Page 150 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

indigenous peoples 969

are properly matters of international concern and
responsibility, and helping elect their allies.The heavily indigenous Zap-
atista Army in southern Mexico erupted in 1994 to
ACKNOWLEDGING that the Charter of the United
protest the inclusion of that country into the North
Nations, the International Covenant on Economic,
American Free Trade Area.Although a military stalemate
Social and Cultural Rights and the International Cov-
quickly developed between government forces and the
enant on Civil and Political Rights affirm the fun-
Zapatistas, the image that it was possible to resist the rul-
damental importance of the right of self-determination
ing Revolutionary Institutional Party, which had been in
of all peoples, by virtue of which they freely deter-
power over seven decades, helped lead to the election of
mine their political status and freely pursue their eco-
opposition National Action Party leader Vicente Fox as
nomic, social and cultural development,
president in 2000. In the same year, the Ecuadoran Indi-
BEARING IN MIND that nothing in this Declara- ans, in alliance with members of the army, overthrew the
tion may be used to deny any peoples their right of president. Since then, they helped elect one of the con-
self-determination, spirators, General Lucio Gutiérrez, to the presidency but
since have split with him. In Bolivia, an Aymara Indian
ENCOURAGING States to comply with and effec-
organization had become one of the most important
tively implement all international instruments, in par-
opposition forces to a military dictatorship in the 1970s.
ticular those related to human rights, as they apply to
Although it never received many votes under democracy,
indigenous peoples, in consultation and cooperation
the Aymaras’ ability to choke off the roads leading to the
with the peoples concerned,
capital gave it great power. In 2004, they helped unseat
EMPHASIZING that the United Nations has an President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada after riots led to
important and continuing role to play in promoting the death of a number of demonstrators.
and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, In other Latin American countries where there is a
large indigenous presence, progress has not been as
BELIEVING that this Declaration is a further impor-
great. In Guatemala, Maya groups continue to fear right-
tant step forward for the recognition, promotion and
wing death squads, whereas in Peru a brutal civil war
protection of the rights and freedoms of indigenous
with Maoist guerrillas in the last two decades of the
peoples and in the development of relevant activities
twentieth century hindered the development of indige-
of the United Nations system in this field,
nous political organizations. In Chile, whereas the
SOLEMNLY PROCLAIMS the following United Mapuche gained some political representation in the
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous 1960s and 1970s, the brutal Pinochet dictatorship
Peoples: (1973–1990) destroyed indigenous organizations. In
Brazil, despite a relatively benign government policy
Source: Commission on Human Rights, Economic and Social Council, United Nations.
Retrieved December 26, 2002, from Center for World Indigenous Studies, http://www. toward indigenous peoples, deforestation, gold mining,
cwis.org
and the large-scale migration of non-Indians into the
Amazon have overwhelmed the government’s capacity to
protect indigenous groups.
Canada has made great strides in providing political
an indigenous confederation that encompassed lowland and territorial rights to the Inuits (commonly known as
jungle dwellers as well as highland peasants. Huge dem- Eskimos) in its territory. Since 1975, the Canadian gov-
onstrations in 1990, 1992, and 1994 strengthened ernment and the Inuits signed a number of land claim
CONAIE’s ability to influence policy. agreements. The largest and most innovative was for
Indigenous groups have gained great power in the Nunavut, a huge territory in the northern stretches of for-
early twenty-first century, bringing down governments mer Northwest Territories.The Inuit there gained a great