Bios for Speakers

Global Indigenous Youth Forum 2021 Towards the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 June 16 – June 18, 2021 from 15:00 – 17:30 Rome (CET)

Draft Speaker Bios

DAY 1 - Wednesday 16th of June

Global Session 1: Global opening ceremony + High Level Remarks (15:05-16:00 CEST)

Ms. Denisa Livingston International Indigenous Councilor of the Global North, Slow Food International & 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion

Denisa Livingston, M.P.H., (Diné, New Mexico, she/her/hers) is an unapologetic Indigenous food justice organizer, Slow Food International Indigenous Councilor of the Global North, and an Appointed Member of the Champions Network of the United Nations 2021 Food Systems Summit. Denisa has been a legislative speaker and community health advocate for the Diné Community Advocacy Alliance (DCAA). DCAA have been globally recognized for the successful passage of several laws, the first of its kind addressing food apartheid: Elimination of Tax on Healthy Foods with an emphasis on Indigenous foods, the Healthy Diné Nation Act of 2014 or Unhealthy Foods Tax, and a tax revenue allocation for Community Wellness Projects for all 110 Navajo Chapters. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She is the co-chair of the advisory board of the Slow Food Indigenous Peoples international network - Indigenous Terra Madre, a steering committee member of the Slow Food Turtle Island Association, a member of a national Sugar Action Group, served as advisory member of the groundbreaking initiative, Reclaiming Native Truth and an Ashoka Fellow, among other initiatives. Ms. Tara Maudrie Enrolled member of the Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and a member of the Baltimore and Detroit urban Native communities.

Maudrie received her Masters of Science in Public Health in Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Spring of 2021, and will be beginning her PhD studies at Johns Hopkins in Fall of 2021. Tara is passionate about food justice, food sovereignty, Indigenous research methodologies, and urban Native health. Currently, Maudrie is coordinating a research study with Baltimore Native LifeLines to explore food security and food sovereignty within the context of urban Native communities. In the future, she hopes to advocate for changes in public health policy to better support urban Native food security and food sovereignty.

Mr. Pacha K’anchay Spiritual counselor, Yanakuna Indigenous Peoples in Colombia

Harrison Caicedo, by the ancestral name Pacha K’anchay, which means the sun glint that penetrates the earth, is an Indigenous young Yanakuna man, who has given his life to learn the spiritual practices of his ancestors. He has walked long territories in his country COlombia, sharing with different ethnic groups and learning from their traditions and wisdom. Pacha K’anchay has been raised in the spiritual learning and today he is accompanying the Confederation of Indigenous Traditional medics of Colombia, acting as a spokesman for the counselors of the national council, of Indigenous Elders of Colombia, that pilgrimage the snow-capped peaks, those who have left their territories in order to share and teach how to co-exist in the spirit and with the wisdom of the Mother Earth

Mr. Aiwan Abhay Minz Indigenous child from Oraon, India, 9 years old

Master Aiwan Abhay Minz belongs to the Indigenous community of Oraon located in central India. Born to Indigenous activist parents, Dr. Meenakshi Munda and Dr. Abhay Sagar Minz, he had the exposure to Indigenous struggles and rightful intervention methods right from his childhood. He accompanied his parents to United Nations Geneva, meetings of Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network (AYIPN), Philippines, Asia Indigenous People’s Pact (AIPP) meetings in Chaing Mai, Thailand and various meetings at regional and national level in India. Inquisitive by nature, he tried to gather knowledge on various issues, right from basic human rights to climate change, struggle of Adivasis etc. He is extremely interested in plantation drives, Indigenous farming methods, humanitarian activities especially health camps and library establishment in rural areas, traditional dance and songs.He is presently a student of St. Xavier’s School Doranda, Ranchi, in India grade 4. He aspires to work for the Indigenous community.

Mr. Geoffrey Roth Member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (United States of America) & Interim Executive Director, Native Americans in Philantropy.

