Basic Call To Consciousness Summary

I. Introduction “Basic Call to Consciousness” is a collection of papers delivered at a conference in Geneva in 1977 by request of several groups such as IITC (International Indian Treaty Council) to create a process to recognize the rights of indigenous nations and peoples which could shed light on the economic and social realities in which Indians live. Chief Oren Lyons, John Mohawk, and Jose Barreiro were the three individuals selected to author the papers. The Haudenosaunee Grand Council would then revise these papers to produce a final draft. However, acts of discrimination abroad and frustration would present obstacles to the Haudenosaunee delegation but they knew that if Native Americans were to gain recognition both in the present and in the future, they would have to overcome. In order to understand the significance of this monumental event, it is important to discuss the following themes: the assertion of self-determination as it relates to indigenous peoples in the Americas ranging from physical acts to the countering of historic legislation. Furthermore, the second theme will detail the importance of the …show more content…
This has been felt through legislation like the “Doctrine of Discovery” (p. 21) whereby Anglo-Americans justified their right to lay claims to land held by sovereign nations (i.e. Native American lands) and the Inter Caetera Bulls (p. 23) of the Roman Catholic Church which granted lands in South America to Spain. Though Native American presence has become more prevalent in the confines of the United Nations in order to fight this racist doctrine, misuse of the land continues. Therefore, while Native Americans are taking a variety of environmental measures to counter these misdeeds, the two most prominent acts are Native American involvement in environmental discussions and articulating respect for Mother Nature to the