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THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE

UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES
May 12 To 23, 2014
UN Headquarters, New York

STATEMENT OF THE
NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS


Agenda Item 3:

Thank you Nauame Chaii. The Noith Ameiican Inuigenous Peoples' Caucus extenus oui
congiatulations to you on youi election as Chaii of the Peimanent Foium anu look foiwaiu
to woiking unuei youi leaueiship.

As co-chaii, I am honoieu to give this statement on behalf of the Noith Ameiican
Inuigenous Peoples' Caucus. The Noith Ameiican Inuigenous Peoples Caucus (NAIPC) met
on Naich 1
st
anu 2nu, 2u14 at Thompson Riveis 0niveisity, in the tiauitional teiiitoiy of
the Secwepemclcw Nation. The meeting was hosteu by the Shuswap Nation Tiibal
Council anu Neskonlith Inuian Banu. The NAIPC meeting was attenueu by ovei 9u
iepiesentatives fiom 41 Inuigenous Peoples' Nations anu oiganizations

The Inuigenous Peoples' iepiesentatives attenuing the NAIPC gatheiing took note of the
fact that the 1S
th
session of the 0N Peimanent on Inuigenous Issues is auuiessing the
funuamental iight of self-ueteimination. We pieface oui inteivention by stating that we
aie the oiiginally fiee anu inuepenuent nations of uieat Tuitle Islanu, anu we have oui own
laws given to us by the Cieatoi, which, thiough oui oial tiauitions instiuct us to live in a
spiiitual mannei with all living things. 0ui oiiginal self-ueteimination is the iight of oui
nations to exist fiee fiom all patteins of colonization anu uomination which aie cloakeu by
states in the euphemistic language of "goou goveinance" anu "ieconciliation."

This NAIPC inteivention highlights oui iecommenuations, numbeis 11 to 28, extiacteu
fiom the full NAIPC Repoit, which can be founu on the 0NPFII website as Confeience Room
Papei 2.

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EEF Theie was uiscussion aiounu conceins ielateu to the use of "teiiitoiial integiity" in
Aiticle Foity Six of the 0N Beclaiation. 0ne eluei spoke to the iefusal of membei
states of the 0niteu Nations to iecognize oui nations as nations. Be consiueieu it
necessaiy foi the membei states to iecognize oui nations. Be also uiscusseu Aiticle
Foui of the Beclaiation anu its focus on "autonomy," a woiu useu by states to mean
"inteinal self-ueteimination." Be noteu that this is fai shoit of political
inuepenuence. None of the Aiticles of the 0N Beclaiation appeais to covei the iight
of political inuepenuence. Eveiy nation on Tuitle Islanu has liveu with Natuial

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Law. Be noteu that it is the membei states that aie the violatois, anu ieminueu
eveiyone "we'ie human beings."

EGF The iight of self-ueteimination, this bioauest of all human iights legitimizes the
othei iights we fought so haiu foi anu we must vigilantly uefenu it. The iight to self-
ueteimination is piecisely what uiove Inuigenous Peoples anu Nations to seek out
the inteinational foia in the fiist place, to have the iight to self-ueteimination apply
to us as peoples. We uiu this in the hopes that inteinational law coulu anu woulu
help oui Nations anu Communities ietain oi iegain contiol of the homelanus that
shapeu oui uistinctive iuentities. We aie now affiiming oui iight of self-
ueteimination as cleaily expiesseu in inteinational law.

E(F Anothei Inuigenous iepiesentative noteu that the concept of "teiiitoiial integiity"
is one of the funuamental ieasons why the 0niteu States anu Canaua oppose oui
oiiginal iights. When we talk about states we'ie talking about the veiy people who
have been woiking to steal the lanu fiom us. The states have a backwaius way of
talking about Inuigenous Peoples' iights. Theie is also the concept of "iauical title,"
which is also calleu "ciown lanu." What is commonly calleu "the teiiitoiial integiity
of Canaua" is otheiwise known as "Ciown lanu." What the states aie saying is that
anything that uisiupts what the state consiueis to be its 'teiiitoiial integiity' is
consiueieu to be uisalloweu. It was also noteu that the iuea of "teiiitoiial integiity
of the state" tiaces back to symbolic acts of "possession" piemiseu on the uoctiine of
Chiistian uiscoveiy, anu the supposeu 'uiscoveiy' of the lanus of non-Chiistians, the
ieligious basis of which is not uealt with in Eu }ohn's Auvanceu 0neuiteu veision of
iepoit "A Stuuy on the impacts of the Boctiine of Biscoveiy on inuigenous peoples,
incluuing mechanisms, piocesses anu instiuments of ieuiess, with iefeience to the
Beclaiation, anu paiticulaily to aiticles 26-28, S2 anu 4u." (Ec.192u14S).

ECF NAIPC iecommenus that the 0NPFII conuuct an expeit stuuy of the histoiic anu
contempoiaiy uomination anu uehumanization of Inuigenous Peoples, placing a
paiticulai focus on the uses of Chiistianity anu uehumanizing teiminology (e.g.,
"pagan," "heathen," "infiuel," "baibaiians," anu "savages") to ueny the inuepenuence
of the oiiginal nations of uieat Tuitle Islanu anu othei paits of the woilu.

EHF The NAIPC iecommenu to the membeis of the 0NPFII that any fuithei uiscussion on
self-ueteimination take into consiueiation pievious anu existing woik alieauy being
uone in othei 0N Bouies. Recently, the inuepenuent expeit to the 0NBRC, Alfieu ue
Zayas ieleaseu the "Repoit of the Inuepenuent Expeit on the Piomotion of a
Bemociatic anu Equitable Inteinational 0iuei"
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at the ueneial Assembly that shoulu
be taken up anu suppoiteu wiuely.