Mr. Geoffrey Roth (Standing Rock Sioux) has devoted his entire career, spanning 20 years, to the advocacy of Indigenous rights in diverse sectors. He is currently providing advice on policy and legislative strategies for Urban Indian Organizations. Mr. Roth recently co-founded Inaji, an Indigenous-led technology company, providing culturally competent solutions to improve American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) healthcare. Former President Barack Obama appointed Mr. Roth in 2010 to serve in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Indian Health Service (IHS), which is responsible for the allocation of a $6 billion US dollars federal appropriation for AI/AN healthcare.

H.E. Alexandra Bugailiskis Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to FAO. Chair of Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome.

Ambassador Bugailiskis has served abroad as ambassador to Syria and high commissioner to Cyprus, ambassador to Cuba and Poland. In Ottawa, Ms. Bugailiskis has held a number of senior positions. In August 2017, Alexandra Bugailiskis was appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to the Italian Republic, as well as Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Republic of San Marino and Albania and High Commissioner to Malta. H.E. Miguel Jorge García Winder Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mexico to FAO. Member of the Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome.

Miguel has held a number of senior positions within agricultural governance, and currently holds the position of Special Advisor to Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture. He has previously worked for the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), as Director for the Center for Strategic Analysis in Agriculture (CAESPA). Miguel has authored and co-authored more than 40 publications both in peer review and non-peer reviewed journals, including technical documents for farmers and policy makers.

Ms. Beth Bechdol Deputy Director-General, Programmes, FAO

Beth arrived at FAO in March 2020 to commence the work as Deputy Director-General. Prior to this, Beth was part of conceptualizing, building and growing AgriNovus Indiana, an economic development non-profit organization, where she acted as president and CEO. She has also got experience from roles in the US Senate Agriculture Committee and at the US Department of Agriculture. She holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Purdue.

Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim Member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim is an indigenous Mbororo woman from Chad. She is an expert in indigenous peoples’ adaptation to climate change, traditional ecological knowledge, and climate change mitigation strategies. She has been the Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change during COP20, COP21, COP22, COP23, that led to a significant recognition of indigenous peoples’ role in the fight against climate change. Hailing from a Mbororo pastoralist community in Chad, Ms. Ibrahim founded the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and works to empower indigenous peoples’ voices and ensure their inclusion on international platforms. Ms. Mai Thin Yu Mon, Indigenous UN Food Systems Summit Champion, and Focal Point for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus in Asia

Mai Thin Yu Mon is a young indigenous rights activist from Chin community in Myanmar. She is a Program Director of Indigenous Peoples Development Program of Chin Human Rights Organization. She is representing indigenous youths to the Executive Council of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. She is also serving as a Asia focal person for Global Indigenous Youth Caucus since 2016. She has been working with indigenous communities in Myanmar and Asia for the past several years, being a part of strengthening platforms for indigenous youths and indigenous women across Asia.

Ms. Jessica Vega Ortega Co-Chair, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion

Jessica is an Indigenous Mixtec, originally from the community of San Miguel Ahuehuetitlán, Oaxaca, resident in the municipality of Valle de Chalco, Solidaridad (XICO), State of Mexico. She studied the Bachelor of Political Science and Public Administration at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has been an intern and consultant in the Indigenous Peoples Unit of FAO. Jessica is a promoter, defender and workshop leader of the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples specifically for indigenous children, adolescents and youth. She is the coordinator of the Yani Tundavii Dikuintii collective, (Hermanos Mixtecos Juntos), part of the CIARENA organization. AC. Member of the Coordinating Committee of the Network of Indigenous Youth of Latin America and the Caribbean, Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus GIYC 2019-2021.

