Chapter 19 - Indigenous People's Human Rights

Violations of Indigenous
People’s Human Rights

Chapter 19
 When you think of indigenous
people(s), what characteristics come to
mind?
Who Are
Indigenous  What are indigenous cultures like?
People(s)? Languages? Clothing?
 What about beliefs and religion?

Who Are Indigenous People(s)?
• U.N. has not adopted a formal definition
• Approximately 476 million people in more
than 90 countries
• 5,000 different groups
• 70% live in Asia
• Speak over 4,000 languages
• 33% of the 900 million extremely poor
rural people are indigenous
• Can you think of indigenous populations

outside of the United States?
Source: Amnesty International

 Developed a modern understanding based on:
 Self-identification as indigenous peoples at the
individual level and accepted by the community
 Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-
settler societies
Who Are  Strong link to territories and surrounding natural
Indigenous resources
 Distinct social, economic or political systems
People(s)?  Distinct language, culture and beliefs
 Form non-dominant groups of society
 Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral
environments and systems as distinctive peoples
and communities
 Unique languages, knowledge systems, traditio
ns, and beliefs
 What are some examples?
 Possess invaluable knowledge of practices for

sustainable management of natural resources
Culture and
Knowledge  Relation to and use of ancestral land is special
 Fundamental importance for collective physical
and cultural survival
 Hold diverse concepts of development

 Based on traditional values, visions, needs, and
priorities
 Despite their cultural differences, indigenous
peoples share common problems related to the
protection of their rights
 Lack of political representation and participation
Political  Mary Peltola –
Issues First Alaskan Native elected to Congress (9/13/22)

 Economic marginalization and poverty
Facing  Lack of access to social services
Indigenous  Discrimination
Peoples  Usurpation of land
 Collectively, these are human rights issues

 Strive for recognition of three key things:
Political 1. Their identities
Issues 2. Their ways of life
Facing 3. Their right to traditional lands, territories, and
natural resources
Indigenous
Peoples  Watch: Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters
 Often marginalized and discriminated against in
legal systems
Political  Vulnerable to violence and abuse
Issues
 Some people are attacked just for being
Facing
members of indigenous groups
Indigenous  Recent hate crime data show that people are
Peoples targeted just for being indigenous
 More on hate crimes here and here
 Indigenous people still face serious human rights
Types of violations daily
Human
 Violence, forced assimilation, and abuse are some of
Rights the most egregious violations (
Violations U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 202
2
Against )
Indigenous  Examples of violence/brutality can be found globally

Peoples  Most often in cases where indigenous people are
defending their land and territories
Types of  Stealing of land, resources, attempted ethnic
cleansing and genocides are also common
Human  Watch:
Rights How the U.S. stole thousands of Native American
children
Violations
Against  Indigenous women are slightly more likely to be
raped than other women (Murphy-Oikonen
Indigenous et al., 2022)
Peoples  Indigenous women are about 3x more likely to
face sexual violence than non-indigenous women
(UNOHCHR, 2022)
 Systemic racism
 Concerns about unnecessary questioning by police,
condescending attitudes of teachers, and stereotypes
Types of
Human  Criminalization of protest
 Frequently face detention due to the criminalization of
Rights social protests
Violations  Use of legislation to penalize and criminalize social

protests is one of the most serious violations of human
Against rights
Indigenous  Jailing and imprisonment of indigenous populations

Peoples also common
 Watch:
Australia’s indigenous people say they’re still suffering leg
acy of British colonialism
 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indi
genous Peoples
Protecting (2007)
Indigenous  Establishes the minimum standard for the
survival, dignity, and well-being of global
Peoples: indigenous populations
 Elaborates on existing human rights standards
United
 Emphasizes self-determination (group right) and
Nations self-governance
 144 votes in favor, 4 votes against, 11
abstentions
 American Declaration on the Rights of Indigeno
us Peoples (2016)
Protecting  Affirms the right of self-determination, education,
Indigenous health, self-government, culture, lands,
territories, and natural resources
Peoples:  Comprehensive, regional human rights
Organization instrument
 Addresses gender equality
of American  “States shall adopt the necessary measures, in
States conjunction with indigenous peoples, to prevent and
eradicate all forms of violence and discrimination,
particularly against indigenous women and
children.”
Recent
Violations of  Disputes over land, political participation,
Indigenous access to medical care and basic necessities
Peoples’  Observations on the State of Indigenous Human R
ights in the United States of America
Human
Rights in the  Read more here:
Indigenous Peoples and the 2020 Human Rights
U.S. Review of the U.S. during a Global Pandemic
 Worlds oldest regional organization (1889),
main political, judicial, and social governmental
forum
Resources:  Has granted permanent observer status to 69
Organization states and the EU
of American
 Purpose is to establish peace and justice,
States promote solidarity, strengthen collaboration,
and defend sovereignty, territorial integrity,
and independence of American nations
 35 independent American states are members

 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultur
al Organization
 Provide education and research on

key policy issues facing groups of people globally
Resources:
UNESCO  Place the needs of indigenous peoples in high
priority
 Work toward sustainable development and

environmental change
 Promote cultural and linguistic diversity

 Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Policy Re
search and Education
Resources:
Tebtebba  "Working for the respect, protection and fulfillment of
(Philippines) indigenous peoples’ rights and operationalization of
indigenous peoples’ self-determined sustainable
development”
 Emphasize research, education, training

Resources:  Connects and organizes local-global actors around a
common agenda guided by Indigenous, Afro-
Rights and descendant, and community organizations and their
allies
Resources
Initiative  Proactively engages governments and other
(RRI) organizations to adopt reforms that support the
rights of all
 Land rights

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Violations of Indigenous

People’s Human Rights

 What about beliefs and religion?

• Can you think of indigenous populations

Source: Amnesty International

 Possess invaluable knowledge of practices for

 Hold diverse concepts of development

Issues First Alaskan Native elected to Congress (9/13/22)

Peoples  Usurpation of land

 Collectively, these are human rights issues

Indigenous  Examples of violence/brutality can be found globally

Violations  Use of legislation to penalize and criminalize social

Indigenous  Jailing and imprisonment of indigenous populations

 35 independent American states are members

 Provide education and research on

 Work toward sustainable development and

 Promote cultural and linguistic diversity

 Emphasize research, education, training

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