Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cultural Survival, Dec. 2012
Cultural Survival, Dec. 2012
Cultural Survival, Dec. 2012
Q U A R T E R L Y
Board of Directors
A
ll over the world, Indigenous of the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indig- Mark Camp, Deputy Executive Director
Peoples are increasingly exercising enous Management, tells about the long Danielle DeLuca, Program Associate
self-determination by drawing upon fight the Maya in Belize have waged to pro- David Michael Favreau, Bazaar Program Manager
their right to Free, Prior and Informed tect their lands from extractive industry Sofia Flynn, Accounting & Office Manager
Consent (FPIC). Over the past two years, development. There is no doubt that Indig- Cesar Gomez (Pocomam), Content Production
& Training Coordinator, Community Radio
Cultural Survival has held strategy sessions enous Peoples will assert their right to FPIC. Program
at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous As Grand Chief John says, “FPIC is a right. Jamie Malcolm-Brown, Communications &
Issues with key Indigenous leaders to iden- It’s not simply a concept; it is a right to a Information Technology Manager
tify how we can contribute to the full imple- process.” Agnes Portalewska, Communications Manager
Rosendo Pablo Ramirez (Mam), Program
mentation of FPIC. We heard many voices, Throughout these discussions of FPIC is Associate, Community Radio Program
but the most compelling was by a participant an embedded understanding of the intrinsic Alberto ‘Tino’ Recinos (Mam), Citizen Participation
who stated, “The most important element relationship between land and the natural Coordinator, Community Radio Program
of Indigenous Peoples’ ability to claim the environment. Indigenous languages carry Patrick Schaefer, Director of Development
right of Free, Prior and Informed Consent within them an intricate web of relation- Miranda Vitello, Development Assistant
is to have informed and organized com- ships with the natural world that must be Jennifer Weston (Hunkpapa Lakota), Endangered
Languages Program Manager
munities.” To this end, Cultural Survival in place to sustain life. To fight for FPIC Ancelmo Xunic (Kachikel), Community Radio
is implementing a new project to produce is to fight for Indigenous languages that Program Manager
and distribute a series of radio programs exist in all of our relationships, and which
on topics related to FPIC, and to facilitate remind us of the sacred responsibilities to INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS
face-to-face networking and resource ex- honor them. Fighting for the land and its Erica Adelson, Jennifer Bucolo, Don Butler,
changes between Indigenous communities spiritual being is fighting for language, and Meg Holladay, Daniel Horgan, Curtis Kline,
Danielle Kost, Yunmee Kyong
who are engaged in a process of Free, Prior fighting for language is fighting for land.
and Informed Consent. Look for our con- The recent acknowledgement of the Whan- Ava Berinstein, Linguistics Advisor
tinued reporting on this exciting work in ganui River as a living, integrated whole
the months ahead. with legal rights based on interdependent
GENERAL INFORMATION
This issue of Cultural Survival Quarterly relationships with the Whanganui Iwi is Copyright 2012 by Cultural Survival, Inc. Cultural Survival
Quarterly (ISSN 0740-3291) is published quarterly by Cultural
is devoted to discussions on Free, Prior and a significant step in the right direction. Survival, Inc. at 215 Prospect St., Cambridge, MA 02139. Periodical
postage paid at Boston, MA 02205 and additional mailing offices.
Informed Consent. While we could only Cultural Survival appreciates and supports Postmaster: Send address changes to Cultural Survival, 215
highlight a few of the many who tirelessly all language revitalization efforts taking Prospect St., Cambridge, MA 02139. Printed on recycled paper
in the U.S.A. Please note that the views in this magazine are
work on these issues, we began with Mililani place in Indigenous communities. those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the
views of Cultural Survival.
Trask, who describes her innovative Native- Cultural Survival envisions a future
to-Native energy development model as where all Indigenous Peoples live by their 2012 Statement of Ownership, Management,
and Circulation
being “established on a belief that Native inherent rights deeply and richly interwoven 1. Publication Title: Cultural Survival Quarterly 2. Publication
Number: 0740-3291 3. Filing Date: September 15, 2012 4. Issue
people are the best to work with other Na- in the aboriginal lands, native languages, Frequency: Quarterly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually:
Four 6. Annual Subscription Price: $45.00 7. Mailing Address of
tive people because we have certain cultural spiritual traditions, and dynamic cultures, Publication: 215 Prospect St. Cambridge, MA 02139 8. Mailing
Address of Publisher Headquarters: 215 Prospect St. Cambridge,
affiliations.” The model takes “the heart of and whose rights are honored through self- MA 02139 9. Full Mailing Address and Complete Names of
the Declaration, [and] using Western law, determination. Free, Prior and Informed Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor-Publisher: Cultural Survival,
Inc. 215 Prospect St. Cambridge, MA 02139, Editor/Managing Editor:
put it into a format that would facilitate Consent may be one of the most challenging Agnes Portalewska, Cultural Survival, 215 Prospect St. Cambridge,
MA 02139 10. Owner: Cultural Survival, Inc., 215 Prospect St.
protection of rights and benefits to Native rights to implement in the UN Declaration Cambridge, MA 02139 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and
Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: The purpose, function, and
peoples.” Grand Chief Edward John, Chair on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But nonprofit status for federal income tax purposes has not changed
during the preceding 12 months 13. Publication Title: Cultural
of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous the UN’s adoption of the Declaration in Survival Quarterly 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below:
December 2012-Issue 36, Volume 4 15. Extent and Nature of
Peoples, echoes this idea when he says, “The 2007 is a major step forward in recognizing Circulation: a. Total Number of Copies: Average No. Copies Each
quality of life in our community—housing, and protecting Indigenous rights, as it rep- Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 3200; Actual No. Copies of
Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 3000 b. Paid and/or
bilingual education, health, language— resents the ongoing aspirations and declara- Requested Circulation-1. Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail
Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 1800; 1750 2. Paid In-County
is the cultural survival tive process for building international legal Subscriptions: 230; 250 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers,
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aspect of our people norms and pressures states to commit to tion: 600; 500 4. Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS: 70; 55
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as Indigenous Peoples. moving towards them. Nominal Rate Distribution 1. Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County
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the resources that people Suzanne Benally, Executive Director
Distributed: 280; 285 h. Total: 3200; 3000 i. Percent Paid and/or
Requested Circulation: 92; 94 16. This Statement of Ownership is
depend on.” Gregory (Navajo and Santa Clara Tewa)
printed in the December 2012 issue of this publication 17. I certify
that all information furnished on this form is true and complete:
Ch’oc, Executive Director Agnes Portalewska, Communications Manager, Cultural Survival, Inc.
Writing Remembrance
in Guatemala
T h e P r o c e s s o f P o e tr y
Cassandra Euphrat Weston
O
n July 7–8, 2012, representatives from com-
munity radio stations across Guatemala
gathered in San Mateo, Quetzaltenango,
at Radio Mujb’ab’l Yol (Meeting Place
of Expressions) to participate in a workshop led by
Cultural Survival staff exploring historical memory and
the Guatemalan civil war. The armed conflict formally
ended with the Peace Accords in 1996. Many of the
younger participants had no memory of the civil war
themselves, while those who had directly experienced
the conflict had previously lacked forums in which to
pass on their stories.
The workshop addressed complicated questions:
How can a person heal from a trauma when any discus-
sion about it, other than the most rudimentary recog-
nition of its horrific events, is perpetually stifled? Even
more vexing, how can a person heal, or even understand,
a trauma not experienced firsthand? One way to begin
answering these questions was via self-expression. After
a morning of factual presentations, participants spent
an afternoon writing poetry in exploration of their
personal relationship to the conflict.
Another session explored a new question: How
Above: Nicolasa could such vast and difficult experiences be contained
Pablo, Mam, (right) by language? Before beginning their poems, the group
interviews Rigoberta read two published poems by Indigenous Guatemalan
Gonzalez (left) about poets Humberto Ak’abal (K’iche) and Gaspar Pedro
her experience as Gonzales (Q’anjobal) touching on topics of conflict
a combatant in and loss. They discussed the ways each poet had used
Guatemala's Civil War. poetic language to convey emotional resonance more
effectively than a simple description of facts could have,
and then responded individually to creative prompts
inviting similar poetic expression.
