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Current Initiatives
Projects may last 1 - 15 years or be ongoing. Resources are needed to provide legal advice and representation, trainings, publications and travel.Each Project may cost between $20,000 - $150,000 annually.
Environmental Protection_______________________________________
The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council seeks to formulate plans and strategies to address clean-up and protection issues throughout the Yukon watershed for environmental sustainability. The Center is providing legal assistance to the newly developed Kuskokwim River Watershed Council to enable the 29 Alaska Native villages to protect the environmental integrity of the river and to maintain their traditional subsistence fishing and hunting lifestyle.
Mining on the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation left two open-pit mines, inadequate reclamation, and pollution. The Center is providing legal representation to the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes in their fight for environmental justice and clean up of the contamination caused by gold mines.
Protection of the environment is enormously important to Indian and Alaska Native nations. Yet collaboration between native peoples and conservation organizations is often impeded because conservationists lack information about native nations and their resources. The Center is writing and will publish a reference handbook to help those in the conservation community understand the resource and land rights, the cultural customs and practices relating to Native lands and environments, and the political structures and processes of Indian and Alaska native nations.
Some of our most important legal work is to help Indian and Alaska native nations protect and sometimes regain their homelands. The Center is working to ensure that the Mohawk and Onondaga nations are afforded equality before the law in their land claims cases to recover a part of their homelands in New York State that was taken from them in violation of federal law.
A nickel mine and plans to put indigenous lands into "protected area" are forcing Maya Q'eqchi communities near El Estor, Guatemala to battle for their lands and subsurface resources. The Center is working to secure a decision from the inter-American system that compels the Guatemala government to respect the Maya Q'eqchi's rights to their historic lands and the subsurface minerals and stop the nickel mining.
Human Rights________________________________________________
Native women are being denied one of the most basic human rights: the right to be safe from violence. One in three will be raped in her lifetime; four in five will be victims of a violent assault. The Center is providing training and legal advice to leading Native women organizations and tribal governments on how they can collaborate with state and federal officials to overcome jurisdictional barriers for increased reporting of violent crimes; increase investigation and prosecution of violent crimes; and reduce barriers to policing, initial response, and prosecution of violent crimes against Native women.
Native American leaders today are searching for alternatives for failed domestic legal efforts. International human rights processes are seen as important strategies for protecting human rights. Unfortunately, few Indian and Alaska leaders have the information they need to use these mechanisms. The Center is training indigenous leaders on how to promote and defend their human rights, to use human rights law to change domestic law, and to use their political power to change policies concerning respect for international human rights law.
Law Reform__________________________________________________
Today federal law concerning Indian and Alaska native land is terribly unjust and inconsistent with the constitution and basic American values. The Center is challenging unjust federal laws by working with tribal leaders and lawyers to develop, and disseminate a set of 17 legal principles based on the U.S. constitution, treaties with Indians, international law and widely accepted, fundamental principles of fairness to replace the current set of discriminating and unjust laws.
Indigenous communities, lands and environments are often adversely affected by projects financed by multilateral development banks (MDBs), and claim that they are not legally obligated to promote and protect human rights. The Center is providing legal assistance and training to Indian communities and organizations so that they can protect their environments and communitites from harmful MDB funded projects. We are collaborating with Indian leaders to compel MDBs to abide by legal rules for protecting the environment and human rights, and to improve MDB policies on environmental protection and human rights.
Indian and Alaska Natives continue to strive for recognition of their human rights: the right to exist as distinct peoples and cultures, the right to be free from discrimination and forced assimilation, the right of self-determination, and other essential rights. The Center has a leading role in the drafting and negotiation process for the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, just as we did in the draft and adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We give legal advice and training to leaders to ensure they have a voice in the negotiation of their rights with the Organization of American States.
For more than a century, congress has confiscated land and a fund of money belonging to the tribes. Currently gold is mined extensively throughout most of the area taken from the tribes, damaging sacred sites and water resources. The Center is representing the Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Council in a case to challenge Congress' power to take or control Indian property and funds without compensation.
Full descriptions of initiatives are available at Projects.
Equipment Need______________ ___________
Interpretation equipment is a critical component to effectively facilitate communication between indigenous leaders from Mexico, Central and South America with key allies, officials and programs at the international level. $5,000 will provide funds for a complete translation system:
Body Pack Transmitter
Receivers
Earpiece
Headset Mic.
Travel Case