On February 7th, the U.S. Mission to the Organization of the American States
(OAS) invited participants in the negotiations of the Draft American Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to attend a reception at the Smithsonian’s
National Museum of the American Indian. Around 100 indigenous delegates boycotted
the reception to send a message to the U.S. government: dishonorable negotiations
will not be tolerated.
The Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus stated, "We cannot accept an invitation
to be honored in the halls of the National Museum of the American Indian when
the U.S. and Canada have shown us a complete lack of honor and respect during
the negotiations of the OAS Draft Declaration. These two States are putting
forth positions that do not recognize the fundamental human rights of indigenous
peoples.” Last week marked the Fifth Meeting of Negotiations in the Quest
for Points of Consensus of the OAS Working Group to Elaborate the Draft American
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