Each poet presented their poem to the group for
feedback. The finished poems were then recorded for
Right: CS Staffer radio broadcasting and collected for publication. These
Rosendo Pablo moving words capture the complex relationships be-
tween present and past, between personal experience
Ramirez, Mam,
and collective, between love and grief, between history
of Todos Santos
and memory.
Cuchumatantes,
contemplates — Cassandra Euphrat Weston was an intern over the
ideas for a poem. summer with Cultural Survival’s Guatemala Radio Project.
H
with other Hawaiians to develop a good business model
er voice is warm, assertive, and iconic; her passionate so that we could look at economic development, focusing
tone and straightforward message are instantly recog- on renewable energy, in a way that would be respectful of
nizable. With an internationally renowned reputation Indigenous human rights and bring about change in terms
as an Indigenous expert in international law and of the development of renewable resources in Indigenous
human rights, Mililani Trask has been advocating territories.”
for the rights of Native Hawaiians and Indigenous Peoples This is how the Native-to-Native model for development
worldwide for over three decades. was born; it is the fundamental operational guide for IDG.
Trask comes from a long line of activists for Hawaiian Trask explains: “It was established based on a belief that
sovereignty and Native Hawaiians’ rights for self-determi- Native people are the best to work with other Native people
nation. “My father was an attorney and my mother was a because we have certain cultural affiliations. It took the heart
Hawaiian. Both raised me to understand our history, the of the Declaration, [and] using Western law, put it into a
overthrow, and the loss of our lands, what happened with format that would facilitate protection of rights and benefits
the Hawaiian people. That gave me a certain initiative to to Native peoples.”
right those wrongs for Hawaiians, and for others as well The Native-to-Native model challenges the current approach
who are in the same position,” Trask says. to how energy is developed by governments where, as Trask
For nearly 20 years, Trask was the executive director of says, Native peoples are expelled from territories, their title
the Gibson Foundation, a nonprofit organization that as- to their energy resources is denied, contracts are negotiated
sists Native Hawaiians in attaining home ownership. She has giving exclusive development rights to the company, and
served as a trustee at large in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs energy is sold at the highest market price.
and as the interim prime minister of Ka Lahui Hawaii (the “The Native-to-Native model is very different. It begins
Native Hawaiian Nation) for 11 years, among numerous by establishing four criteria for development: culturally
other roles in state and local government. appropriate, environmentally sustainable and clean, socially
Working through and at the UN, Trask has contributed to responsible, and economically equitable. We have built
the international discourse on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. into our model ways for community benefit-sharing.
“I started working with the UN in the 1980s with Hawaiians [For example], if you come into a community and you’re
developing geothermal energy, you’re making money! You and geothermal; she serves as a member of the International
have a business opportunity and you have a product that Indigenous Caucus on Biodiversity; and is encouraging
is energy, so what do you owe that community? Number UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to respect Indigenous
one, you owe them a share of the revenue every year.” people’s rights when recognizing new World Heritage sites,
The model is gaining traction; the Office of Hawaiian among many other initiatives.
Affairs adopted it last year. Additionally, the Hawaiian state For Trask, the tasks at hand—and the urgency of
legislature has introduced legislation requiring that there be accomplishing them—are clear. “All over the world we have
an economic and social benefit whenever state resources and a pressing crisis as a result of climate change…and we don’t
lands are being developed. The model is also being considered have time to waste bickering and fighting. If you look at the
by the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Indigenous territories all over the world, you’ll see that there’s
Though based in Hawaii, IDG has worked on projects vast renewable energy resources available. So we need to move
across the Pacific, including several geothermal projects with rapidly to have states, the World Bank, and others working
Ma-ori in New Zealand. “We have totally shifted the paradigm. in this area take a look at other models.
When we were first working with Ma-ori 10 or 12 years ago, “The Declaration says that we have a right to give our Free,
we were negotiating with folks who were developing geother- Prior and Informed Consent. Well, that tells me we have to
mal, and they had a great deal of power. When we’d sit down be at the negotiating table, we have to request disclosure, we
to negotiate with the Ma-ori, [the developers] would just kind have to ensure that consultation is meaningful. The challenge
of laugh and dismiss us and say, ‘you know, we don’t really do to implementing the Declaration is that we have to step into
business that way. We recognize that Ma-oris have this land, the driver’s seat. We have to say, based on protocols, what this
but what are they doing with it? They have sheep on it. It’s means to have culturally appropriate development.”
our money, our know-how, our technology… so we’re gonna
give them a long-term lease and we’ll be paying them rental To learn more about the work of the Innovations
at the value of sheep-grazing.’ Well, we had to sort of turn Development Group and the Native-to-Native
that around on them and point out to them that it’s Ma-ori model, visit idghawaii.com.
who own the land. They own not only the surface with sheep
on it, but they also own the subsurface resource rights. We
had to point out that the actual evaluation of energy in the
Pacific market, and in the global market, as set by Wall Street,
is not the price of sheep. When you talk that kind of talk Support Cultural
with somebody like Chevron, they very much change their
approach.” Survival Today!
IDG is uniquely positioned as its management team is
made up of Native Hawaiian professionals and entrepreneurs For 40 years Cultural Survival has
who know and understand the global energy market. They worked with Indigenous Peoples all over
bring an extensive network of business contacts that span the world, from the Anuak people in Ethiopia
the financial markets of the US, as well as Asia and the South to Maya communities in Guatemala.
Pacific, but are first and foremost sensitive to the needs of As we look forward to our next 40 years,
Indigenous Peoples and devoted to the economic advance- it is essential that we continue to have
ment of the communities they serve. your participation in our mission.
Trask maintains a global focus while continuing to work
as a tireless advocate for policy change in Hawaii. In addi- For more information or to make your gift,
tion to her work with the Ma-ori, she is working on renewable go to donate.culturalsurvival.org
energy initiatives in Indian country that include wind, solar,
T
ensions are brewing in the Máasewal communities growing states in Mexico. The tourism industry profoundly
of central Quintana Roo (known as Zona Maya) transformed the coast between Cancún and Tulum by creat-
between those who want to continue the current ing tourist spaces along virtually every beach and re-conceiv-
system of ejido and those succumbing to the pres- ing it as the “Riviera Maya” for promotional purposes. The
sure to sell their ejido rights. Ejido was established during the tourism boom has had enormous repercussions on Máasewal
Mexican Revolution as a system of communal land tenure communities as many have journeyed north to work, aban-
that bestowed land rights to peasants and Indigenous groups. doning their milpas (cornfields) and prompting changes in
Since 1994, individuals have been permitted to sell their the quality of their nutrition and their relationship with the
land titles. environment.
Contributing to the community’s strain is the recently By 1986, the landscape had been significantly altered
formed de facto partnership between one of Mexico’s wealthi- again—this time by biodiversity conservation efforts, in par-
est couples and the United Nations program, Reducing Emis- ticular the creation of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. In
sions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). principle, nature reserves are a positive response to the rapid
The program issues carbon credits that are intended to help decline of biodiversity caused by the global expansion of
mitigate the effects of climate change, but so far their primary extractive capitalism. However, the implementation of these
effect has been increased privatization of land and disenfran- reserves has been problematic. Those with ejido lands sur-
chisement of local Maya (the program imposes various com- rounding the Biosphere were pressured by NGOs to partici-
pliance restrictions that dictate what they can do with their pate in oft-ill conceived “alternative development projects” in
land in order to receive the credits). Additionally, Zona Maya the hopes of deterring them from their traditional agriculture
W
The natural resources in Aotearoa are often viewed through
hen an agreement recently signed in Aote- two different lenses: Ma-ori and non-Ma-ori. Honorable
aroa (New Zealand) proposed the acknowl- Peter Sharples, noted Ma-ori academic and cabinet minister,
edgement of the Whanganui River as a legal describes these competing views best: “Holding a title to
person, many saw it as an innovative re- property, whether Crown or private, establishes a regime
source management solution. Indigenous of rights—to capture, to exclude, to develop, to keep. Ran-
Peoples around the world often struggle with governments gatiratanga (Ma-ori sovereignty or absolute chieftainship) is
that do not recognize their view of the natural environment; asserted through the collective exercise of responsibilities—
when natural resources are involved, Indigenous worldviews to protect, to conserve, to augment, and to enhance over time
are often in direct conflict with non-Indigenous notions of for the security of future generations. Both seek to increase
property ownership. Viewed in this light, the agreement is value, but the question is, how do you value the resource?
even more compelling—because it is an agreement to define [By] the profit you can make? Or the taonga (treasure’s)
a natural resource according to the worldview of Ma-ori, the contribution to the survival of the group?”
