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Maya of Guatemala
Amazon tribes
Maori schools
Navajo art
Saami parliament
resources & activities
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"We, the indigenous peoples, maintain our inherent rights to self-determination. We have always had the right to decide our own forms of government, to use our own ways to raise and educate our children, to our own cultural identity without interference… We continue to maintain our rights as peoples despite centuries of deprivation, assimilation, and genocide."
Indigenous Peoples Earth Charter (1992)
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 Overview
Why is a separate Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples  necessary? Indigenous Peoples have seen their lands invaded and organized into governments that often do not respect their cultural systems of law and justice.
They have watched as rivers once carrying food have become polluted with industrial waste. They have struggled to preserve their homelands, their arts and languages, their health and often their lives in the face of alien development.
For these reasons and more, Indigenous Peoples are joining together to claim their rights to autonomy, self-determination and cultural identity.
Many indigenous groups are advocating for their rights locally as well as globally. To learn more about two peoples engaged in the struggle for rights, go to the case study on the Saami Parliament. To get involved and link with other youth who care about these issues, visit the activities page.
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