Indigenous Notes, Issue 1 2014

Ending poverty globally can only be accomplished if you are in conversation with the people who live in poverty.

The new World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim, is doing a commendable job creating global dialogue on how to “end extreme poverty” and “promote shared prosperity.”  However, we at the Indian Law Resource Center see a fundamental flaw in the effort: there’s been no mention of indigenous peoples.

(More...)

Armstrong A. Wiggins
Washington Office Director

This week Timbisha Shoshone tribal leaders filed a challenge contesting the results of a Secretarial election on a new constitution for the Tribe, taking a further step in their ongoing battle to preserve Timbisha sovereignty and self-government.

(More...)

Preparations for the UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples continue and the Center remains committed to supporting tribal nations and indigenous peoples to achieve lasting measures to improve the lives of indigenous peoples. We encourage you to engage in preparations for the World Conference.  Indeed, most of the work will be done before the actual date of the Conference.  Follow the link for important upcoming events. 

(More...)

Seventy-five tribal leaders participated in a Scoping Session on the World Conference organized by the United States Department of State.

The Center joined with partners in March to raise awareness about violence against indigenous women in the United States at the 58th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.  A joint statement gave particular attention to the challenges Alaska Native women face daily. 

( More...)

Muskogee Nation News article by Gary Fife  |  March 15, 2014

The exercise of sovereignty for Native Americans and other native peoples of this hemisphere may best be accomplished through commerce—with one another and with the rest of the world.

Those were the thoughts of various speakers sharing information at the “Tribal Sovereignty—A Global Perspective” forum at the University of Oklahoma School of Law, Feb. 27.

( More...)

Armstrong Wiggins and Dinah Shelton, former Inter-American Commission Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and a professor at George Washington University Law School, highlight issues indigenous peoples face at the international and regional levels, including the ability of indigenous peoples to assert rights at the United Nations and the Organization of American States.  Photo © Joy Franklin

Please consider supporting the Center today – and in the future!  Remembering the Indian Law Resource Center in your estate plan will provide a lasting gift to indigenous peoples throughout the Americas.  Your bequest will allow us to continue advocating to end violence against Native and indigenous women and children, protect communities’ lands and environment, provide direct legal assistance to our clients, and much more.

We hope you’ll be our partner in this important work.  Thank you for your support!