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THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION
ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
13 September 2007
The Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday
September 13, by a majority of 144 states in favour, 4 votes against
(Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11
abstentions (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia,
Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa and Ukraine).
United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Declaracíon de las
Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas
Déclaration
des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones
![Declaration [Arabic]](HomeImages/ArabicText.jpg)
![Declaration [Chinese]](HomeImages/ChineseText.jpg)
![Declaration [Russian]](HomeImages/RussianText.jpg)
In addition to the official UN languages,
unofficial translations of the Declaration are also available
In 2009, The Government of Australia endorsed
the Declaration followed by the
Governments of New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America in
2010
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND
CANADA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
UNITED NATIONS UPDATES
Learn
more about the Declaration
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ARCHIVE I
SEPTEMBER 2007 - SEPTEMBER 2008
UN Member States Adopt the UN Declaration
On the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
ARCHIVE II
JUNE 2006 - JUNE 2007
History, Statements and
Letters leading up to
The Adoption of the
Declaration
TRUTH COMMISSIONS
TRUTH COMMISSIONS DIGITAL COLLECTION
UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
Truth Seeking
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of
Canada
L-R Commissioner Marie Wilson, Commissioner Justice Murray Sinclair,
Commissioner Chief Wilton Littlechild
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION OF CANADA
COMMISSION DE VERITE ET RECONCILIATION DU CANADA
The truth telling and reconciliation
process as part of an overall holistic and comprehensive response to
the Indian Residential School legacy is a sincere indication and
acknowledgement of the injustices and harms experienced by
Aboriginal people and the need for continued healing. The Truth and
Reconciliation Commission will build upon the Statement of
Reconciliation dated January 7,1998 and the principles developed by
the Working Group on Truth and Reconciliation and of the Exploratory
Dialogues (1998-1999).
Le processus de vérité et de réconciliation, qui s'inscrit dans une
réponse holistique et globale aux séquelles des pensionnats indiens,
est une indication et une reconnaissance sincères de l'injustice et
des torts causés aux Autochtones, de même que du besoin de
poursuivre la guérison. La Commission de vérité et de réconciliation
s’inspirera de la Déclaration de réconciliation du 7 janvier 1998 et
sur les principes établis par le Groupe de travail sur la vérité et
la réconciliation et pendant les Dialogues exploratoires de
1998-1999. |
THE GOVERNMENTS OF AUSTRALIA AND CANADA
APOLOGIES
The
Australian and Canadian governments issue Apologies to Indigenous
Peoples in their respective countries. Is the adoption of the UN
Declaration next on the agenda? Both countries, along with New Zealand
and the United States, voted against adopting the Declaration in the UN
General Assembly on September 13, 2007.
APOLOGY TO
AUSTRALIA'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
13 February 2008
SPEECH
PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
To the Stolen Generations, I say the
following: as Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the
Government of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Parliament of
Australia, I am sorry. And I offer you this apology without
qualification…
But my proposal is this: if the apology we extend today is accepted in
the spirit of reconciliation, in which it is offered, we can today
resolve together that there be a new beginning for Australia. And it is
to such a new beginning that I believe the nation is now calling us.
OFFICE OF THE
PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
APOLOGY TO CANADA’S ABORIGINAL PEOPLES
11 June 2008
Ottawa, Ontario
SPEECH
PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
The Hon Stephen Harper
The treatment of children in Indian
Residential Schools is a sad chapter in our history.
For more than a
century, Indian Residential Schools separated over 150,000 Aboriginal
children from their families and communities. In the 1870’s, the federal
government, partly in order to meet its obligation to educate Aboriginal
children, began to play a role in the development and administration of
these schools. Two primary objectives of the Residential Schools system
were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes,
families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the
dominant culture. These objectives were based on the assumption
Aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal.
Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in
the child". Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was
wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.
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SPEECHES IN RESPONSE TO THE CANADIAN APOLOGY
INUIT TAPIRIIT KANATAMI
The national
apology made to aboriginal survivors of residential schools on June 11,
2008 was an historic day for Inuit, First Nations, Métis, and we would
argue for all Canadians. Inuit gathered in Ottawa prior to June 11th and
prepared to receive the formal apology from Prime Minister Stephen
Harper. The apology was made in the House of Commons, and it represented
a historic first when national aboriginal leaders responded to the
apology on the floor of the House of Commons. President Mary Simon spoke
on behalf of the Inuit of Canada on that day.
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