At UN, Indigenous leaders fight for application of rights

This story is part of the Global Indigenous Affairs Desk, a collaboration led by Grist, High Country News, ICT, Mongabay, Native News Online, and APTN. Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, has been advocating for the decommissioning of the Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac. The U.N. has recommended the pipeline be shut down due to its threat to Indigenous rights, but action has not been taken. At the U.N. Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues, Gravelle discussed Line 5 and the application of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in the U.S. While progress has been made, there is still work to be done to ensure Indigenous rights are respected. From consultation to consent, there are key steps needed to advance Indigenous rights both domestically and internationally.