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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.
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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:
All the tribes in Africa should get their orginal lands back. Maybe Europe should give all the land back to the Roman Empire. Russia should give back all the land from the German colonies.
We're not giving the Black Hills up; we're not turning over the states of Florida, Texas, heck...anywhere! I've seen how sacred these lands really are...they're so sacred that they build massive casinos as monuments. I'm really sorry how Indians were treated, but it happened and that's that. Americans will continue to honor the heritage of the many tribes that existed here, but the land is the United States of America--to be either privately or publically owned.
The American Indians are given permission to build casinos for revenue since most of them are still living on reservations.
Your reasoning skills must be the BOMB at the Taco Bell.
Let's start be returning control of the grounds of the UN to the US people. Let some other country host the racist organization called the UN.
Mr. Anaya go F*ck yourself, and worry about your 3rd world ces pool instead!
It seams to me if the UN wanted a unbias opinion they wouldn't ask a Indian activist to study the issue. The UN's findings have become moot because they asked James J. Lenoir, AKA James Anaya to study the issue. It would be like asking David Duke to find out if the KKK was rascist. You know the results before you start because of who you asked.
I am offended by all the "Native American" crap. Their ancestors came from Siberia. Mine came from Europe. They are no more "native" than I am.
So much racism, ignorance and false entitlement going on in this thread.
The treatment of native peoples in America is one of our blackest marks.
I'm a white american, my family came here in 1642. So my people were among the first to displace and steal from the natives.
While we can't change the past, we can choose to be different people today.
This comment thread really shows what true American values are, greed, entitlement and lack of compassion.
Timdog--I agree that Indians could have been treated better but please read my response to Will109 on pg 1 and you'll feel better and less guilty!! Thanks!!
I can see the radicals on here just gleeful over this. Some idiot radical UN official, and the UN is full of international socialists, proclaiming the US as an imperialist oppressor of it's indigenous peoples. First of all we don't need some "righteous," judgmental, self important, outsider, international socialist, "social justice," fanatic, of which the UN special agencies are full of, telling us what to do!!!!!!! OK, now that that is out of the way, we have trashed and abused the native Americans because we were too stupid and ignorant to understand they had a lot to offer us besides our own distorted, exploitative, ethno Christian way of seeing the world as exploitable and manipulatable. Yes, many of the natives have become corrupted and greedy. We had a hand in that. That's their own issue to deal with; however, giving them back sacred lands and letting them be the caretakers of many public lands for the good of all Americans is just. Leave the idiot outsiders with political agendas out of our own discussions, and let us deal with our own problems. Keep your freakin UN snooty nose out of our affairs.
The other countries of the world (the UN) have done such a good job managing the planet outside the U.S. why not trust them to know whats best for all of mankind? What we need is a very small group of indigenous people telling everyone else in this country they have no right to enjoy the land. By the way, I was born in America as were my ancestors going back for generations from Europe and I consider myself to be native American. Born and raised!!
Okay, we'll give back the land if they rerturn all the land purchased with casino money and now called "Tribal".
Screw the UN and their opinion. The US needs to quit funding this socialist organization. It's effectiveness is minimal, it's credibility is nil. Shut the UN building down in NYC and send all the members packing.......along with their diplomatic immunity and their ever present drain on the American taxpayers. Do a little research and see how much it costs we the American taxpayers to bankroll it's headquarters. and for what???
Screw them and their blue helmets!
I agree the treaty was broken in the past and many cruelties were done to our native Americans which in no way is right. However, times have changed and I just do not see how returning this land could be a realistic option.
I would agree that some of the proceeds from the national parks should go back to the native people and the native americans should have a board of directors or influence on the occurences that occur in these areas. It would also be nice to employ native american people to take care of these established institutions as well.
