Who are Indigenous People?

The adjective ‘indigenous’ has the common meaning of the “original” or “native”. Therefore, in a purely adjectival sense any given people, ethnic group or community may be described as being indigenous in reference to some particular region or location.

When European countries, such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Great Britain began to expand their territories into the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia, there was a view among scholars that indigenous people were supposed to hold certain rights under international law. Despite these philosophical ideas, in practice the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples was minimal during the period of colonization.

The pivotal foundation of the post-World War II framework was the emergence of the right of self-determination, enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Having been excluded from the principle of self-determination, indigenous peoples have developed two strategies within the international legal framework:

· to find alternative ways of being recognized under international law, such as through the Declaration of indigenous peoples; and

· to develop and transform the notion of ‘self-determination’ by broadening the definition and using the word as a political slogan with a more encompassing meaning.

Although international mechanisms and norms are not always responsive, the activity of indigenous advocates within the frameworks of the United Nations and international law highlights the inventiveness of indigenous peoples in pursuing alternative avenues to seek better protection of their rights.

A major achievement was the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted by the General Assembly on 13 September, 2007. The Declaration is the most comprehensive statement of the rights of indigenous peoples ever developed, giving prominence to collective rights to a degree unprecedented in international human rights law.

Understanding Expressions

Task 10. Choose the best explanation for each of these words or phrases from the text.

Indigenous

a) aboriginal

b) rural

c) extinctive

 

To expand

a) to broaden

b) to spend

c) to subjugate

Pivotal

a) central

b) diagonal

c) gradient

 

To enshrine

a) to apotheosize

b) to preserve

c) to worship

 

A framework

a) a circuit

b) an outline

c) a structure

Encompassing

a) comprehensive

b) narrow

c) surrounding

 

Responsive

a) reciprocal

b) unidirectional

c) viewpoint

 

To highlight the inventiveness

a) to feature resourcefulness

b) to observe discovery

c) to set exclusiveness

Alternative avenues

a) additional streets

b) other means

c) traditional views

 

Unprecedented

a) never done before

b) once practiced

c) previously experienced

 

Task 11. Express your thoughts upon the following questions.

1. What do you think contributed most of all to the problem of oppressing indigenous peoples?

2. In what way indigenous peoples can uphold their rights?

3. What international mechanisms might be applied to enshrine indigenous people self-determination?

4. What major achievements in the field of the rights of indigenous peoples have been made?

Lead-in

The most fundamental document on human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), is a product of the UN system. The UDHR was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly of the UN in 1948. It is not a binding treaty that states ratify or accede to. Rather, it is a declaration of ‘a common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.’

 

Task 12. What do you think were the reasons the Universal Declaration of Human Rights arose from?

 

Task 13. Below are extracts from the first 10 articles of UDHR (there are 30 in all see Appendix). Complete each article by choosing the correct word from the box.

 

charge   detention    discrimination       exile     free    freedoms    law liberty   punishment    race          remedy     rights   slavery tribunal

Article 1

All human beings are born __________ and equal in dignity and rights.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and __________ set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as __________, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, __________, and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in __________ or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or __________.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the __________.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any __________ to equal protection of the law.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective __________ by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, __________ or __________.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial __________, in the determination of his __________ and obligations and of any criminal __________ against him.

 

Task 1 4 . Translate into English .

1) Усі люди мають право на рівний захист перед законом. 2) Ніхто не може зазнавати безпідставного арешту. 3) Кожна людина має право на те, щоб її справа була розглянута прилюдно і з дотриманням усіх вимог справедливості. 4) Визнання прав людини на міжнародному рівні прийшло внаслідок двох світових війн. 5) Події другої світової війни безпосередньо привели до заснування Організації Об’єднаних Націй. 6) У завдання Ліги Націй входило стеження за дотриманням прав корінного населення колонізованих територій. 7) Загальна декларація прав людини, прийнята і проголошена резолюцією Генеральної Асамблеї ООН від 10 грудня 1948 року, докорінно змінила ситуацію навколо прав людини. 8) Кожна людина має право на життя, на свободу і на особисту недоторканність. 9) Кожна людина, обвинувачена у вчиненні злочину, має право вважатися невинною доти, поки її вина не буде встановлена в законному порядку. 10) Ніхто не повинен зазнавати тортур або жорстокого поводження і покарання.

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