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INDIGENOUS - RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS

Immigration law

11 Feb

The phrase 'Indigenous Peoples' is used in documents like the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples because in international human rights law, the term 'peoples' has a special legal meaning that helps assert their right to self-determination.

While their traditions vary like a buffet spread, Indigenous Peoples worldwide face a common set of tough challenges. State authorities often trample on their human rights, leaving them to wrestle with high levels of marginalization and unfair treatment.

They are being kicked off lands they've called home since forever, and they're also dealing with limited access to education, healthcare, and housing. On top of that, those who stand up for their rights can face scary threats, attacks, and sadly, sometimes even worse, often with the state turning a blind eye.

What does it mean to be indigenous? First, it means identifying yourself as part of an Indigenous People. It also means having ancestors who lived in a place before it was taken over by others. These people are closely connected to their land and its resources.

Also, they have unique ways of organizing their societies, economies, or governments that they want to keep going. They feel very strongly about their own languages, cultures, and beliefs. And sadly, they often face being left out of politics and society.

While a few Indigenous Peoples have the reins of their own governance, many are stuck without the freedom to pick their own leaders or systems. It's a bit like having your cake and being told you can't eat it too, even though these folks were running the show long before the 15th-century newcomers crashed the party.

In the 1800s and 1900s, Canada took Indigenous kids away from their families and sent them to government-run boarding schools. The goal was to make them more like other Canadians. These "Indian Residential Schools" forbid them from speaking their languages or celebrating their cultures.

Because of this, Indigenous people were supposed to lose their unique ways of life and blend in with everyone else. It's a sad truth that around 150,000 First Nations children faced abuse in these schools.

Indigenous children in Australia were also compelled to adopt white culture and were placed in institutions where they endured mistreatment and neglect. They are collectively known as the "Stolen Generations".

According to international law, you can't just move Indigenous peoples somewhere else without asking nicely and giving them a fair deal. But here's the kicker: even though their lands are crucial for our planet's biodiversity and have stuff like oil and minerals, governments and companies still snatch them up, sell them off, or mess them up with pollution. And when Indigenous folks try to stand up for their land, they can end up facing violence or worse.

Many Indigenous Peoples have been forced off their land because of unfair rules or fighting. This often means they lose access to things that are really important to who they are, like their customs and ways of life.

When this happens, some have to leave their homes and go to towns or cities. Others stay behind and end up even more left out, poor, sick, or facing danger. It's a tough spot that threatens their very existence as a people. Discrimination impacts Indigenous Peoples’ everyday life, restricting their rights to health care, education and housing.?

From India to Peru, Indigenous women face staggering rates of maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases, and are disproportionately victims of violence. Indigenous women face alarming rates of violence that far exceed those experienced by non-Indigenous women. They are four times more likely to become victims of violence,

Discrimination and mistreatment often deny them access to proper healthcare during pregnancy, putting their lives at greater risk during childbirth. For instance, in Panama and Russia, Indigenous women are roughly six times more likely to die while giving birth compared to non-Indigenous women. This injustice highlights a heartbreaking reality of neglect and unequal access to essential healthcare services for Indigenous women worldwide.

Distressively, Indigenous women are twice as likely to endure violence from their current or former partners, more experiencing such abuse compared to non-Indigenous people. Physical and sexual assaults are also tragically more prevalent among Indigenous women, compared to approximately one-third of non-Indigenous women. These statistics underscore a heartbreaking reality of widespread violence against Indigenous women that demands urgent attention and action.

From 2001 to 2014, Indigenous women were unfortunately four times more likely to be victims of homicides compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. This shocking statistic is like trying to win a race with one shoe tied and a backpack full of bricks—it just doesn't seem fair.

The sad truth is, this high rate of violence stems from a long and tough history of colonialism that still hangs over Indigenous families, communities, and all of Canadian society today.

There's still a big gap in education between Indigenous kids and other students all around the globe. Schools often don't meet the specific needs of Indigenous Peoples, like having enough teachers who speak their languages. And to add to that, Indigenous communities have less access to computers and the internet, creating what they call the 'digital divide'.

The pandemic made the 'digital divide' between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students even worse. When schools switched to online classes, many Indigenous children, especially in rural areas, didn't have the devices or internet they needed to join in. They faced other problems too, like expensive internet bills, unreliable connections with slow speeds, and frequent power outages.

If governments had just thought about what Indigenous students needed during Covid-19, we might have dodged these problems. But nope, in most places, Indigenous Peoples weren't even asked when they made their big plans.

So now, they're missing out on basic stuff like education and healthcare. Even though schools are back open, Indigenous kids are still feeling the pandemic's effects with learning setbacks and more students leaving school. It's like trying to fix a leaky boat with a bucket full of holes!

Indigenous Peoples have this amazing knack for knowing the ins and outs of the natural world. Where they're in charge, the forests are lush, and biodiversity thrives. Their smart ways of using the land also help us battle climate change and deal with those pesky natural disasters.

It's clear as day—we've got to back Indigenous peoples and keep their wisdom close if we want to save the planet and kick climate change to the curb.

These people are more likely to live in extreme poverty and suffer higher rates of landlessness, malnutrition and internal displacement than other groups. They often rank highest for prison inmates, illiteracy and unemployment, while their life expectancy is up to 20 years lower compared to non-Indigenous people.

They've been hit with some seriously unfair and downright ridiculous laws and rules that aimed to squash their language, faith, and culture, and even break up their families and communities. It's like trying to juggle cats while riding a unicycle—it's just chaos! And this mess has been going on for generations, leaving Indigenous folks dealing with the fallout of colonialism's damage.

Colonialism caused Indigenous people to lose their culture, their land, and to suffer from trauma passed down through families. They still face discrimination and are often left out of economic opportunities, which makes life really tough for many Indigenous people today.

For them, the return to self-government is considered foundational to nation-building. Agreements are critical to communities that want to contribute to and participate in the decisions that affect their lives.

Canada's government is trying to patch things up and make friends again with Indigenous Peoples. They're aiming for a fresh start based on respecting rights, being nice, working together, and being buddies.

Global Affairs Canada’s Action Plan on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples sets out a plan to help improve the rights, views, and well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada and globally from 2021 to 2025. It's designed to help our officials fulfill these promises, both at home and overseas. They'll check how well things are going every year to make sure we're making progress.

Amnesty International is actively pushing for Indigenous Peoples' rights across the globe, urging countries to create laws that protect their lands, cultures, and ways of life. Together, we can keep our forests lush and our world in balance.