International Borders: The Rights of Mother Earth and Indigenous Peoples

From UNPFII 9th session report 2010:

98. The Permanent Forum recommends that the Governments of Canada and the United States address the border issues, such as those related to the Mohawk Nation and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, by taking effective measures to implement article 36 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which states that indigenous peoples divided by international borders have the right to maintain and develop contacts, relations and cooperation with their own members as well as other peoples across borders.

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From Blue Lake NAIPC recommendations:

Doctrine of Discovery

1.     Mindful of the Report on UNPFII-9, E/2010/43-E/C.19/2010/15 (19 May 2010), and its acknowledgement of the Preliminary study of the impact on Indigenous Peoples of the international legal construct known as the Doctrine of Discovery, E/C.19/2010/13, (4 February 2010), by Special Rapporteur Tonya Gonnella Frichner, the NAIPC reiterates its call for additional attention, study and documentation of the racist and genocidal doctrine of Christian discovery, and the manner in which the doctrine of Christian discovery has been constructed, elaborated, applied and extended in law, policy, socio-cultural practices, through both secular and religious practices, and to set the stage for its eradication and reversal as a fundamental element of colonialism and imperialism. 

2.     We repeat and support the recommendation UNPFII-9 calling for the special theme for UNPFII-11 (2012) to be “The Doctrine of Discovery” and “its enduring impact on Indigenous Peoples and the right to redress for past conquests (Articles 28 and 57 of UNDRIP).” The NAIPC supports the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur to expand this study to include a global review of this doctrine and call upon other indigenous caucuses to discuss and prepare studies documenting the impacts in their regions. The NAIPC  also calls on UNPFII-10 to take into consideration the recommendations of the Regional Hearing on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery on Indigenous Peoples, held on March 14, 2011 in Pueblo Grande, Phoenix and the upcoming hearings in Mexico and India.  The NAIPC supports the recommendation by the Special Rapporteur that an international expert group meeting be convened to discuss the findings and implications of the preliminary study of the Doctrine of Discovery, and to present its findings to the next UNPFII  session. Further study and review will be needed to ascertain to what extent and how the Doctrine of Discovery and the framework of domination are applied to Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.

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NAFTA

We call on the International Labor Organization (ILO) to conduct a  study and submit a report to the UNPFII on the implications and relevancy of the Preliminary Study on the Doctrine of Discovery as relates to ILO Convention 169 and its application in the regional economy North America, with particular focus on the specific human rights violations institutionalized by the economic policies of the NAFTA countries (Canada-USA-Mexico) and their international borders, utilizing the UNDRIP as a fundamental standard to design the methodology for such study.

NAHUACALLI
Embassy of Indigenous Peoples
www.nahuacalli.org

POHUALTLAHTOYAN
http://www.nahuacalli.org/Pohualtlahtoyan.html