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Ed Menard, Park Ranger
A United Nations official says sacred lands -- like the Black Hills of Dakota, which includes Mount Rushmore -- should be returned to Native American control.
The United States must do more to heal the wounds of indigenous peoples caused by more than a century of oppression, including restoring control over lands Native Americans consider to be sacred, according to a U.N. human rights investigator.
James Anaya, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, just completed a 12-day visit to the United States where he met with representatives of indigenous peoples in the District of Columbia, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Washington State, South Dakota, and Oklahoma. He also met with U.S. government officials.
"I have heard stories that make evident the profound hurt that indigenous peoples continue to feel because of the history of oppression they have faced," Anaya said in a statement issued by the U.N. human rights office in Geneva Friday.
That oppression, he said, has included the seizure of lands and resources, the removal of children from their families and communities, the loss of languages, violation of treaties, and brutality, all grounded in racial discrimination.
Anaya welcomed the U.S. decision to endorse the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2010 and other steps the government has taken, but said more was needed.
'History of oppression'
His findings will be included in a final report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council. While not binding, the recommendations carry moral weight that can influence governments.
"It is clear that this history does not just blemish the past, but translates into present day disadvantage for indigenous peoples in the country," Anaya said.
"There have still not been adequate measures of reconciliation to overcome the persistent legacies of the history of oppression, and that there is still much healing that needs to be done," he said.
Game hunt for sacred white buffaloes riles Native groups
In Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, where some Native Americans depend on hunting and fishing, Anaya said tribes face "ever-greater threats ... due to a growing surge of competing interests, and in some cases incompatible extractive activities, over these lands and resources."
"In Alaska, indigenous peoples complain about a complex and overly restrictive state regulatory apparatus that impedes their access to subsistence resources (fish and wildlife)," he said.
Native American tribe gets permit to kill bald eagles
Mining for natural resources in parts of the country has also caused serious problems for indigenous peoples.
"Past uncontrolled and irresponsible extractive activities, including uranium mining in the Southwest, have resulted in the contamination of indigenous peoples' water sources and other resources, and in numerous documented negative health effects among Native Americans," he said.
Mount Rushmore
He said indigenous peoples feel they have too little control over geographic regions considered sacred to them, like the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona and the Black Hills in South Dakota. Anaya suggested such lands should be returned to Native peoples.
"Securing the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands is of central importance to indigenous peoples' socioeconomic development, self-determination, and cultural integrity," Anaya said.
"Continued efforts to resolve, clarify, and strengthen the protection of indigenous lands, resources, and sacred sites should be made," he added.
How genocide wiped out a Native American population
Mount Rushmore, a popular tourist attraction, is located in the Black Hills, which the Sioux tribe consider to be sacred and have territorial claims to based on an 1868 treaty. Shortly after that treaty was signed, gold was discovered in the region. U.S. Congress eventually passed a law taking over the land.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that the seizure of the land was illegal and ordered the government to pay compensation. But the Sioux rejected the money and has continued to demand the return of the now public lands.
Anaya said he will make specific recommendations on these and other issues in a full report later this year.
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Leave a Comment:
Afroturds think they are owed the world...didn't they realize that they are still behind the American Indians in the line of handouts?
the UN can kiss my a$$
Nothing like giving to others what does not belong to you, but to someone else. There is an idiot in the white house ,who thinks the same way. It is sometimes know as socialism. Did we want socialism as a form of government? I think not. Vote these hacks out!
According to enlightened ne gro scholars sla very was the best thing to ever happen to the neg ro race! Don't believe it(for those driving with their eyes closed) then compare the fat, plushed out spades in this country compared to their own lands!!!!! I don't see ONE, not ONE neg ro who wants to return to that savage hell hole called africa!
"The only good Indian is a dead Indian"! That is what we should do with the UN: send them to Switzerland, or Kenya! they will love it there. The Indians can visit their sacred lands, like the rest of us. The sacred lands are the casinos.
Sounds like a bunch of typical white man forked tongues talking here, kill the Indians and steal their land because God said we could, what a bunch of narrow minded hippocrites commenting on here today. What the American government did to the Native Americans is as bad or worse than what Hitler did to the Jews, no matter how you look at it. It is in the past however and cannot be changed but it should be remembered for what it was, pure evil greed. To justify an evil by comparing it to another evil is no justification at all. The native Americans did controll certain lands but they had no concept of owning land, they thought you could no more own the land than you could own the sky and the winds, they thought the lands were here for all to use. When they excepted the beads and trinkets for Long Island, they thought they were excepting a gift of friendship, which was customary among the Native Americans. They had no idea that they would be run off Long Island from that day forward and the whites would eventually wipe out whole tribes through planted diseases and pure simple murder. The Native Americans with all their visciousness were defending their lands and human rights just as we would now if we were invaded. In a country where religion is supposed to be respected, it is a shame that never held true for Native American religious beliefs, languages, and cultures.
