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Hopes Obama will adopt

Story Published: Feb 13, 2009

Story Updated: Feb 13, 2009

One item that I want President Obama to support is the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was passed by the United Nations General Assembly two years ago.

This declaration will preserve the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain their way of life, including their institutions, cultures and traditions as well as having them participate in matters that concern them.

Unfortunately, this country, along with Canada, Australia and New Zealand were the only four that voted against it.

I hope that President Obama will ask Congress to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples so he can support it.
– Billy Trice Jr.
Oakland, Calif.

Wednesday, Feb 18 at 10:11 AM NDNLady wrote ...

Billy, you are absolutely right. Federal Indian policy as it currently exists is still based on the racist model of tribal nations as inferior wards of the US. It is the reason that the plenary powers are Congress are able to whittle away our rights of self-determination at will. By repudiating this racist doctrine and embracing the clear standards outlined in the Declaration, Pres Obama could make a difference for indigenous peoples that would certainly outlast his own administration.

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