Western Shoshone Keeping the Pressure on
US Human Rights Violations Against Indigenous Peoples
Highlighted at U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
May 17, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a Western Shoshone delegation called upon the recently-formed UN body to pay close attention to the situation of indigenous peoples in the United States and other “developed” countries. Attending the forum were thousands of indigenous representatives and leaders from every region of the world, governmental representatives from United Nations member states, including the United States, and observers and UN agencies. The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. For more information on the Permanent Forum, go to http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
Western Shoshone grandmother and activist Carrie Dann presented the statement on behalf of the Western Shoshone delegation and a coalition of U.S., Canadian and European-based organizations and networks. Recent actions being taken by the United States against the Western Shoshone, including the threat of a 700 ton ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture detonation named “Divine Strake” will be reported on as well as the critical need for the UN Permanent Forum and other bodies to hold the United States and other “developed” countries to the same standards “regardless of how much money they have or how much political influence they wave around.”
Specific recommendations include:
1. To promote a clear articulation of the fundamental indigenous guidelines of land, air, water and sun (“l.a.w.s.”) to measure all “development” projects or other proposals; and
2. To instruct all UN bodies and agencies to recognize the serious and ongoing human rights violations against indigenous peoples in the United States, Australia, and other “developed” countries and the reach of those violations through multinational companies headquartered, incorporated and licensed by those same governments. This point is emphasized especially by the United States’ and other governments’ continued use of the antiquated “doctrine of discovery” to take lands and resources and remove or diminish decision-making of indigenous peoples.
A full copy of the Western Shoshone statement follows.
The Western Shoshone delegation also delivered a copy of the recent UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s Urgent Action decision issued against the United States on March 7, 2006 to each of the members of the Permanent Forum. The decision calls upon the United States to “freeze”, “desist” and “stop” actions being taken or threatened to be taken against the Western Shoshone Peoples of the Western Shoshone Nation. In its decision, CERD stressed the “nature and urgency” of the Shoshone situation informing the U.S. that it goes “well beyond” the normal reporting process and warrants immediate attention under the Committee’s Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure.
For additional information, contact:
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(1) 775-468-0230
(1) 775-468-0237 (fax)
http://www.wsdp.org
wsdp@igc.org
Western Shoshone Defense Project, Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade, Tonatierra, International Indian Treaty Council, American Indian Law Alliance, Hawaii Institute for Human Rights, Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples
May 16, 2006
United Nations Permanent Forum Session V
Intervention under Agenda Item 3
Madame Chairperson, members of the Permanent Forum, distinguished state delegates and indigenous relatives. Good morning. My name is Carrie Dann, I am Western Shoshone. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. We have three specific recommendations for the Permanent Forum, as well, because we are unable to be here next week to raise these issues during the North American focus, we ask that the members consider this intervention and our statement during that discussion.
Western Shoshone lands span across approximately 60 million acres of land within the borders of the United States. The U.S. claims that our lands are federal or public lands – they have no legitimate basis for this claims, in fact that claim is a direct violation of the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley that the U.S. signed with our leaders. Despite ongoing federal seizures of our livestock and continued harassment and intimidation of our peoples, we continue to live on and use our lands according to our traditions and our spiritual teachings. Both the Inter American Commission on Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination have issued final reports or decisions agreeing with us. A copy of the UN CERD decision has been provided to each member.
Our requests that the Permanent Forum pass on to ECOSOC are:
1. Clearly articulate the fundamental indigenous guidelines of land, air, water and sun (the acronymn is L.A.W.S., “laws”) to measure all “development” projects or other proposals – any destruction of these sacred things must be prohibited for the protection of all life and for any type of environmental sustainability under the MDGs, the World Bank and the UN agencies, funds and programmes.
