[Marxism] FW: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED ONLY SMALL GAINS IN PAST DECADE: UN EXPERT

["Craven, Jim" <JCraven@xxxxxxxxx>]

September 23, 2004

This article is an important document to be circulated within the local
governing systems of B.C. Canada. As an Indigenous sovereign, Bear Clan
of Maxan Lake, clan mother and earth warrior of this only unceded
province of Cananda, I have a few words to add to this important
statment.

In the past few years, I have been a human rights defender under IHRAAM:
International Human Rights Association of American Minorites. An
International NGO in consultative status with the United Nations. IHRAAM
serves as an umbrella organization to facilitate and coordinate the
efforts of individuals, minorities and community organizations to gain
access to international law and its enforcement mechanisms.

In addition to Consultative Status with ECOSOC, IHRAAM also holds
Associate Status with the UN Department of Public Information, and
Observer Status with The African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights
and several other international organizations. 

IHRAAM was founded in 1985 at The Hague Academy of International Law in
the Netherlands by African American students. It was incorporated in
1988 in Chicago, in 1996 in London,  and in 1997 in Canada.

"I cannot imagine how difficult and futile (HRC review of state reports
under the ICCPR) would be if we did not have the active cooperation of
NGOs like yours. I only hope that the International Human Rights
Association of American Minorities will continue to work with the Human
Rights Committee in the protection of Human Rights worldwide."
Francisco Jose Aguilar-Urbina, Chairman, Human Rights Committee, United
Nations.

"The Office of the High Commissioner for Human RIghts and the Center of
Human Rights attach great importance to the protection of minority
groups in all countries. In this regard, we encourage IHRAAM's efforts
to promote and protect the fundamental human rights of African-Americans
in the United Sates. My office and the Centre stand fully prepared to
provide you with all the necessary information and mechanisms available
to the United Nations human rights system."  Jose Ayala-Lasso, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights letter to IHRAAM, October 5, 1995. 

IHRAAM's initiatives constitute a very important contribution to the
mobilisation that the crusade for the respect of human rights implies."
El Hadj Amadou Niang, Conseiller Juridigue, African Commission on Human
& People's Rights, The Gambia.

>From Telquaa:

 Since I have been an IHRAAM representative for the past two years, I
have heard and seen so much, and I have felt the plight of many
Indigenous women from throughout the province, that it seems that no one
knows fully well, what HUMAN RIGHTS really is. This past decade of
Indigenous people, has put so many of our indigenous people into their
graves, evicted and relocated so many  more. The streets of Vancouver is
littered with our indigenous people, who once owned lands and traplines,
in their respective territories. The prisons are also holding captive,
many indigenous people of BC, which makes them Prisoners Of War. AS this
illegal treaty process is the cause of many of these problems. The so
called treaty chiefs are the only ones gaining with greed, through this
illegal treaty process. Meanwhile, many Indigenous women and children go
missing/murdered, of which many were land holders, trapline holders,
holders of indigenous names to their territories. The ind! igenous women
who are alive, and trying desperately to protect their young women and
children, are threatened with their life, their homes, and their welfare
cheques, if they are caught speaking out. Indigenous women are being
raped at an alarming rate, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, do
nothing about the rapists. In the end, no one, is charged with the rapes
and murders, but the number of missing/murdered indigenous women is
rising. In the interior of BC, between Prince George and Prince Rupert,
it is now dubbed "the highway of tears" as this is where there has been
so many missing/murdered indigenous women. 

In the past few days, an RCMP officer has been at my doorstep, to do an
investigation about a white girl that has been missing/murdered, on "the
highway of tears", whose name is Nicole Hoar. Only because I have been
doing my own investigation on all these missing women, that my name came
up. Now I am a part of this investigation because I mentioned Nicole's
name. If they can hunt me down because I mentioned her name to someone
in Prince George, why can't they hunt down the culprits who did this
murder. My question to this officer was "why is Nicoles case of such
importance to the authorities, when there is also so many
missing/murdered indigenous women and children also, in this area. His
answer was "because Nicoles family has been pushing them to find her
murderer." I asked "is the parents of the missing indigenous women and
children not pushing as hard to find their missing family members" and
"why aren't they just as important". He would not answer that question.
In ot! her words if Nicole Hoar, who is a white girl, did not go
missing/murdered, there would be no investigations at all, on the
'Highway of Tears' regarding the missing/murdered indigenous women. 

Since the 'Decade of Indigenous Peoples' began over ten years ago, a
famous court case started also, the so called Gitzsan/Wetsuweten Land
Claims court case. In fact this area is now dubbed the 'highway of
tears' where indigenous women have gone missing, much the same time, as
this famous land claims court case began, over ten years ago. It makes
me wonder, if there is a connection. I have noticed so many grave sites
have sprung up, withing the past ten years, and mostly along this
"highway of tears" area. During this time also, I have had to bury so
many of my own family members, for my speaking out on these very issues.
I took it on for myself, to figure out what human rights violations are,
and to make things right for everyone. As I found out that my family and
myself, have human rights protections, under international laws.
Locally, the authorities and many people in power, were constantly
violating my rights and my familys rights. Even more so, w! e now have
Indigenous peoples human rights, of which no one, in power here cares
about. 

