United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples
12th Session May 18-31, 2013
Collective Statement by TONATIERRA, Maya Vision,
Centro Cultural Techantit, Seventh Generation Fund, Abya Yala Caucus
EDUCATION
Good
Greetings members of the Permanent Forum, and congratulations once again to you
Mr. Chairman for your nomination. I
join with the voices of many who are especially pleased to see a representative
of the Indigenous Peoples of Africa to direct the agenda of our conversation
among states, Indigenous Peoples, and the global community which is not only
being realized here on floor of the Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples, but
broadcast across the planet with the communication technologies now at our
disposal.
Implementation of a planetary system of
geo-spatial capacity and interactivity that would bring to effectiveness the
necessary mechanisms of geographic and cosmetric mapping systems of the Natural
World, beyond the intellectual constraints of colonialism (The Doctrine of
Discovery) and the derivative regimes of domination, in order to serve as a
platform of exchange, cognition, and education with purpose: To defend and
protect the Human Rights of the Future Generations and the Integrity of Mother
Earth and the Traditional Territories of the Original Nations of Indigenous Peoples.
As
you note, I do determine and chose to identify this conversation as a dialogue
with dual mandate, that of the
member States of the UN system and the voice of the Nations of Indigenous Peoples who birthed this initiative forty
years ago when the Chiefs of Wounded Knee, the Independent Oglala Nation
where sent here, to this very institution of global governance in order to
remind the conscience of humanity of our continued existence as Nations of
Indigenous Peoples with Treaties of
International import that bring evidence of the Nationhood of our Indigenous Peoples, treaties which continue to
provide the fundamental context for this dialogue.
In
review, it is with this very purpose, and under this very same context, with
which we deliver this message today.
In
terms of Honor, Respect and Education, may I also say that it would
greatly please my people of the Izkaloteka, to be able to be assured that in
addressing the diverse representatives of Indigenous Peoples here assembled
from around the world, that we may become educated to the actual name of their
homelands and continents of Mother Earth, as we exchange with each other in our
interventions and dialogue. Is Africa the Indigenous geographic term
for the homeland of humanity, the continent of origin whose cultural roots precedes
by millennia the impositions of colonialism? With the adoption of UN GA1514 in 1960 and the adoption in
2007 of the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples, and in terms of the dual mandates regarding Education which brings us together here
today, these geographic concepts and systems of knowledge must now once again
be re-evaluated in terms of cognitive sciences and the Right of Self
Determination of Indigenous Peoples, Equal to all other Peoples.
It
is said that the power to name is the power to destroy, and it was also said
“Language is the perfect instrument of Empire.”
In the Age of Abya Yala, today
- may we now say that as we move forward out of the Age of Colonialism and
through the dawn of 144,000 days of
accountability that began once again on December 21, 2012 (Gregorian), as Nations of Indigenous Peoples of this
continent Abya Yala upon which this
building stands: We greet you once again as relatives who meet together in the House of Mica.
This
message is to the purpose of review. The
need for a comprehensive International Study on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery remains as an unfulfilled
mandate that must be addressed and corrected.
We continue to support the call made to move forward into an
international study on this issue with a Special Rapporteur to be assigned and
a full report with recommendations to be produced by the UN Permanent Forum.
Additionally Among other actions regarding the Special Theme of the Doctrine of Discovery specified at last year’s
session of the Permanent Forum, the recommendation
was made in the report of that session that “States include in all education curricula, in particular the
school system, a discussion of the doctrine of discovery/dispossession and its contemporary
manifestations, including land laws and policies of removal.”
Mr. President and members of the Permanent
Forum,
I am here now presenting to the this body the
digital archive of the two day International Conference realized in the Akimel
O’otham Territories last April 19-20, 2013 which was themed “DISMANTLING the Doctrine of Discovery” and which actually implemented the recommendation made
by this body last year on this subject.
This event was organized by a Continental
Alliance of Indigenous Nations of Abya Yala and was hosted by the Human
Rights and Social Justice Program of the University of Arizona. As the local-regional,
continental-global process of DISMANTLING
of the Doctrine of Discovery moves forward, may we recommend that the
Permanent Forum recognize the establishment of this Abya Yala Caucus as a necessary decolonization structure in terms of Education as referred to in previous
sessions of this body. In review, the
dissemination of this unique development as a practice that may best hope to foster
new forms and ways to further education and dissemination of information
concerning the Indigenous Peoples communities and organizations, using radio
programmes, publications and other appropriate cultural and educational media
is called for by the mandate of the Permanent Forum.
We also now remind
the Permanent Forum, in the same manner that we also reminded the entire United
Nations system in 1973, of the Forum recommendation that funds, programmes and
organizations of the United Nations system assign appropriate resources and
funds to achieve these objectives.
DISMANTLING
The Doctrine of Discovery
The Doctrine of Discovery
www.dismantlingdoctrineofdiscovery.org
 |
| Ana Maria Guacho Orozco Kichwa Puruha |
*******
The willful and premeditated crime against Humanity and the Rights of
Mother Earth that results in the destruction of the capacity of Earth
to
be a Mother to the Future Generations.
*******
Presentor:
Tupac Enrique Acosta
Huehuecoyotl
WWW.TONATIERRA.ORG
