Included in this report:

• Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposium

• Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Solidarity Walk

• Presidential Visit

We are pleased to report a highly successful trip to Israel. With great uncertainty due to the war, high prices and difficult routes, it was difficult for many to travel at this time. Nonetheless, a small delegation of Indigenous representatives from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Taiwan made it to Israel. 

Harvey Yesno, former Grand Chief of the Ojibwe tribe from Thunder Bay, northwestern Ontario, Canada, expressed well the importance of this trip:

“It had been a dream to set up a permanent representation for indigenous people in Jerusalem, and that one of its main purposes was to counter the misinformation about Israel not being indigenous. 

“We have the same thing in our lands,” he said, speaking of the attempt to delegitimize his people’s rights on their ancestral territory… We believe that Israel is indigenous to this land,” he said. “History proves it. Archeology proves it.”

Our delegation’s Indigenous solidarity walk caught media attention with the Times of Israel reporting:

The unique delegation marched from Jaffa Gate to the Western Wall through the alleys of the Old City, many of its members decked out in colorful traditional attire from a wide variety of Indigenous cultures, with beaded headbands, feathered headdresses, embroidered shawls, and woven textiles creating a lively and striking contrast to Jerusalem’s gray limestone walls.

Among the crowd, alongside symbols of Indigenous cultures, many waved Israeli flags to express their support for the country in a time of war. But the delegation was uniquely positioned to also convey another message: Jews are indigenous to the land of Israel…

While at the ancient wall, HaKotel, some of our indigenous delegation made statements for the media.

Nicholas Gurub Nawab, a chieftain from the Khoisan people in southern Africa, acknowledged that within his community of origin, there is often hostility toward Israel.

“We, as the first indigenous people who have been colonized and have known oppression, identify with our Jewish brothers and what they are suffering in their own land.”

Semesi Naciqa, a tribal leader from Fiji, is married to an Inuit woman and lives in Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic. Standing on the Western Wall plaza, he said that he joined the delegation to make a statement.

“We don’t agree with what the media and the news are saying that it’s an occupied territory. We believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our God also, has given this eternal land for Israel as a covenant to Abraham and his descendants,” Naciqa said. “The Israeli people have a right to be in this land, and they are indigenous, just like us.”

The Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem Academic Symposium at Bible Lands Museum was a great success. We were treated to a range of outstanding lectures from some of the world’s leading academics in the field. Many of the presentations demolished false narratives and strengthened the understanding of Jews as an Indigenous people. 

Dr Sheree Trotter worked closely with Prof Wayne Horowitz of Hebrew University to assemble an impressive array of speakers, including Prof Ilan Troen, Dr Izabella Tabarovsky, Prof Gil Troy, Dr Charles Asher Small, Jan Safford, Bradford Haami, Karen Restoule, Maj. Res. Shadi Khalloul, Kunduz Niiazova, and Ben Freeman.

Much of the current animosity toward Israel has roots in academia. We believe our Academic Symposium has been an important first step in confronting the false narrative that has flowed from academia into media, politics and mainstream culture. We will publish the videos and a number of the papers in the coming weeks, as we build a body of material to confront the lies and  strengthen Indigenous identity.

Symposium themes included:

• Jewish Indigeneity and connection to the land

• Relationships between Indigenous peoples and Jewish ideas and Israel

• Confronting and deconstructing false narratives on Jewish Indigeneity

• Settler-colonialism, denial of peoplehood, and their role in antisemitism

Visit our website to view other images, as well as videos, papers and/or transcripts of the lectures, as they become available.

Some of our contingent were honored to meet with President Isaac Herzog at the Presidential Residence. President Herzog took time to engage with each visitor, showing great interest in their stories. 

Hon Alfred Ngaro brought a message for President Herzog;

…to return the blessing not in ancient stone but in hearts of flesh from the nations of the world of indigenous people to the nation of Israel and its indigenous people, the Jews. We thank you for this opportunity to begin an enduring relationship of love and trust with the People of the Indigenous Embassy of Jerusalem”.

We were also pleased to reconnect with former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Fleur Hassan Nahoum and Daniel Voiczek of the Friends of Zion Museum.  Directors Dr Sheree Trotter and Hon Alfred Ngaro also had a number of meetings with politicians, Jewish leaders and representatives of various organizations. 

Most important was the opportunity to meet with Israelis and hear their stories. They conveyed a great sense of weariness.  After more than a year of war, battling on numerous fronts - Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, Iran, as well as terrorist attacks within their neighborhoods - they have also faced a western world that has for the most part turned its back on Israel. Western governments, international organisations, universities, media and churches have embraced the propaganda that paints Israel as guilty of genocide, when she in fact faced a real genocide on October 7. Israel is accused of ethnic cleansing and colonialism, when in reality she is fighting radical Islam, which threatens not only Israel but the rest of the free world. Israel does all it can to protect Palestinian civilians, while destroying the terror tunnels and terrorist infrastructure, but the world chooses to believe the lies disseminated by the UN and the BBC, organizations tainted with years of anti-Israel bias and hostility. 

However, Israelis are resilient and there are many stories of heroism, of those risking their lives everyday to protect civilians. 

Israel knows who its friends are. We as a sector of Indigenous communities around the world are proud to have shown up for Israel at this most difficult of times.

We pray that Israel will defeat the terrorists. We pray for protection for the soldiers, for release of the hostages, for healing for the nation and for peace. 

As we regroup and plan the next steps for Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem, please consider supporting this important work. 

Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem is at a critical juncture. It has achieved a remarkable amount of since its launch in February, 2024. There is much to do, especially in view of the shocking surge in antisemitism worldwide. In order to continue and to grow, we must find funders. If you can help IEJ, or can make introductions to foundations or philanthropists who will recognise the significance of our work, please be in touch.

In order to give, please visit our website.