International Indigenous Day – Appeal from the Bonaire Human Rights Organization

On the commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 9^th of August, we call upon the international community to stand in solidarity with the Indigenous people of Bonaire in our ongoing struggle for justice, dignity, and survival.

Our identity, culture, and fundamental rights are under direct threat. Bonaire’s current political status denies us the protections guaranteed under international law for non-self-governing territories. We urgently appeal for global support in our effort to relist Bonaire on the United Nations’ List of Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGT) — a critical step toward safeguarding our people from political erasure and cultural extinction.

Today, we draw urgent attention to the ongoing colonial domination, systemic neglect, and cultural erasure faced by Bonaire’s Indigenous people under direct Dutch governance. This day, rooted in global recognition of historical injustices and in the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), calls for the acknowledgment of Bonaire’s original people — their cultural identity, historical sovereignty, and inherent land rights. Papiamento, our native language and a vital cultural stronghold of the Bonairean people, is being deliberately marginalized in the education system to accelerate the erasure of Indigenous identity.

The Indigenous population of Bonaire is facing a dire and rapidly worsening crisis: once comprising over 80% of the population before 2010, we have now been reduced to a marginalized minority of less than 30% on our own ancestral island. This alarming demographic shift reflects not only displacement and exclusion, but a calculated dismantling of our very existence as a people.

This is a powerful moment to amplify our demands for decolonization, self-determination, and international oversight, as we raise our voices for the people of Bonaire — seeking dignity, recognition, and justice on their ancestral land.

We call on governments, human rights defenders, and global citizens:

Raise your voice. Stand with Bonaire.

Help us restore the path to self-determination and protect our Indigenous heritage for generations to come.

Bonaire’s future depends on it.