Life as an indigenous activist: Michael's Vlog

Michael McGarrell, of the Patamona peoples from Guayana vlogs about his life as an indigenous activist.

Michael's vlog #1 - "This is part of what I do"

During a field trip, Michael McGarrell hiked from Kaibarupai to Ayanganna and back to Kaibarupai. He learned after being back to Kaibarupai that his extraction point was changed...

Michael VLOG #2 - "We do mapping our territories"

Michael McGarrell tells you how and why he uses ATVs to map the territories of his people.

Michael VLOG #3 - "No matter where we come from we are brothers and sisters"

Michael McGarrell tells you more about his trip to the Yurok territory with the #guardiansoftheforest alliance.

VLOG #4 - "As indigenous peoples, we want to help you to fight climate change"

On September 27th of 2019, more than 7 million people around the world took to the streets to demand action on the climate crisis. The largest climate action in history.

Michael MacGarrel was one of them. He took part in a 250 000 peoples strong march through New York City with Global Strike for Climate.

Later this day with his fellow delegates of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities whose forest guardians protect over 4 million hectares of forest worldwide, Michael took over Time Square with giant screenings.

He tells you in this fourth vlog what are the key messages of the #GuardiansoftheForest.

VLOG #5 - "Over the years, many of our lands has been given up to concessions without our consent."

Indigenous communities in Guyana’s scenic and culturally rich interior are in a race against an invasion of extractive industry - triggered by offshore oil drilling set to begin in 2020 - that will completely transform our country.

Michael McGarrel tells us bit more about what is at stake there as he works to cartography his region, region 8. He talks to us from his boat as his team goes up the Siparuni river through western Guyana.