Indigenous people of Aotearoa.
10 • ww w. cs. org
River Is Me
The answer, in this case, is the latter: the Whanganui River
will be defined and governed by the Ma-ori view of the river.
Whanganui Iwi, the Indigenous people that possess rangati-
ratanga over the Whanganui River, and the river itself will be
considered a living, integrated whole, or Te Awa Tupua. This
view encompasses more than chieftainship, however. As ex-
plained by the late Niko Tangaroa, a Ma-ori elder, Whanganui
Iwi have an interdependent relationship with the river: “The continue to negotiate a final settlement, the agreement recog-
river and the land and its people are inseparable. And so if nizing the river as Te Awa Tapua is an important step forward.
one is affected the other is affected also. The river is the heart-
beat, the pulse of our people....[If the river] dies, we die as Tu-tohu Whakatupua: A Cause for Cautious Optimism
a people. Ka mate te Awa, ka mate tatou te Iwi.” This unique The agreement that defines the Whanganui River as a
relationship is not a concept that can be easily understood legal entity, to be protected by appointed guardians, is
by non-Ma-ori because its value exists outside of the profit- titled Tu-tohu Whakatupua. It states that Ma-ori values of the
generating notions of property. Whanganui River be central to a final settlement in which
According to Honorable Tariana Turia, a member of par- the Crown will appoint one guardian, Whanganui Iwi will
liament who is affiliated with Ngati Apa/Wairiki, Nga Rauru, appoint one guardian, and both guardians will act together
Tuwharetoa, and Whanganui Iwi, the Whanganui River has for the benefit of the river. If the guardians have to protect the
always been a protected tribal resource—so the Whanganui Indigenous property value associated with the river, then they
Iwi do not accept the argument that everyone and no one must promote and secure the river as more than just a natural
owns it. In fact, prior to signing the agreement with the resource. In other words, the guardians must also promote
Crown, Whanganui Iwi argued that assigning non-Ma-ori and secure the spiritual and cultural rights of the river—
ownership rights to the river were the only way that their not simply the physical and ecological rights.
unique relationship, identity, and rangatiratanga could be Although Tu-tohu Whakatupua is neither a settlement nor
protected. So if Whanganui Iwi view the river differently from a decision with any independent binding authority, if the
non-Ma-ori, how did Iwi get the Crown to agree to define it as terms are followed then the final settlement will be governed
they always have, as Te Awa Tapua? Also, why did Whanganui according Whanganui Iwi values—values that define the river
Iwi agree to have their rangatiratanga protected through a as a treasure contributing to the survival of the group, rather
non-Ma-ori guardianship model where the river is considered than a profit-generating resource. However, Whanganui Iwi
a legal entity? The answers, not surprisingly, are complex. rights to the river may also end up being restricted by the
recognition of the river as a legal entity because once the
Defining the River According to the Worldview of Ma-ori guardians have been appointed, Whanganui Iwi, like the
Ma-ori chiefs and agents of the British monarchy began their Crown, will have no power to influence them.
official partnership when they signed the Treaty of Waitangi While the guardianship model ensures that the Whan-
in 1840. The partnership continues between the Ma-ori and ganui River will not be owned by anyone, thereby promoting
the Crown today, though it is the Treaty’s principles that gov- the Crown’s view of natural resources, the Whanganui Iwi
ern the duties and obligations of this partnership rather than maintain that the welfare of the Whanganui River is the most
its explicit text. Although these principles will inevitably important part of any settlement. As Che Wilson, affiliated
change to reflect the transforming needs of the country, the with Whanganui Iwi, notes, “the recognition of [the river] as
courts have found that the Treaty’s principle of partnership its own legal entity goes a long way to us as descendants of the
imposes a duty of good faith and reasonable conduct between river [in] ensuring that the protection of the river is upheld
Ma-ori and the Crown. Additionally, the Crown has a duty and its sanctity is maintained.” It is difficult to speculate on
to make informed decisions and to protect Ma-ori property the full implications of the agreement because its details have
rights. The spirit of the Treaty also imposes the principle of yet to be fully fleshed out. But Tu-tohu Whakatupua is argu-
redress, where the Crown is required to provide active and ably cause for cautious optimism as Indigenous Peoples con-
positive redress for past breaches of the Treaty. In such a case, tinue to fight for the recognition of their views of the natural
the settlement process usually begins by the Ma-ori filing a environment.
claim with the Waitangi Tribunal; then Ma-ori negotiate with
the Crown directly so that Ma-ori can get compensation for — Brendan Kennedy was born and raised in Aotearoa, and
proven breaches of Treaty principles. Whanganui Iwi have is currently a third year law student at Suffolk University Law
been engaged in this process for decades. As both parties School in Boston, Massachusetts.
I
“ was born and raised in a fairly remote part of Western Canada in British Co-
lumbia in the territory of my peoples, in a community where the only language
spoken was Dakelh, or Déné, of the Athapaskan language family. Our families
and communities were heavily dependent on the land for food and for liveli-
hood. It was a strong connection to our history, culture, values, and the land.”
Tl’azt’en Nation, “People by the edge of the bay,” is a First Nations community
in north central British Columbia, Canada. They call themselves Dakelh (“We
travel by water”), though Europeans popularized the name “Carriers.” The popu-
lation of the Tl’azt’en Nation today is around 1,300. Of these, approximately 800
live in one of the main communities of Tache, Binche and Dzitl’ainli, and K’uzche.
Tl’azt’en people still live off the land, hunting for moose, deer, bear, caribou, and
mountain goats. They still set nets for salmon, white fish, trout, kokanee, spring
salmon, and Lingcod, and still go to campgrounds in the summer to gather food
for winter storage, much like their ancestors.
Grand Chief Edward John’s proud heritage and upbringing have made him
the man he is today, a prominent First Nations political leader and Indigenous
rights lawyer in Canada. For his service, he was awarded the title of Grand Chief
of Tl’azt’en Nation. He helped to create the First Nations Summit, the organization
representing the British Columbia First Nations involved in treaty negotiations
with Canada and British Columbia. For over 30 years, he has been a tireless advo-
Cultural Survival board member
cate for Indigenous rights. In January 2011, John began a three-year term as the
Grand Chief Edward John
North American Representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on
Photo courtesy of First Nations Summit
Indigenous Issues, and in 2012 he was elected Chair. Cultural Survival has the
great honor to have Grand Chief John on its board of directors.
“The essence of what I bring forward to advocate for Indigenous Peoples
In our series spotlighting
is the historic and cultural connection to our teachings, to everything we see
the work of our Board around us that is interdependent,” John says.
12 • ww w. cs. org
“The other big issue is the legal matters related to our We Have a Responsibility
title of lands and territories. We have very few agreements John was closely involved in the negotiations and adoption
and treaties in this part of Canada. We were dispossessed of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by
from those lands by legal means from the Crown in the 1840s the UN General Assembly five years ago, and is now the chair
and ’50s . . . [so] there’s been 150 to 160 years of long-distance of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “I was
fighting for our legal interest. This underlying issue is very there and fought for the provisions in the declaration. The
important for our survival.” critical standard is the issue of Free, Prior and Informed
Consent, in particular where development is to take place
Restoring Connections in or on the territories of our peoples.”
