Healing Land & People: Gender-Based Violence & Protecting Indigenous Women

Join us for an Indigenous women-led discussion around protecting land, preventing MMIP, and resisting harms from extractive industries.

Join us for a powerful discussion led by young Indigenous women from across the Americas—land defenders, storytellers, and advocates—who are protecting their territories and resisting harms from extractive industries.

Hosted by the Human Impacts Institute at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, this gathering brings together Indigenous women leaders, community advocates, and allies for an open conversation about healing relationships with land and community safety through Indigenous-led solutions. Together, we’ll explore how protecting the land is deeply connected to preventing gender-based violence and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP).

>>> FREE! RSVP Here

More About This Event

As the world shifts toward a “green” energy transition dependent on large-scale mineral extraction, Indigenous women—especially youth—face escalating threats on the frontlines of these conflicts. This Indigenous women-led dialogue highlights the direct connection between land dispossession, extractive industries, and violence against Indigenous peoples, centering voices that are often ignored in global climate solutions.

Timed with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) 2026 theme of “Indigenous Health and Conflict,” this dialogue honors the leadership of young Indigenous women who continue legacies of stewardship and resistance passed down from mothers, grandmothers, and matriarchs. Through intergenerational storytelling, reflection, and action-oriented dialogue, participants will explore how restoring balance with the land also means restoring safety, sovereignty, and healing for communities.

Key Focus Areas

• Links between land dispossession, extractive industries, and the MMIP crisis
• Indigenous women’s land stewardship as protection and resistance
• How sovereignty, cultural continuity, and intergenerational knowledge strengthen community safety
• Using UNDRIP and international frameworks to demand accountability
• Building cross-community solidarity for Indigenous women land defenders

Expected Outcomes

• Collaborative policy and community action recommendations
• Greater awareness of how climate and extraction impact MMIWG2S+
• Shared strategies to protect Indigenous women, girls, and 2-spirit people as part of climate justice

Speakers:

Adina Farinango (Kichwa-Otavalo) Artist who uses art as an act of resistance, healing, and self-expression.

Lily Joy Winder (Diné, Southern Ute, African American) Stanford Master’s in Earth Systems | Digital Strategist with 300k+ Followers

Yanenowi Logan (Seneca Nation) Columbia M.S. in Climate | UN Food and Agriculture Organization Indigenous Knowledge Intern

Kianna Pete (Diné )Environmental advocate, researcher, and collaborator. | Tribal Conservation Program Fellow | Board Member at American Indian Community House

Charitie Ropati (Yup’ik & Samoan) Engineer | Climate Advisor to UN Secretary-General | Regional Facilitator @ Youth Climate Justice Fund | UN Women Leader | Forbes 30U30 | Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award

Moderator:
Delfina Roybal – Indigenous Communications & Social Media Strategist | Columbia University | Phyllis Stevens Sharp Fellow | Founder of Natives for Zohran NYC, organizing Indigenous New Yorkers toward political self-determination through community surveying and grassroots mobilization.

About The Human Impacts Institute

The Human Impacts Institute (HII) is a NYC-founded nonprofit that harnesses arts, culture, and community engagement to spark bold climate action. For over sixteen years, HII has connected environmental justice, creative storytelling, and collective leadership, centering the voices of those most impacted by the climate crisis. HII offers a unique approach that blends cultural expression, coalition-building, and hands-on strategy to bridge the gap between awareness and sustained action.

🔗 More About the Creative Climate Awards & the Human Impacts Institute: https://www.humanimpactsinstitute.org/cca2026

Thank you to the New York Society for Ethical Culture for providing us with the space to host this event.

This program is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, along with generous support from TECO, DUMBO Business Improvement District, and the NYC DOT Arts Program.