“When we revolt it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe” ~ Frantz Fanon

On the 29th of November I traveled to paris with other pacific Indigenous Peoples from paris to London. We had travelled thousands of miles from our respective homes in the Pacific to Paris to attend COP21. We decided to go to London to participate in the March in London because of the restrictions on the freedom of speech and assembly imposed by the state of ‘emergency’ in Paris.

Indigenous peoples of the Pacific, like colonised peoples of colour throughout the world are on the front-lines of the climate crisis. It is our land that is disappearing, it is our people who are dying . Climate change will result in the genocide of our cultures if it continues unabated.

Because we are the first to feel the impacts I felt it was incumbent on us to march with and give our political solidarity to the We are The Wretched of the Earth bloc.

Frantz Fanon once stated that “ He who is reluctant to recognize me opposes me.” This was born true with professional NGO’s who tried to remove our presence at the front of the London climate march. So we all stood up and took our rightful place.

We share histories of being colonised, of having our lands stolen, genocide of our people and assimilated . We share histories of struggle and resistance of fighting for decolonisation and reclaiming the beautiful selves, the whole beings, our ancestors envisaged we would be.

In modern times we share lived daily experiences of racism, of harassment by the state, racial profiling by the police.

As an Indigenous Maori woman my heart was overjoyed to march with a bloc of peoples whose banner read : Still fighting Co2colonialism: Your Climate Profits Kill !

So to the Algeria Solidarity Campaign, Argentina Solidarity Campaign, Black Dissidents, Colombia Solidarity Campaign, Environmental Justice North Africa, Global Afrikan People’s Parliament, Global Justice Forum, Kilombo, London Mexico Solidarity, Movimiento Ecuador Reino Unido (MERU), Movimiento Jaguar Despierto, PARCOE, South Asia Solidarity Group, UK Tar Sands Network, The London Latinxs, and This Changes Everything UK. I send my greetings, my love, my solidarity. I wish you strength and power for the work you are doing to decolonise the UK climate movement and in turn our world.

Maori have a saying “ Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi’

With red and black the work will be complete

This refers to co-operation where if everyone does their part, the work will be complete. The colours refer to to the traditional kowhaiwhai patterns on the inside of the meeting houses.

Let us work together to decolonise our Climate movement and in turn our world, to fight for and defend our Mother Earth.

Nga mihi kia koutou

Sina Brown-Davis ( Te Roroa, Te Uriohau)

Maori Climate and Anti Globalisation Activist.

Darkening the White Heart of the Climate Movement

DeC02lonalism 101: We need to talk about oppression

UK Tar Sands Network and Indigeneous Activists at the London Climate March N29 2015