Urge President Obama to sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples!
Did you know the United States is one of the few nations that has not endorsed the U.N. Declaration on Indigenous Rights that was adopted in 2007? Sign this important letter to President Obama, accessed by joining a Facebook group.
Tell the Colombian Government to Investigate the Repeated Massacres of Awá People
On August 26, 2009 12 Awá, including four children, were killed in Nariño, the same nation and region covered in Weaving Wisdom. The Awá people have been subjected to continual massacres and represent 38 of the 77 indigenous people killed to date in 2009. The massacre of five Awá in 2006 that is covered in Weaving Wisdom was found by Colombian justice to have committed by the army, but the culprits remain unpunished.
The US Office on Colombia has set up a letter calls on the Colombian Government to immediately investigate this situation, prosecute those responsible and institute an effective protection program for the remaining members of this highly vulnerable community.
Ensure that International Human Rights Tools Effectively Protect Indigenous Rights
In September 2007, when most of the U.N. General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United States, Canada and Colombia were the only countries in the Americas that did not. Currently, the OAS is drafting its own version called the American Declaration Of Indigenous Peoples' Rights. However, human rights groups like the Indian Law Resource Center are concerned by OAS delays in drafting this Inter-American legal protection. To help create critical legal protection to stop the systematic killing of indigenous peoples in the Americas, please take a moment of your time to send an automated letter– set up by Indian Law Resource Center – asking our Delegate in the Organization of American States to draft a strong American Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples.
Click here to send a letter in English »
Haz clic acá para enviar una carta en español »
Support Autonomous Projects in Colombia's Indigenous Nations
If you are interested in donating directly to a Revolving Loan Fund for Women in the Nasa, Awa and Kankuamo nations please contact us.
Inform Yourself
Inform yourself about indigenous peoples' struggles to defend their autonomy and rights in the Americas and world.
Learn more about recent attacks against the Nasa, Awá and Kankuamos – the three nations covered in Weaving Wisdom. Read articles by Adam Isacson, such as:
- Nasa: An "error", or and "act of clear war?"
- Awá: Massacres In Nariño
- Kankuamo: Another attack on an indigenous community...
Visit Colombia's National Indigenous Authority – ONIC (in Spanish only) for updates from the indigenous movement in Colombia.
Visit the Indian Law Resource Center and learn about human rights cases being litigated on behalf of indigenous nations in the Inter-American system, as well as in U.S. courts. Also, stay informed about developments of the drafting of the Organization of America's States "American Declaration Of Indigenous Peoples' Rights."
Visit Cultural Survival to learn about the defense of indigenous peoples and their autonomy around the world.
Visit Amazon Watch to learn more about updates and actions concerning the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin.
