Above photo: Norlando Meza.
So far, 2025 has been a powerful year for Indigenous rights. Over the past 6 months we have seen many hard-fought victories and long-awaited acts of justice for Indigenous Peoples across the globe. While these wins vary in scale and geography, a common thread runs through them all: Indigenous leadership.
Whether resisting oil drilling in the Peruvian Amazon, overturning mining projects in Arizona, or securing court protections for uncontacted peoples in Colombia and Ecuador, these movements reflect a resurgence of Indigenous authority in matters that directly affect their survival and future. They also show a growing recognition—albeit uneven—by courts, governments, and global institutions that Indigenous rights are not optional add-ons, but essential foundations for justice and sustainability.
This roundup highlights 20 of the most impactful Indigenous rights wins of 2025. Each one offers lessons for lawmakers, communities, and movements everywhere. These stories challenge the myth that Indigenous Peoples are relics of the past. Instead, they affirm something much deeper: that Indigenous sovereignty is not only alive, but leading the way toward a more just and sustainable world.
1. Yurok Tribe Reclaims Ancestral Lands In California’s Largest Landback Deal
In a landmark victory for Indigenous land rights, the Yurok Tribe has reclaimed over 125 square miles of ancestral territory in what’s now the largest landback deal in California history. The land, located in the Klamath River watershed, holds deep cultural and ecological significance. It includes old-growth forests, sacred sites, and salmon habitat. Other Tribes have seen land returns of their own including Spirit Lake Nation and the Potawatomi Nation.
2. Totonac Communities Secure Court Victory Against Fracking In Veracruz, Mexico
Totonac communities in Veracruz have won a major legal victory in their ongoing fight against fracking operations by state-owned oil company Pemex. A federal appeals court
overturned a previous decision that had rejected a key piece of evidence—finding that a a comprehensive socio-environmental study must be carried out to document potential impacts from Pemex’s fracking operations in the region. The decision not only upholds the human right to a healthy environment; It also applies the precautionary principle to protect nature from irreversible damage.
3. Leonard Peltier Released After Nearly 50 Years Of Incarceration
After spending nearly five decades in prison, Leonard Peltier—a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and a long-recognized political prisoner—has been released. His incarceration stemmed from a controversial 1977 conviction related to a deadly 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Peltier’s release is being hailed as a historic moment for Indigenous movements and a long-overdue act of justice. Many see it as a symbolic victory that validates decades of advocacy for political prisoners and Indigenous sovereignty.
4. New Climate Finance Mechanism Puts Indigenous Forest Peoples In Control
After years of criticism over exclusion from climate finance decisions, Indigenous forest peoples are now gaining unprecedented authority over how funding is allocated in their territories. A new model for nature finance—emerging from global efforts to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—shifts decision-making power to Indigenous communities themselves. For the first time, Indigenous peoples will now co-design and co-govern financial mechanisms intended to protect forests and biodiversity. The change is seen not just as a matter of justice, but as a strategic pivot toward more effective and accountable environmental action.
5. World Bank Cancels $150 Million Tourism Project After Abuse Allegations In Tanzania
The World Bank has cancelled a $150 million tourism development project in Tanzania following widespread allegations of human rights abuses against the Maasai people. The project, aimed at boosting tourism around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, faced fierce opposition from Indigenous residents who were being forcibly evicted under the guise of conservation. Reports detailed violent displacement, denial of healthcare and education, and restrictions on traditional livelihoods.
6. Hawai’i Board Rejects Bid to Extend Bombing Lease at Sacred Pōhakulo
Hawaiʻi’s Board of Land and Natural Resources voted against extending the U.S. Army’s lease of nearly 20,000 acres at the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island. This land has been used for live-fire bombing exercises since the 1950s, despite its deep cultural and ecological significance to the Kānaka Maoli. Opposition has grown steadily in recent years, as Native Hawaiian communities have raised concerns about unexploded ordnance, damage to endangered species habitats, and the desecration of sacred lands. With the current lease set to expire in 2029, this rejection marks a pivotal moment in the broader struggle to protect ʻāina from military occupation and environmental harm.
7. Oil Drilling Halted On Indigenous Lands In The Peruvian Amazon
In a major victory for Indigenous communities in Peru, a long-disputed oil drilling project has been officially suspended. The project—planned for a remote part of the Amazon rainforest known as Block 64—was met with strong resistance from the Achuar, Wampis, and other Indigenous nations who argued that drilling would violate their ancestral rights and threaten vital ecosystems. After years of protests, legal challenges, and international advocacy, Peru’s government and Petroperú agreed to halt development. Indigenous leaders celebrated the decision as a hard-won affirmation of their right to protect their territories and determine their own futures.
8. Carbon Scheme Suspended Over Indigenous Rights Violations
A high-profile carbon offset project in northern Kenya—touted as the world’s largest soil carbon initiative—was suspended once again. The project, which sold credits to companies like Netflix and Meta, has come under fire for violating the rights of Indigenous pastoralist communities, including the Maasai, Borana, and Samburu. Verra, the certifying body behind the scheme, suspended its approval following legal challenges and mounting evidence that the project restricts traditional grazing practices and lacks proper community consent.
9. Oak Flat Gets Another Reprieve In Legal Battle Against Mining Project
The sacred Apache site of Oak Flat in Arizona has received a much-needed reprieve after a U.S. federal appeals court ruled that a controversial copper mine project must be put on hold while legal challenges continue. The court’s decision prevents the transfer of the land to Resolution Copper—a joint venture between mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP—until Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Apache elders and advocates, has its case fully heard. Oak Flat, known as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, has been a place of prayer, ceremony, and gathering for generations. The proposed mine would destroy the site by creating a massive crater through block cave mining.
