The United League of
Indigenous Nations Treaty and
Cross-border Cooperation
Dr. Zoltán Grossman
Member of the Faculty,
Geography / Native American &
World Indigenous Peoples Studies,
The Evergreen State College
(Olympia, Washington)
academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz
grossmaz@evergreen.edu
Senior Research Associate,
Northwest Indian Applied
Research Institute (NIARI)
www.evergreen.edu/nwindian
Indigenous Nations Treaty
Representatives of Indigenous nations from within the
United States, Canada, Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand)
sign a treaty to found the United League of Indigenous Nations,
Lummi Nation, Washington, August 1, 2007.
Indigenous Nations Treaty
A historic opportunity for Pacific Rim Indigenous governments to
build nation-to-nation cooperation, based on their inherent sovereignty
outside of the framework of colonial settler states:
“To establish a foundation for the
exercise of contemporary Indigenous
Nation sovereignty, without regard
to existing or future international
political boundaries of
non-Indigenous nations.”
Historical Bonds and Diplomacy
Indigenous peoples journeyed
around the Pacific for millenia;
Mutual contact and cultural sharing
Agreements and protocol among
Native nations predate Europeans;
disrupted and distorted by colonialism
Nations colonized by British share
common colonial laws and structures,
including terra nullius doctrine and
treaty agreements (except Australia, B.C.)
Cooperation among settler states
Settler states have cooperated in
the U.N. and APEC systems to
limit Native sovereign rights
U.S., Canada, Australia and
New Zealand only countries
refusing to sign UN Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, Sept. 2007
Four Pacific Rim states inspire
and model each others’ Native
policies (define as “race-based”)
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Asia-Pacific
Economic
Cooperation
(APEC)
Forum
Indigenous nations’ cooperation
Aroha Te Pareake Mead,
faculty of commerce
and administration,
Victoria University,
Wellington, NZ.
“For indigenous nations to enter into
international treaties with each other is quite
consistent with how we've always conducted
our affairs. We have traditions of trading
with other nations and in engaging in
peacekeeping and other forms of foreign
policy. States are stepping up their resistance
to the sovereignty of indigenous nations, and
the United Nations isn’t delivering enough
for indigenous peoples. We need to look to
each other in order to pave an appropriate
development pathway for our future
generations. The answers lie within us.” -Aroha Mead, Aotearoa
Indian Country Today (9/10/07)
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415578
Transpacific Cultural Exchanges
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Transpacific Artist Collaboration
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Non-Governmental Organizations
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Indigenous Nations Governments
Framework agreement for Pacific Rim Indigenous governments to
create an alliance, support each other in pursuit of common goals,
sponsor joint research studies, develop common positions and strategies
Indigenous Political Alliances
Treaty process involved political alliances, notably:
National Congress of American Indians (U.S.),
Assembly of First Nations (Canada),
First Nations Leadership Council (B.C.);
Mataatua Assembly of Tribes (Aotearoa).
Indigenous
Nations Treaty
Indigenous nations can cooperate
to decolonize ancestral territories
and protect their common property
(the air and water) for future generations.
Responding to climate crisis,
building a larger solidarity around
sovereignty and treaty rights,
natural resource protection, and
cultural protection and revitalization.
Some nations signed, others taking
back to Councils to study and decide…
Initial Signatory Nations
Te Runanga o Ngati Awa, Aotearoa
Mataatua Assembly (44 tribes), Aotearoa
Ngarrindjeri Nation, SA, Australia
Sucker Creek First Nation 150A, Alberta
We Wai Kai Nation, BC
Songhees Nation, BC
Douglas Village of the Tlingit Nation, AK
Akiak Native Community, AK
Lummi Nation, WA
Hoh Indian Tribe, WA
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, WA
Makah Tribe, WA
Pauma Band of Mission Indians, CA
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, MI
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, MI
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, MI
Lac Courte Oreilles Anishinabe, Lake Superior Chippewa, WI
Sac & Fox Nation, OK
Traditional Protocol
Protocol of
Witnessing
Agreements
at Lummi
Interim Governing Body with
representatives from four regions
Agreements on additional issues
to be added as treaty protocols
Plans for Secretariat (not in
competition with national groups)
Encouraging precedents of smaller
cross-border treaties among
Native governments (to build
multilateral cooperation in practice)
Intertribal Economic & Trade Treaty
Drafted by Affiliated Tribes of
Northwest Indians (ATNI), July 2007
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“Promote and expand opportunities
for economic development for the
signatory tribes…to regulate commerce
within our territories to achieve economic
sovereignty for our reservations.”
Includes Tribal Trade Zone,
Inter-Tribal Business Court,
agricultural exchanges and
joint marketing
Yukon River Inter-Tribal
Watershed Council
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Great Lakes
Water Accord
Tribal and First Nations
Great Lakes Water Accord
signed by 120 nations,
rejecting Great Lakes
Charter Annex, Nov. 2004
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Frank
Ettawageshick,
Little Traverse
Bay Odawa
Pacific Northwest Treaty
Cross-border
consciousness:
Coast Salish
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LANGUAGES
Tribal
Canoe
Journeys
Coast Salish
Gatherings
Treaty areas of cooperation
1. Increasing trade among Indigenous nations
2. Protecting cultural properties
3. Easing border crossings
4. Responding to the threat of climate change
1. Trade among Indigenous Nations
Engaging in mutually beneficial trade
and commerce between Indigenous
nations and the economic enterprises
owned and operated collectively by
Indigenous peoples and by individual
citizens of our Indigenous nations….
