Indigenous Peoples Rights

Mapping indigenous Siberia: Spatial changes and ethnic realities, 1900–2010

by Ivan Sablin

co-authored with Maria Savelyeva, published in Settler Colonial Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, 2011, pp. 77–110.

This article discusses spatial changes in the ethnic territories of Native Siberians from the late nineteenth century... more This article discusses spatial changes in the ethnic territories of Native Siberians from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed to model and observe these changes. The GIS also features resource-oriented economic activities, major waterways and railroads. Analysis of the model, textual sources and statistical data made it possible to determine what factors constituted Siberia’s ethnographical pattern of the early twentieth century and led to its changes in the ensuing decades and what impact on the indigenous peoples these changes had. Four special maps showing Siberia in the 1900s–10s, 1930s–40s, 1970s–80s and 2000s–10s were produced from the GIS and are included in the article. The current legal status of the indigenous peoples’ territories was also examined. This article presents an interdisciplinary macroscale case study.

special issue in memory of Shelton H. Davis "Passion for the Oppressed"

by Robin Wright

to be published in 2012

outlines the issue contents outlines the issue contents

Strength in the Face of the Storm: Examining Pivotal Principals of Indigenous Traditions

by Kieran Conroy

unpublished paper, Spring 2009.  To be uploaded soon, message now if you would like a private copy for review. 

A working paper laying groundwork for my Divinity Master's Thesis, written as part of Professor Nimachia Hernandez'... more A working paper laying groundwork for my Divinity Master's Thesis, written as part of Professor Nimachia Hernandez' "Gender, Cosmology and Ritual in Native American Society" course at Harvard in the spring of 2009. 

In this paper, I examine the unique way Native American religious traditions were originally "housed" in non-literary "texts" of land, oral tradition, architecture, etc.  I argue the holistic nature of Native American religious "texts" was related to the particularly fierce "reprogramming" attempted by the US Government and missionaries against their communities in the Boarding School era. 

Genealogies of destruction: an archaeology of the contemporary past in the Amazon forest

by Alfredo González-Ruibal

Co-authored with Almudena Hernando.
Published in Archaeologies. Journal of the World Archaeological Congress 6(1): 5-28. 2010.

In this article we look at the destruction of the Amazon forest through an archaeological lens. We describe the... more In this article we look at the destruction of the Amazon forest through an archaeological lens. We describe the devastation brought about by illegal loggers and ranchers to the last remaining old-growth forests of Maranhão (NE Brazil), where the Awá hunter-gatherers live. We argue that archaeology can provide an alternative and more critical look at global consumerism by manifesting the crude materiality and abject
violence that lurks behind the goods consumed in the West. We followed the tracks of a group of loggers deep inside the forest and report what we saw.

Illegal evictions? Overwriting possession and orality with law’s violence in Cambodia

by Simon Springer

Springer, S. Forthcoming. Illegal evictions? Overwriting possession and orality with law’s violence in Cambodia. Journal of Agrarian Change.

The unfolding of a juridico-cadastral system in present-day Cambodia is at odds with local understandings of... more The unfolding of a juridico-cadastral system in present-day Cambodia is at odds with local understandings of landholding, which are entrenched in notions of community consensus and existing occupation. The discrepancy between such orally recognized antecedents and the written word of law have been at the heart of the recent wave of dispossessions that have swept across the country. Contra the standard critique that corruption has set the tone, this paper argues that evictions in Cambodia are often literally underwritten by the articles of law. Whereas ‘possession’ is a well-understood and accepted concept in Cambodia, a cultural basis rooted in what James C. Scott refers to as ‘orality’, coupled with a long history of subsistence agriculture, semi-nomadic lifestyles, barter economies, and–until recently–widespread land availability have all ensured that notions of ‘property’ are vague among the country’s majority rural poor. In drawing a firm distinction between possessions and property, where the former is premised upon actual use and the latter is embedded in exploitation, this article examines how proprietorship is inextricably bound to the violence of law.

Decolonizing the Master Narrative: Treaties and Other American Myths

by Donna L Akers, Ph.D.

