World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn speaks about successes at the 2015 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Communities in the Pacific region have united over common issues, different groups have made efforts to align as Indigenous Peoples as a body in international conferences, and Indigenous Peoples were represented in a major climate change conference.

Lemoine LaPointe, a Lakota of South Dakota and Minnesota, speaks about community conversations and their importance in providing support for Indigenous Peoples and their relationship with the surrounding region both in the present and in the future.  We met up with Lemoine at the UNPFII 2015.

Nancy Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota) from South Dakota shares her work in domestic violence and sexual assault and gives advice on how to make a change. She speaks about historical trauma and its effects on Native American peoples today. Nancy works with women who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and hopes to lessen the economic and mental health disparities in Indigenous women.  We caught up with Nancy at the UNPFII 2015. 

Mililani Trask frankly states that there is not much work which can be done in the 2 days of discussions which make up the WCIP. She is not surprised by the lack of funding and the limitations on which issues can be discussed, but describes the resulting meeting as a betrayal because the WCIP was meant to bring people together to discuss many issues facing Indigenous Peoples and address how to move forward.  

“Key doors are now open but it has to be Indigenous Peoples who walk through those doors.”

The declaration is not a legally binding document but rather a commitment in good faith from Member States of the UN. Les Malazer thinks this is the highest level of commitment Indigenous Peoples will be able to gain from States.  

In terms of the next steps for Indigenous Peoples, Les Malazer highlights that the outcome document contains many actions which are easy to look at and discuss how they might be implemented.

The adoption of the declaration by the General Assembly was done smoothly, and it was well attended by Member States and Indigenous groups. 

Les Malazer discusses the process for deciding items and actions to be included in the outcome document from the WCIP. 

Les Malazer discusses the situation in Canada and how they need to adjust by supporting the principle of free, prior and informed consent.