Natural Allies

Indigenous communities across the globe are lending their support to the Palestinians

- Abhik Bhattacharya

ON November 14, an Indigenous Celebration Night was organised at Rogers Place in Edmonton-the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. The Bearhead Sisters-a musical trio from Paul First Nation, Alberta-performed at the event wearing shimmering blue dresses and chunky medallions.

As they sang a rendition of the Canadian national anthem, the TV cameras captured the three carrying a black-and-white scarf known as kaffiyeh-a traditional Middle Eastern garment that has evolved to symbolise the Palestinian struggle for justice. After the performance, they wrote on their Facebook page: "We stand with our Indigenous people from all across the world. Tonight we'd like to send our thoughts and prayers to (the) Palestinian Community."

Images and visuals of debris of schools and hospitals, unidentified dead bodies, piercing sounds of bombs, choking smoke, along with a resilient population fighting without electricity, water facilities, food and medical aid, have been emerging from Gaza for weeks now, prompting solidarities to pour in from across the globe. The images of children playing the 'martyr game' where they are seen carrying the bodies of their friends preparing themselves for the final moment of Shahdat brought in millions of indigenous people-who themselves have been witness to such violence for centuries-together in support of the Palestinian cause. Though the fight of Palestinians has been considered a struggle for the rights of indigenous people by a few Palestinian scholars like Jamal Nabulsi, till now, vocal support was absent.

Indigenous People Extending Support