However, I have noticed there is a different generation of native american people in this region that have succumbed to addiction, poverty, and other influences of modern society that have not fared well for their people. I have been to and in fact worked in Shannon county which is where the Pine Ridge Reservation is. Some areas are very beautiful but more of what I noticed is run down homes, and trash literally strewn about this county, reservation and such. The people on the reservation do not take care of the land they currently have, rather they seem to trash it. It looks like they have attempted to make improvements tho people do not want to go or stay in a community full of crime. One elder told me she was a lakota language teacher and many of the young people have not wanted to learn their culture or languages. I have seen teenagers roaming the streets with baby strollers at 11 at night. Someone told me this was to protect themselves from getting raped. It is quite sad to see Grafitti has trashed a playground right in town that looks to have newer structures in an attempt to try to improve the town. The only grocery store in town charges double what you'd pay in nearby Rapid city. Tho Shannon county is a "dry" county, there are many people walking drunk thru town cause a Nebraska town only 3 miles south is home to only liquor stores and bars to further take advantage of and oppress the native people. Anyway, I highly doubt the UN would agree to return land if they actually went thru Shannon county or the city of Pine Ridge.
What was done is done; it can't be rewritten. What we can do is honor our obligations to all of our people. I liked the suggestion in an earlier post about a Native American History Month. It makes much more sense than Black History month to me. We can desiganate any public lands that are sacred and ensure that Native Americans are included in the care of those lands and part of decisions made about those lands. And we can work with the various tribes to ework the reservation system, helping to improve housing, education, and commerce in exchange for Native Americans paying taxes as everyone else does. In fact, let's do away with the reervation system. Each tribe would take straight up ownership of those where structures have been built for the common cause/use ( casinos and such). But in areas where there has been little development, either we bring in necessary infrastructure for success or the tribe trades for parcels where infrastructure already exists. Each famiy is given outright ownership to its own parcel. No more dependence. Make a sincere effort for success for future generations.
My heritage is mixed, with ancestors from several European nations and several Native American tribes that inhabited the East coast. I am proud of all.
Sorry Indians, aint going to happen, war and conquest have determined every people of every nation since man first crawled out of the muck. In this case the Indians lost, no doubt in the future sometime we in the US will be assimilated by someone or something else.
Won't never happen. The UN is a bunch of douchbags.
James needs to get a real job. Like going to the beach and packing his A — — with sand and staying out of America's internal business. There are a lot more human rights problems elsewhere. I mean like, James read the news, ya moron.
Take over of land, both hostile and friendly in nature, has occurred for many many years. Probably at the birth of civilization. Unfortunately at this stage of the game, attempting to right a perceived wrong opens the avenue for countless similar reversals of a civilizations land acquisitions. The case against this is simple, once started a cycle has been created it is difficult to stop.
The American Indians, my wife is mostly Black Foot by the way, were originally nomadic. Having traveled across the Bering Strait from what is now known as Russia, they acclimation to their cold weather climate and are known as Eskimos. They migrated south through the North America and also migrated into South America as well. They got around!! Heck, the American Indian tribes also warred with other American Indian Tribes. I'm sure slaves from other tribes were taken as was hunting grounds from the slaughtered tribe. How will this be corrected????
Similar proposals have been made as far as financial reimbursements for slaves and their offspring in the United States. Though some feel this is the correct thing to do, once started how do you stop it? Europe had indentured servants that traveled with host families to other countries including the United States. And I am sure not happily.... Do we give reparations to Hawaiians? Where does it stop?
The United Nations, with the comments that were made by this representative, in itself is creating divisions among ethnicity's within our country. Shame on this representative... However, a divided America is a weaker America! Believe me, there is an agenda here.. I'm sure there is purpose to this type of vocal intrusion. refinishes@hotmail.com
Good read for anybody interested in how/ why the course of human history works. Check out: "Guns, Germs, and Steel".
No PC crap, just the facts, Ma'am, just the facts...
Sounds like we're going be seeing a lot more casinos......
U.N., please eat my ass. Human life is not native to this continent. If being on land first gives you some sort of inexorable right to own it, then black people own the entire planet. They were here first. It is irrefutable. So, yes, let's give Mount Rushmore back to Africans.
P.S. You are hands-down a complete retard if you think human history is anything but people living on borrowed/stolen land.
