A/HRC/48/54 68. Throughout Latin America indigenous communities and organizations are promoting self-confinement measures; instituting heath protocols; and collecting and distributing food and essential goods. For example, in Ecuador, communities have provided food kits for those living in urban areas and promoted exchange of products for mutual aid between the countryside and the city.73 69. In the Navajo Nation in the United States, local community members have launched efforts to provide donated food, firewood and other necessities to vulnerable families and elders when off-reservation store inventories were depleted or closed in response to the pandemic.74 In Kenya, Endorois women have distributed face masks and hand sanitizers in their community.75 70. Indigenous communities are attempting to restrict outside intrusions and reduce COVID-19 transmission by instituting roadblocks, sanitary barriers, checkpoints and disinfection points. However, in some cases these initiatives reportedly encountered resistance from governmental authorities. For instance, in North America reports indicate that Governments have taken steps to prevent the implementation of checkpoints set up on roads into indigenous territories to limit exposure and spread of the virus by filing lawsuits and threatening to reduce funding.76 71. In Latin America, indigenous peoples have taken political and legal actions to obtain equal access to medical care and oppose the development of mega-projects in their territory. Indigenous communities have developed alliances with non-governmental organizations, international actors and religious entities to provide COVID-19 emergency responses and to protect indigenous environmental defenders. 72. Indigenous communities and organizations have promoted initiatives to cope with violence and discrimination against indigenous women during the pandemic. In Brazil, the Pelas Mulheres Indígenas have reported on cases of sexual violence and femicide and disseminated information on gender violence, depression and suicide prevention within indigenous communities. 73. Indigenous communities and organizations have taken action to protect indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and in initial contact. In Ecuador, the Waorani have required precautionary measures to safeguard the Tagaeri and Taromenane indigenous peoples against the spread of COVID-19 in their communities. In the Plurinational State of Bolivia, indigenous organizations have implemented isolation measures to protect voluntarily isolated tribes. In Brazil, indigenous organizations obtained a Supreme Court ruling ordering the federal Government to install sanitary barriers for indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact and provide equal access to health care for indigenous peoples.77 D. COVID-19 awareness and vaccination campaigns 74. Worldwide, indigenous communities have taken specific action to overcome insufficient national COVID-19 information campaigns and the failure of Government to provide education and awareness of vaccine campaigns. They have instituted their own intercultural communication projects to disseminate COVID-19 prevention advice, treatment measures and vaccine information. Recognizing the risks to their cultural identity and survival posed by the virus, indigenous peoples have organized creative and culturally appropriate educational and outreach approaches to ensure members are able to make informed decisions, including efforts to combat vaccine hesitancy. 75. Throughout Latin America and Africa, social media and community radio have played an important role in relaying information on COVID-19 to indigenous communities and are the main way that indigenous people receive news and information. In Ecuador, indigenous organizations have launched a COVID-19 community radio programme to disseminate 73 74 75 76 77 See submission by Colectivo de Geografía Crítica del Ecuador and Land is Life. See International Indian Treaty Council, “Covid-19 and indigenous peoples in North America”. See OHCHR and Defenders Coalition, “Kenya: Leaving no one behind in the COVID-19 crisis”. See International Indian Treaty Council, “Covid-19 and indigenous peoples in North America”. See submission by Colectivo de Geografía Crítica del Ecuador and Land is Life. 15