• Biographies
• Alejandro Argumedo
• Ana Valadez
• Aroha Te Pareake Mead
• Atencio Lopez
• Christine Kabuye
• Clark Peteru
• Debra Harry
• Donna Craig
• Dr Ikechi Mgbeoji
• Faviola Ramos Rojas
• James [Sakej] Youngblood Henderson
• Jannie Lasimbang
• Kent Nnadozie
• Kingi Gilbert
• Le'a Kanehe
• Leanne Simpson
• Leonor Zalabata Torres
• Lucia Fernanda Kaigang
• Parshuram Tamang
• Paul Schultz
• Rauna Kuokkanen
• Robynne Quiggin
• Rodrigo de la Cruz
• Suman Rai
• Taiaiake Alfred
• Tarcila Rivera Zea
• Te Tika Mataiapo - Dorice Reid
• Winona La Duke

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Debra Harry

Debra Harry, a member of the Call of the Earth Steering Committee, is Northern Paiute from Pyramid Lake, Nevada, U.S.A. She serves as the Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism. The Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism is organized to assist Indigenous peoples in the protection of their genetic resources, indigenous knowledge, and cultural and human rights from the negative effects of biotechnology.

For many years, Debra Harry has played a pivotal role in building an aware, concerned, and active movement among Indigenous peoples throughout North America and around the world.

Her organization has conducted a thorough analysis of the complex subjects of genetic research, genetic engineering, bioethics, globalization, and human rights, and develops educational, policy protections, and advocacy strategies for community use.

These educational efforts build local capacity, knowledge and confidence to address a complex subject by empowering communities to make their own fully informed choices, and take action to inform and mobilize others.

Debra received a three-year Kellogg Foundation leadership fellowship in 1994 and studied the field of human genetic research and its implications for Indigenous peoples.

She served on the board of the Council for Responsible Genetics, based in Cambridge, MA. She earned a master's degree in community economic development from New Hampshire College, and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Auckland, School of Education.

Debra is the also the Producer of the new documentary film The Leech and the Earthworm, an IPCB/Yeast Directions production.

Debra has co-authored:

• a chapter entitled The BS in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS): Critical Questions for Indigenous Peoples (in The Catch: Perspectives in Benefit Sharing, Beth Burrows, ed., published by The
  Edmonds Institute 2005) and

• an article entitled The Right of Indigenous
  Peoples to Permanent Sovereignty Over Genetic Resources and Associated Indigenous Knowledge (forthcoming in The Journal of Indigenous Policy, published by Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia).

Both pieces of work critique patents over Indigenous knowledge and genetic material and the work of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to develop intellectual property rights over traditional knowledge.

In addition, Debra has authored a chapter entitled Acts of Self-Determination and Self-Defense: Indigenous Peoples Responses to Biocolonialism as a contribution to a new book entitled Rights and Liberties in the Biotech Age, (edited by Sheldon Krimsky and Peter Shorett, Roman and Littlefield, 2005). The book is an original volume of essays by leading scientists, policy experts and public interest advocates on the impact of genetic technologies on individual and collective rights.

E-mail: dharry@ipcb.org

Debra Harry (USA) Photo:COE