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In 2002, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a decision stating that the United States is violating the Danns’ (Western Shoshone) human rights by its claims of ownership to their traditional lands. After winning this victory in the Inter-American system, the Center continued to represent Carrie Dann before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights concerning the refusal of the...

On March 10, 2006 in Geneva Switzerland, in an historic and strongly worded decision by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) the United States was urged 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...

Updated Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee Regarding the United States Compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsIndian Law Resource Center (June 2006) Testimony Before the United Nations Human Rights CommitteeLucy Simpson (March 13, 2006) Elements of Federal Indian Law in the United States: An Analysis of Legal Roots of Racism.Briefing Paper for March 2006...

World Conference on Indigenous Peoples Launches New Chapter in International Advocacy The United Nations General assembly adopted, by consensus, an outcome document at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples Sept. 22, 2014 in New York City. The outcome document includes establishment of a mechanism to monitor and encourage implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, measures...

In October 2004, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued its final decision in a case we filed in 1998 on behalf of the Maya of Southern Belize. The Commission affirmed that the Government of Belize is violating the human rights of the Maya communities by failing to protect their rights to property, equality, and a fair trial. The Commission...

1. U.S. law treats federally recognized tribes differently from other indigenous groups in the United States. Is this practice consistent with the Declaration? The United States' process for recognizing Indian and Alaska Native tribes is, as a general matter, consistent with the UN Declaration. There are various definitions of indigenous peoples that are widely accepted in the international community and...

Our many years of work with the Independent Traditional Seminole Nation of Florida has culminated in a unique intersection of human rights and environmental protection. Several years ago, the traditional Seminoles were forced off of their ceremonial grounds because of agriculture development. The Center made a commitment to help this unique traditional community maintain their culture and their ceremonies, and...

For many years, the Center has worked with the indigenous communities of Nicaragua for demarcation of their lands and to stop widespread, destructive logging in their territories by others. Our work culminated in a precedent-setting ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights stating that 1) the Awas Tingni Indian community in Nicaragua has collective rights to their traditional lands...

In its April 26, 1999 ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the National Park Service’s accommodations of American Indian religious practices at Devils Tower National Monument ( see full text of decision). In March of 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the plaintiffs appeal of the 10th Circuit ruling, thus upholding the appellate court’s...