Ahhhh.... the mighty UN has given us their two cents worth.....will they write a "resolution" or perhaps "sanction" us..????
It is a crime what HAPPENED to the Native Americans.... past tense...... they have been compensated... tax exmptions......... their own laws (reservations are like entering a foreign country).... their own enforcement...... they, like everyone else have opportunities to succeed or fail....
Shouldn't the UN be focusing on what is happening NOW: Torture and mutilation in Middle Eastern countries....the Sudan.... China......Somalia.....???? But being a big country and gullible enough to continue being the world's pocketbook..... the USA is an easy target for criticism......
We'd just veto any sanction or resolution.
They can't focus on the Middle East because we blanket veto anything pertaining to the world's busiest fascist regime.
This is not the 19th century anymore. Going backwards wouldn't solve a thing in a 21st century world except for symbolic reasons. There are examples of this having happened throughout history all over the world and you can't go back and change what's done. How about more thought into how Native Americans can successfully assimilate into a 21st century economy, government, etc. You don't have to give up your tribal ancestry and it's traditions to move forward in life. Oh, and UN? Butt out. You've got far worse human rights issues happening on the other side of the world that need much more attention.
Ok, let's give them back all their precious land and then can we stop giving them millions/billions of dollars each year to help support their sorry butts? We don't owe the Indians, the UN, blacks, or even any of my ancestors squat. The US has paid plenty to all these so called oppressed groups though one government program or another over the years and these groups have done nothing but squander the money and continue the cycle of poverty. White guilt (ie liberal thinking) has caused more problems than any war or broken treaty has ever caused.
United States condemns ethnic cleansing yet is guilty of murdering thousands of natives in its quest for land. Broken treaties, separated families and destruction of sacred lands was deemed acceptable.
Politicians tout as acceptable a tenth of a drop in unemployment. This drop may be true for the masses BUT in some segments unemployment is at staggering numbers. Among Blacks, Native Americans and Eskimos unemployment continues to "keep them on the reservation!"
Until ALL Americans are treated alike, freedom is only a word. The Civil Rights Bill was but a "stepping stone" to equality. Politicians tout change while continuing to deny adequate pay, equal rights and acceptance in society.
Remember in November!
I've always said it: Once stolen, always stolen and I'm glad that finally this paper tiger of the UN has spoken against the many atrocities committed against native Americans, Mexicans . It's so hypocritical that a so called "Christian and democratic" that invades other nations for oil, steals lands from sovereign nations and then tries to legitimize that by treaties and then when that signed treaty becomes an obstacle to more stealing, the treaty is brokenm and the vicous circle begins again and worse, when other nations try the same, all hell breaks loose and the nukes at are the ready fire.
Many people, racist to the core and as an end result mentally challenged, won't see, won't want to hear the truth because that would mean meeting the truth face to face and it's always easier to look the other way than accept our crimes. Socrates said it best when he said that the worst thing for a human being, although I feel dirty calling American stealers humans, is, was to know thyself. Knowing one's self indicates accepting the good with the bad and recognizing our crimes and accepting that nobody, not the Nazis, not Americans can steal from others by force and expect, at least morally, that it's right.
Native Americans, Mexicans have suffered enough at the hands of this "Christian and democratic" nation and the time, although centuries late, for atonement, reparations and to Caesar's what it's Caesar's is finally here. Of course, our government only follows the UN demands only when it's to invade other nations to steal their natural resources, but when the criticism comes our way, the first thing from politicians, most Americans is to get rid of the UN. Who needs, anyway, someone to tells us we have done wrong, when we knew it from day one? I hate to break it to the UN, but you better shut up of we will close you, stomp you, leave you and those leeches will have to find some other "body" to suck its blood. Shame on America for treating the owners of the land like servants, slaves. Only in America!
Wow. You have a lot to say. However, if you're looking for someone to"blame" in a truly historical sense when it comes to Mexico you need to look a little farther east. Europe, the Spaniards in particular, did far more to alter Mexico's history than the U.S. ever did. Sorry. Fact.