Yesterday, we were at family night, at the Vancouver Indian Centre,
where many of our family members meet, every wednesday night. It is
called the West coast family night, where we do networking, and make
sure the different family members are okey. As it is, the Vancouver
Indian centre is the only place in the lower mainland, that we as
Indigenous people can meet, as there is no other place in Vancouver,
where we are allowed to meet. It seems that we are discriminated against
because we are indigenous people from B.C. As people of BC, we are being
forced off the premises of the indian centre, because we are standing up
and protecting our elders rights. AS the elders group could only work
out of the indian centre. In the past few months, these elders have been
pushed around, laughed at, and intimidated, and harrassed, by the very
person who is suppose to take care of them. This person is suppose to
cook a meal for the elders, and distribute the food bank amongst the e!
lders, and take care of the elders, so they could get involved in  out
side projects. The head person of the elders group, said that there was
a bunch of salmon, that was donated, to the elders group. That they had
a freezer full of donated fish. Yet, they choose to starve the elders
group, and say snobish remarks about the salmon, such as "the stinking
fish". As indigenous people of BC, we are used to having meals of fish,
served to us. Our people lived on fish for thousands of years, and have
never gotten tired of it. The elders group are, also barred from using
the kitchen at their free will. Many of us were already forced off our
sacred lands, by the illegal treaty process, now "they" are trying to
force us out of our only meeting place, in the only place left for us to
go to, which is the Vancouver Indian Centre. Other than this, we have
nothing. For many, this indian centre, is the only place, some poorer
familys can g! et a good meal to eat or to adopt another elderly person,
to fulf ill their close family ties that was shattered by the past
residential schools syndrome years. 

The younger indigenous people, choose to rally and protest about the
wronged being done to them and their sacred lands. They rally about
being homeless, landless, their sacred lands becoming polluted, their
waters being polluted and lands being destroyed, by multi-national
corporations. The governments do nothing to help the Indigenous people
of BC, Canada. The prisons are full of young indigenous people, mostly
from BC. Many are imprisoned for things they did not commit, and the
real murders and rapists walk free. At family night, we were confronted
by the youth of vancouver, to see if we could attend their protest
rally, the next day, regarding "sun peaks ski resort". We agreed we
would be there. Today, is here now, and we could not make it to this
rally. As we were going  into Vancouver to attend this rally, we were
hauled over by the Chilliwack Royal Canadian Mounted Police. What a
coincidence. As we did not have a valid dr! ivers license, we were told
to park our vehicle at the gas station, until we could get a valid
driver. In their past tactics, toward us, the police have stacked up
motor vehicle violation tickets, onto both of us, so we could never
again get a valid drivers license. Without a drivers license, as a
disabled person, I could not go into the city to see my doctors or
dentist. Which is another violation of my very human rights. As it is, I
was disabled by one of their own, by them running my vehicle off the
road, which left me half paralized. This accident happened, four years
ago. With this, their harrassment and intimidation toward my family, has
not ceased. The police tactic of adding up motor vehicle violations
tickets, toward the indigenous people of this only unceded province,
makes many indigenous familys, go hungary. Starvation is torture. We
told this policeman, that he was in violation of our international human
rights and he was also viol! ating the Canadian Bill of Rights and in
violation of our Indigenous h uman rights. Eventually, he let us go, and
we drove away. We drove home, instead of going to the protest rally.
Otherwise, I would of had to drive my electric scooter, the twenty
miles, to get home, if they decided to tow my vehicle away. We are human
rights defenders, we are not criminals yet we are treated as criminals. 



From: "UN News Service" <UNNews@xxxxxx> 
Reply-To: <UNNews@xxxxxx> 
To: <news5@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
Subject: INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED ONLY SMALL GAINS IN PAST DECADE:
UN EXPERT 
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 18:00:21 -0400 
 
 INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED ONLY SMALL GAINS IN PAST DECADE: UN
EXPERT 
New York, Sep 23 2004  6:00PM 
The International Decade of the World's Indigenous People brought only
modest achievements, and indigenous people continue to endure
below-average living standards, unequal access to justice and the loss
of traditional territories, the United Nations official charged with
spotlighting their human rights says. 
 
In a report to the General Assembly, Special Rapporteur Rodolfo
Stavenhagen said the
<"http://www.un.org/rights/indigenous/mediaadv.html";>International
Decade - which ended this year - had not ended the history of human
rights violations against indigenous people. 
 
While there have been some advances at the national level, such as the
introduction of favourable legislation, Mr. Stavenhagen reports,
discrimination is still common in local communities. 
 
Negotiations on a draft UN declaration on the rights of indigenous
peoples also remain deadlocked, nine years after a working group was set
up to achieve agreement. 
 
"Indigenous peoples the world over are usually among the most
marginalized and dispossessed sectors of society, because they suffer
discrimination and face prejudices that are often perpetuated within
societies. Despite the existence of protective legislation, the rights
of indigenous peoples are very often denied in practice," he says. 
 
He calls on the General Assembly to consider proclaiming a second decade
on indigenous rights so that existing gains can be consolidated and more
attention can be focused to the issue. 
 
Mr. Stavenhagen finds that access to land and natural resources is a key
cause of discontent, as indigenous communities have to make way for
economic projects such as large dams. The communities are evicted or
forced to re-settle elsewhere, and are often unable to find a
replacement source of livelihood. 
 
Moreover, he   adds, displacing indigenous people from their ancestral
lands can have shattering effects on the social fabric of their
communities. 
 
Turning to issues of justice, the Special Rapporteur says not enough
countries make an effort to integrate customary indigenous law into
their legal systems, alienating indigenous groups and depriving them of
some measure of self-determination. 
 
While some States have moved to protect regional, minority or indigenous
languages, just as many others have not, and are particularly unlikely
to design their educational system and syllabus around the concerns of
indigenous people. 
 
 Mr. Stavenhagen has been Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people since 2001. 
  2004-09-23 00:00:00.000 
 
________________ 
 
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news 
 
To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: 
http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml 

________________________________

_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism