Editorial: US supports Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Thursday, February 3, 2011  

"The United States has thrown its support behind the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is a non-binding, aspirational document, addresses many issues of grave concern to indigenous peoples in the United States and around the world.

In remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, President Barack Obama announced U.S. support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people, and said, "The aspirations it affirms – including the respect for the institutions and rich cultures of native peoples – are one[s] we must always seek to fulfill." President Obama pointed to the more detailed statement about U.S. support for the Declaration and the administration's work on indigenous issues.

The decision to review the U.S. position on the Declaration came in response to calls from many tribes, individual Native Americans, civil society, and others in the United States who believe that U.S. support for the declaration will make an important contribution to U.S. policy with respect to Native American issues. "

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Editorial: U.S. Supports Indigenous Rights (Voice of America News 2/1)

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