Land and Resources

Articles 25-30

25) Indigenous peoples have a right to their spiritual relationship to their traditional lands.

Indigenous spirituality is connected to the land and sacred places. This article shows problem of an Indigenous Australian sacred site that was damaged by a mining company. Increasingly, Indigenous peoples are in conflict with corporations instead of with governments.

26) Indigenous peoples have a right to the land that they traditionally live on.

The Nisga’a Indigenous peoples of Canada have a modern treaty with the government. The treaty gives them ownership of 2,000 square km of land  and to the natural resources on and under the land.

27) Governments must work, in a fair way, with Indigenous peoples to negotiate about land.

The Ati Indigenous peoples of Borocay Island in the Philippines are not being treated fairly. Their rights are being complicated by the fact that Borocay Island is a beautiful tourist destination and their land is prime development property. They have been marginalized by both the government and development companies.

28) Indigenous peoples have a right to compensation for past injustices of land taken from them.

Land confiscation is a big problem for Indigenous peoples in Myanmar (Burma). The land is rich in natural resources and international corporations are eager to make money. This is an on-going injustice.

29) Indigenous peoples have the right to protect the environment in their traditional lands.

The oil sands area in northern Canada is estimated to be one of the largest reserves of oil in the world. The extraction of that oil had been devastating and dangerous to the Indigenous peoples who live in the area. This photo essay shows the struggle of the Lubicon Cree Indigenous peoples who live in the area. Now, a number of different Indigenous groups in Canada have launched lawsuits against the oil sands development. This massive development could also come into the Haida Indigenous peoples territory in the form of a pipeline. They have created a great video in protest called “Haida Raid 2: A message to Stephen Harper”.

30)  Indigenous peoples lands should be free of military activities.

Military presence on Indigenous lands hurts communities. This is the case in many places including the Philippines and West Papua (Indonesia). Military activities create a dangerous situation and make it difficult for people to live their normal lives.

Reflection and Activities 

1) What are the sacred sites in your area? Learn about their history and use.

2) Consider the pros and cons of tourism and Indigenous communities. What needs to happen for tourism to be beneficial?

3) What could Indigenous communities do to protect themselves from land confiscation?

4) Has there ever been an oil spill in your community? Research an oil spill to understand the causes and consequences.

5) How does military presence on Indigenous land hurt local people? Consider the unique needs of women and children.