Participating in trade and commerce
missions to lay a foundation for business
relations and the development of an
international, integrated Indigenous
economy
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1. Trade among Indigenous Nations
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1. Trade among Indigenous Nations
Indigenous art and artistical materials
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Indigenous foods for casinos (bison,
salmon, wild rice, etc.)
Eliminate duties and tariffs for greater
trade among Native nations?
Sponsor other Native nations to
circumvent international trade regimes
1. Trade among Indigenous Nations
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Indigenous
Populations
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2. Protecting Cultural Properties
Protecting our cultural properties, including but not limited to
sacred songs, signs and symbols, traditional ecological knowledge
and other forms of cultural heritage rights by collectively affirming
the principle that our own Indigenous laws and customs regarding
our cultural properties are prior and paramount to the assertion
of any other laws or jurisdiction including international bodies and
agencies….
Exchanging economic, legal,
political, traditional and
technical knowledge
regarding the protection
of Indigenous cultural
properties.
2. Protecting Cultural Properties
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GATT and CBD “define many aspects of a
people's culture as the subject of commerce-material or items convertible into
commodities and sold or traded… constitute
a clear threat to the ability of Indigenous
nations to protect their cultural heritage….
Need to “ensure legal, political and
economic protections from state authorized,
corporate, criminal and or organized religion
initiated confiscation or pirating of the
cultural property and traditional resources of
individual nations.”
“A Treaty between Indigenous Nations on the Protection of Cultural Property and
Traditional Resource Rights: Asserting Indigenous Nation Sovereignty.” Prepared
jointly by the Center for World Indigenous Studies, Morning Star Institute and the
Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute, 2000.
http://www.cwis.org/260fge/260tcptr.html
2. Protecting Cultural Properties
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Tribal legal mechanisms to enforce
and protect cultural interests against
commodification and commercialism
Protect from biopiracy of plants,
genetic material, etc. by defining as
prior and paramount determination
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Recognition in patent / trademarking
process for nonmonetary purposes
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International property rights apply
only if nation releases cultural item
“into the stream of commerce”
Indigenous Peoples Council on
Biocolonialism: www. ipcb.org
3. Easing Border Crossings
Indigenous nations that straddle state boundaries to visit freely.
Ability of other Native representatives to exchange freely.
Preserving and protecting the human rights of our Indigenous people
from such violations as involuntary servitude, human trafficking,
or any other forms of oppression.
Jay Treaty protest for on St. Lawrence River bridge
straddling Akwesasne Mohawk territory, 1960s
3. Easing Border Crossings
Pass and Repass policy for Kumeyaay Nation
in California and Baja California
4. Environment & Climate Change
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Protecting our Indigenous
lands, air and waters from
environmental destruction
through exercising our rights of
political representation as
Indigenous nations before all
national and international
bodies that have been charged,
through international treaties,
agreements and conventions,
with environmental protection
responsibilities….
4. Environment & Climate Change
Collaborating on research
on environmental issues
that impact Indigenous
homelands,
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including baseline studies
and socio-economic
assessments that consider
the cultural, social and
sustainable uses of
Indigenous Peoples’
territories and resources.
4. Environment & Climate Change
•
Create an information-sharing network on climate change.
•
Develop and distribute accessible information on climate change
within nations, especially by and for youth.
•
Encourage intertribal exchanges
among traditional harvesters.
•
Encourage intertribal relationships
to build food security.
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4. Environment & Climate Change
•
Exchange data and expertise on tribal renewable energy projects.
•
Cooperation in planning with local non-Native communities
(modeling joint land use and emergency plans).
•
Use international laws to hold gov’ts accountable for emissions
(e.g., Inuit Circumpolar Conference, Kivalina)
•
Form joint delegations for
UN conferences on climate change
(including Copenhagen COP 2009
by Greenland home-rule government).
Challenges for treaty process
Geographical scope of “Pacific Rim”
Outreach to tribes about international cooperation
Need for face-to-face relationships
Participation of unrecognized nations?
Participation of traditional governments?
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“Sovereignty is the Act Thereof.”
-- Oren Lyons,
Haudenosaunee leader at
Lummi treaty gathering
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United League of Indigenous Nations
nited League of Indigenous Nations
U
http://www.ULIN-web.org
http://www.IndigenousNationsTreaty.org
Alan Parker, Director,
Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute (NIARI),
The Evergreen State College,
Sem 3112, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy. NW
Olympia, WA 98505 USA
Tel.:
(360) 867-5075
E-mail: parkeral@evergreen.edu
Website: http://nwindian.evergreen.edu
Contact
r. Zoltán Grossman
D
Member of the Faculty,
Geography / Native American &
World Indigenous Peoples Studies,
The Evergreen State College
Lab 1, 2700 Evergreen Pkwy. NW
Olympia, WA 98505 USA
Tel.:
(360) 867-6153
E-mail:
grossmaz@evergreen.edu
Website:
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz
Presentation:
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/ULIN.ppt
Climate Change and Pacific Rim Indigenous Nations Project
Web:
Report:
Powerpoint:
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/climate.html
http://www.evergreen.edu/nwindian/pdf/papers/IndigClimate.pdf
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/IndigClimate.ppt