John, who is fluent in Déné, is one of the few people con- Canada first voted against the Declaration in 2007, then
sidered an eloquent public speaker in the language. He was reversed its position by endorsing it in 2010, but implemen-
the founding president of the Yinka Déné Language Institute, tation is a slow process and raising awareness about the Dec-
which works to revitalize the Yinka Déné language and culture laration in Indigenous communities is critical to its success.
that has suffered under Canada’s Indian residential school “Many will read the Declaration and see. . . that their words
system. “[The residential schools] attacked our linguistic are reflected in it,” John says. The Declaration is being trans-
connections, our cultural connections. Not many people still lated into Indigenous languages as well; it is an international
speak our language—mostly [people] in their fifties and six- standard and a point of reference for all of the work being
ties. The younger people of course hear that, and pick some done on Indigenous issues.
of it up, but it’s not as deeply entrenched as it needs to be As to how supporters of Indigenous rights can contribute
to survive. to implementing the Declaration, John says: “Dialogue is
“One Indigenous language dies every two weeks, so it’s important. Greater dialogue leads to greater awareness and
a challenge not just to Indigenous Peoples of North America, a degree of development of a critical mass of thinking and
but globally as well. There are very small groups of people greater degree of acceptability of the issues.
who continue to speak the language and it is really difficult to “There are those in Canada who, for example, deny that
see and hear when the last speaking member of that language Indigenous Peoples exist, and those that deny that Indigenous
family is gone. Every government and every state needs to Peoples have any right to their territories and resources.
work with Indigenous people to keep those languages alive, Generally, most people are not aware of Indigenous issues . . .
because when they are gone, that whole stream of cultural so we have a responsibility to continue to talk about it.
connections to that part of civilization is gone forever.” Regardless of what anybody says or what anybody thinks,
John says that the Institute has been making important we have to be our own strongest advocates.”
inroads to sustaining Yinka Déné. The Tl’azt’en Nation cur-
rently runs a daycare, a Head Start program, and a community- — Grand Chief Edward John currently lives in Coast Salish
based elementary school. Additionally, the Institute is actively Territory (Vancouver, BC).
working with elders to document and promote their language,
stories, and cultural practices and integrate them into curri- To learn more about the legacy of residential
cula. It’s an uphill battle since there is no state support and schools in the US and Canada and what is
“funding is minuscule,” according to John; the government being done to address prior injustices, read our
allots approximately $1 million per year for 630 tribes Cultural Survival Quarterly issue on Truth Commissions
across Canada. goo.gl/ysxtP.
F
ree, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is an emerging participation in decision-making. Governments and corpora-
standard in the dialogue on Indigenous Peoples rights; tions can no longer ignore these principles.
some argue that it is becoming part of customary inter- FPIC is a standard protected by international human
national law. At Cultural Survival’s recent board meeting rights law. It states that “all peoples have the right to self-
in October, Stella Tamang (Tamang) from Nepal, Grand determination” and “all peoples have the right to freely pur-
Chief Edward John (Tl’azt’en) from Canada, Vincent Nmehi- sue their economic, social, and cultural development.” In the
elle (Ikwerre) from Nigeria, and Nicole Friederichs weighed words of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indig-
in on what this concept actually means in practice. They see enous Peoples, James Anaya (excerpted from Indian Country
FPIC as an important standard Indigenous people can use Today), “We need to return to the origins of the discussion
to claim their rights to self-determination, consultation, and about [FPIC...having] to do with identifying Indigenous
Peoples’ rights of self-determination over lands and resources.
With those rights come certain safeguards, and one of those
safeguards is that those rights can’t be affected or impacted
or diminished without consultation and free, prior and in-
formed consent.
“Anybody with property understands that you can’t
just take the property without consent, unless there’s some
over-arching governmental purpose. Because of this special
significance of lands and resources to the cultural survival of
Indigenous Peoples...it would have to meet a very, very high
burden of justification. [In] other parts of the world, compa-
nies or governments are saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to get your
consent’… [but] very often not in the most equitable terms
and very often in ways that diminish the rights of those in-
volved.”
14 • ww w. cs. org
“Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is one of the most important principles
that Indigenous Peoples believe can protect their right to participation. It is embedded
in the right to self-determination. The duty of States to obtain Indigenous Peoples’
FPIC entitles Indigenous people to effectively determine the outcome of
decision-making that affects them, not merely a right to be involved.”
UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(Left to right)
Grand Chief
Edward John,
Stella Tamang,
Vincent Nmehielle,
Nicole Friederichs
FPIC is protected under the International Labour Orga- to undertake their own decision-making processes; ‘informed’
nization Convention (ILO) 169 and the UN Declaration on implies that Indigenous Peoples have been provided all in-
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, where it is specifically formation relating to the activity and that that information
mentioned five times (Articles 10,11,19,28, 29). The duty is objective, accurate and presented in a manner and form
to consult is further reflected in Articles 19 and 32. ILO 169 understandable to Indigenous Peoples; ‘consent’ implies that
Article 6 also requires that consultation with Indigenous Indigenous Peoples have agreed to the activity that is the
Peoples be carried out through institutions that are repre- subject of the relevant decision, which may also be subject
sentative of Indigenous communities, and specifies that to conditions.”
Indigenous people should control the process by which Nmehielle, who is an Indigenous rights lawyer and inter-
representatives are determined. national law professor, elaborates. “FPIC is a concept based
on autonomy of the individual. Indigenous Peoples’ rights
The Meaning of FPIC have been so violated in the past by those who felt they knew
“In plain terms, FPIC is knocking on somebody’s door and what’s best for Indigenous Peoples, it becomes a concept to
asking for permission before you come in,” explains Grand allow them to make the decision on their own as to whether
Chief John. A central element of FPIC is genuine inclusion, a project or action is beneficial to them. It’s like taking a refer-
disclosure, and respect for Indigenous Peoples decision- endum: do we really want this or not? We want to make sure
making processes. “Many times Indigenous Peoples are Indigenous Peoples are not taken for granted, are consulted
accused of being anti-development, but the only claim In- regularly, and make decisions based on what they know to
digenous people are making is that they really want to be be true—the positives and negatives about the particular
part of the decision-making,” maintains Tamang. After initiative that affects them. That is the bottom line.”
centuries of exclusion, dispossession, and discrimination, Friederichs, a law school clinician, adds, “When you are
Indigenous people want their voices heard. talking about FPIC, you are talking about the broader duty to
Under current international law, governments are obli- consult and then the overarching principle of participation.
gated to consult Indigenous communities before any develop- The way I read the Declaration is that states have a duty to
ment affecting their lands and resources takes place, and even consult with Indigenous Peoples and the goal of consultations
more broadly, any decisions directly affecting Indigenous should be to obtain their FPIC. Participation is about rem-
Peoples and their self-determination require their consulta- edying centuries of denying Indigenous Peoples access to
tion and consent. The final study on Indigenous Peoples and decision-making that was happening without their voice
the right to participate in decision-making by the UN Expert at all. This is a way to make sure that the states recognize
Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples advises on they have an obligation to actually bring Indigenous people
the proper implementation FPIC: to the table and listen to them.”
“The element of ‘free’ implies no coercion, intimidation or
manipulation; ‘prior’ implies that consent is obtained in ad- A Process Right vs. Substantive Right
vance of the activity associated with the decision being made, As Grand Chief John sees it, “FPIC is a right. It’s not simply a
and includes the time necessary to allow Indigenous Peoples concept; it is a right to [a] process. In many cases the natural
Lost in Translation?
Maya in Belize Hope to Set Historic FPIC Precedent
Gregory Ch’oc
I
magine this scene: a bus hurdles over the dirt roads of
thick, tropical rainforest in southern Belize. It travels from
village to village picking up Maya who are panicked and
confused about oil drilling on their ancestral lands. Instead
18 • ww w. cs. org
impoverished in the country, they certainly understood the
economic pressures on Belize; the skeletons of failed govern-
Cultural Survival’s FPIC Initiative
ment experiments in cash crops on Maya land—all of the
withered fields abandoned on the side of road—speak to the In January 2013, as part of our FPIC Initiative, Cultural
futility of shortsighted schemes. So, they created the Sarstoon Survival is teaming up with SATIIM to coordinate
Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM) as a one-on-one community exchange to share FPIC
their administrative body to meet their co-management
experiences and best practices in community radio
obligations.
