Janene Yazzie & Eriel Deranger

Janene Yazzie (@janeneyazzie) is a Dine woman and is co-founder of Sixth World Solutions and Sustainable Development Program Coordinator for International Indian Treaty Council, for whom she serves as co-convenor of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development. She is a recognized expert in sustainable development and nationhood development using indigenous knowledge systems. Janene has built her expertise working with Indigenous Peoples on food sovereignty, water sovereignty, and integrated land and water management for landscape restoration, while building their capacity to develop rights-based approaches that respect their Free, Prior and Informed Consent.

As part of her roles with International Indian Treaty Council she engages with United Nations Mechanisms such as the Conference of the Parties (COP) negotiations on the Paris Rulebook, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Locally she works with the Pueblo of Laguna to develop telecommunications infrastructure, and on several issues regarding Just Transition, Environmental Violence and social and political justice for Indigenous Peoples.

She is partnered with International Funders of Indigenous Peoples. Janene is an active member of the North American Indigenous Peoples Working Group on Climate Change, the regional body of Indigenous First Nations, Tribal governments and organizations established last year to interface with the UNFCCC and the IIPFCC. She is currently attending the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25) in Madrid, Spain where she's participating in negotiations to protect the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with Indigenous advocates from around the world.

Eriel Deranger (@tchekwie) s a Dënesųłiné woman (ts'ékui), member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and mother of two, coming from a family of Indigenous rights advocates fighting for the recognition, sovereignty and autonomy of their Indigenous lands and territory in what is now known as Treaty 8, Canada.

Deranger is the Executive Director and co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) - an Indigenous-led climate justice organization working to empower communities and inspire Indigenous-led climate solutions. ICA develops educational multi-media and contemporary climate change resources for Indigenous communities (short documentary series, webinars, podcasts, and on/offline journal of writings, essays and short stories) curated and produced by Indigenous peoples. 

Eriel organized the participation of 4 First Nations Indigenous Youth in COP 25, one of whom was co-sponsored by the International Indian Treaty Council.