Rights of Indigenous communities
What are Indigenous rights?
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared that “The close ties of Indigenous Peoples have to the land must be recognised and understood as the fundamental basis of their cultures, their spiritual life, their integrity, and their economic survival. For indigenous communities, relations to the land are not merely a matter of possession and production but a material and spiritual element which they must fully enjoy, even to preserve their cultural legacy and transmit it to future generations” (cited in United Nations, 2013, p. 6).
The rights to the land where Indigenous communities live and the natural resources on that land reflect the essential quality of the communities’ way of life and protect their ability to live in natural surroundings and territories such as in hills, mountains, riverine areas, deserts and coastal areas.
Source: United Nations. (2013). Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations human rights system. Fact Sheet No. 9/Rev. 2. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/fs9Rev.2.pdf
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the result of almost 25 years of collaboration between United Nations Member States and Indigenous Peoples from around the world. Indigenous leaders from Canada played a significant role in its development, including drafting and negotiating the contents of the declaration document.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act created a robust, action-oriented framework to advance the federal implementation of the Declaration in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous peoples. Watch the video The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Explained by the Department of Justice Canada.
Activity
- Speak to your village community members about Indigenous rights that they have heard about or know about. Write what they tell you in your journal.
- Try to arrange a visit to a nearby tribal group or Indigenous community to learn about their Indigenous rights and the importance of those rights. Take notes during your discussions.
