Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved. Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
Reference: United Nations
Title: ENVIRONMENT: NATIVE AMERICANS PROTEST /SERIES/
new york, mar 4 (ips/gin) -- leaders of the indigenous peoples of
north, central, and south america wednesday protested their
exclusion from the upcoming u.n. conference on environment and
development (unced).
''the united nations has refused to invite the leadership of
the first people of this continent to a conference that deals
directly with mother earth,'' said rosemary richmond, member of
the native american council of new york city.
''it is time to acknowledge native cultures of the americas and
to understand that we have survived the last 500 years,'' she
continued, referring to the colonisation of the western hemisphere
since the arrival of christopher columbus in 1492.
over 50 leaders of the native peoples of argentina, bolivia,
canada, the caribbean, chile, colombia, ecuador, el salvador,
guatemala, guyana, mexico, nicaragua, panama, peru, the united
states, and venezuela marched at the united nations to bring
attention to their ''exclusion'' from the conference.
the native american leaders have assembled here this week as
the 'intercontinental congress of indigenous peoples', to address
their concerns about the environment.
lawyer tonya gonnella frichner of the onondaga-iroquois peoples
of the united states told ips that the alliance has petitioned for
the right to voice their concerns and take part in negotiations as
a member state at the unced 'earth summit', and at the preparatory
process which is underway here.
''we have been told that we can apply to be observers at unced
as a non-governmental organisation (ngo),'' she said. ''but we are
not an ngo, we are a nation, the first nation that existed on this
hemisphere.''
rudy martin of the dine-navajo nation and spokesperson for the
american indian community house of new york city said that the
alliance will not be applying for ngo status at unced.
''the true issue is the question of sovereignty -- the
countries of the world do not recognise indigenous peoples as the
separate, independent nations that we consider ourselves to be,''
martin told ips. ''therefore, we feel it would be inappropriate
for us to register as an ngo.''
environment: native americans protest /series/(2-e)
martin said that instead, the alliance has already petitioned
for member status at unced, and will continue to apply political
pressure to be recognised as an independent people.
native american leaders are currently composing a formal letter
of concern to be sent to the united nations next week, declaring
their rights to be recognised, and to have input into the
environmental negotiations.
''the nation-states have been destroying the land and taking
its riches and now they are looking for solutions to the problems
they caused,'' luis macas of the quechua nation in ecuador said at
wednesday's rally.
''our lives have always been tied to the land -- economically,
sociologically, spiritually. but they continue to ignore our
rights to the land. we have suffered as the lands are given away
to different corporations.'' he continued. ''so now, they must
talk to us about what they've done to the land.''
martin told ips that ''for the past 500 years, we have said
that all peoples must respect and protect mother earth''. he
added: ''it has always been and will always be our philosophy and
culture to do so.'' (end/ips-gin/ip/en/yjc/92/)