Imagine their surprise to learn four years later that the programming between Indigenous leaders from
government had entered into a Production Sharing Agree- Guatemala and Belize. Community radio operators
ment with the local subsidiary of a small energy exploration will create radio content about FPIC. Stay tuned!
company based in the American southwest, US Capital En-
ergy. The company was granted the exclusive right to conduct
petroleum operations within a 12 square mile area of the park take their case to the people of Belize. They organized a
called Block 19. SATIIM’s park rangers reported that dyna- national oil summit to discuss the issue on all sides. Ultimately,
mite explosions had cleared paths wide enough for jeeps to all major organizations publicly condemned oil drilling on
drive across to the Guatemalan border, giving poachers and protected lands. Yet the government acted as if public opinion
loggers access to virgin forest. and consistent court rulings simply did not matter and secretly
Upon this discovery, the elders held community meetings granted a new permit in late 2010.
long into the night. They decided that SATIIM would object In 2011 the Maya woke up to another surprise: the sound
to the permit as a violation of the National Park System Act. of explosions right outside their village. Without any warning,
In response, the government simply ignored its “partners.” So US Capital Energy had cleared some four miles of forest for
in 2006, the elders reluctantly instructed the Institute to file a seismic path. Additionally, seismic testing ignited a massive
a lawsuit to stop the activity. The Supreme Court of Belize fire that destroyed more than 400 acres of the newly discov-
ultimately decided that an environmental impact assessment ered ecosystem. Panicked Conejo residents asked SATIIM to
was prerequisite for an exploration permit, and the permit assess fire damages, and independent experts were contracted
was temporarily put on hold—but for how long? to research the concept of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
In the meantime, the elders were advised to legally estab- It became evident that the government was obligated under
lish their right to land they had occupied for millennia. In 2007 both domestic and international law to obtain consent for
the Supreme Court decided a landmark judgment that gave oil activity on Maya lands, which it clearly had not done.
the nearby Maya villages of Conejo and Santa Cruz full legal Meanwhile, US Capital Energy started to court certain villages,
ownership over their lands and its resources. In 2010 the re- painting school rooms and offering services of trash disposal
maining Mopan and Q’eqchi villages in Toledo District won and limited contract employment. But the company showed
similar land recognition. These historic judgments made in- its true colors after media reports on the environmental
ternational news when the Maya held the Belize government damage it had caused: it threatened the Institute with legal
to its commitments under the UN Declaration on the Rights action.
of Indigenous Peoples, setting a new legal precedent as its first We now reach the final chapter of our story, although
domestic application. The government’s appeal resulted in an this ordeal is far from over. This past October, under the
injunction that prohibited activities on Maya lands until the guise of “consultation,” Maya villagers were asked to review
appellate court decided the case. a 300-page environmental impact assessment document—in
During this time, the Maya realized that they also needed to English—at the height of the harvest season. When the Institute
requested to move the review
date by a few weeks, the govern-
ment refused. At this point, the
elders feel they have exhausted
all good faith options. The Insti-
tute and the four communities
likely to be affected by the ex-
ploratory drilling have retained
a major US law firm. So, we are
left with a question. Will another
lawsuit, writing another Maya
chapter in the history books,
be enough to save us from
extinction?
Photo courtesy SATIiM
Hear Us!
Mam People of Guatemala Express Their Voices Through Community Consultations
Ana Lucía Fariña ing the local population. From this discovery arose an urgent
need to start organizing and informing the community about
T
he survival of Indigenous Peoples’ heritage depends the situation; a need to develop what she calls, lucha en
on their ability to assert equal civil rights, including the defensa del territorio (fight to defend the territory).
right to participate in decision-making processes. Some The community began organizing into several groups:
of the most pressing limitations faced by Indigenous teachers, youth, authorities, and ecclesiastic figures, each led
people worldwide, including those in Guatemala, are by a representative. Their intention was to gather and discuss
linked to the protection and ownership of their lands, which a possible process of consulta, or consultation. Ramirez ex-
are frequently and increasingly being usurped for purposes plains consulta as the communities’ assertion of their right to
of mining, development, or other environmental exploitation. participate in decision-making, as well as the act of voting for
Guatemala is a multi-ethnic country; along with the Xinca or against a project that would affect them. The goal of the
and Garifuna, there are 21 different Maya groups making group meetings was to inform the population about the ad-
up an estimated 51 percent of the national population and vantages and disadvantages of the mining projects. Ramirez
speaking 26 Mayan languages. There are dozens of Maya refers to this stage as the proceso de sensibilización, or the
municipalities in the department of Quetzaltenango alone; process of building awareness.
this is the story of one, Cabrican. In total, 62 community consultas have been held through-
Bibiana Ramirez is a Mam community leader from out Guatemala. Ramirez says she was inspired by communities
Cabrican. Her story begins when her community became in Huehuetenango and San Marcos that had previously held
aware that the government of Guatemala was authorizing similar consultations, including public forums for the com-
licenses for mining companies in the area without consult- munity to vote for or against the initiative in question. How-
ever, unlike the others, her community decided to use paper
ballots to create hard proof that the consultation had occurred.
Indigenous people in Guatemala struggle to defend their rights in the Out of a total population of approximately 25,000, more than
wake of increasing repression. In October in Totonicapán, their protests half—13,610 people, a number that includes both children
were met with a brutal crackdown. Military forces opened fire on a and adults—voted against the mining project slated for
peaceful protest, killing eight and injuring more than 35 people. their lands. “It was a great turnout,” she recalls.
20 • ww w. cs. org
Bibiana Ramírez sharing with the Wayuu of Colombia the FPIC National Indigenous movement in Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Bibiana Ramírez
experience in Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Bibiana Ramírez
In spite of the popular mandate, due to various legal loop- related stories of their protests against the government and
holes Guatemala insists that these consultas, which frequently their ongoing work to defend their lands.
result in communities rejecting mining and hydroelectric While the consulta process is invaluable, it can also be
development projects, are not legally binding. Although it is expensive. The consulta in Cabrican involved the mobilization
obligated to conform to the right of Free, Prior and Informed of thousands of people, and Ramirez says it was difficult to
Consent, the state claims that it lacks a legal framework to obtain funding. The question of financing notwithstanding,
host consultations with communities. In the hopes of avoid- she believes her community was successful because the people
ing this roadblock, the community leaders in Cabrican pre- had clear information on their rights. Specifically, leaders
sented a document summarizing their consulta to govern- were educated about their land rights and the laws that pro-
ment officials in Quetzaltenango with the intent to obtain tected them. This knowledge in turn helped them educate
formal legal recognition of their consultation process. A del- the larger community about the dangers and consequences
egation of 70 community leaders then traveled to the nation’s of mining and their rights as Indigenous people, and allowed
capital to present the documentation to the president and them to inspire, gather, and organize people in the community
the minister in charge of approving the mining licenses. to assert their own rights. In short, education empowered
When asked if she believes that Cabrican’s consulta was their leadership skills.
successful, Ramirez replied, “Not completely, since there are Ramirez also discussed the importance of the “power
still mining companies coming and the current mining com- of voice,” leaders empowering and engaging people to take
panies are only giving us 1 percent of their earnings.” She action. “They have to trust you,” she says. “The leaders have
added, “the good thing is that we are defending our rights, to believe in their rights and in themselves, and be able to
our resources, and that we are not negotiating our lives.” convey a clear, inspiring message. We are talking about de-
Ramirez underscored that the community wants to protect fending our rights to live. I always tell them, what future do
its water resources; at various Canadian-owned mines in you want to leave for your children?” Ramirez believes that
Guatemala, the use of arsenic to extract heavy metals (pre- her role is to motivate and inspire people; not to educate, but
dominantly gold, silver, zinc, copper, and titanium) has con- to emphasize something they have forgotten they possess.