To us, as indigenous peoples, these four sacred things must be addressed as the starting point for any discussion of “development”, economic sustainability, or government accountability. All life depends upon these four things. Our responsibility as indigenous peoples is to protect these things and to serve as caretakers of our homelands. All the situations presented in the Permanent Forum have these things in common – the situations may be at different stages– but all stem from the desire by others to take our land, to take our resources, and to take our water and our spirituality. These things are destruction, not development. There should be no debate on that issue.
2. For all UN bodies and agencies to recognize the situation of indigenous peoples in the United States as documented by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other “developed” countries and to treat these situations as the United Nations would treat any other violation of basic human rights. This is especially necessary when the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly is considering the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Why should the violators of these rights, the U.S, Canada, and others be able to hold up the processes necessary to protect and recognize our rights? This is shameless.
As the distinguished representative from Bolivia stated on Monday, this has been going on for the last 500 years. Without our consent, Western Shoshone lands are currently the second largest gold producing area in the world. There are huge, open pit cyanide heap leach mines with one mine alone dewatering up to 70,000 gallons of water per minute, 24 hours per day. Under current U.S. law we are given no ability to stop a mine – they are also threatening massive geothermal energy exploitation, destroying hot springs which are spiritual areas for our people and the U.S. is moving forward on storing the nation’s, and much of Europe’s, nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain – an area long known for ceremonies and burial sites. How can we even talk about environmental sustainability as reflected in MDG number 7 when we are denied our basic rights to decision making over the lands where we were placed by the Creator?
We received a full report from the Inter American Commission on Human Rights in 2002, they found the U.S. in violation of our rights to property, due process and equality under the law. This year, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination confirmed the Inter American Commission’s finding and issued a full decision under their Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. We are very pleased that these bodies have recognized the wrongs that the government is committing against our people and other indigenous peoples, however the U.S. has responded with complete defiance to these rulings- setting a very dangerous precedent for other states parties to the OAS and to the UN.
The time is now for the change to happen. Western Shoshone peoples and other indigenous peoples in the U.S., Canada, and other so-called “developed” countries are being actively denied our rights to fulfill our responsibilities as caretakers of our lands. These same policies are then pushed at the international level and promoted as “economic development and sustainability”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
3. Reassess the use of the terms “developed” versus “developing” countries on all issues affecting indigenous peoples, including monitoring and review, funding and other UN agency support and assistance.
The laws and policies used against us, indigenous peoples in the “developed” world are the same out-dated and racist notions known as the “doctrine of discovery” – a colonialist concept which describes indigenous peoples as sub-human, childlike and savage. This continues to be used by the United States and other “developed” governments to take our lands, to force compensation on us, to exploit our land, air and water to the benefit of multinational corporate and military interests. These concepts are then used to promote economic development interests by multinational interests globally. Everyone knows this – we should just say it like it is and starting telling the truth and looking for real solutions for all peoples.
Those are our recommendations. And I thank you for listening to this little old lady.
Carrie Dann
Statement by Australia, New Zealand and the United States of American on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
17 may 2006
(Here’s the joint statement made by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand during a session of the UN Permanent Forum. Question: From what “political and moral” authority do these governments speak? At least in the case of the U.S., they have never responded to the findings of their ongoing violations of human rights against indigenous peoples in the U.S. Instead, on Western Shoshone lands, they now plan 700 ton detonations like “Divine Strake” and move forward with federal processes to give Yucca Mtn to Bechtel Corporation for nuclear waste storage and Mt. Tenabo to Barrick Gold and Kennecott for open pit cyanide heap leach gold mining. The members of the Permanent Forum responded to this statement reminding everyone present that these three countries have serious issues within their own borders and that that fact would be considered when weighing their recommendations. One member referenced the ongoing effects of colonialism and the fact that these three countries have yet to address the situation that has been ongoing for hundreds of years against indigenous peoples in their borders.
Western Shoshone Defense Project)
*Statement by Australia, New Zealand and the United States of American on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
17 may 2006
Madame Chair, distinguished delegates, I am making this statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.
