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Indigenous Rights and Tribal
Sovereignty
Indigenous Peoples of the United States are no
strangers to hardship and abuse at the hands of the
dominant population. We also are no strangers to treaty
negotiation and betrayal. Between 1778, when the first
treaty was signed with the Delaware, and 1868, when the
final one was completed with the Nez Perce, there
were hundreds of treaties between the U.S. government
and the Indian Nations. Not one of these treaties was
honored by the government.
The United Nations itself says that human rights must
be applied to all Peoples without discrimination.
Accordingly, the United Nations Declaration for
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted. The text of the Declaration has been endorsed
and supported by hundreds of Indigenous Peoples and organizations around the world as the
minimum
standard required for the recognition and protection of
Indigenous Peoples' rights internationally. We
demand that the United States government implement the
provisions of the UN Declaration for the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. Read Leonard Peltier's
statement delivered at the opening ceremony at the
U.S. Social Forum, Detroit, Michigan, on 22 June 2010.
There have been continued attempts by federal, state,
and local governments in the U.S. and nation states worldwide to undermine efforts to protect the human
rights of the Indigenous Peoples. We cannot allow our
rights to be negotiated, compromised, or diminished.
Indigenous
languages are the backbone of culture and must be
preserved. It is only in traditional Native languages
that Native worldviews, values, and teachings can be
fully conveyed. We call on the United States
government to support the preservation of indigenous
languages and to recognize and affirm the value of
school curricula that incorporates Native language
instruction and cultural content.
Indigenous knowledge has as much value as western
scientific knowledge and contains valuable lessons for
indigenous and non-indigenous communities alike. We
call for respect and support for traditional health
and healing practices, indigenous resource management
strategies, and relational worldviews shared by many
Native communities.
The United States must
protect sacred places from intrusion and destruction
from development in any form.
In addition, the rights
of tribal members must be protected to continue to
hunt, fish, and gather on traditional lands and places
and engage in subsistence practices.
We remain committed to doing our part to unite all Native Peoples
in the world in an effort to uplift their communities and promote
cultural pride and sovereignty. We work closely with U.S. groups, as
well as international human rights and Indigenous organizations to
protect our Peoples and, with
the help of our friends and supporters, maintain a presence at the
United Nations.
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