The Transnationally Indigenous project explores the formation of global Indigenous networks that began in the 1970s through delegations between Japan, China, and Canada. These encounters, largely absent from written history, were crucial in shaping the modern Indigenous movement by fostering connections across borders and cultures. The project highlights how Indigenous delegates returned to their countries inspired, challenging state authority and colonial structures, and fostering a sense of global Indigenous identity. It emphasizes the powerful role of hosting, feasting, and cultural exchange in creating a global Indigenous consciousness. By highlighting these underrepresented stories, the project illustrates the broader efforts of Indigenous world-making and collaboration.
The project includes detailed research, archival work, and storytelling, documenting the importance of these interactions in redefining how Indigenous peoples across borders viewed themselves as part of a “Fourth World”—a global Indigenous network. Transnationally Indigenous brings these significant yet often overlooked moments in history to light, using digital platforms to ensure these stories reach future generations. Through archival resources, historical analysis, and community collaboration, the project emphasizes how these transnational connections helped foster political and cultural solidarity across vast geographic and linguistic divides. With resources and research that offer a new lens on the Indigenous movement’s global reach, this project underscores the importance of quiet diplomacy and cultural exchanges in challenging colonial systems and building an interconnected Indigenous identity.
