Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Our organization, the Ecospirituality Foundation, has as main objectives the defense of traditional knowledge and sacred lands of the Indigenous Peoples and also the defence and respect for Mother Earth and all her creatures.
We wish to draw the attention of this assembly to the case regarding the desacration inflicted upon the Indigenous Peoples of Europe. The European continent is also home to Indigenous Peoples whose moral and cultural identity are at risk, and they are not allowed to freely express their spirituality.
The Breton community in France, seeks assistance in defending its most revered sacred land, the megalithic site of Carnac. The government has fenced this place in for 28 years and intends to transform it into a museum, denying the Breton community their free access to its spiritual site. The Indigenus communities of Brittany have always used the megalithic site of Carnac as element of social gathering as well as cultural and spiritual reference.
Many other Indigenous cultures in Europe risk extinction. In Piedmont, Northern Italy, there are communities with ancient traditional references, dating back to pre-Christian eras that have survived invasion by the Roman Empire and religious repression.
These cultures share deep ties with the Indigenous Peoples throughout Europe and, still today, maintain ancient traditional knowledge. However, their identity is not protected. Likewise is true for the megalithic sites that mark the presence of sacred places for the Native Europeans.
The traditions of Native Europeans have deep roots in history. Today, testimonial of these roots come to light through findings of imposing megalithic sites, which have a sacred value for all Indigenous Peoples of Europe; but these sites lack valorization and protection. Instead, there are systematically destroyed or access is denied, by the authorities, to the continuers of the cultures that erected them.
Yet, these cultures, as their sacred sites, are not protected and their survival is at risk due to the incursion of governments and systematic destruction by anonymous parties.
On the basis of Articles 3 and 32 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the indigenous Communities of Northern Italy seek recognition in their traditional identity to ensure that their culture does not go completely lost; and to be able to defend their sacred sites, object of degradation.
In this view, the Ecospirituality Foundation has built a large cromlech (a stone circle) in Piedmont, Northern Italy, in order to give visibility to the defense of the Indigenous cultures of the Native Europeans, as well as launch a message of hope and continuity of traditional knowledge.
In conclusion, we believe that the identity of native Peoples is based on their traditional knowledge. These roots constitute their reference for social and cultural development. Without these roots, the identity of all Indigenous Peoples is doomed to vanish, taking with it all hope of peace and brotherhood for humanity.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Rosalba Nattero and Giancarlo Barbadoro

Representatives of:
Apache Survival Coalition, Arizona - Wiran Aboriginal Corporation, Australia - Traditional Community “Menhirs Libres”, Brittany - Bassa People – Cameroon - Ensemble Allons dans la Paix – Benin – New Earth Circle, North Italy