Excerpt:
Native Americans ask Congress for greater sovereignty
Posted Jun 11, 2011, 12:05 pm
For Arizona Native Americans Duane Yazzie and James Anaya, the need for the U.S. to stop marginalizing indigenous peoples and start listening has never been greater.The men were among several who testified to Congress Thursday on the need to pass legislation that abides by the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples — passed in 2007 but only approved by the U.S. in December.
"Oftentimes, too many times, throughout our relationship, the federal government has decided it knows best what is proper for us," said Yazzie, chairman for the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission.
"We have always known what is best for us. We continue to know what is best for us," said Yazzie, who said the "big-brother attitude" of the government has created gaps in U.S. policy.
The declaration recognizes the rights of native peoples to "self-determination, institutions, cultures and traditions," while also barring discrimination against indigenous peoples. Only four countries – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. – voted against the declaration in 2007 and the U.S. became the last nation to endorse it.
No opponents were present at Thursday's oversight hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, which heard from nine speakers who urged the U.S. to embrace the declaration.
Anaya, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, said that while the declaration is non-binding, it should be a model for legislation on Native American rights in the United States.
The University of Arizona law professor said that just as the Supreme Court has "referred to other international sources to interpret statutes, constitutional norms, and legal doctrines," courts should look to the declaration.
Anaya also said that following the declaration would let the U.S. continue the role as human-rights leader that began in 1948 when it led the fight for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"Since then… it has been somewhat slow to take any kind of leadership role on indigenous peoples. The United States can and should now play that leadership role again," he said.
The Largest Forest Fire in Arizona History
Wallow Fire - Special Request from the Native Americans, Apache, Navajo and Zuni tribes
Please forward as you see fit
Hello everybody - as you can see on the news the Wallow fire in Northern Arizona is still uncontrollable and spreading.
The fire has destroyed everything in its path, over 1/2 million acres so far, the largest fire in Arizona history. Please join us in a tribal prayer to help the firefighters and all involved. Pray so the winds stop and the rains start (without lightning please) We want to pray for the safety of all. Ask for heavenly walls to protect our land and animals from fire. All the choppers, manpower, planes, and bulldozers are not enough, they need our help.
We are one Nation as Natives and our traditional prayers to the Creator as Natives can be pretty powerful; not only are our tribal lands at stake (White Mountain & San Carlos Apaches, possibly Zuni, and some Navajo areas), but our non-native friends also need our help.
Please let us all connect our minds, hearts and our prayers across the miles and pray. Wherever you are and whatever you have plan please stop for a few minutes and raise your hands to the Creator to ask for help. If all of you can forward this message across the Nations, we can reach many thru phone and internet. Please start forwarding ASAP to reach as many as we can. Please if your spiritual preference is not traditional - pray with us in however way you talk to the Creator.
Thank you,
Dorothea Stevens, San Carlos Apache Nation
From: tameraamberrose2 <tameraamberrose2@yahoo.com>
To: oregonchemtrails@yahoogroups.comSent: Thu, June 30, 2011 12:35:39 AMSubject: [oregonchemtrails] Arizona Fires: Native Americans asking for us to join them...
I thought you would want to read this, and repost!
http://www.empowermentweekly.com/2011/06/apache-nation-needs-your-prayers.html
-Tam
http://www.empowermentweekly.com/2011/06/apache-nation-needs-your-prayers.html
-Tam
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