Self-Determination

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. 

Interview at the United Nations Permament Forum on Indigenous Peoples, May 2015 in New York. Listen to a members of the Indigenous Peoples Global Network speak about how they want to be included as Indigenous Peoples with Disabilities in the broader movement.

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.”

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.

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. 

Les Malazer describes how the outcome document from the WCIP sets out actions to be taken by the United Nations and Member States, always with the involvement and the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples. He encourages Indigenous groups to see how they can engage with States using this document.

“Nothing about us without us.” Les Malazer talks about how this meeting clearly demonstrated that Indigenous groups can work well with States. Although, he was disappointed with the fact that the drafting of the document continued into the States-only process. 

Over 400 Indigenous Peoples came together in Alta, Norway to draft a document which was given to the United Nations. This document was heavily relied on in the negotiations and formed the basis of the outcome document from the WCIP.