Mr. Yon Fernández-de-Larrinoa Chief, FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit

An Agricultural Economist with a MABD on entitlements and food security, Yon Fernández-de-Larrinoa is the Chief of the FAO Indigenous peoples Unit. He joined FAO in 1998 and has worked mainly in Latin America and Asia, coordinating work in the Tsunami, Avian Influenza, Peru Earthquake and Haiti Earthquake operations. In 2010, Yon joined the Partnerships and UN relations Division leading the FAO Civil Society team, co-authoring the Strategy to engage with civil society and supporting the participation of civil society in the World Committee of Food Security. He co-founded the Pastoralists knowledge hub in FAO and started the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit in 2014. The Indigenous Peoples Unit implements FAO policy on indigenous peoples by working on FPIC; Collective rights and Indigenous youth. In 2018 the unit launched a Global Campaign on Indigenous Women and in 2019 started the group of friends of indigenous peoples in Rome. In 2020 The Committee of Agriculture endorsed the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems now including 16 academic, research, UN and indigenous organizations.

Global Session 2: Indigenous Youth and the UN Food Systems Summit

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit

As the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy, Dr. Kalibata provides leadership, guidance, and strategic direction towards the 2021 Food Systems Summit. She is responsible for outreach and cooperation with key leaders, including governments, to ensure the Summit serves as a catalytic process within the Decade of Action to improve food systems around the world to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement.

Since 2014, Dr. Kalibata has also served as President of AGRA, where she leads the organization’s efforts with partners to ensure a food secure and prosperous Africa through rapid, sustainable agricultural growth, improving the productivity and livelihoods of millions of African smallholder farmers. Prior to joining AGRA, Dr. Kalibata was Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) from 2008 to 2014. She has a distinguished track record globally as an agricultural scientist, policy maker and thought leader.

Dr. Tania Martinez Cruz Researcher, University of Greenwich-Natural Resource Institute & Member of the Global on Indigenous Peoples´ Food Systems

Dr. Tania Eulalia Martinez-Cruz is an Ëyuujk indigenous woman from Tamazulápam del Espíritu Santo, Mixe, Oaxaca, Mexico. She holds an interdisciplinary background, a B.Sc. in Irrigation Engineering from Chapingo Autonomous University; a MSc. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Arizona and a PhD in Social Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Currently, she is a postdoctoral researcher in public health and anthropology at the University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom working on nutrition, gender, and indigenous peoples’ food systems in the Peruvian Amazon. She is a member of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples´ Food Systems lead by the FAO and currently contributes to the Action Track #2 of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021.

Ms. Ida Morén Stromso Focal point for Indigenous Youth and Food Security, FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit

Ms. Ida Morén Stromso is responsible for initiatives relating to Indigenous Youth in the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit, such as the preparation for the Global Indigenous Youth Forum, the preparation of publications on Indigenous Youth as well as policy and advocacy work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in International Environment and Development Studies from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and as well as studies from the University of York and University of Havana. Her academic work has been focused on protection of genetic diversity and seeds in Indigenous communities in Guatemala, and she is currently completing her Master’s degree in Social Anthropology and Political Economy from the University of Oslo, focused on Norwegian seed policies. Before joining FAO, Ida worked for the Permanent Representation of Norway to FAO, IFAD and WFP. Further, she has extensive experience from Norwegian civil society organizations, working with international agriculture, youth participation and policy coherence for sustainable development. She also held a seat in the Policy Coherence Forum of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of all Norwegian youth and children's organizations.

Ms. Charlotte Milbank Research Fellow, FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit & PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge

Charlotte is currently completing a fellowship FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit, working as part of the Technical Editorial committee in the drafting of the White/Wiphala paper. Charlotte is currently completing a PhD in Epidemiology and Geography at the University of Cambridge. For this, she works with Indigenous Peoples in northern India to investigate whether wild edibles can contribute safely to sustainable food and nutrition security, and human and ecological health. Charlotte holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology, completed following her undergraduate degree in Geography, and has previously completed research on wild edibles in Burkina Faso, Kenya and India. Ms. Jessica Vega Ortega Co-Chair, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion

Global Session 3: Panel with 7 youth from all socio-cultural regions: What do Indigenous youth have to tell the world about their food systems?

