Indigenous Peoples Rights

Superior Essays
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples The articles titled “The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” published by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs addresses the goals and functions of this declaration. It recognizes many of the basic human rights and freedoms of the indigenous peoples. These rights include self-determination, inalienable right to ownership, control of land, and maintaining their own political, religious, cultural, and educational institutions. The Declaration states that all activities that would impact the people, or property, has to be preapproved. It establishes the need for compensation for the violation of the rights, and the guarantee against ethnocide and genocide. The document …show more content…
This document is significantly controversial because it gives the impression that indigenous peoples will receive the rights they deserve while not full heartedly ensuring it is carried out (par. 4-7).
The “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” was written and developed by the United Nations. Within this document there are 46 article points, the first 10 being the most important. Article 1 guarantees the right of indigenous peoples to have full enjoyment of all the human rights and fundamental freedoms. Article 2 states that indigenous peoples are free and equal to all other peoples and have rights that free them from discrimination. The 3rd article guarantees the right to self-determination, while the 4th article allows the freedom in exercising their right to self-determination. Article 5 and 6 allow indigenous people to have freedom when it comes to participating in national, political, legal, economic, social and other institutions. The 7th
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“In response to the many calls from Native Americans throughout this country and in order to further U.S. policy on indigenous issues, President Obama announced that the United States has changed its position on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration)” (par. 1). The United States now believe that the Declaration expresses the aspirations of the indigenous peoples throughout the world as well as within the States. The United States aspires to achieve structure while seeking to improve laws and policies. The support the U.S. shows for the Declaration is said to go hand in hand with the idea of addressing past consequences. “Few have been more marginalized and ignored by Washington for as long as Native Americans- our First Americans” (par.

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