Charlene Apok believes there are many obstacles facing indigenous peoples when they try to advocate for their rights at an international level. “This system was not made for us,” she said. Apok, a member of the Iñupiaq tribe in the USA, was a recent UN Human Rights Office Indigenous Fellow.

Indigenous communities across the globe are facing a health care crisis, where the lack of access to health care has resulted in a rise in illnesses and even suicides. “It’s an epidemic facing so many indigenous communities,” said Dr. Hannah McGlade, Senior Indigenous Fellow for the UN Human Rights Office.