Mr. AtamaKatama Co-Chair of GIYC in 2016, and now the Dayak Cultural Ambassador to the UN for the Dayak International Organisation

AtamaKatama is an Indigenous Expert and representative to the United Nations. He currently the Dayak Cultural Ambassador to the UN for the Dayak International Organisation, representing Dayak Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and movements in the international policy and political arena. Mr. Malachi Johnson, Member of the Gooreng Gorreng People, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Malachi Johnson is a proud Gooreng Gooreng descendant. His clan Gooreng Gooreng people are of the Port Curtis and Coral Coast region. He is a proud Gooreng Gooreng with obligation and responsibility to his traditional land and sea country that stretches from Gladstone to Burrum Heads within the Southernmost part of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Looking after my land and sea country fuels his passion to keep it protected and culturally significant for future generations, supporting his continued connection to sea country and traditional uses. As a young Gooreng Gooreng man, he has been proactive towards addressing many issues facing our people, in regard to connection to land and sea; Indigenous leadership; knowledge of Traditional Owners, their land and sea country and protocols. I have experienced the struggles and opportunities that Aboriginal youth face on Country and would like to share my knowledge about living and being on Country (land/sea) to help inspire our youth to be our leaders of tomorrow. I care about making sure we have developed pathways for our youth to look after and learn about land and sea country, including plants, animals that empower connection for our youth.

Ms. Antonia Benito GIYC Focal point in Latin America

BIO TBA Ms. Qivioq Nivi Løvstrøm Inuk anthropologist, former co-chair of the GIYC

Qivioq Nivi Løvstrøm is an Inuk anthropologist and Indigenous rights activist from Greenland. She has experience in working for the Human Rights Council of Greenland, and for the Foreign Ministry of Greenland. She is also a former co-chair of Global Indigenous Youth Caucus and is currently an advisor for the GIYC, as well as a board member for Nordic Summer University.

Mr. Subodh Kumar Chaudhary Indigenous Youth from Nepal, Tarai Indigenous Peoples & Marginalized Group Development and Research Council (TIP-MGDRC)

Mr. Subodh Kumar Chaudhary is a Tharu Indigenous youth from Nepal. He completed a post-graduation degree in Rural Development and has been working in capacity development, leadership building of youth, children and rural people of Nepal through different NGOs. Currently, he is also doing Youth advocacy, and conducting research about Education and Agriculture in Nepal. At present, he has been empowering local Indigenous farmers by helping them switch towards fully organic by training local Indigenous farmers about Biodynamic Organic and Indigenous Farming through peer-to-peer method, providing them necessary toolkits and support through Spiral Farm House i.e. a social enterprise in Nepal. He is also the Treasurer of Tarai Indigenous Peoples & Marginalized Group Development and Research Council (TIP-MGDRC). TIP-MGDRC is an NGO which empowers Indigenous Peoples & Marginalized Groups in Nepal. Ms. Mariah Gladstone, Backfeet, Cherokee, Founder of Indigikitchen, USA

Mariah Gladstone (Blackfeet, Cherokee) grew up in Northwest Montana. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Environmental Engineering and returned home where she developed Indigikitchen. Mariah has been recognized as a "Champion for Change" through the Center for Native American Youth, a "Culture of Health Leader" through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and an MIT Solve Indigenous Communities Fellow. She serves on the board of the FAST (Food Access and Sustainability Team) Blackfeet. Mariah is a Sloan Scholar currently completing her Master's Degree at SUNY - ESF through the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

Mr. Yves Minani Executive Director of UPARED, Africa regional focal point of GIYC and Coordinator of Indigenous network in Great lakes region of Africa called “Initiative for Equality”

Mr. Minani is the Africa regional focal point of GIYC. Since 2007, in secondary school he began the fight against the discrimination and marginalization that has endured his Batwa community. After his training of Indigenous representatives (Fellowship 2014) at Geneva, he has trained 30 indigenous leaders to the protective mechanisms for human rights and United Nations systems. He has participated in different international, regional and national events where he had the opportunities to present. Indigenous issues and positive impacts are observed in his community through recommendations formulated and executed by our government.

