an ngo in consultative status with ecosoc
american
indian law alliance
to hear the voices of our people, even unto the SEVENTH generation
relative to the international mechanisms
used by Indigneous Peoples
It was September,
1977 and for the first time American Indians had been invited to address the United
Nations, and while tensions ran high among the Indigenous representatives, the strength of
the traditional elders reminded everyone of their duty. After a time it was decided
that those who were the spiritual leaders and pipe carriers would lead the procession of
delegates into the United Naitons. As the Native leaders made their way down the
length of the walkway to the entrance of the United Nations building, they were flanked by
the drum, held by singers from Minneapolis and South Dakota, and behind them walked the
Indigenous delegates. From the old buildings that once housed the League of Nations,
windows flew open and the workers of the building began to applaud. For more than 50
years, Native peoples had worked to make their presence felt among the dominant
nation-states of the world. But his dignified procession, that filed through Door
Six, marked only the beginning of a new phase of activivity by Indian peoples in the
United Nations. Ingrid Washinawatok
activity by Indian people in the United Nations.
1977 was not, however, the first time Indigenous peoples had attempted to have our voices heard in international forums. In fact, there is a long history of relations between the Haudenosaunee and the City of Geneva. In 1917 a Cayuga chief, Deskahe, traveled to Geneva to present the case of his people before the League of Nations. When the League of Nations refuseed to admit him to their assembly, the Lord Mayor of Geneva hosted a reception and provided an opportunity for Deskahe to address world leaders. This constitutes the first known attempt by a Native American delegate to participate in an international forum.
The American Indian Law Alliance has assembled a short booklet describing some of the United Nations bodies and processes in order to assist Indigenous delegates with participation in the process.
For a .pdf copy of the booklet, please follow this link.
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