Madame Chair, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America supported the establishment and the work of this Forum. Over its relatively short history, the UN Permanent Forum has contributed to the promotion of issues affecting indigenous peoples. It is serving to bring their concerns into direct engagement with the United Nations. We welcome that, Madame Chair.
Madame Chair, this Forum was one of the main achievements of the first international decade of the world’s indigenous peoples. It is disappointing that another objective of that decade – to elaborate a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – has not been met. It has been impossible to reach a consensus amongst States on a text. The Chair’s “final compromise text”, which was annexed to his report to CHR earlier this year (E/CN.4/2006/79) is an improvement on the original Sub Commission text and a possible basis for further consideration. But, it does not enjoy consensus. There is no agreement on most of its crucial provisions, as the chair himself has acknowledged. It, therefore, remains fundamentally flawed.
Madame Chair, the provisions for articulating self-determination for indigenous peoples in this text, for example, are inconsistent with international human rights law. Indeed, some of its provisions attempt to reinterpret the Covenants. They could be misrepresented as conferring a unilateral right of self-determination (Article 3) and possible secession upon a specific subset of the national populace, thus threatening the political unity, territorial integrity and indeed the security of existing UN Member States. Article 3 in the text, unqualified as it is at present, has the potential to create instability.
The draft text also appears to confer upon a minority, a power of veto over the law of a democratic legislature (Article 20). While we strongly support the full and active engagement of indigenous peoples in democratic decision-making processes, no government can accept the notion of creating different classes of citizenship. Nor can one group in society have rights that take precedence over those of others. In this context, it is important to be mindful of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Madame Chair, the provisions on lands and resources are particularly unworkable and unacceptable. They ignore the contemporary realities in many countries with indigenous populations, by appearing to require the recognition of indigenous rights to lands now lawfully owned by other citizens, both indigenous and non-indigenous (Article 26). Such provisions would be impossible to implement.
Other important provisions in the Chair’s text are potentially discriminatory. It seems to be assumed that the rights of all individuals, which are enshrined in international law, are a secondary consideration in this Declaration. Collective rights do not prevail over the human rights of individuals, as implied in Article 34 of the text. That only confirms that this text it is fundamentally flawed in its most significant provisions.
Madame Chair, any attempt to put this text forward for endorsement in the United Nations would be disingenuous and irresponsible. It lacks consensus support and thus any moves to adopt it by the new Human Rights Council would establish a dangerous precedent. It would also risk creating confusion, ambiguity and endless debate on what the Declaration means. Endorsement of this text, which many States – even with the best intentions – could never live up to, would be a gross disservice to indigenous people. And, it would potentially undermine the cause of advancing human rights internationally. Many other countries, representing all regions, have shared their concerns in this regard with our respective governments.
States need to pause and reflect very carefully indeed on the very obvious shortcomings in the current text before any action on it could be legitimately contemplated in the United Nations.
Madame Chair, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America want a Declaration that can become a tangible and on-going standard of achievement. To achieve that, it must be universally accepted, observed and upheld in order to have political and moral force as a Declaration. None of us want a Declaration that, at its outset, is regarded as artificial, unrealistic, simply rhetorical, and thus ultimately irrelevant. The situation for indigenous people in some countries is very worrying indeed. What is needed is a new standard of achievement that has the potential to make a real difference in their circumstances and one that is an investment and positive force in their futures. Sadly, the current text falls well short of ever achieving that. It would be in effect, Madame Chair, a lost opportunity.
Madame Chair, I thank you.
* This is a retype of the original document that was provided to the UNPFII. The original document will be posted on the UNPFII website at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
Please also see:
U.N. and Indigenous Issues + UPDATES
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=2352&blz=1
Western Shoshone and others file suit to halt detonation
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412913
and the Western Shoshone series in our Economics section.