taminated local rivers and groundwater, making clean water Although there is still plenty of work to be done, the Mam
scarce and leading to serious health repercussions for the communities have successfully stopped the provision of new
local communities. mining licenses. Licenses previously issued for exploration
Within the Mam community there are eight municipalities, in the department of Quetzaltenango have mostly been left
and so far seven have asserted their right to Free, Prior and to expire, with one exception: a GoldCorp subsidiary, Entre
Informed Consent by virtue of the consulta process. Represen- Mares, was issued a license for gold mining in Cabrican and
tatives from each of these municipalities (including Ramirez) two other municipalities in 2007 under the auspices of a
have become part of Consejo de Pueblos del Occidente, or project titled “ELUVIA.” Its development has been halted,
Western People’s Council, an organization that was created to for the moment, thanks to a petition filed by the municipality
defend Maya communities’ rights in the western region of the of Cabrican to the Department of Energy to have the license
country. Following the consulta in Cabrican, several commu- revoked. As the community waits for a final resolution, the
nity leaders were invited to share their stories and experiences people of Cabrican continue to work with the Western People’s
with Wayuu communities in Colombia and to assist and ad- Council to organize community leaders to carry out more
vise in the process of Free, Prior and Informed Consent as consultations around Guatemala, asserting their rights for
the Wayuu confront coal mining in Guajira. On November their lands and creating a future of their own making.
16–18, 2010, a workshop was presented to approximately 200
attendees from 41 different communities. Council members — Ana Lucía Fariña as part of her Masters in Environmental
spoke of the obstacles they encountered during their own Leadership program at Naropa University in Boulder, Colo-
consulta, including their learning processes around community rado, did her internship at Cultural Survival, researching
organization, engagement, and empowerment. The presenters Indigenous communities that had successfully asserted their
rights to Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
T
co-edited by speaker David Francis and linguist Robert
he first school was built in Motahkomikuk, a Passa- Leavitt. A product of 30 years of work, the dictionary was
maquoddy community in northeastern Maine, in the published in 2008 with over 18,000 entries as well as a search-
late 1930s. St. Ann’s Indian Mission School, run by able online edition. The most comparable resource, the
Catholic nuns, enrolled children from Motahkomikuk web-only Ojibwe People’s Dictionary, has 10,000 entries.
and nearby Sipayik, the two reservations where most Following the success of the dictionary, in 2006 the Passa-
Passamaquoddy live. When the children arrived at maquoddy began the Language Keepers project. The project,
school they found that English-only was required, and they which produces videos of people conversing in Passamaquod-
were brutalized for speaking their native language. The pres- dy, is a partnership between the community and Ben Levine
sures on Passamaquoddy students to assimilate, reinforced and Julia Schulz. Levine and Schulz are also producers of the
by the violent treatment that they suffered in school, would 2003 film Réveil – Waking Up French, which documented the
eventually cause English to supplant Passamaquoddy as the revival of French language skills among former New England
community’s dominant language. francophones whose communities had abandoned the language
Those who had been abused at school wanted to spare after suffering from hate crimes at the hands of the KKK.
their children from a similar fate, so they would often speak Levine and Schulz were pioneers of a language reacquisition
Passamaquoddy but require their children to reply in English. program that helped speakers work through their trauma;
As a result, the next generation grew up as only partial Passa- Passamaquoddy language leaders thought the pair could help
maquoddy speakers. Now, two generations later, nearly all their community as well, especially in addressing the loss of
Passamaquoddy children are monolingual English speakers, public discourse.
and like many other Native American languages, the survival The Language Keepers project produced a series of 95
of Passamaquoddy is threatened. Elder Allen Sockabasin videos of Passamaquoddy people speaking to each other
writes, “[Passamaquoddy is] the heart of our identity and about subjects entirely of their choosing. Subtitled in both
the foundation of our spirituality.” Passamaquoddy and English, speakers discuss topics ranging
But times are changing. Since the start of the Language from porpoise hunting and cranberry picking to spiritual
Keepers video project six years ago, many of those abused at experiences and childhood memories. In the project’s online
the mission school (who are now grandparents) have begun version, many subtitles include hyperlinks to the words’
to speak more Passamaquoddy. They once again sing child- dictionary entries, which in turn provide lists of other videos
hood songs, are regaining vocabulary, and have begun to where the words occur. Levine hopes this cross-referencing
speak their language to their grandchildren. Tribal members will help people see how ideas relate in culturally specific
who moved away from the reservations are returning and ways, such as when people who are discussing muskrat trap-
have started to hear Passamaquoddy in their homes again. ping first talk about the the animals themselves, and then
Enthusiasm for the language is flourishing. flagroot (a plant they eat) and its medicinal uses.
The Passamaquoddy language is technically a dialect of The videos have created a priceless record of Passama-
Passamaquoddy-Maliseet, also spoken by the neighboring quoddy language and culture. For linguists, they represent
Maliseet people. In total, about 500 Passamaquoddy and 600 a new model for documenting language. In contrast to “elici-
Maliseet currently speak the language; nearly all of them are tation,” a method in which linguists ask speakers questions
over 50 years old. At one time Passamaquoddy was so present to learn about a language, Language Keepers videos show how
in the community that its loss didn’t seem like a possibility. the language works in practice. They also document traditional
But when the community realized its language was endan- culture, activities, and the Passamaquoddy worldview, as
gered, the remaining speakers swiftly took action. First was when Grace Davis talks about the healing possesomuwinuwok
22 • ww w. cs. org
Passamaquoddy
(star people) that she finds in ocean water at night. to cherished grandchildren, Levine observed, Passamaquoddy
The video project has also been a healing experience for becomes a “language of love.”
the community. In one session, while playing cards, a speaker Soctomah said the tribe is also planning an immersion
brought up St. Ann’s School. Out of this came nine videos in program that will pair partial speakers with elder fluent
which the elders recall their abuse in horrifying detail. When speakers. Together, they would speak the language for hours
they spoke Passamaquoddy, which some nuns called “the a day while engaging in activities from basket-weaving to
language of the devil,” they were variously beaten with grocery shopping, as well as learn to read and write Passama-
rulers, erasers, and switches, shut in the closet, and some- quoddy. According to Soctomah, the combination of activities
times choked. Speakers say that they found these group and literacy education would put the program “one step be-
conversations deeply therapeutic. yond” most apprentice language programs, and the language
Levine says that the videos’ online presence has brought would get the younger fluent speakers it needs in order to
the language “back into visibility,” sparking new, positive stay vibrant. Meanwhile, the nearby Penobscot tribe is work-
associations for speakers who had previously thought of the ing on projects to revitalize its language, which is similar to
language as “a symbol of ignorance, backwardness, and pov- Passamaquoddy, and Levine and Schulz continue to work on
erty,” or, more recently, had felt ashamed that they hadn’t revitalization projects similar to Language Keepers for three
taught it to their children. The project has also ignited new additional languages.
language use, as many partial speakers watch the videos to get Although these endeavors have reinforced the use of the
the language “back into their systems.” Those living far from language, so far they have not generated any new speakers.
the reservations can now hear it in their homes any time they But all of this effort and creativity may yet turn the tide for
want, which they say gives them “a whole new lease on life.” the Passamaquoddy. For a community that once felt a great
All of this offers the community new hope for the revitaliza- deal of fear and shame about its past, its language has become
tion of their language. a great source of pride—and hope—for the future.
