Re: Letter campain to the Pope
guiller@cats.ucsc.edu
Wed, 7 Jul 1993 11:26:42 -0700
SAIIC, The South&Mesoamerican Indian Information on its VOL 6, N3 (Spring&
Summer) of 1992:34 printed a similar "Letter from the Indigenous Delegates
present at The Palace of Nations in Geneva to the Pope". I would like to
share this letter with Birgil Kills Straight and continue coordinating
a Continental Network of Indian people. This request can also be brought
to the Second Continental Encounter of Indian People (following the Quito
Encounter of 1990), which will take place on October 8-13, 1993 at the
Otomi-Nanhu Ceremonial Center in the State of Mexico (further info: contact
TONATIERRA, P.O.Box 24009, Phoenix, AZ 85074, USA, 602-254-5230).
Geneva August 1, 1991
Chief of State of the Vatican
Pope John Paul II
Rome, Italy
The Indigenous delegates present at the Palace of Nations, in Geneva, in debate
regarding the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
convened by The Working Group of Indigenous Peoples of the UN, hereby present
and declare:
In view of the declaration on May 3, 4, 1493, of the Papal Bull Inter Cetera,
by which territories of indigenous peoples are conceded to Spain and Portugal,
without taking into account the material or spiritual rights of the indigenous
peoples in case of ABYA YALA (Americas) and other parts of the world;
In defense of the sacred rights of the Indigenous peoples, and in promotion
of human dignity and harmony that should reign among humanity on this planet,
For all this purposes:
1) We demand from the Vatican State a denunciation of the unilateral treaty
Pope Alexander VI, as being contrary to the Universal Human Rights of Peoples.
2) Whereas the year 1993 completes 500 years of a supposed spiritual conquest
without clear rectification of this universal injustice, allowing the
nation-states that have benefited from the inheritance of Pope Alexander VI
to continue programmes of genocide and ethnocide, denying the indigenous
peoples the recuperation of a harmony based on reciprocal human respect, we
DEMAND THAT THE PAPAL BULL OF MAY 3, 4,1493 INTER CETERA BE ANNULLED.
3) We direct John Paul II to accede to universal concepts of justice including
the spiritual and material rights of indigenous peoples, in furthereance of
life, harmony of human beings with our Sacred Mother, and the spiritual peace
of the Great Creator in accord with the cosmovision of each one of our
indigenous peoples, free from all oppression.
Thus we proclaim in the name of Human Dignity, in harmony with Mother Nature
and in the Spirit of Truth.
Signed, the indigenous delegates and organizations