Establishing A United
League of Indigenous
Nations
1st Step: A Treaty!
Recommendations of the
National Congress of American Indians
“Special Committee on Indigenous Nations Relationships”
Adopted Oct. 10, 2004, 61st Annual Conference
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Power Point report prepared by Alan Parker, The Evergreen State College
The NCAI Special
Committee came
about due to the
Confederated Tribes
of Umatilla. They
proposed creating a
treaty between
indigenous nations
of the Pacific Rim.
Recommendations of
Special Committee of
NCAI Tribal Delegates
The NCAI Special
Committee
recommended:
• A new “Treaty of Indigenous Nations
of the Western Hemisphere” as the
basis of an historic political alliance
on common goals and joint
strategies.
• Creating a structure for international
relationships, a “United League of
Indigenous Nations.”
• A program of outreach and
communication within the indigenous
world about the treaty proposal.
Principles of Indigenous Nation Treaty
Making
1.
2.
3.
4.
Indigenous nation sovereignty is inherent.
Indigenous nations have a right to enter into international
agreements independent of any non-indigenous
government.
Indigenous nation treaty-making respects the principle of
“non-interference” in the affairs of each participating
nation.
Participating nations are responsible for setting
“conditions for participation” and a process for
establishing the credentials of participants.
Goals Of The Treaty
• Formulate joint strategies on the common goals of
protecting cultural properties, sacred items and traditional
knowledge.
• Develop a structure for international trade relationships and
profitable commerce between indigenous nations.
• Create political unity on the position that indigenous nations
have a right to directly participate in environmental
agreements and conventions regarding global climate
change that is having a devastating effect upon them.
Treaty Objectives
• Establish a data base of indigenous nation law
regarding their cultural property and its primacy
over any other jurisdiction -- national and
international.
• Establish a clearinghouse regarding indigenous
enterprises and mutually beneficial and profitable
trade and commerce opportunities.
• Sponsor research by native scholars that responds
to the needs of indigenous nations.
NZ Meeting on
Treaty Proposal
• Maori invitation to USA and Canadian
indigenous nations is an historic step
forward.
• Critical feedback from Maoris is crucial
to next steps by USA and Canadian
indigenous nations.