Episode Four | Nittaya Earkanna: Ancestral Knowledge Is Science
In the second part of this episode, Nittaya “Mee” Earkanna reflects on intergenerational knowledge, barriers Indigenous women face in accessing leadership and funding, and the role of Indigenous women in shaping more inclusive futures for conservation.
Episode Three, Part One | Nittaya Earkanna: Education, Equality, and Cultural Survival
This episode features Nittaya “Mee” Earkanna, an Indigenous Hmong leader from Thailand, who reflects on the role of identity, language, and ancestral knowledge in shaping conservation, leadership, and cultural s.urvival
Episode Two | Indigenous Women Redefining Science
In this episode of ICI’s Indigenous Women Redefining Science series, Esther Ngalula of ANAPAC (Democratic Republic of Congo) shares how Indigenous Batwa women are combining ancestral knowledge with tools like participatory mapping and GPS to protect biodiversity and strengthen leadership.
Episode One | Indigenous Women Redefining Science
Part of ICI’s podcast series Indigenous Women Redefining Science, this episode takes listeners to the Peruvian Amazon, where Eva Mambiro, an Indigenous nurse and researcher from FENAMAD, shares how ancestral knowledge informs community health, nutrition, and care, demonstrating how science exists in forests, communities, and lived experience.
Learning, Leading, and Giving Back: My Journey as an ICI Fellow
In this reflection, Krizzley Ordoñez, a Maya Mam Indigenous leader from Guatemala and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how the fellowship strengthened her leadership and expanded community participation—particularly among youth and women—as she concludes her fellowship journey.
When Support Arrives On Time: Caring For Life From The Territory
In this reflection, Maglin Reonela Alvarado Vargas, a Yine Indigenous leader from Peru and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how long-term support enabled her community to address mercury contamination from gold mining while strengthening leadership, collective decision-making, and territorial protection.
How has long-term fellowship redefined my leadership?
In this reflection, Matauri Miria, a Māori Indigenous leader from the Cook Islands and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how long-term fellowship support reshaped her understanding of leadership through community-based work and the revitalization of traditional taro farming practices.
Living with Change: Community Adaptation and Climate Learning in Northern Thailand
In this reflection, Chanchira Tawangthan, a Phutai Indigenous leader from Thailand and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares insights from her work with communities adapting to climate change, highlighting the importance of local knowledge, community resilience, and long-term support.
Turning Traditional Knowledge into Resilience: Through My Fellowship
In this reflection, Sanjog Thakali, a Thakali Indigenous leader from Nepal and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares how his fellowship experience strengthened the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with scientific data to support climate resilience and community-led solutions.
Connecting Local Challenges to Global Learning: Reflections from Mabula Village
In this reflection, Apisai Kalivakarua, an iTaukei Indigenous leader from Fiji and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, reflects on how local challenges in Mabula Village connect to global learning, highlighting youth engagement, community action, and the importance of linking local realities with global conversations.
ICI Video | ICI Presents: When the River Speaks
When the River Speaks follows Maglin, a young Yine mother from Peru’s Madre de Dios, as she carries her community’s voice to the global Minamata Convention to confront mercury contamination threatening Indigenous lives and territories. Supported by the Inclusive Conservation Initiative, Yine communities are strengthening territorial governance, training mercury monitors, and empowering women and youth to advocate for policies that protect their rivers, health, and futures.
ICI Video | Lighting the Path with Indigenous Knowledge
2025 marks a defining year for Indigenous leadership in global environmental policy. Hear from Indigenous leaders of the Inclusive Conservation Initiative (ICI) on how Indigenous Knowledge is lighting the policy path -- from Abu Dhabi, to COP6 for the Minamata Convention, and to UNFCCC COP30 in Belém.
My First Journey Beyond the Mountains: The Voice of an Indigenous Fellow on the Global Stage
In this reflection, Luna Larrat, a Mapuche Indigenous leader from Argentina and member of the 2nd cohort of the ICI International Environmental Policy Fellowship, shares her experience participating in the IUCN World Conservation Congress and Indigenous Peoples Summit, reflecting on representing her community in global spaces and the importance of Indigenous leadership in international decision-making.
Walking the Talk: Indigenous Leadership Advances Inclusive Conservation Worldwide
Discover how Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities across 10 territories in 12 countries are leading inclusive conservation through biocultural mapping, direct financing, and community-driven governance. The ICI Phase Three report reveals measurable impacts across more than 6 million hectares, proving that Indigenous leadership is delivering durable biodiversity and climate solutions worldwide.
ICI Report | Inclusive Conservation Initiative Phase 3 Report – Walking the Talk: How Inclusive Conservation is Delivering Results
Phase 3 marks ICI’s transition from design to delivery, with Indigenous-led organizations across 12 countries directly managing conservation efforts at scale. The report highlights how Indigenous governance, gender-responsive systems, and culturally grounded monitoring are now shaping national policies and global agendas—offering a replicable model for rights-based, community-led conservation that works. With direct access to finance and decision-making power, they advanced land rights, governance, gender equity, and policy influence—proving that Indigenous-led action is critical to effective, scalable conservation.
ICI Video | The Path is Made by Walking: Indigenous Leadership Advances Inclusive Conservation in Kenya
This video features IMPACT Kenya’s use of biocultural mapping to secure pastoralist land rights and highlights how the Inclusive Conservation Initiative is enabling Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to lead conservation across 10 territories in 12 countries. The 2024–25 Achievements and Learning Report shows how ICI is shifting power through rights-based finance, from land tenure gains in Tanzania to gender-responsive frameworks in the Amazon and biocultural education programs in Mesoamerica.
We are not beneficiaries of conservation efforts – we are partners
On International Mother Earth Day, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities across ten geographies are demonstrating that they are not beneficiaries of conservation, but equal partners shaping biodiversity action through scaled, direct finance. From biocultural mapping to landmark co-governance agreements, the Inclusive Conservation Initiative shows how Indigenous leadership is redefining conservation worldwide.
Embracing Indigenous Wisdom: Reflections from the Inclusive Conservation Initiative Asia Regional Learning Exchange in Thini, Nepal
The ICI Asia Regional Learning Exchange in Thini, Nepal brought together more than 100 Indigenous leaders, elders, women, and youth to share knowledge on customary governance, conservation, and biocultural heritage. From sacred ceremonies to field visits in Mustang, the exchange highlighted how Indigenous worldviews and community-led practices are shaping inclusive conservation across Asia.
Historic Co-Governance Agreement for Villarrica National Park
In December 2024, more than 13 Mapuche communities and the Chilean government signed a landmark co-governance agreement granting Indigenous Peoples formal territorial rights within Villarrica National Park. This unprecedented framework establishes a shared Governance and Management Council, setting a national precedent for inclusive conservation rooted in Indigenous worldview and stewardship.
COP16: Advancing Indigenous Leadership and Inclusive Conservation
At CBD COP16, Indigenous leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo showcased how direct access to biodiversity finance, legal recognition of ICCAs, and traditional governance are transforming conservation outcomes. Through ANAPAC and the Inclusive Conservation Initiative, IPLCs are advancing women’s leadership, securing territories of life, and shaping global biodiversity policy.