US Human Rights Violations Against Indigenous Peoples
Highlighted at U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
May 17, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a Western Shoshone delegation called upon the recently-formed UN body to pay close attention to the situation of indigenous peoples in the United States and other “developed” countries. Attending the forum were thousands of indigenous representatives and leaders from every region of the world, governmental representatives from United Nations member states, including the United States, and observers and UN agencies. The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. For more information on the Permanent Forum, go to http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
Western Shoshone grandmother and activist Carrie Dann presented the statement on behalf of the Western Shoshone delegation and a coalition of U.S., Canadian and European-based organizations and networks. Recent actions being taken by the United States against the Western Shoshone, including the threat of a 700 ton ammonium nitrate/fuel oil mixture detonation named “Divine Strake” will be reported on as well as the critical need for the UN Permanent Forum and other bodies to hold the United States and other “developed” countries to the same standards “regardless of how much money they have or how much political influence they wave around.”
Specific recommendations include:
1. To promote a clear articulation of the fundamental indigenous guidelines of land, air, water and sun (“l.a.w.s.”) to measure all “development” projects or other proposals; and
2. To instruct all UN bodies and agencies to recognize the serious and ongoing human rights violations against indigenous peoples in the United States, Australia, and other “developed” countries and the reach of those violations through multinational companies headquartered, incorporated and licensed by those same governments. This point is emphasized especially by the United States’ and other governments’ continued use of the antiquated “doctrine of discovery” to take lands and resources and remove or diminish decision-making of indigenous peoples.
A full copy of the Western Shoshone statement follows.
The Western Shoshone delegation also delivered a copy of the recent UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s Urgent Action decision issued against the United States on March 7, 2006 to each of the members of the Permanent Forum. The decision calls upon the United States to “freeze”, “desist” and “stop” actions being taken or threatened to be taken against the Western Shoshone Peoples of the Western Shoshone Nation. In its decision, CERD stressed the “nature and urgency” of the Shoshone situation informing the U.S. that it goes “well beyond” the normal reporting process and warrants immediate attention under the Committee’s Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure.
For additional information, contact:
Western Shoshone Defense Project
P.O. Box 211308
Crescent Valley, NV 89821
(1) 775-468-0230
(1) 775-468-0237 (fax)
http://www.wsdp.org
wsdp@igc.org
Western Shoshone Defense Project, Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indigenous Network on Economies and Trade, Tonatierra, International Indian Treaty Council, American Indian Law Alliance, Hawaii Institute for Human Rights, Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples
May 16, 2006
United Nations Permanent Forum Session V
Intervention under Agenda Item 3
Madame Chairperson, members of the Permanent Forum, distinguished state delegates and indigenous relatives. Good morning. My name is Carrie Dann, I am Western Shoshone. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. We have three specific recommendations for the Permanent Forum, as well, because we are unable to be here next week to raise these issues during the North American focus, we ask that the members consider this intervention and our statement during that discussion.
Western Shoshone lands span across approximately 60 million acres of land within the borders of the United States. The U.S. claims that our lands are federal or public lands – they have no legitimate basis for this claims, in fact that claim is a direct violation of the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley that the U.S. signed with our leaders. Despite ongoing federal seizures of our livestock and continued harassment and intimidation of our peoples, we continue to live on and use our lands according to our traditions and our spiritual teachings. Both the Inter American Commission on Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination have issued final reports or decisions agreeing with us. A copy of the UN CERD decision has been provided to each member.
Our requests that the Permanent Forum pass on to ECOSOC are:
1. Clearly articulate the fundamental indigenous guidelines of land, air, water and sun (the acronymn is L.A.W.S., “laws”) to measure all “development” projects or other proposals – any destruction of these sacred things must be prohibited for the protection of all life and for any type of environmental sustainability under the MDGs, the World Bank and the UN agencies, funds and programmes.
