Indigenous Peoples in the United States prepare for the first official visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Professor James Anaya will conduct his first official country visit to the United States (US) of America from April 23rd – May 4th, 2012. The official visit includes stops in Washington, D.C., Alaska, Oregon, Arizona, South Dakota and Oklahoma. The focus of his visit will be to review implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in this country and follow-up on information submitted for his current thematic study on the impact of extractive industries on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13th 2007 as “the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples”. The Declaration recognizes and affirms a range of rights for Indigenous Peoples including rights to traditional lands and natural resources, Treaties, sacred sites and cultural practices, redress and restitution, self-determination and free, prior and informed consent. It also includes a number of provisions for States (countries) to implement and uphold these rights, in conjunction and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples. The United States initially voted against the adoption and was the last country to reverse its position and express support on December 16th, 2010.

During this country visit, Special Rapporteur Anaya will meet with various US officials and agencies to review their implementation of the Declaration’s provisions in their policies and practices. He will also collect information from Indigenous Peoples, Nations, Tribes and organizations through several events and site visits. There is also an opportunity to make on-line submissions.

A full listing of his scheduled visits is below. Please click on links to find meeting times, agendas and contacts. For additional information, please visit the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.

04/24: Embassy of Tribal Nations, 1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC

04/26-04/27: University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 1201 E. Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ

04/28: Alaska Native Heritage Center, 800 Heritage Center Drive, Anchorage, AK

04/29: Consultation with the Curyung Tribal Council and Regional Service Providers, Dillingham, AK

04/30: NAYA Family Center, 5135 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR, and Cowlitz Indian Health Clinic, 1044 11th Ave, Longview, WA. Please see agenda for meeting times.

05/01-05/02: Sinte Gleska University, Wakiyan Wamblee Multi-purpose Building, Antelope Lake Campus, Mission, SD

05/03: University of Tulsa College of Law, 3120 East 4th Place, Tulsa, OK