Médio Solimões: Organizações Indígenas e as Políticas de Reconhecimento

by Rafael Barbi C. e Santos

Co-authored with Deborah Magalhães Lima and Marina Oliveira e Souza. Published as article in: RICARDO, Carlos Alberto; RICARDO, Fany. (Orgs.). Povos Indígenas no Brasil 2006/2010. 1a ed. São Paulo: Instituto Socioambiental, 2011.

Nos cadastros de órgãos indigenistas regionais é reconhecido como índio quem nasceu ou mora em terra indígena, seja... more Nos cadastros de órgãos indigenistas regionais é reconhecido como índio quem nasceu ou mora em terra indígena, seja ela demarcada ou ainda em processo de identificação. Atualmente, no entanto, a luta pela terra não mais a única causa das mobilizações indígenas no médio Solimões e muitos estão interessados nos direitos que o reconhecimento, via demarcação de terra, confere, em especial o direito à saúde diferenciada.

Implementing UNDRIP : Developments and Possibilities

by Ravi de Costa

Prairie Forum Vol. 36 (Fall 2011), 55-78.

This paper explores some of the developments and issues arising since the near-universal endorsement of the UN... more This paper explores some of the developments and issues arising since the near-universal endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP ) in September 2007. It revisits its origins and passage, then briefly reflects on those states that rejected it at that time and why, in order to frame some of the challenges ahead. The body of the paper surveys postendorsement developments in international institutions and endorsing states including litigation and jurisprudence, legislation, as well as the interaction of international and domestic institutions. Given the very recent endorsement by Canada, the paper then considers the prospects for implementation as well as the existing impact of the Declaration in Canadian debates, deploying the theoretical framework of legal transnationalism, which foregrounds the role of non-state actors. Finally, it considers emerging issues that will need to be addressed as part of the consolidation and implementation of UNDRIP.

Cet article explore quelques-uns des développements et des problèmes issus de l’approbation presque universelle de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones (DNUDPA) en septembre 2007. On y revoit ses origines et ses discussions, puis on se penche sur les nations qui l’ont rejetée et sur leurs raisons, dans le but de définir les défis futurs. La majeure partie de cet article porte sur les développements qui ont suivi l’approbation chez les institutions internationales et les nations en accord avec la déclaration: litiges, jurisprudence, législation, et aussi interaction entre institutions internationales et intérieures. Etant donné l’approbation récente du Canada, on considère également les perspectives de mise en application et l’impact de la déclaration sur les débats canadiens, en faisant usage des notions du droit mondialiste, qui met en relief le rôle des acteur non-étatiques. Finalement, on passe en revue les questions auxquelles il faudra s’adresser pour consolider et mettre en application la DNUDPA.

Treaty how?

by Ravi de Costa

Discussion about treaties in Australia has usually emphasised the principled relations between Indigenous and settler... more Discussion about treaties in Australia has usually emphasised the principled relations between Indigenous and settler peoples they may bring about. More recently, there have been efforts to consider treaty-making as a more effective context for Indigenous social policy. However, relatively little consideration has been given to the question of why the Australian state (or States) might need to enter into treaties. In this paper I argue that, rather than being the high-water mark of the relationship between Indigenous and settler peoples, treaties are the product of a long-developed rationale of state instrumentalism. I develop this argument by considering the historical context of treaty-making in North America and New Zealand and then focusing closely on the path to the treaty process currently underway in British Columbia. The evidence suggests that Australian treaty proponents have not demonstrated why treaties are in the best interest of the state, and are unlikely to achieve their goal until they do.