Another project currently underway is the recording of
native Passamaquoddy speakers pronouncing every word in —Meg Holladay is a former Cultural Survival intern.
the dictionary, along with an example sentence. Since many
speakers are not literate in Passamaquoddy, a team of volun- The Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal is at
teers, often young adults, go to the houses of elders and read pmportal.org. The Language Keepers Project can be found
them the words and phrases to be pronounced. The elders at speakingplace.org.
correct their pronunciation and have been cheered by the
volunteers’ interest in the language. Donald Soctomah, the
leader of the recording project, reports that elders are now
To learn more about language revitalization
less resistant to speaking the language to young people. Says
efforts around the country, visit our new site
Apt, “I am always speaking to [my grandchildren] in Passa-
Language Gathering: languagegathering.org.
maquoddy and they understand and respond.” When spoken
Joan Dana,
Passamaquoddy,
in her home with
Ben Levine in the
background filming
a conversation about
traditional healing
practices.
we, maasai
Revitalizing Indigenous
Language and Knowledge
for Sustainable
Development in
Maasailand, kenya
Daniel Salau Rogei yet [I] am a Maasai by birth. I blame my parents for this.”
W
Globally it is estimated that a language dies every 14 days.
e, Maasai, still have much of our If the current trend continues, by 2100 over half of the more
culture, customs, and tradition as we than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth—many of them not
did thousands of years ago. Because yet recorded—may disappear, taking with them a wealth of
the Maa society does not have a clear knowledge about history, culture, the natural environment,
written history, it is difficult to say and the human brain. Much of what humans know about
precisely where it originated. Accord- nature is encoded only in oral languages. Indigenous groups
ing to linguistic research, the Maa language is hermetic and that have interacted closely with the natural world for thou-
not one of the numerous Bantu languages on the African sands of years often have profound insights into local lands,
continent. It is believed that the Maasai originated somewhere plants, animals, and ecosystems—many still undocumented
in the Middle East and came down the Nile River to our pres- by science. Studying Indigenous languages and cultural prac-
ent territory, the plains of East Africa. This is confirmed by tices therefore benefits environmental understanding and
the numerous Maa-named places dotting this route. Over the conservation efforts. Indigenous Peoples and local communi-
years, we have built a rich Indigenous knowledge system that ties, who depend entirely on their natural environment and
has allowed us to survive in harsh environments and seasons. traditional sociocultural, economic, and spiritual life skills
However, the Maasai, like many other Indigenous Peoples, that are encoded and orally passed from one generation to
are fast losing our languages and cultures. another, are at a great risk of assimilation and subsequent
Maa is an oral language that has not been documented extermination. Every time a language dies, we lose part of
and is therefore vulnerable to extinction. Other written the picture of what our brains can do. Every fallen sage
languages, such as English and Swahili, are quickly finding is tantamount to a burnt library!
their way into our communities through formal education, To address this threat, the Center for Indigenous Languages
religion, and globalization. Elder Parkesian recalls, “Our fa- and Cultural Studies, a project of Simba Maasai Outreach
thers never wanted us to go to school but the British colonial- Organization (SIMOO), a nonprofit community-based orga-
ists insisted and a few were reluctantly sent. They knew we nization working with the Indigenous Maasai pastoralists of
would lose our language and culture and then get lost.” Today, Kenya and Tanzania, was established. Based in Ngong Hills,
many Maasai regret that the Maa language was not passed the Center for Indigenous Languages and Cultural Studies
down to them. Sharoni Nangurai, a college graduate and a seeks to revitalize and promote spoken and written Indigenous
current student of Maa language voices this regret: “I lost languages. It also seeks to streamline traditional knowledge
the dream opportunity of getting [an] internship and work- and Indigenous practices to complement the conventional
ing with UNEP simply because I couldn’t speak Maa, and approaches to combating poverty in a bid to achieve
24 • ww w. cs. org
Cultural Survival is
excited to host SIMOO
at our winter Bazaars.
See bazaar.cs.org.
sustainable development. Chief Daniel Sankale says, “This the Maasai culture. Students also gain appreciation for aspects
is the best and sustainable way to preserve our culture. . . of the Maasai way of life such as herding and bead work, and
by teaching the youngsters the language and culture and get to live its spirit. Edward Simel, an early student of the Maa
documenting it for posterity.” language class explains: “It is very embarrassing to have a
Protecting, preserving, and promoting a language is no Maasai name and lineage but not be able to speak the lan-
easy task. The Center conducts research related to culture and guage. I was brought up in Nairobi where my parents worked
development to establish the relationships among culture, and where I went to school. I lost touch with my community,
peace, development, and environmental sustainability. Funded I lost the language and I lost the beautiful culture. This is a
by the International Society of Ethnobiology, we are research- great opportunity for me and my kids to learn the language
ing and documenting Maasai cultural practices such as rituals and some aspects of the culture again.”
and ceremonies for posterity. The research is then compiled The Center also has a global goal in mind, to promote
into materials and used for teaching and reference. This global understanding of the Maasai culture. Cultural ex-
provides a basis for a rights-based approach to advocate for change among people of diverse backgrounds is important
favorable policies both locally and internationally. We have for harmony, peace, and sustainable development. Exchange
been organizing a cultural field day where school children programs involve Indigenous Maasai visiting other parts of
and parents come to participate in an annual three-day event the world to share their culture, or international students
where cultural presentations are staged to inform the com- coming for internships in Maasailand. The international
munity about their rights and connections to global issues. exchanges are supported by Frogpond Production in PA.
Elder Mary Sakuda, 86 years old, says, “When we lose our We, the Maasai, like many other Indigenous Peoples, are
land, we lose our language and then we lose our culture. . . on the verge of losing our language and the rich Indigenous
we become like slaves of others.” knowledge inherent in it. This will be a big loss to the global
The Center is also documenting culture, language, songs, biocultural diversity and will be devastating to the environ-
and other cultural practices for posterity. We do this in printed ment. Safeguarding Indigenous languages is also a recogni-
and/or digital form by developing short videos, audio phrases, tion of the existence of such communities as well as a promo-
and online materials. School children conduct interviews with tion of their human rights. Unless Indigenous languages are
elders and translate from oral to written form. Story books protected, the gains made globally that have culminated in
are being compiled to preserve oral knowledge as elders pass the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will
on. Ole Kurraru, a 90-year-old elder, praises the program: be reversed. Sustainable development can only be realized if
“This initiative needs to be encouraged. Unless something and when Indigenous Peoples are given an opportunity to
is done, at this rate of alien encroachment and assimilation, exercise their right to cultural practices, including promotion
there will be no Maasai [speakers] in 50 years to come.” of their native languages. For the Maasai, this is an invaluable
To address the need to revitalize threatened languages and legacy that we will be happy to bequeath to future generations.
cultural practices, the Center offers linguistic lessons, cultural
orientation, and experiential learning. Classes are currently — Daniel Salau Rogei (Maasai) is a founder of the Simba
offered for Maasai who have lost fluency in the language. Maasai Outreach Organization in Kenya. To learn more,
Teaching and reference materials have been compiled to serve visit: simookenya.org.
as resources in the classroom, and the development of a Maa-
sai–English dictionary is underway. During the holidays, the To learn more about what is being done
Center offers camp-based experiential learning for urban stu- around the world to revitalize Indigenous
dents. In addition to learning the Maa language, the students languages, visit our Language Gathering site:
are exposed to environmental education that will allow them languagegathering.org.
to understand and identify the role of plants and animals in
T
he first thing you notice upon entering the booth of Project Have Hope
are the colorful strings of recycled paper beads—and then the remarkable
photographs of children and women by photographer Karen Sparacio, who
is also the executive director. Project Have Hope, a nonprofit organization
that works with 100 women in the Acholi Quarter of Uganda, has been a presence
at Cultural Survival Bazaars for six years and counting. Through the sale of their
beautiful, handmade paper bead jewelry, the women can feed their families, send
their children to school, and look forward to a richer future.
Residents of the Acholi Quarter, a neighborhood located on the outskirts of
Uganda’s capital city Kampala, are internally displaced persons who have fled from
war-torn Northern Uganda. These individuals experienced unimaginable atrocities
at the hands of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Led by the infamous Joseph Kony,
the LRA has wreaked havoc throughout central Africa for over 20 years. It is known
for its brutality, abductions, and use of child soldiers. The majority of the women
involved with Project Have Hope have been deeply affected by the war: some were
abducted and escaped; many lost family members and witnessed horrific violence; all
have lost their homes in Acholiland. As the women struggle to rebuild their lives and
regain their livelihoods, Project Have Hope strives to support them by providing a
source of sustainable income and educational and vocational training programs.
