On January 13, 2026, Above Ground and MiningWatch Canada co-hosted the first event in our Interrogating “critical minerals” event series. This webinar brought together five Indigenous speakers from around the world to discuss global, regional and local struggles for justice related to the global push for critical minerals extraction. Panelists called attention to specific harms and rights violations, explored what a “just” energy transition might look like, and underscored key considerations for civil society groups working on related issues.
Bryan Bixcul (Maya-Tz’utujil) is the Global Coordinator of Securing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in the Green Economy (SIRGE) Coalition. Bryan has experience advocating for Indigenous rights in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as in corporate engagement and investor advocacy where he advocates for policies that uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples as prescribed by the United Nations Declaration on the. Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He also serves in the Indigenous Advisory Group to the Banks and Biodiversity Initiative, an organization that seeks to influence banks to improve their investment practices to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights and biodiversity.
Robeliza “Robie” Halip, from the Kalanguya and Kankanaey Indigenous Peoples from the Cordillera region of the Philippines, is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights. She has worked with various organizations to promote Indigenous self-determination, cultural preservation, and sustainable development. A strong voice in global and regional platforms, Robie is the Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples’ Executive Director which champions Indigenous-led solutions, particularly in renewable energy. Her activism highlights the importance of recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ rights while addressing the challenges of a just and sustainable future for all.
Michel J. Koostachin, born and raised in Attawapiskat, is a proud Cree member of the Attawapiskat First Nation. He is the founder of Friends of the Attawapiskat River, a grassroots group that provides a voice to individuals and communities who stand to be directly affected from the Ring of Fire development. With an academic background in social work, Michel has spent many years practicing trauma-informed care and has been providing wellness services, on mental health, addictions, and grief throughout Northern Ontario fly-in communities. For over 20 years, Michel has been a “Skebewsis” (helper) in ceremonies and was a Canadian Ranger in both Attawapiskat and Fort Albany.
Kounsa Bailo Barry is a lawyer and social entrepreneur passionate about agroforestry. He is the President of the Association Humanité et Environnement Durable, based in Sangaredi, Guinea. He is a community representative for villages impacted by the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG). Joined by his colleague Sekouna Bah, he discussed the impact of the energy transition on communities near the CBG bauxite mine, particularly the impact on subsistence livelihoods and the environment, and he proposed some solutions.
Paola Chindoy, an Indigenous Kamëntšá woman from Colombia, is president of the Asociación de Mujeres Indígenas Sabedoras de la Medicina Ancestral (ASOMI). The organization is made up of women from five Indigenous Peoples knowledgeable in ancestral medicine from the Colombian Amazon who are defenders of human rights and the life of Mother Earth. ASOMI and the Indigenous Peoples of Mocoa are leading the defense of Mother Earth against the activities of Copper Giant Resources Corporation, a Canadian mining company with copper and molybdenum extraction operations in Mocoa, Colombia.