3.4.6 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

How should contemporary society respond to the legacies of historical globalization?


Canada's Aboriginal people are not the only Indigenous people to have suffered the effects of imperialism.

Indigenous people around the world make up about 6% of the world's population. Often
marginalization
Marginalization occurs when a less dominant group picks up some of the habits and customs of the more dominant society, becoming incompletely assimilated and no longer belonging to any cultural group. A marginalized group of people are pushed out of the mainstream to the fringes of society.
marginalized because their
worldview
the way a people or members of a particular cultural group look at the world, originating from years of unique experiences

A worldview is like a pair of glasses. Everything one sees or thinks about is filtered through a worldview, which includes beliefs about everything.
worldviews are different from those of the dominant cultures, they face many challenges, including

  • preservation of their culture and language
  • land rights
  • control of natural resources
  • self-determination
  • poverty
  • health
  • racism

Because these issues affect people all over the world, the
United Nations (UN)
an international organization that describes itself as a "global association of governments facilitating co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity"

The United Nations organization was founded in 1945 by 51 countries, and today includes 191 nations, almost every country in the world.
United Nations made an international statement about Aboriginal people. It is not legally binding, but it does establish a standard for nations to follow.
Image by Marcello Cabal Jr,
Used with permission
from Agencia Brasil

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in August 1994.

  • Affirming that Indigenous peoples are equal in dignity and rights to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such,

  • Affirming also that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of humankind,

  • Affirming further that all doctrines, policies, and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin, racial, religious, ethnic, or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable, and socially unjust,

  • Reaffirming also that Indigenous peoples, in the exercise of their rights, should be free from discrimination of any kind, concerned that Indigenous peoples have been deprived of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, resulting... in their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories, and resources, thus preventing them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with their own needs and interests,

  • Recognizing the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent rights and characteristics of Indigenous peoples, especially their rights to their lands, territories, and resources, which derive from their political, economic, and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories, and philosophies,

  • Welcoming the fact that Indigenous peoples are organizing themselves for political, economic, social, and cultural enhancement and to bring an end to all forms of discrimination and oppression wherever they occur,

  • Considering that control by Indigenous peoples over developments affecting them and their lands, territories, and resources will enable them to maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures, and traditions and to promote their development in accordance with their aspirations and needs,

  • Recognizing also that respect for Indigenous knowledge, cultures, and traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment,

  • Emphasizing the need for demilitarization of the lands and territories of Indigenous peoples, which will contribute to peace, economic, and social progress and development, understanding, and friendly relations among nations and peoples of the world,

  • Recognizing in particular the right of Indigenous families and communities to retain shared responsibility for the upbringing, training, education, and well-being of their children,

  • Recognizing also that Indigenous peoples have the right freely to determine their relationships with states in a spirit of coexistence, mutual benefit, and full respect,

  • Considering that treaties, agreements, and other arrangements between states and Indigenous peoples are properly matters of international concern and responsibility,

  • Acknowledging that the Charter of the United Nations, the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirm the fundamental importance of the right of self-determination of all peoples, by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development,

  • Bearing in mind that nothing in this Declaration may be used to deny any peoples their right of self-determination,

  • Encouraging states to comply with and effectively implement all international instruments, in particular those related to human rights, as they apply to Indigenous peoples, in consultation and cooperation with the peoples concerned,

  • Emphasizing that the United Nations has an important and continuing role in promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples,

  • Believing that this Declaration is a further important step forward for the recognition, promotion, and protection of the rights and freedoms of Indigenous peoples and in the development of relevant activities of the United Nations system in this field,....

You can read the entire resolution here.