D
ecember 21, 2012, the end of the Oxlajuj B’ak’tun Reyes. As a result of the conference, youth leaders published a
cycle of 5,128 years—not the end of the world, as statement demanding a state that reflects the multi-lingual and
commonly, falsely interpreted—is fast approaching, multi-ethnic Guatemala that Indigenous youth live in today.
and for Maya in Guatemala, that means it is time to “Along this long historic path of struggle and resistance, we,
start celebrating. To commemorate Oxlajuj B’ak’tun, the Waqib’ Indigenous youth, are discussing, deliberating, and articulating
Kej Indigenous Youth Council held a festival of art, music, and our struggles, on the eve of Oxlajuj B’ak’tun, as a moment for
dance on September 22 on the grounds of the ancient Maya city a new dawn for the people,” the statement begins. A musician
of Iximche, outside modern-day Tecpan, Guatemala. Iximche summed up the sentiment at the festival: “Seeing this many
was the capital of the Kakchiquel empire, founded in 1465 and young people, working together for positive change for Indig-
part of what archaeologists term the post-classical period of enous Peoples in our country, gives me an incredible hope
the Mayan empire. As Alex Ulul, community guide at the ruins, for this new era.”
explains, “Post-classical is the term archaeologists use, but that
implies an end to Maya civilization. We measure time in b’ak’tun. Read the rest of our five-part series on 2012 at
This city was built at the end of the 11th b’ak’tun.” Oxlajuj, mean- www.cs.org/2012.
ing 13, is the last b’ak’tun. According to Maya priests, the next
cycle begins again at 1.
The festival also marked the conclusion of a two-day con-
ference for Indigenous youth focusing on a re-establishment of Leave a lasting legacy with a
Planned Gift
the State of Guatemala in this new era. “We have thought deeply
about the reality that we’re living, and what we can propose to
the state of Guatemala. We demand real change in this country,”
said a presenter at the opening of the festival. A gift from your estate, through wills, trusts, life
Indigenous artists, musicians, poets, and dancers gathered insurance, and retirement assets, builds a founda-
from across the country to represent, via artistic expression, tion for Cultural Survival's future while offering tax
what Oxlajuj B’ak’tun means for them. Eduardo Santiago Reyes, advantages to you. The Cultural Survival Legacy
from San Juan Comalapa, won first place for his painting about Society recognizes those members who have
Maya spirituality and hardships. “I am so grateful to have the included Cultural Survival in their estate plans.
chance to be here. Being involved in this movement and painting
about these topics has been a huge challenge to me,” he said. For more information,
Reyes’ father forbids him from painting about injustices Indig- go to cs.org/plannedgiving, or call
enous Peoples have faced out of fear of repercussions. “Talking Patrick Schaefer at 303.562.4360.
about these issues is like a death wish,” his father has told him.
ow Global Response
CampaignHonduras
Alert
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t io
Ac
ke
Ta
Margarita Videa, a member of OFRANEH’s board of
Cultural Survival endorses directors, uses traditional incenses in a ceremony to
Grassroots International’s the ocean and the land during the opening of three
campaign to protect the days of activities on defense of land and territory
Garifuna people’s land rights in San Juan Tela, Bahia de Tela, Honduras.
and lives.
I
2009 political coup, 65 small n Vallecito, Honduras, the Afro-descendant Garifuna community is threatened by
farmers have been killed in the agribusinesses intent on developing their ancestral land for palm oil production.
Bajo Aguan region as they were In late August, 200 Garifuna families from a dozen different communities mobilized
attempting to reclaim illegal to reclaim 2,500 hectares of their ancestral land earmarked for development by large
landholdings from giant palm agribusinesses. The families set up camp, staking claim to the land that they intend to
oil plantations growing biofuel recover through non-violent protests as part of their right to self-determination.
for export. The lands legally belong to the Garifuna people; in 1997 they sought and received
land titles from the National Agrarian Institute. But powerful elites, such as local business
In 2010, the Garifuna grass- magnate Miguel Facussé, did not accept the decree. Facussé usurped the Garifunas’ land,
roots organization OFRANEH, planting 100 hectares of oil palm. Today, his territory completely surrounds Vallecito.
the Black Fraternal Organization In total, 86% of Garifuna land has been seized by non-Garifunas over the last 18 years,
of Hondruas, teamed up with despite a Supreme Court ruling upholding the Garifunas’ title to the land.
Cultural Survival and three Article 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
other Indigenous groups signed by Honduras, states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and
in Honduras to try to stop develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories
a Chinese company from and other resources.” But paramilitary groups, allegedly hired by local agribusinesses,
damming the Patuca river, Facussé, or others, are threatening Garifuna for attempting to recover their land.
territory of the Pech and Miskitu Politically motivated killings, kidnappings, and death threats against farmers and Afro-
peoples. Now, OFRANEH and descendant leaders have increased steadily since the 2009 coup. In the Lower Aguan
the Garifuna people need our region, 65 small farmers have been killed as they reclaimed illegal landholdings from
help to ensure their safe recovery giant plantations that will produce biofuel for export. These small farmers simply
of their ancestral lands. want to grow food to feed themselves and their communities.
Take action today and tell Honduran officials to protect Garifuna communities. With your
28 • ww w. cs.
support, we org can be part of a growing movement to protect Garifunas’ land rights and lives.
“Against their weapons, our drums
are all that we have.”
— Alfredo Lopez, vice president of OFRANEH and
founder of the first Garifuna community radio station
Charter Cities
Miguel Facussé is not the only culprit displacing the Garifuna
and other Honduran campesinos off their land. American econo-
mists are promoting a controversial new initiative that would
construct new, privately owned, autonomous city-states in Hon-
duras. These “charter cities,” or Special Development Regions,
would have their own legal systems, police forces, tax codes,
and trade policies. They are essentially what has been called
“the neoliberal dream of an investor-owned city operating
outside of Honduran law.” Investor-owners would also decide
who is allowed to reside in these cities, and who is not.
Part of the Honduran government’s stipulation for charter
cities is that they be located in “uninhabited” areas. Yet on
September 4, the government signed a $15 million US contract Spiritual leaders of OFRANEH perform a ceremony to
with an investment consortium to begin construction on the first the ocean and the land during the opening ceremonies of
charter city, located between the Trujillo Bay and the Sico River: the Gathering of Indigenous and Black Peoples for a New
an area considered the cultural sanctuary of the Garifuna people, Constitution in San Juan Tela, Bahia de Tela, Honduras.
and home to 24 communities. Miriam Miranda implores, “We
are not only up against the interests of organized crime; we’re ‘Yes, we issued that land title to you in 1997 and we are
up against the interests of a government that—without reiterating that this is your land.’ Now we are up against
consulting us—makes decisions about our territory.” the silence and complicity of the state, the government,
these groups with power, and their plans. For us, this
Evicted...Again is very serious.”
The Garifuna people have a long history of forced relocation. Please take action by calling on the government of
Their story began on St. Vincent Island in the Caribbean, where Honduras to uphold the Garifunas’ land titles and rights
they were shipwrecked in 1635 after crossing the Atlantic as to Free, Prior and Informed Consent for any projects on
captured slaves. The only Africans to arrive in the Americas as their land. Urge the government to ensure the safety of
free blacks, they were taken in by the Carib and Arawak peoples, the Garifuna and other campesino activists as they face
and through intermarriage formed the people today known as some of the worst human rights conditions in the world.
the Garifuna. In 1797 they were again relocated by English colo-
nizers to Roatan, on Honduran soil. The Garifuna then migrated
to fishing territories around the Sico River and Trujillo Bay. They Take action and make your voice All photos
had settled into the Vallecito Valley 17 years before the Spanish heard! Tell Honduran officials to by Tim Russo
granted Honduras independence in 1821. protect Garifuna communities. via Upside
Miranda explains what her community is seeking. “We’re Visit: goo.gl/AbU9K and grassrootsonline.org Down World
asking for something very simple: that the state come and say,
8
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