Indigenous hunger strike at United Nations

Posted: December 03, 2004

by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today

GENEVA - Representing the indigenous of the world, Dene, Yaqui, French Guyana, Oglala Tetuwan, Seminole and Zapoteca carried out a hunger strike at the United Nations as they pressed for a declaration of indigenous rights that would truly safeguard the Earth and future generations of indigenous peoples.

''Indigenous people are fasting with us all over the world. We've received over 700 messages of solidarity,'' said Andrea Carmen, Yaqui, executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council, in Geneva.

In a telephone interview with Indian Country Today, as indigenous concluded their hunger strike on the fourth day, Dec. 2, Carmen said it was important for indigenous around the world to move forward in solidarity and unity in order to ensure indigenous rights for future generations.

Lakota elders concluded the hunger strike and spiritual fast with a ceremony, inside the United Nations during the 10th session of the Intersessional Working Group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Carmen said, ''The Russian Federation asked the chairman to throw us out on the first day and objected to the Lakota prayer song.''

However, the working group chairman honored their right to carry out the hunger strike and Lakota elders, accompanying Charmaine White Face, coordinator of the Defenders of the Black Hills in South Dakota, carried out the prayers.

''Our message of human rights for indigenous is not recognized here, countries are trying to dilute indigenous rights. The United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand are the main offenders,'' Carmen said.

Carrying out the hunger strike were Adelard Blackman, Buffalo River Dene Nation, Canada; Andrea Carmen, Yaqui Nation, Arizona United States; Alexis Tiouka, Kali?a, French Guyana; Charmaine White Face, Ogala Tetuwan, Sioux Nation Territory, North America; Danny Billie, Traditional Independent Seminole Nation of Florida, United States and Saul Vicente, Zapoteca, Mexico.

The hunger strike coincided with discussions over the adoption of a UN declaration on the rights of 300 million Native peoples threatened by loss of land, environmental racism, toxic dumping, globalization and theft of mineral and water rights.

In a joint statement, delivered to the UN as they ended their fast, the group said, ''Brothers and sisters, we are in this great house but it is not our house. We are in a palace where documents are written for peoples but not for our indigenous peoples. They open doors for us to enter but they close their ears and hearts.

''What can we do? We can do many things, even a hunger strike. But there is one thing we should never do - we should never, never give up our rights.''

The strikers called on fellow indigenous around the world to ensure that their rights are never ''negotiated, compromised or diminished.

''Through this ceremony we offered our profound thanks for the many positive outcomes of this action, which far exceeded our expectations. We also offered our prayers for the many peoples, organizations and individuals that supported us and provided assistance. This support was vital to the success of our efforts and made this small sacrifice worthwhile,'' the group on hunger strike said.

In the drawn out and tangled process of establishing the language of the draft declaration, indigenous say too little progress has been made. A draft text adopted 10 years ago by a UN sub-commission, which established a minimum standard for protection, is being diluted, indigenous strikers said.

Meanwhile, 80 percent of indigenous peoples in 70 countries live below the poverty line, while their land and resources are stolen and exploited.

When the hunger strike began on Nov. 29, the security of the UN met with them and decided that the strikers could stay inside the plenary room, even though the Russian Federation expressed disagreement with the action.

However, Chairman of the Working Group Luis Chavez did not object to the continued presence of the indigenous hunger strikers in the room. Chavez recognized their right to carry out the strike.

In response, indigenous on the hunger strike said, ''We, as indigenous peoples' delegates from different countries, undertook this action, with the support and solidarity of indigenous peoples and organizations from around the world, to call the world's attention to the continued attempts by some states, as well as this UN process itself, to weaken and undermine the Draft Declaration developed in the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations and adopted by the UN Sub Commission for the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,'' the group said.

''We have decided to end our hunger strike and spiritual fast for the rights of indigenous peoples in response to an appeal by the representative of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Vice President of the UN Commission on Human Rights who have met with us, listened to us with open minds and hearts, and responded to our concerns with proposals that offered from our point of view, concrete and positive steps forward. They requested that we end this action because most of our immediate objectives have been accomplished.''

United Nations officials offered to continue to work with indigenous to ensure that the rights of indigenous peoples are protected and fully recognized.

''They also share our concern that the voices of the indigenous peoples of the world, especially the grassroots peoples in our communities, must be taken into account in this process of adoption of a Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples.''

Carmen said, ''We were surprised at how supportive they were at the United Nations.''

But Carmen said it was more difficult fasting at the United Nations when compared to fasting in a ceremony with family and friends. ''There is a lot of tension and negative energy here,'' she said of the United Nations in Geneva.

''We encourage everyone who has made their position known as a result of this action to continue to monitor the situation regarding the UN draft declaration, especially the position of the countries in which they live,'' the hunger strikers said.

The text of the draft declaration was to be approved the first week of December by a working group of delegates from member states and representatives from indigenous countries. Then, it would proceed to be formally adopted by the UN Human Rights Commission next year. Finally, it would be submitted to the UN General Assembly to become a resolution.

The International Indian Treaty Council said in a statement, ''The Commission on Human Rights must establish a process that does not provide a handful of states an opportunity to weaken the human rights of indigenous peoples. The process also must take into account the voices of the great numbers of indigenous peoples from all parts of the world.

''We will not allow our rights to be negotiated, compromised or diminished in this UN process, which was initiated more than 20 years ago by indigenous peoples. The United Nations itself says that human rights are inherent and inalienable, and must be applied to all peoples without discrimination.''