10. Colombia Win For Indigenous Self-Governance In The Amazon
The Colombian government formally recognized the self-governance of nearly 200 Indigenous territories across the country. That means these communities now have the authority to make their own decisions on land use, conservation, and cultural protection. This monumental shift gives Indigenous leaders real tools to stop illegal deforestation, mining, and drug trafficking in their territories. And it reflects a growing awareness: that if the Amazon is going to survive, it will be because Indigenous peoples are protecting it.
11. Colombia Grants Landmark Legal Protection To Uncontacted Peoples
In another major win from Colombia, the country’s Constitutional Court handed down a landmark ruling ordering the government to define protected boundaries, ban extractive activities, and respect the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation. The decision follows years of advocacy work from Indigenous organizations and rights defenders, who have consistently warned that loggers, miners, and developers are a threat to some of the most vulnerable peoples in the Amazon. It’s a rare case where the law has moved to shield Indigenous lives before contact is forced—and potentially fatal.
12. Court Protects Uncontacted Peoples From Threats In Ecuador
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation in Ecuador’s Amazon. The court found that the Ecuadorian government had failed to safeguard the Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples—two uncontacted peoples—by allowing oil exploration near their territories. The ruling requires the government to create a strict protection zone, ensure non-contact policies are respected, and recognize the peoples’ right to remain free from external interference. Human rights groups called the decision a historic step toward defending the autonomy and survival of uncontacted communities.
13. New Mexico Launches “Turquoise Alert” System To Aid Missing Indigenous Persons
In a historic move reflecting a growing focus on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, New Mexico became the fourth U.S. state to pass a dedicated alert system for Indigenous missing persons. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation establishing a “Turquoise Alert”. Modeled after Amber and Silver alerts, the system — named after the culturally significant turquoise stone in Diné tradition — will use cellphone notifications, social media, and highway signs to rapidly disseminate information when Indigenous individuals are reported missing. California, Washington and Colorado have already implemented similar alert systems – and Arizona lawmakers are considering following suit.
14. Land Rights Win In Northern Thailand
In Northern Thailand, Indigenous communities achieved official recognition of their land rights. It’s the first time these territories have been acknowledged under Thai law after years of struggle. The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact celebrated the moment, calling it a major step forward for the region. The Recognition isn’t just symbolic to be sure;
It lays the groundwork for protecting forests, cultures, and ways of life that have survived despite generations of displacement and denial. It also sets a precedent that other Indigenous peoples across Asia can point to as they push for the same dignity and respect.
15. Treaty Principles Bill Defeated In New Zealand Parliament
New Zealand’s Parliament voted down a bill that would have redefined the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi — the founding document between Māori and the British Crown. The bill would have shifted the meaning of the treaty in ways that critics say would have gutted Māori rights. Its defeat was welcomed with relief and celebration by many Māori communities and their allies. But the debate around it wasn’t harmless. It exposed deep divisions about race, identity, and history in New Zealand — divisions that won’t go away just because the bill failed. For Māori leaders, it’s a reminder that vigilance is necessary — and that the struggle to protect treaty rights is an ongoing one.
16. Wakaya And Alyawarre Peoples Celebrate A 44-Year Land Fight
After 45 years, the Wakaya and Alyawarre peoples finally seen the return of their ancestral lands, concluding one of the Northern Territory’s longest-running Aboriginal land claims. At a ceremony attended by community members and government officials, senior traditional owner Eileen Bonney expressed her relief and joy at witnessing the handback in her lifetime. As the community gathered to dance, sing, and celebrate the victory, the message was clear: this is more than a legal victory; it is a restoration of identity, sovereignty, and dignity.
17. Traditional Owners Gain Veto Power In Juukan Gorge Agreement
In Australia, traditional owners have secured the right to veto mining operations near Juukan Gorge, the site of a 46,000-year-old sacred cave that was destroyed by Rio Tinto in 2020. The new agreement—reached after years of public outcry and negotiation—grants the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples substantial control over mining approvals in their territory. While some view the move as a turning point in Indigenous-mining relations, others stress that it should never have taken a disaster to recognize these rights.
18. Brazil’s Supreme Court Backs Away From Mining Indigenous Lands
Brazil’s Supreme Court backed away from supporting a bill that would have opened up Indigenous lands for mining. And that’s a relief for a lot of communities who have been battling against it for years. The bill would have let outside companies mine on lands that are legally recognized as Indigenous territories, places that are protected under the constitution. There’s still concern though. Some parts of the proposal would make it harder to reclaim land that Indigenous peoples were pushed off of before 1988. That cutoff date — known as the “time frame thesis” — has been used again and again to deny rightful claims.
19. Indigenous Communities Halt $434 Million Solar Park In Assam
In northeastern India, Indigenous communities won a major victory with the cancellation of a $434 million solar park project. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the project was planned for fertile and culturally significant Indigenous farmland. Residents opposed it from the start, citing a lack of consultation, threats to local biodiversity, and violations of land rights. Community leaders say the decision affirms their right to self-determination and challenges the idea that green energy projects can move forward without Indigenous consent.
20. First Official Genocide Remembrance Day Honors Herero And Nama Victims
Namibia held its first official Genocide Remembrance Day, honoring the Herero and Nama peoples who were targeted during Germany’s brutal colonial campaign in the early 1900s. Tens of thousands were killed between 1904 and 1908 in what many historians recognize as the first genocide of the 20th century. The new national day of remembrance marks a significant step in acknowledging historical trauma and centering Indigenous voices in the country’s healing process. While Germany has previously expressed regret, calls continue for formal reparations and deeper recognition of colonial-era atrocities.