Ms. Sargylana Atlasova, Former GIYC Focal point for Russia

BIO TBA

DAY 2 - Thursday 17th of June

Global Session 4: Sharing from regional sessions and discussions on game changing solutions from Indigenous Youth (15:00-16:30 CEST) Ms. Dalí Ángel Pérez Officer, Program for Indigenous Youth and Indigenous Women, FILAC, Former Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus

Zapotec from Oaxaca Mexico. She was coordinator of the Indigenous Youth and Childhood Commission at the Indigenous Women Organization for Ciarena based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is co-founder of the Latin American Indigenous Youth Network and former Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. She is currently the alternate representative of the Latin American and Caribbean region of the Greater Group of Indigenous Peoples and Sustainable Development and officer of the Indigenous Youth Program of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC).

Ms. Mai Thin Yu Mon, Indigenous UN Food Systems Summit Champion, and Focal Point for the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus in Asia

Global Session 5: Indigenous Youth’s innovation for protecting, promoting and defending Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems (16:30-17:20 CEST)

Ms. Inka Saara Arttijeff, Secretary for International Affairs, Sámi Parliament in Finland

Inka Saara Arttijeff (born 1984, Nellim, Finland) was raised in an Inari Sámi village known as Nellim in a reindeer herding and fishing family. She holds a Master's degree in International Relations and cooperation for development. She has held the positions of Adviser to the President and most recently the Secretary for International Affairs of the Sámi Parliament in Finland. She has coordinated the involvement of the Sámi Parliament in a wide variety of intergovernmental negotiations and processes. In addition to international experience, she has also cultivated practical, grassroots experience advocating for the protection of Indigenous Peoples rights at the national level. She is currently an expert on Arctic Indigenous Peoples in the Indigenous Peoples Unit in FAO.

Ms. Mariah Gladstone, Backfeet, Cherokee, Founder of Indigikitchen, USA

Mr. Nutdanai Trakansuphakon, Co-founder and Owner of Little Farm in Big Forest, Thailand

Nutdanai is co-founder and owner of Little Farm in Big Forest, Thailand and belongs to the Karen, Thailand. He has a particular interest in traditional knowledge and customary use of rotational farming/shifting cultivation, and has engaged in public education and communication around this to improve public and government understanding of this cultivation system. Nutdanai established the “Indigenous slow food youth network” in Thailand, in close coordination with other international networks, including the Indigenous Food Sovereignty and Biodiversity Network, and Terra Madre slow food in Turin Italy. Through this, Nutdanai has been able to train young indigenous people in Thailand and engage others more generally in the Slow Food movement.

Mr. Amoz Yator Kenyan Indigenous youth from the Endorois community, Member of the KCA platform

Amoz Yator is a Kenyan from the Endorois community aged 31 years. He was born in Baringo County, Marigat Sub- County, Mochongoi Location where he spent his whole childhood and teenage years. He is the 7th child in a family of eight. Just like most of his peers, he grew up in a really challenging environment. He is an enthusiast to help when he can. He has participated in several community activities, including volunteering as an untrained primary school teacher in one of the neighbourhood schools between 2012 and 2013. He currently lives in Nakuru town and through KCA platform he is able to reason with other members, plan for and execute activities to empower and help our community. He graduated in 2015 for his Bsc. in Statistics from Laikipia University, one of the recently chartered Universities in Kenya. He has been working as a freelance writer and data analyst since 2018.

