TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NEED FOR AN AMERICAN DECLARATION
Next week, indigenous leaders from the Americas will gather in Washington, D.C. to negotiate on key provisions of the draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Indian Law Resource Center has supported indigenous leaders in the negotiation process for three decades. We strongly urge the Organization of American States (OAS) and its member states to commit to the adoption of a strong American Declaration by actively engaging in negotiations on April 18-20, 2012.
Why we need a strong American Declaration
- To affirm our right of self-determination, rights to lands, territories and natural resources and more.
This negotiating session will include the right to self-government (Article XX) and traditional forms of property and cultural survival, rights to land, territory, and resources (Article XXIV).
- To help stop and guard against human rights violations occurring in the Americas right now.
The American Declaration would allow tribes to enforce their rights through the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court.
- To recognize and address the particular regional issues in the Americas not included in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The American Declaration could provide stronger or additional protections, for instance, addressing subsurface rights or rights of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation or initial contact.
The OAS and member countries, especially the United States and Canada, must actively participate in negotiations and commit to the adoption of a strong American Declaration.
ACT NOW for a strong American Declaration
Write a letter to the U.S. Ambassador to the OAS urging the U.S. to support a strong American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Address the letter to:
Her Excellency Carmen Lomellin, Ambassador, U.S. Permanent Mission to the OAS
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Room 5914
Washington, D.C. 20515
Or send it by fax to (202) 647-0911 or (202) 647-6973.
Participate in the upcoming OAS negotiation session on the draft American Declaration.
Check our website for updates on the negotiations and information on how you can get more involved in the future.
Learn more
For more information regarding the American Declaration and the OAS negotiations, please contact Leonardo Crippa at the Indian Law Resource Center at dcoffice@indianlaw.org, or visit www.indianlaw.org or www.facebook.com/indianlawresourcecenter.
Photos from previous negotiation sessions
