UN group invites Aboriginal input

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The United Nations has "no idea" who Indigenous peoples are, a high-ranking member of that international organization's Working Group on Indigenous Peoples said.

But recognizing Indigenous rights, as outlined in the draft Universal Document on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, will be a step towards understanding, said Julian Burger, secretary to the UN's Working Group on Indigenous Peoples.

The declaration has 42 articles, covering issues such as the right to self rule and self-determination, territory and land, control of resources and intellectual and cultural property.

"Some of those include compensation for land taken away, rehabilitation for land destroyed in development, health and education to make sure Indigenous peoples received appropriate education and health and so on," Burger said.

"In the declaration itself, there is a recognition of the special needs of Indigenous peoples. The declaration will also recommend governments to adjust their national goals to reflect the draft declaration. But the draft declaration is not binding on governments."

The document also deals with the issue of protecting Indigenous peoples from genocide and economic exploitation, he said. But getting Aboriginals to come forward to discuss the subjects has been difficult.

Problems with government intimidation and transportation costs have limited the number of Indigenous peoples who have contributed to that section of the document, Burger said.

"We appreciate the difficulty that some people have who cannot leave their countries, cannot leave their people. But we also know that many people do get to

speak publicly about what is happening in their territories.

"There is a meeting in Geneva next month and I think people ought to try to get there and use it. We encourage Indigenous peoples to come and talk with the working group about serious human rights violations. That's what we're here for. We must help you reach the goals on your agenda.

The UN's working group has held several forums for Indigenous peoples since its inception in 1982, Burger said, from 20-30 people to almost 700 in 1992. "And I expect more in the years go come."

Including Indigenous peoples in the forums has also opened up the possibility of greater Indigenous participation in the future, he said.

"There is, I believe, a real possibility of expanding the United Nations to take in Indigenous peoples," Burger said.

Other preliminary steps are essential, however, before Indigenous peoples can hope to be taken seriously in the UN's Assembly, said working group member and Australian Aboriginal Helen MacClaughlin, Natives need to get beyond the "folkloric" image that they are so often associated with.

"There is a strong need to ensure that all our peoples have a really important role in all the countries where we live. Emphasizing the contribution that Indigenous peoples have made in he world is a fantastic idea. It really gets away from the folkloric theories where people just think about our festivals and so on. They don't think of Indigenous peoples as part of society."

Non-Indigenous peoples and governments also have to go beyond the notion that Indigenous peoples, as part of society, are not a minority group, said working group member and Gleenland Inuit Hjalmar Dahl.

"We are a very distinct national in our homes, with our cultures and our language. We are not a minority. We are a majority in our nations and territories."