To us, as indigenous peoples, these four sacred things must be addressed as the starting point for any discussion of “development”, economic sustainability, or government accountability. All life depends upon these four things. Our responsibility as indigenous peoples is to protect these things and to serve as caretakers of our homelands. All the situations presented in the Permanent Forum have these things in common – the situations may be at different stages– but all stem from the desire by others to take our land, to take our resources, and to take our water and our spirituality. These things are destruction, not development. There should be no debate on that issue.
2. For all UN bodies and agencies to recognize the situation of indigenous peoples in the United States as documented by the Inter American Commission on Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and other “developed” countries and to treat these situations as the United Nations would treat any other violation of basic human rights. This is especially necessary when the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly is considering the passage of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Why should the violators of these rights, the U.S, Canada, and others be able to hold up the processes necessary to protect and recognize our rights? This is shameless.
As the distinguished representative from Bolivia stated on Monday, this has been going on for the last 500 years. Without our consent, Western Shoshone lands are currently the second largest gold producing area in the world. There are huge, open pit cyanide heap leach mines with one mine alone dewatering up to 70,000 gallons of water per minute, 24 hours per day. Under current U.S. law we are given no ability to stop a mine – they are also threatening massive geothermal energy exploitation, destroying hot springs which are spiritual areas for our people and the U.S. is moving forward on storing the nation’s, and much of Europe’s, nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain – an area long known for ceremonies and burial sites. How can we even talk about environmental sustainability as reflected in MDG number 7 when we are denied our basic rights to decision making over the lands where we were placed by the Creator?
We received a full report from the Inter American Commission on Human Rights in 2002, they found the U.S. in violation of our rights to property, due process and equality under the law. This year, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination confirmed the Inter American Commission’s finding and issued a full decision under their Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure. We are very pleased that these bodies have recognized the wrongs that the government is committing against our people and other indigenous peoples, however the U.S. has responded with complete defiance to these rulings- setting a very dangerous precedent for other states parties to the OAS and to the UN.
The time is now for the change to happen. Western Shoshone peoples and other indigenous peoples in the U.S., Canada, and other so-called “developed” countries are being actively denied our rights to fulfill our responsibilities as caretakers of our lands. These same policies are then pushed at the international level and promoted as “economic development and sustainability”. Nothing could be further from the truth.
3. Reassess the use of the terms “developed” versus “developing” countries on all issues affecting indigenous peoples, including monitoring and review, funding and other UN agency support and assistance.
The laws and policies used against us, indigenous peoples in the “developed” world are the same out-dated and racist notions known as the “doctrine of discovery” – a colonialist concept which describes indigenous peoples as sub-human, childlike and savage. This continues to be used by the United States and other “developed” governments to take our lands, to force compensation on us, to exploit our land, air and water to the benefit of multinational corporate and military interests. These concepts are then used to promote economic development interests by multinational interests globally. Everyone knows this – we should just say it like it is and starting telling the truth and looking for real solutions for all peoples.
Those are our recommendations. And I thank you for listening to this little old lady.
Carrie Dann
Statement by Australia, New Zealand and the United States of American on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
17 may 2006
(Here’s the joint statement made by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand during a session of the UN Permanent Forum. Question: From what “political and moral” authority do these governments speak? At least in the case of the U.S., they have never responded to the findings of their ongoing violations of human rights against indigenous peoples in the U.S. Instead, on Western Shoshone lands, they now plan 700 ton detonations like “Divine Strake” and move forward with federal processes to give Yucca Mtn to Bechtel Corporation for nuclear waste storage and Mt. Tenabo to Barrick Gold and Kennecott for open pit cyanide heap leach gold mining. The members of the Permanent Forum responded to this statement reminding everyone present that these three countries have serious issues within their own borders and that that fact would be considered when weighing their recommendations. One member referenced the ongoing effects of colonialism and the fact that these three countries have yet to address the situation that has been ongoing for hundreds of years against indigenous peoples in their borders.
Western Shoshone Defense Project)
*Statement by Australia, New Zealand and the United States of American on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
17 may 2006
Madame Chair, distinguished delegates, I am making this statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.
