NAC-State of New Mexico
to join tribal leaders, experts, and US agency official
in Las Vegas, NV
at NCAI’s 81st Annual Convention

October 24, 2024

Indigenous Diplomacy: The Indigenous Peoples’ Guide to the United Nations and WIPO’s New Treaty on Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledgescheduled on Tuesday, October 29, 2024,1:45 – 3:15 pm PDT, at the MGM Grand Hotel.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) participates in multilateral negotiations related to climate change, intellectual property, and establishment of an enhanced status for Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations.  NAC-SNM has previously joined tribal leaders at the United Nations table—participating in thePermanent Forum in New York City and the Expert Mechanism in Geneva, Switzerland.  In those forums, NAC-State of New Mexico has amplified protection and preservation of indigenous medicinal plants, including Peyote, and associated traditional knowledge, and protection of the Peyote’s natural ecosystem.

To support these efforts, The Implementation Project, a joint initiative of theNative American Rights Fund and the University of Colorado Law School, will offer a panel of tribal leaders, experts, and a US agency official to discuss tribal engagement at the international level, a recently released resource, and achievements in Indigenous diplomacy around the new United Nations Intellectual Property Treaty.

Invited speakers are:

President Whitney Gravelle, Bay Mills Indian Community,
Cory Dayish (Navajo),
Larry Wright, Jr., NCAI Executive Director,
Aaron Jones, Tulalip Tribes,
Treasurer Lisa White Pipe, Coalition of Large Tribes,
Keone Nakoa, White House/Department of Interior (appearing virtually), and
Linda Benally, NAC-State of New Mexico.
In December 2021, Cory Dayish served on a panel titled Never Forgotten: Amada Cardenas.  He said, “It was a privilege to participate in the webinar and to represent the Millennial’s vantage point of Amada Cardenas’ story and why it is important to remember Amada’s history.”
Cory also presented a program titled Snapshots of the Past and Present in Walthill, Nebraska in July 2022.  In that presentation, Cory provided snapshots of the historic timeline and milestones of the Native American Church.
“It is incumbent on us to provide information and support the Next Gen NAC members as we engage in tribal, regional, national, and international dialogues about our way of life,” said President Leo Dayish, NAC-SNM.  “We are uplifted by the work that NAC-SNM Next Gen members are doing.”  Cory Dayish  was recently appointed to serve as the Native American Church of North America (NACNA) Delegate-at-Large for the State of New Mexico.
Related events at NCAI’s 81st Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada
•    NACNA Quarterly Meeting, October 26, 2024, 9 am – 4 pm PDT
•    NCAI Peyote Working Group, October 30, 2024, 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm PDT
•    Concurrent Session – Bridging Worldviews: Integrating Indigenous Perspectives on Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions into USPTO Representation at WIPO, October 30, 1:45 pm – 3:15 pm PDT
“Thank you to all the organizations supporting this effort.  It is a testament to the power of collaboration, and the belief that together, we can achieve great things,” said Terry Dayish.  Also see NACNA Conference Edition Newsletter published byNACNA Editor-in-Chief Terry Dayish, a valued member of the NAC-State of New Mexico.