What a dum, feel sorry for myself un-enlightened post! You leave out SO much of the truth! When will you silly cry babies slip into the folds of history to be remembered no more? Maybe with the RETURN, but I don't think before. It will take a COSMIC awakening to get you people off your (I been picked on is why I be a loser) silly self-indulgent crap! Pull your boots on, go out and make something of yourself! This is TODAY, yesterday is gone and done, improve yourself today, we all now have the same chances to be our fullest!
Texan for truth, Enlightened? Buddy you don't even know the meaning of the word, you are as narrow and unenlightened as they come, what more truths do you want me to include, how about the truth that every treaty ever made between the Native Americans and the US government were, with out exception, broken by the US Government, or how about the truth of the sand creek massacre, where George Armstrong Custer practicly wiped out a tribe that was encamped under a US flag and a white flag and had never, I repeat NEVER ever raised a finger against the whites. How about the truth of taking children from their parents and homes so they could be beatin to within an inch of their lives for using their native languages or practicing their religious beliefs, or how about the truth of the trail of tears, the Cherokees tried desperately to get along woth white culture, even adopting their language, clothing, religion and their way of life only to be forcably removed from their lands to a baren unhospitable reservation in Oklahomq, Where are your facts?
I saw where Fred Flinstone is demanding the return of his Bedrock Cafe.
Dick Clark already sold their home in Malibu!
Indians are not like real people. They are savages. More like animals than humans.
Native Americans had no concept of land ownership, and today's native Americans have been so inter-mingled among blacks, whites, Chinese, etc. that there are almost no true Native Americans anymore. This is about nothing but money; a land grab. It has nothing to do with heritage. I'm so tired of people looking for "reparations" for wrongs commited against their ancestors 20 generations ago. It's all BS. I did nothing to hurt Native Americans. I owned no slaves nor did my father, grandfather, great grandfather or great-great-grandfather. I owe them nothing. If they want land let them work for it and buy it, same as I do.
Yeah, and I want my grandparents' land back that the Russians took in 1944-1945. It was Originally populated by Germanic tribes thousands of years ago, then slavs and Germans, the latter of which who really built it up. My great-grandparents had to drown themselves as the Russians advanced since they were too old and feeble to flee, and the Russians slaughtered everyone left behind, including those in hospitals. The house and land are now within the land given to Poland by Russia. We never received a cent in reparations for land and belongings that were in the family for centuries. Fairness must be re-installed for all, not just the 'select!'
Anaya, and the rest of the UN joke, get the fukk out of the USA!
Anaya is an American Indian who is a professor of law at Arizona University. Screwing us from within.
I am not numb to the therory of returning to the people what is there's. But let's correct the oldest wrongs first. Let's see, maybe we should give all of Europe back to the nomadic peoples that originaly owned and lived in those lands? How about all of the opression of all of the earth-born beliefe systems that the Christians, the Muslims, and the rest of the more "sucessful" belief systems destroyed through the centuries. After all of that, if the UN still exists, still is a viable power, then I will gladly gift my lands back to the native people that lived on my little parcle of land in suburban America. Before that happens, before they go sticking their colective @!$%# stained noses into my dealings, and my ownership of my land, they need to clean up thier house first. Screw the UN, boot them out of the US, and the US out of it. I am tired of being the world's police force and killing my children to suit thier needs.
First to all that use this as an excuse to dump on the US your opinion matters little you are either trolls or haters. There is little doubt the US government at the time was ruthless in it's treatment of Native Americans. It however is not alone. History since time began is full of one tribe or country taking what ever they want from its weaker neighbors. That is the nature of the beast that call's it self man. You can point all the fingers you want but look far enough in the past of your own country and you will see the same behavior.
Native Americans fought with each other for millenia dn wiped out the rich animal life of the U.S. Southeast long ago. They are no more innocent than any other peoples. Conquered territories all over the world have changed history...and it must be accepted, and we must move on in a more positive way, otherwise efforts to change history inevitably cause new injustices that will lead to greater problems.
a little history here for those CHRISTIANS that are knocking the French. in the 1860's "THE CHURCH" controlled around 70% of property in Italy as papal states and was defended by FRENCH TROOPS. As the great liberator of his time GARABALDI raised an army and marched on ROME, to be defeated by the FRENCH forces. In WW2 as the BRITISH army was fleeing from German forces at DUNKIRK, 40k FRENCH held off 7 german divisions allowing them to escape.
IN MY OPINION, i want to have a Native American day made a federal holiday to show good faith to the rightful owners of the United States, they have been dooped out of their land and herded onto reservations in the most uninhabited lands the government could find to put them on. It is the least the people of this country can do for these very good people of this country that is rightfully theirs. IN MY OPINION.
Finally someone with a little sense in their head, I can't believe some of the posts on here, and they have the nerve to call others haters. The control of the Black hills and other sacred lands was in a treaty signed by the President of the USA, why shouldn't this treaty be honored? I bet if the Native Americans had broke the treaty there would have been grave consequences for them.
CC-3081097:
How about the PROMISE to the citizens of the USA of "this will be the ONLY AMNESTY... There won't be another!"
