"We owe a very great debt of gratitude to those who remember the old ways to live and honor the earth.  And yet, we have ignored them, oppressed them, and even stripped them of the land that is their life.  The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is an important step toward protecting these vulnerable members of our human family, of giving them the dignity and the respect that they so richly deserve." Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Support the Rights of Indigenous People – An Appeal to the President of the United States.

The Aboriginal Justice Team of Christian Peacemaker Teams has participated in the initiative to encourage the governments of Canada and the United States to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

On 12 November 2010, Canada finally endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Canada was one of four countries that initially voted against the Declaration when it was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 September 2007.  Since then, Australia, New Zealand, and now Canada, have all reversed their positions and officially support the Declaration.  The only country that has not acknowledged the Declaration is the United States.  The Declaration is the result of more than twenty years of discussions and negotiations, making it one of the most carefully designed instruments to support human rights on an international level.

According to Amnesty International, “The Declaration does not create new or special rights.  Instead, the Declaration provides urgently needed guidance in applying existing international human rights standards to the specific circumstances and needs of Indigenous peoples.”

The call for the government of the United States to endorse the Declaration does not require that it change its constitution or laws, but it would say a lot about the commitment of the government to Indigenous Peoples and the relations that they want to build.  While people and institutions in the United States can start to put in practice the Declaration on their own initiative, it would make a big difference if they know that they have the support of the people and institutions that are representing them.

We invite you to stand for the rights of Indigenous Peoples by signing on to the campaign headed by Amnesty International Support the Rights of Indigenous People – An Appeal to the President of the United States.