This year's theme for World indigenous Peoples Day is the role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge.

International Indigenous Peoples Day commemorates the date of the first meeting, in 1982 of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations that led the way in developing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous women have been advocates and leaders since the very first year of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, in 1982 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Indigenous women were active participants in the two decades of negotiations for the declaration adopted by the general assembly in September 2007.

I honour all Indigenous women who led the way in fighting for the recognition of our rights at the UN, especially our mothers, sisters and aunties who no longer with us.

They ensured indigenous women would be always recognized as upholding our rights as Indigenous women - fighting all forms of discrimination that exists within nation states.

Indigenous women were subjected to patriarchal cultures that denigrated Indigenous cultures and perpetrated racial abuse and violence towards Indigenous women.

This history has not ceased and is evidenced by the very high levels of violence, including murder, that indigenous women and girls experience today.

In the face of this, Indigenous women are ensuring transmission of culture for future generations, knowing actions undertaken today affect all our descendants.

Indigenous women have significant knowledge of land and biodiversity and are guardians of indigenous knowledge with responsibility to protect and teach children and youth.

Indigenous traditional knowledge is the body of knowledge, practice, and belief, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, and concerns the relationship of indigenous peoples, with one another and with the environment.

The world is now recognising the importance of Indigenous traditional knowledge in climate mitigation - and Indigenous women and girls must be treated as equal partners in the fight against climate change.

Around the world, indigenous women are leading the way in caring for country and protecting sacred lands knowing that land is our mother.

In my Noongar language in Australia, mother and sun are the one and same word: Ngaarnk, signifying the interrelationship of women with land and environment.

We are the daughters of Mother Earth, obligated to take care of the earth and its resources.

Unfortunately, women's rightful role in land preservation is often unrecognized and overlooked, placing at risk Indigenous lands and cultures.

In this decade of Indigenous languages, Indigenous women are at the forefront of revitalizing and maintaining indigenous languages.

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues urges states increase their commitment towards Indigenous languages in schools and immersion programs.

Indigenous women have traditional healing knowledge passed from generations; the western health systems must recognise traditional Indigenous healers and traditional medicines.

Our healers we call Nankari are renowned for their traditional healing practices.

With indigenous suicide on the rise, including suicide of women and girls, governments should recognize that our own healing practices can be more effective in helping our communities.

The recent report of the special rapporteur on violence against women Reem Alsalem on violence against Indigenous women and girls importantly recognizes the complex nature of violence against Indigenous women, including state violence and environmental violence.

This report must not be forgotten by the UN which itself has, too often, marginalised our voices.

We are not invisible women, we are the First Nations women of our lands, and our cultural survival also depends on states increased commitment to ending violence.

We also look forward to and acknowledge CEDAW for their work in developing the first recommendation on the rights of Indigenous women and girls, influenced by the advocacy and commitment of Indigenous women of the South Americas for many years.

We must increase our attention to Indigenous women's human rights - and progress towards the sustainable development goals and SDG 5 - achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

The acknowledgment of Indigenous women's role in the transmission and preservation of traditional knowledges is critical to the realization of Indigenous rights and states responsibilities to respect those rights. Indigenous women and girls cannot be left behind.

I thank you and acknowledge the UN agencies and their critical role, including today's important recognition of Indigenous women and cultural survival on World Indigenous Peoples day.

• Hannah McGlade is an Indigenous international human rights lawyer and member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.