Identity, Authority, and the Moral Worlds of Indigenous Petitions

by Ravi de Costa

Comparative Studies in Society and History (2006), 48 : pp 669-698

The global movement of Indigenous peoples has attracted the attention of a number of scholars, notably lawyers,... more The global movement of Indigenous peoples has attracted the attention of a number of scholars, notably lawyers, anthropologists, and cultural theorists (Muehlebach 2003; Anaya 1996; Battiste 2000; Churchill 2003; Dei, Hall, and Rosenberg 2000; Independent Commission 1987; Jull 1999; Kingsbury 1998; Minde 1996; Passy 1999; Pritchard 1998; Radcliffe and Laurie 2001; Feldman 2002; Smith 1999; Ward and Smith 2000; Wilmer 1993). With few exceptions such as Niezen (2000; 2003) and Radha Jappan (1992), this growing interest has not extended to the origins and development of this movement. There are obvious reasons for this: as in other areas of the discipline, historians have seen indigenous movements as matters of national history. However, the growth of “world history” (Hopkins 2002a; Bayly 2004: 432–50) offers a mode of analysis in which varied and related indigenous histories can be considered fruitfully. Moreover, the success of indigenous actors in creating new institutional spaces and a discourse of “indigenous rights” compels historical research into the emergence of the global movement, not least in understanding how very different and dispersed communities have begun to self-identify with the category of indigenous peoples. This is especially so as the movement works toward the declaration of positive international law that can recognize and protect the diversity of first peoples under precisely that banner.

BLACK RIGHTS/WHITE CURRICULUM: HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

by paula gerber

(2004) 9(1) Deakin Law Review 61

In December 1994 the United Nations proclaimed both the Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the Decade... more In December 1994 the United Nations proclaimed both the Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) and the Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995-2004). Despite the fact that these two initiatives are running in tandem, very few people have drawn any correlation between the two. There is a growing body of academic work relating to human rights education, and many scholars have published work dealing with indigenous issues, yet scant attention has been paid to HRE for indigenous people. The two subjects have been treated as if they run in parallel lines, with little thought being given to how the two intersect or relate to each other.

This socio-legal research seeks to redress this oversight, at least in part, by answering the question - how appropriate is the international movement for HRE for indigenous people? In other words, do indigenous people require different HRE from that which is intended for the dominant culture?

The conclusion reached is that, not only are there very few Human rights education programs for indigenous people, but many of the ones that do exist, while well intentioned, are not appropriate for an indigenous audience.

The suitability of the curricula used to teach HRE to indigenous people, and the manner in which the curricula are delivered, are critically analysed.

The paper concludes with an evaluation of the HRE programs being offered to indigenous people and some criticisms of the models, curricula and methodology being employed.

Making Visible the Problem of Invisibility

by paula gerber

(2009) 83(10) Law Institute Journal 52

There are a number of aborigines who are unable to prove their identity; either because their birth was never... more There are a number of aborigines who are unable to prove their identity; either because their birth was never registered, or because they cannot satisfy the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages’ prerequisites for obtaining a birth certificate. This article explores how the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 addresses this problem.

'Our Way of Life is Our Resistance': Indigenous Women and Anti-Imperialist Challeges to Militarization along the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

by MARGO TAMEZ

Los pueblos originarios y el pasado reciente en Argentina: memorias excluyentes, diversidades invisibilizadas y políticas genocidas. Una invitación al debate desde la historia oral

by Horacio Miguel Hernán Zapata

Publicado en ANAIS DO SEMINÁRIO INTERNACIONAL NEHO 20 ANOS: HISTÓRIA ORAL, IDENTIDADE E COMPROMISSO, Núcleo de Estudos em História Oral / Laboratório de Estudos sobre a Intolerância, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, en prensa.

