50-3. Soberanía Cultural: Autodeterminación a través de la gobernanza Indígena

Irma A. Velásquez Nimatuj (Maya K’iche’, Consultora de CS)

Despite centuries of colonial assimilationist policies, self-governance among Indigenous Peoples is a living history that continues to unfold. And while Indigenous Peoples around the world have diverse mechanisms for self-governance, they all share the fundamental principles of an inseparable link among community, culture, and territory, as well as a collective vision of life and the exercise of power. For many Peoples this does not begin with the law, but with memory, daily practice, and the continuity of their own ways of organizing life.

For generations, Indigenous communities in Abim District, Karamoja, in northeastern Uganda, have depended on a deep relationship with their land, water, animals, forests, and natural environment. This relationship has guided how communities make decisions, resolve challenges, protect resources, and prepare for uncertain times.

People who know where they come from will always know where they are going.” Those are words I often heard while growing up in Rehoboth. Whether it was around the family dinner table, during church gatherings, or listening to our grandparents’ stories under an old camelthorn tree, one lesson remained constant: our community exists today because our ancestors chose to govern themselves according to their own values.

Los Pueblos Indígenas de Canadá, a través de diversas formas de organización —ya sea mediante jefaturas tradicionales y hereditarias, jefes y consejos, o colectivos y organizaciones—, tienen una orientación clara en el centro mismo de su existencia: la protección de la Madre Tierra y el mantenimiento de relaciones continuas con ella y con todos los seres que habitan el territorio, pensando en las generaciones venideras.

Alice Tipap (Masái)

Gerard Tiwow (TOMBULU’, MINAHASA)

Iniquilipi Chiari-Lombardo (Guna) y May Pérez (Guna), equipo de CS

In a time of climate change, economic pressures, and growing threats to Indigenous rights, self-governance remains the most effective response for building a sustainable future for the next generations. The Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR) in the Amazon rainforest demonstrates that Indigenous governance does not merely involve a recognition of Indigenous presence and political representation. It is a living process, built daily by communities, leaders, women, youth, and Elders who make collective decisions to protect their territories and secure the future of their Peoples.