Ms. Claudia Albertina Ruiz Chef and Fashion designer, owner of Kokono ’Restaurant

Claudia Albertina Ruiz Sántiz is a young woman of indigenous roots, and a hard-working, creative, warrior and entrepreneur. She is a gourmet chef by profession and a fashion designer for the love of culture. She graduated from the Chiapas University of Sciences and Arts (UNICACH) in 2010. At the end of her studies, she joined the team of chef Enrique Olvera of the Pujol Restaurant (recognized as the best in Mexico and the 12 best in the world) later moved to the Máximo Restaurant of chef Eduardo García (considered one of the best chefs in Mexico and the world) and ender her 3-year stay in Mexico City at the DUO Salado y Dulce Restaurant by Estefanía Robles and David Müller (she is from Oaxaca and he is Swiss). In 2012 she published the recipe book Ve'eliletik Chamo ’(Chamula recipe book) edited by UNICACH and the SEP, written in Tsotsil and Spanish, a thesis project that she presented for the bachelor's degree. In 2014 she started with the project Xluchomaltak Maya (Mayan Embroidery) Philippines and accessories for chefs embroidered by hand, working with the embroidery of indigenous peoples. The packaging is recyclable, designed entirely by hand and the labels are hand painted. In 2016 she opened the Kokono ’Restaurant and she joined the Slow Food Cooks Alliance. She is also a member of Slow Food SFYN and Slow Food Indigenous. In addition to belonging to the Milpa System Bastion of the state of Chiapas. In 2019 she was considered one of the 50 women who marked the decade in gastronomy (Gourmet Magazine of Mexico) In 2021 she was mentioned in Aire Magazine as one of the women making history from the indigenous gastronomic sphere. Mr. Rupeni Navukitu Organic Extension Officer at Loving Islands, Fiji

Rupeni is an experienced agriculture teacher with a history of working within the Fiji government relations industry. He currently works as an organic extension officer at Loving Islands, a social enterprise in Fiji specialising in developing organic farming value-chain establishment.

Global Session 6: Panel on intergenerational transmission of traditional knowledge - Indigenous youth and elders together (15:00-16:15 CEST)

Mr. Brian Keane Board Chair, Land is Life

Brian Keane has been working with indigenous communities for over thirty years. He is the founder and Board Chair of Land is Life, an international coalition of indigenous peoples; he served as Rapporteur for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2017-2019), and; was appointed, under the Obama Administration, as the first Advisor for Indigenous Peoples’ Issues for United States Foreign Assistance.

Mr. Phrang Roy, Coordinator of The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP), Member of the Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems

Bah Phrang Roy is from the matrifocal Khasi-community in north-east India. He is currently the Coordinator of The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty and chairs. He has also chaired the North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) in Shillong, in India. From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Roy held the position as Assistant President of IFAD, the first Indigenous person to have been selected to the rank of an Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations. Mr. Clayton Brascoupe, Program Director - Traditional Native American Farmers Association

Clayton Brascoupe , Mohawk / Anishnabeg/ life long gardener / farmer, began working on family subsistence garden and commercial farms at age 13. Clayton has worked with Akwesasne Notes, at the time was the largest Native Newspaper, with distribution nationally and internationally. Currently farming with family at Pueblo of Tesuque New Mexico, USA Clayton and wife Margaret named their farm Four Sisters Farm after their 4 daughters, where they grow traditional and heirloom crops for food and seed. Clayton is a founding member of and Program Director of the Traditional Native American Farmers Association (TNAFA) a non-profit inter-tribal association of Indigenous farmers, gardeners, educators, and health professionals. TNAFA’s mission is “to revitalize traditional agriculture for spiritual and human need”. Program director of TNAFA develops educational programs to engage Native youth, women, current farmers and those who wish to learn.

Dr. Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine President, Tinhinane & Arrramat network

Mariam is a Tuareg woman, Welt Tamasheq, from the zone lacustre of Goundam in the Tin Buktu region, which means, in Tamasheq, “de Buktu” (name of a woman) or Timbuktu in English. She was impregnated with the culture of her people and raised within it.

