This UNPFII side event features global Indigenous women leaders who are upholding Indigenous rights and knowledge while leading climate solutions. They address the impacts of fossil fuels,

This UNPFII side event features global Indigenous women leaders who are upholding Indigenous rights and knowledge while leading climate solutions. They address the impacts of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the climate crisis on their communities, sharing how they implement solutions, practice traditional knowledge, and advance policies for care and climate justice.

The event includes prominent Indigenous women leaders from various nations and organizations across Turtle Island/USA, Nepal, Ecuador, and Canada. Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, moderates the discussions.

Our bodies are naturally wired to conserve energy, a trait inherited from ancestors who faced food scarcity. Even today, we expend about 1,400 calories daily just to stay alive, leading us to

Our bodies are naturally wired to conserve energy, a trait inherited from ancestors who faced food scarcity. Even today, we expend about 1,400 calories daily just to stay alive, leading us to instinctively avoid unnecessary physical activity despite readily available energy sources. This perspective, distinguishing between athletic performance and true health, is explored by Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor of Human Evolutionary Biology.

Learn more from Daniel Lieberman on Big Think's YouTube channel, including his insights on exercise myths: Harvard professor debunks the biggest exercise myths. Read the full video transcript here.

The Leopold Education Project (LEP) offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum based on the classic writings of renowned conservationist

The Leopold Education Project (LEP) offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum based on the classic writings of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold. It educates the public on humanity's ties to the natural environment, promoting resource conservation and protection.

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), author of *A Sand County Almanac*, famously critiqued society's environmental values. As quoted from his work, he observed: "There is as yet no social stigma in the possession of a gullied farm, a wrecked forest, or a polluted stream, provided the dividends suffice to send the youngsters to college."

A 2012 video by The Mending News explains REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), an international carbon offset mechanism. It examines California's cap-and-trade

A 2012 video by The Mending News explains REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), an international carbon offset mechanism. It examines California's cap-and-trade system, which has a placeholder for sub-national REDD carbon credits. California's Governor's Forests and Climate Task Force explores partnerships with regions like Chiapas, Mexico, and Acre, Brazil, for these credits.

While some see California's REDD project as an international model, groups like IEN oppose its inclusion in the state's carbon trading system. The video asserts REDD credits lack environmental integrity and pose high risks to Indigenous Peoples and forest communities, citing fraud, land grabs, evictions, and human rights abuses. It concludes REDD is a deceptive solution, enabling pollution and threatening vulnerable communities and the environment.

Indigenous solutions stem from a spiritual power inherent in our being and deeply connected to ancestral lands and waters. This place-based power shapes our identity, informing a spiritual ecology

Indigenous solutions stem from a spiritual power inherent in our being and deeply connected to ancestral lands and waters. This place-based power shapes our identity, informing a spiritual ecology where communities are bound by home's knowledge. We must renew ancient traditions, adapting them to contemporary challenges while honoring our ecological community and living in harmony with all life.

Moving forward requires validating indigenous ecological knowledge and recognizing our responsibilities to "relatives," not resources. We must commit to building systems that enhance life for all nature. This is a call to action: work together, grounded in spiritual heritage and accountable to ancestors, to create a better future.

On December 5, WECAN hosted a UN Side Event at COP28, titled "Women Implementing Climate Justice Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to the Climate Crisis." Grassroots, Indigenous, and frontline

On December 5, WECAN hosted a UN Side Event at COP28, titled "Women Implementing Climate Justice Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to the Climate Crisis." Grassroots, Indigenous, and frontline women, along with global organization representatives, presented diverse climate justice strategies, including forest protection, Indigenous rights, agro-ecology, and a Just Transition.

The event featured powerful testimonies from diverse women leaders. A special appearance by Sonia Guajajara, Brazil's Minister of Indigenous Peoples, underscored the vital role of women's leadership globally. WECAN is honored to continue its long-standing collaboration with Minister Guajajara.