La sociedad argentina en general, ideologizada desde finales del siglo XIX por la cultura política liberal, hizo todo... more La sociedad argentina en general, ideologizada desde finales del siglo XIX por la cultura política liberal, hizo todo lo posible para ignorar su profunda naturaleza indígena. En la construcción del orden republicano, se edificaron los argumentos que justificaron la política de exterminio, genocida y etnocida hacia los pueblos originarios que poblaron y pueblan el actual territorio nacional. Desde la recuperación democrática en 1983 hasta nuestros días, las trayectorias de los pueblos originarios comenzaron a hacerse visibles a través de una serie de demandas concretas, en especial gracias a la sanción constitucional de una serie de leyes que enuncian, resguardan y fortalecen a las organizaciones indígenas en la lucha por sus derechos humanos, civiles, políticos y en general enuncian un mejoramiento de su calidad de vida. Sus reclamos y reivindicaciones históricas han suscitado arduas discusiones y distintos posicionamientos, no sólo en los escenarios estatales o institucionales, sino a nivel de las organizaciones, movimientos sociales y al conjunto de la ciudadanía, generando –entre otras cuestiones– una revisión del campo de la memoria colectiva, impugnando las hasta entonces narrativas hegemónicas y fundacionales del pasado nacional. Es así que en esta coyuntura de afirmación de los derechos humanos y de la expansión de los derechos civiles, sociales y culturales, los grupos indígenas históricamente subalternizados intentan revertir, desde diferentes intersticios del discurso dominante, las situaciones de sometimiento y dominación, erigiéndose como agentes productores de acciones y discursos sobre los procesos de memoria y olvido. En esta dirección, la ponencia recupera algunos de los canales de diálogo entre la historia oral, los relatos de los pueblos originarios y el desentramado de los andamios que consolidaron ciertas narrativas como verdades indiscutibles, silenciando y negando otras experiencias, identidades, territorialidades y saberes.

World Heritage Sites in Indigenous Peoples' Territories: Ways of Ensuring Respect for Indigenous Cultures, Values and Human Rights

by Stefan Disko

Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite

by Philip Fearnside

Fearnside, P.M. 2010. Belo Monte: Resposta a Rogério Cezar de Cerqueira Leite. Site Globoamazonia 07/06/10 http://colunas.globoamazonia.com/philipfearnside/

See Amazon Controversies:
http://philip.inpa.gov.br/publ_livres/AMAZONIAN CONTROVERSIES.htm

2008 Observaciones de la Comunidad Aymara de Quillagua al proyecto "Pampa Hermosa" presentado por Sociedad Química Minera de Chile SQM S.A.

by Alonso Barros

(in Spanish) Co-authored with the Aymara community of Quillagua in opposition to a groundwater extraction project in community territory

2008 Properties and identities: territorial transitions in the Atacameño's 19th C

by Alonso Barros

(in Spanish) This paper undoes a series of nationalist assumptions regarding the historical discontinuity of "Bolivian" and "Chilean" indigenous peoples by looking at property relations and native organization practices.

The demarcation and fragmentation of Atacameño lands during the last decade feeds on property repertoires that... more The demarcation and fragmentation of Atacameño lands during the last decade feeds on property repertoires that interweave and differentiate each other since before the colonial era. A serie of unpublished documents accounts for distinct –yet not antagonistic–territorial practices and values, both under the government of Bolivia and during the post-War of the Pacific. Its analysis keys into an ethnographic understanding of the socio-territorial complex of national and ethnic differentiation processes in place today in the Atacama Desert
(Antofagasta Region).

Key words: property relations – Atacameño identity – racism –
socio-territorial differentiation

Cell lines and commodities: The Hagahai patent affair

by David Robie

Robie, D. (1997). Cell lines and commodities: The Hagahai patent affair. Pacific Journalism Review, 4: 78-91

In March 1995, the United States government issued a patent on a human cell line for an indigenous Hagahai man from... more In March 1995, the United States government issued a patent on a human cell line for an indigenous Hagahai man from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) were issued patent No. 5,397,696 by the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), the first time that an indigenous person's cells have been patented. Critics saw this is a 'new and dangerous' era in intellectual property rights while even defenders conceded there are serious dilemmas embracing ethics, the law and the media. 

Olhos e Ouvidos do Rei

by Patricia Melo Sampaio

Publicado na revista do Museu Amazônico da Universidade Federal do Amazonas em 2007.
Os números das páginsa não correspondem à publicação original.

O texto apresenta uma transcrição do texto MEIOS DE DIRIGIR GOVERNO TEMPORAL DOS ÍNDIOS, do Ouvidor Antônio José... more O texto apresenta uma transcrição do texto MEIOS DE DIRIGIR GOVERNO TEMPORAL DOS ÍNDIOS, do Ouvidor Antônio José Pestana da Silva, que atuou na Capitania de São José do Rio Negro entre 1767 a 1773. Foi o segundo ouvidor da Capitania. Esta memória foi originalmente publicada no século XIX por A. Mello Moraes.