Madame Chair, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America supported the establishment and the work of this Forum. Over its relatively short history, the UN Permanent Forum has contributed to the promotion of issues affecting indigenous peoples. It is serving to bring their concerns into direct engagement with the United Nations. We welcome that, Madame Chair.
Madame Chair, this Forum was one of the main achievements of the first international decade of the world’s indigenous peoples. It is disappointing that another objective of that decade – to elaborate a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – has not been met. It has been impossible to reach a consensus amongst States on a text. The Chair’s “final compromise text”, which was annexed to his report to CHR earlier this year (E/CN.4/2006/79) is an improvement on the original Sub Commission text and a possible basis for further consideration. But, it does not enjoy consensus. There is no agreement on most of its crucial provisions, as the chair himself has acknowledged. It, therefore, remains fundamentally flawed.
Madame Chair, the provisions for articulating self-determination for indigenous peoples in this text, for example, are inconsistent with international human rights law. Indeed, some of its provisions attempt to reinterpret the Covenants. They could be misrepresented as conferring a unilateral right of self-determination (Article 3) and possible secession upon a specific subset of the national populace, thus threatening the political unity, territorial integrity and indeed the security of existing UN Member States. Article 3 in the text, unqualified as it is at present, has the potential to create instability.
The draft text also appears to confer upon a minority, a power of veto over the law of a democratic legislature (Article 20). While we strongly support the full and active engagement of indigenous peoples in democratic decision-making processes, no government can accept the notion of creating different classes of citizenship. Nor can one group in society have rights that take precedence over those of others. In this context, it is important to be mindful of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Madame Chair, the provisions on lands and resources are particularly unworkable and unacceptable. They ignore the contemporary realities in many countries with indigenous populations, by appearing to require the recognition of indigenous rights to lands now lawfully owned by other citizens, both indigenous and non-indigenous (Article 26). Such provisions would be impossible to implement.
Other important provisions in the Chair’s text are potentially discriminatory. It seems to be assumed that the rights of all individuals, which are enshrined in international law, are a secondary consideration in this Declaration. Collective rights do not prevail over the human rights of individuals, as implied in Article 34 of the text. That only confirms that this text it is fundamentally flawed in its most significant provisions.
Madame Chair, any attempt to put this text forward for endorsement in the United Nations would be disingenuous and irresponsible. It lacks consensus support and thus any moves to adopt it by the new Human Rights Council would establish a dangerous precedent. It would also risk creating confusion, ambiguity and endless debate on what the Declaration means. Endorsement of this text, which many States – even with the best intentions – could never live up to, would be a gross disservice to indigenous people. And, it would potentially undermine the cause of advancing human rights internationally. Many other countries, representing all regions, have shared their concerns in this regard with our respective governments.
States need to pause and reflect very carefully indeed on the very obvious shortcomings in the current text before any action on it could be legitimately contemplated in the United Nations.
Madame Chair, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America want a Declaration that can become a tangible and on-going standard of achievement. To achieve that, it must be universally accepted, observed and upheld in order to have political and moral force as a Declaration. None of us want a Declaration that, at its outset, is regarded as artificial, unrealistic, simply rhetorical, and thus ultimately irrelevant. The situation for indigenous people in some countries is very worrying indeed. What is needed is a new standard of achievement that has the potential to make a real difference in their circumstances and one that is an investment and positive force in their futures. Sadly, the current text falls well short of ever achieving that. It would be in effect, Madame Chair, a lost opportunity.
Madame Chair, I thank you.
* This is a retype of the original document that was provided to the UNPFII. The original document will be posted on the UNPFII website at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/
Please also see:
U.N. and Indigenous Issues + UPDATES
http://www.unobserver.com/index.php?pagina=layout5.php&id=2352&blz=1
Western Shoshone and others file suit to halt detonation
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096412913
and the Western Shoshone series in our Economics section.