account here.
Please write a check made out to “Indigenous Environmental Network” and mail to:
Indigenous Environmental Network
PO Box 485
Bemidji, MN 56619
Donations of cash, individual equities, mutual funds and other securities can be transferred directly from your investment account to our account at Edward Jones. Please contact (218) 751-4967 to request account transfer details.
By naming IEN as a beneficiary of your estate, you can continue to generate transformative change in the Circle of Life beyond your own lifetime. If you are interested in making a bequest to IEN, please contact (218) 751-4967 for more details.
You are also invited to update or write a new will or trust with www.FreeWill.com, where you can get peace of mind in less than 20 minutes and select the Indigenous Environmental Network as your nonprofit beneficiary to ensure that your assets go to the people and causes that you care about most.
Instead of taking a chance on that gift purchase for your loved one, why not give them the opportunity to support our work Protecting the Sacredness of Mother Earth by giving them a GiveNotGift card and letting them know that they can choose IEN.