Mariam, during her childhood, was forced into exile because of the Malian conflict in the 90’s, which influenced her choice of career and her life path. She chose to study medicine in Algeria to answer to the needs of the women of her people in this field, in which only few girls dare and can engage. During her internships in Algeria, Malia and Switzerland, Mariam was marked by the significative health inequalities between countries and within countries. She realized that she was not yet ready to practice medicine in a humanitarian context, such as Mali. Mariam was on exile again, as her natal territory flared up once more. She then immigrates in Canada as a qualified worker, but paradoxically none of her knowledge and skills acquired before was recognized neither valued. Mariam, who grow up surrounded by her activist sisters for the rights of Indigenous peoples, started to invest her time on better understanding their rights and, more importantly, on how better elevating their voices in spaces where decisions affecting them are taken. She became a member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which is an organ of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations whose mandate is to advice States, UN organizations, universities and other actors on Indigenous issues related to health, the environment, education, culture, Human rights, economic and social development and other emerging themes, such as Indigenous women. She was honored to chair this forum for two consecutive mandates. Mariam came away from this experience humble. It has allowed her not only to hear, listen and meet different Indigenous peoples, including on their territories, but also to develop skills in diplomacy and working with various actors.

Mariam is very interested in education systems and has studied educational sciences at the University of Ottawa.

She is currently a member of various indigenous institutions in Sahel, in Canada and in the other socio-cultural regions of Indigenous peoples.

Mariam feels privileged to have join, for more than one year, a team of researchers around a research thematic that she has always been passionate about: the place of traditional Indigenous knowledges to achieve a state of well-being and Ărramăt in Tamasheq

Ms. Sandra Bandura Associate Director of All My Relations Research Centre at Thompson Rivers University.

Sandra Bandura is the Associate Director of All My Relations, an Indigenous Research Center at Thompson Rivers University (Canada). She is a member of Qayqayt First Nation, mother of two lovely daughters and a Master of Education student.

Mr. Q”apaj Conde Choque Associate Programme Management Officer, Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Unit, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Q’’apaj Conde Choque is an Aymara from Bolivia. He works as Associate Programme Management Officer in the Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Unit at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. He previously served as Indigenous Fellow in the World Intellectual Property Organization (2013–14) and Legal Officer in the Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios-Aymara (2016–17). As a member of the Red de Jóvenes Indígenas-LAC, he served as a co-chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus (2017-18). Mr. Conde studied law at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. He holds a Master’s of Law from the University of Seville and a Doctor of Juridical Sciences from the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona Law.

Mr. Antine Sonde

BIO TBA

Global Session 7: Reading out the declaration and closing remarks (16:15-17:00 CEST)

Mr. Yon Fernández-de-Larrinoa Chief, FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit

Ms. Jessica Vega Ortega Co-Chair, Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, 2021 United Nations Food Systems Champion

Ms. Carolina Pulido Ariza Co-Lead of the World Food Forum's Innovation track and Marketing and Outreach Specialist at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Carolina Pulido Ariza is a Marketing and Outreach Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the co-Lead of the World Food Forum's Innovation track. Also involved in research and Academia, she is a visiting lecturer at the Masters of International Cooperation and Development of the University of Montpellier, as well as a PhD candidate in behavioral economics at the University of Plymouth. Before joining FAO, she led the fundraising strategy for high-value individuals at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in France and Colombia. She has experience in marketing and fundraising in NGOs in Italy and the USA, as well as in the private sector. Her education spans international cooperation and development, marketing and international business.

Ms. Maria Teresa Di Benedetto Co-Lead of the Youth Action Track of the World Food Forum, Consultant in the Climate Change and Resilience Team at Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Maria Teresa is a Junior Consultant working with multiple teams of the Climate Change and Resilience Team of FAO. She is also a Co-lead of the Youth Action Track of the World Food Forum and Co-lead of the Progress@FAO initiative of FAO’s Youth Committee. Before joining FAO, she worked as translator and cultural-mediator on the field with the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center and the Italian Red Cross Secondary Welcome Centers and collaborated with United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (Rome) on two workshops and courses regarding Internationally Organized Crime and Human Rights. She also has experience with NGOs in Italy and with Academia. Her educational background focuses on international cooperation, human rights law, and communications. Mr. Justin Pioche Indigenous chef and owner of the Pioche Food Group