Now we have ANOTHER President who hungers to open our borders and grant AMNESTY to anyone who can manage to get here...
Give the Dakotas back to the Sioux. Then they can give it back to the Arikara. Then they can vacate it because at one time it belonged to the Mound Builders. Then...
Tell the UN to go pound sand.
Native Amercans were conquered by the United States Army during a time when the goal of the U.S. Government was to claim as much of the North American Continent as possible.
I think that the remark made by the U.N. representative suggests, if accepted that any land taken through armed conflict anywhere must be given back. Imagine the implications of this action globally . . .
Here in America, I think that many of us today when looking back at the time 'the west was won' would have preferred that the conflict between the U.S. Army & Native America was done through more negotiations and political agreements than what had taken place.
Native American's are American's and have the same rights as the rest of it's citizens. So, as a matter of law, the land does belong to them as much as it does to us. Under the Constitution, all American's have the same rights, Native American 'Nations' are a part of the United States, just as any of it's States and so under that recognition, the law enacted by Congress to take back the land that was formerly negotiated to and agreed upon, was an annexation. I do not agree with what the Congress did, but this act has been practiced by other nations, should we then start to go around the globe and un-do these things?
I believe that reparations might be a better way to make right to what was done in these cases, but it should be done throgh an act of Congress, supported by all people under the Spirit of the Law.
I think that the remark made by the U.N. representative suggests, if accepted that any land taken through armed conflict anywhere must be given back. Imagine the implications of this action globally
THe UN hasn't said a word about Christian land confiscated by Muslims in many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malayasia and elsewhere...why is that?
Wow the haters are out in force. As the saying goes you are entitled to your opinion, just not your own facts. What the early American settlers did to the Native Americans was wrong.
Aw, stop it, you are breakin' my heart.
And that is YOUR opinion!!! Like you said it don't mean squat!!!
Hey Texan for truth, just exactly what "enlightened negro scholars" are you talking about. Your comments come straight from the king of racism, Pat Buchannon, in an essay he wrote that was widely circulated on the net, Enlightened Negro scholars? I very seriously doubt it. I think you need to change you screen name to "Texan for pushing my narrow minded opinions on others"
It is obvious that you don't want to know! You would have to let go of your hate to see the truth. And all you offer is YOUR opinion saying my facts are wrong! Cry to someone who will listen to foolishness.
Texan for truth, my opinions are based in fact not pure hatred as yours are, I hate no one. I ask you again where are your facts? Read your history, So far all you have said is pure opinions and inuendo, where are your facts? All you have to do is a little research to verify every thing I have said on here, your facts probably come straight from FAUX news
Get the arrogant, self-congratulating social science majors and well-connnected people (usually connected to powerful global crooks) out of the UN now! They have mostly never worked a hard day of manual labor in their lives, or struggled honestly to feed their familes, or tried to truly build a better community without handouts! If you want good representation, use a jury duty-type of lottery with term limits to get good and fair representation (this goes for the U.S. Congress, too)!
Is the UN also demanding Muslims to give back Christian land they have confiscated in places like Yemen, Sudan, Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, India,Indonesia, Malaysia,Nigeria, Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere?
An expert in International Human Rights and Indigenous peoples law, Professor Anaya is the author of the acclaimed book, Indigenous Peoples in International Law (Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, 2d. ed. 2004), and currently serves as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Professor Anaya has lectured in many countries in all continents of the globe. He has advised numerous indigenous and other organizations from several countries on matters of human rights and indigenous peoples, and he has represented indigenous groups from many parts of North and Central America in landmark cases before courts and international organizations. Among his noteworthy activities, he participated in the drafting of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and was the lead counsel for the indigenous parties in the case of Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua, in which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the first time upheld indigenous land rights as a matter of international law.
Prior to becoming a full time law professor, he practiced law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, representing Native American peoples and other minority groups. For his work during that period, Barrister magazine, a national publication of the American Bar Association, named him as one of "20 young lawyers who make a difference."
Professor Anaya served on the law faculty at the University of Iowa from 1988 to 1999, and he has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the University of Toronto, and the University of Tulsa.
Isn't it amazing how some of these self rightious nut cases on here think they know more than a man such as Professor Anaya, a man of high educational value, intellegence, admirable accomplishments and integrity. Wish I could be so delusional and self rightious as some of these nuts, must be nice living in a self made bubble of your own self proclaimed worth and misguided opinions.
The problem is that the professor has an agenda. The UN chose him knowing what kind of report he would give. If the UN wanted a real study they would have either chosen someone without a position going in or several people with varying positions. For the UN to hire this person knowing that he is a political activist makes is suggestions moot.
Integrity???? He is a lawyer.
He is also a Native American with an ax to grind. His family fled the US, to Mexico, when the whites came and then came back to the US.
The land will not be given back to the native americans. A whole country full of lazy drunks and casinos! Next thing you know, all of you people will give the whole planet back to the Africans, since it's been proven that all life on earth began in Africa. It's the reason they call that area the cradle of life!