EAF NAIPC calls upon the 0NPFII to set the theme of the iight to Watei foi the 2u16
session oi in the alteinative, in 2u18 that specifically initiates a close ieview anu
assessment of watei allocation, contamination, use, iegulation, anu access policies

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http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/IntOrder/A-HRC-24-38_en.pdf

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that affect the iights of Inuigenous Peoples anu Nations, the health of oui
communities anu ecosystems, anu that of oui futuie geneiations. Reaffiiming watei
is ciucial foi biologicalcultuial uiveisity anu foi sustaining all aspects of
Inuigenous Peoples' full expiession of oui self-ueteimination anu essential foi oui
physical, cultuial, anu spiiitual well-being.

EIF State goveinments aie not iecognizing the economic iights of Inuigenous Peoples
who piactice tiaue of goous anu seivices acioss boiueis. The NAIPC iecommenus
the 0NPFII to ieinvigoiate the stuuy uone on cioss-boiuei issues anu uiiect the 0N
to implement its finuings.

EJF That NAIPC calls on the state goveinments in negotiation with affecteu Inuigenous
Peoples to iescinu uomestic laws anu policies that iestiict oi impeue the iight of
Inuigenous Peoples to self-ueteimination, incluuing but not limiteu to, lanu claims
anu self-goveinment policies.

EKF That NAIPC iecommenus that the 0NPFII conuuct a stuuy of state goveinments'
effoits to conveit Inuigenous Peoples lanu iights, title anu tenuie into non-
Inuigenous piopeity systems.

GLF That NAIPC iecommenus that the 0NFPII facilitate a compiehensive uialogue with
the Buman Rights Committee on the application of Aiticle 1 in common of the
Inteinational Covenant on Civil anu Political Rights anu the Inteinational Covenant
on Economic, Social anu Cultuial Rights to Inuigenous Peoples anu its
implementation to Inuigenous Peoples by state Paities.

GEF The NAIPC is giavely conceineu with the incieasing ciiminalization of Inuigenous
Peoples by labeling them as teiioiists oi anaichists. This ciiminalization is enacteu
against Inuigenous Peoples who aie exeicising theii iight of self-ueteimination anu
who aie acting in uefense of theii iights. The NAIPC iecommenus that the 0NPFII
call foi a stuuy to examine the scope anu iuentify iemeuies that piotect Inuigenous
Peoples iight to fieely exeicise theii iight to uefenu theii peoples anu lanus.

GGF The NAIPC iecommenus that the 0NPFII auuiess the violations of the Right of Self
Beteimination anu Full anu Equal Paiticipation as Peoples, equal to all othei
peoples in the conceptualization, the uesign, the implementation anu evaluation of
iegional tiaue agieements among the 0N membei states such as aie eviuenceu in
Noith Ameiican by the Noith Ameiican Fiee Tiaue Agieement NAFTA, anu the
impenuing menace of the Tians Pacific Paitneiship Agieement (TPP).

G(F With iegaiu to the incieaseu militaiism anu militaiization anu its uestiuctive
impacts anu how this affects Inuigenous Peoples' capacity to uecolonize anu to
asseit self-ueteimination, the NAIPC calls to uiiect state Paities a pait of the
Inteinational Covenant on Civil anu Political Rights to iespect anu enact aiticles 1, 2
anu S of the Covenant anu to enact a half-uay uiscussion on the 0NBRIP, Aiticle S
with iegaiu to militaiism anu militaiization.

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GCF NAIPC enuoises AILA's "Statement on Teiiitoiial Integiity" auuiessing the 0niteu
Nations Beclaiation on the Rights of Inuigenous Peoples, specifically Aiticle 46. It
ieviews Teiiitoiial Integiity anu the Right to Self-Beteimination (SB) applying the
197u Beclaiation on Piinciples of Inteinational Law conceining Fiienuly Relations
anu Coopeiation among States in accoiuance with the Chaitei of the 0niteu Nations
(BFR) (ARES262S(XXv)) anu the 199S vienna Beclaiation anu Piogiamme of
Action (vB) (AC0NF.1S72S).

GHF NAIPC notes that Aiticle 46 cannot seive as a "caveat" to the 0NBRIP. The piovision
set foith in the 0NBRIP Aiticle 46 (1 anu 2) must be inteipieteu in the entiiety of
the 0NBRIP. Aiticle 46 (1 anu 2) must be inteipieteu in accoiuance with the
piinciples of justice, uemociacy, iespect foi human iights, equality, non-
uisciimination, goou goveinance anu goou faith. Inuigenous Nations' anu Peoples'
iight to oui own teiiitoiial integiity neeus to be taken into consiueiation.

GAF NAIPC iecommenus the auoption of the iepoit of the Expeit Seminai on Tieaties foi
asseition anu enfoicement; anu the uesignation of an appiopiiate 0N bouy as the
Registiy foi inuigenous tieaties.

GIF NAIPC iecommenus that an accuiate anu appiopiiate nation-to-nation fiscal
ielationship be establisheu with Inuigenous Nations in accoiuance with 0NBRIP
Aiticle 19.

GJF NAIPC calls on the 0NPFII to paiticipate in enabling anu opeiationalizing 0NBRIP
Aiticle 41 anu to conuuct a 0N Stuuy on the Inuigenous Rule of Law in accoiuance
with 0NBRIP Aiticle 27.


The full text of this inteivention will be submitteu to the Secietaiiat.