Justin Pioche is an Ashihii Dine' who is born for the Bit'ahnii people and the owner of the Pioche Food Group. At an early age, his first experience of amazing food came from his grandmother Lorene. With a simple piece of hot frybread, and pea soup made from fresh produce planted in her garden, he was hooked. During his Senior year in high school, he placed 3rd at a National competition for cooking and went on to become a proud graduate of the Arizona Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. With many mentors that include Executive Chef Beau MacMillan of Sanctuary on Camelback in Paradise Valley, Kevin Binkley of Binkley's, Chef Brandon Gauthier of Confluence in Cave Creek and Chef Ryan Pitt of Josephine in downtown Phoenix, Justin feels he has learned from some of the best. Possessing a passion that continues to grow along with his respect for his people's history, he aims to learn as much as possible while maturing and developing his own style of cooking. Navajo food is definetly more than survival food to him. It is the essence for healing, beauty, and humilty.

Ms. Joselyn Dumas Ghanaian television host and actress

Joselyn Dumas is a Ghanaian TV host and actor, who has earned a Ghana Movie Award and an Africa Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She heads the Joselyn Canfor-Dumas Foundation, which aims to address the needs of vulnerable Ghanaian children. She has also been involved in carrying out the Global Landscapes Forum in Accra 2019, the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on sustainable and inclusive landscapes.

Ms. Bjørg Skotnes Norway’s Deputy Representative to the UN organisations in Rome

Bjørg Skotnes is Norway’s Deputy Representative to the UN organisations in Rome from August 2020. She has broad experience in the areas of development cooperation, multilateral negotiations and human rights and gender issues. Ms Skotnes was previously Policy Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2014-2020) and Director for the Department of Peace, Democracy and Gender in the Norwegian Development Agency - Norad (2007-2013). She has also been the Executive Director for the Norwegian civil society organisation FOKUS. She has been working in the European Commission in Brussels and has been posted to the Norwegian Permanent Delegation to the UN organisations in Geneva as Minister Counsellor for health. Ms Skotnes holds a master degree in Human geography from the University of Oslo. She has lower grade education in agronomy and in agricultural engineering and courses in business administration.

Ms. Archana Soreng Member of the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change established by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Archana Soreng is an environmental activist belonging to the indigenous Kharia Tribe from Bihabandh Village of Rajgangpur in Sundergarh, Odisha, India. She has been working for awareness about climate change and documentation, preservation, and promotion of the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous communities. Soreng has been selected as one of the seven members of Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change established by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a part of UN Youth Strategy.

Dr. Marcela Villarreal Director, Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO)

Marcela Villarreal has a PhD in Rural Sociology from Cornell University and a BA/MA in Systems and Computing Engineering from the University of Los Andes in Bogotá. She is responsible for the implementation of FAO’s innovative strategies on partnerships with civil society, academia and research institutions, and for the collaboration with UN agencies. She coordinates the initiative on the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture (CFS-RAI), FAO’s policy on Indigenous Peoples, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the Parliamentarian Fronts against Hunger initiative and the Decade of Family Farming, among others. Ms. Yana Tannagasheva, Representative of the Shor Indigenous People (South-West Siberia, Russian Federation) & Member of the local organization "Revival of Kazas village and the Shor people".

In 2017 she was a fellow in the OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Program. In 2018, Yana was forced to leave Russia due to persecution and threats from the Russian authorities and coal mining companies. In 2020, Sweden considered Yana's case and granted political asylum. Now she lives in the North of Sweden. Yana is a alternate member of the Temporary Committee for the Indigenous Coordinating Body for Enhanced Participation in the United Nations. Yana continues to speak and write about the barbaric coal mining in her region. And calls on countries to abandon the dirtiest fuel. You can watch a video about coal mining, violations of the Indigenous Peoples rights, as well as the ecocide in Kuzbass region on her YouTube channel "Coal Kills Us": https://youtube.com/channel/UC0nBAqZEdOI9y3WYgfMAqMA