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  Indigenous peoples: 1997-2001 

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2001:

Brazil Sees Promise in Jungle Plants, but Tribes See Peril: The Brazilian government, increasingly fearful of what it regards as "biopiracy" by foreign pharmaceutical companies, universities and laboratories, is moving to impose stricter controls on medicinal plants in the Amazon region. (Larry Rohter, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2001)

Brazil's Indians take path toward medicinal patents:...In their crusade, Brazilian officials and Indian representatives this week will take a declaration from a convention of Indian spiritual leaders and witch doctors to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization meeting in Geneva. (Andrei Khalip, Reuters, 12 Dec. 2001)

Brazil Shuts Down Illegal Mahogany Trade: In a major victory for environmentalists, the Brazilian government Wednesday announced the cancellation of all but two mahogany logging operations in the Amazon. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld US, 6 Dec. 2001)

Bolivian government authorizes gas pipeline to Brazil: The government regulatory agency rejected environmental complaints by indigenous groups (Reuters, 6 Dec. 2001)

Litigation Update: A Summary of Recent Developments in U.S. Cases Brought Under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Protection Act [includes update on lawsuit against DynCorp] (Jennifer Green [staff attorney at Center for Constitutional Rights] and Paul Hoffman [civil rights attorney and editor of ACLU International Civil Liberties Report], in ACLU International Civil Liberties Report 2001 [American Civil Liberties Union], Dec. 2001)

Brazil, Greenpeace Raid Illegal Mahogany Operation: Brazilian police, acting on information gathered by Greenpeace International, raided illegal mahogany logging operations in the heart of the Amazon region this week, seizing some seven million dollars worth of the valuable hardwood...The raids--the most extensive since the Brazilian Congress enacted a moratorium on the logging of mahogany in 1996--followed the release last week of a Greenpeace report that disclosed the existence of logging operations on lands belonging to the Amazon's Kayapo Indians. (Jim Lobe, OneWorld U.S., 1 Nov. 2001)

NEW ZEALAND: Approval of GMO Trials Fuels Maori Backlash - This week's decision by the New Zealand Labor Government to allow the resumption of field trials of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has created a storm of controversy among the indigenous Maori community, most of whom reject the release of the technology into the environment. (Bob Burton, Inter Press Service, 31 Oct. 2001)

Indigenous groups seek self-determination: Indigenous groups are organizing to demand control over their lands and resources. (Barbara J. Fraser, Inter Press Service, 30 Oct. 2001) 

New battle over Ogiek land: The Kenyan government has announced that it will go ahead and collect more than 170,000 acres of public forest for private use. Among the targeted forests is the one inhabited by the Ogiek indigenous community who may finally lose their cultural land. (John Kamau and Jennifer Wanjiru, Rights Features Service, 29 Oct. 2001)

New report details global trade in illegal Amazon mahogany: Brazilian government suspends all mahogany logging and transport -...illegalities include logging in Indian lands, which is strictly prohibited...The mahogany is given the appearance of being legal by falsified paperwork, then is exported by these companies to international markets, predominantly in the USA and the UK, Netherlands and Germany. Just four importers - DLH Nordisk, Aljoma Lumber, J Gibson McIlvain Co Ltd and Intercontinental Hardwoods Inc accounted for more than two-thirds of the mahogany export trade from Moisés and Ferreira...Mahogany is used largely in luxury goods such as yachts, high-class furniture, musical instruments and coffins. (Greenpeace, 25 Oct. 2001)

WestLB, Germany’s Largest Public Bank Urged to Pull Out of Oil Pipeline in the Ecuadorian Amazon: World Wide Demonstrations Planned in 10 Countries on October 24! - Environmental activists in Los Angeles will join their counter parts around the world in protesting the involvement of Germany’s largest publicly held bank, WestLB, in financing the new heavy crude pipeline in the Ecuadorian Amazon. WestLB is the lead arranger for nearly $900 million in financing for the billion-dollar project, which not only cuts through fragile rainforests but will also result in the doubling of oil production from Ecuador’s fragile Amazon and Andean ecosystems. The project has been plagued by lawsuits and protests. Demonstrations and media events are also planned on October 24 in the following cities: San Francisco, Quito, Washington DC, Barcelona, London, Munster, Dusseldorf, Munich, Milan, Zurich, Warsaw, Sydney and Canberra. (Amazon Watch, 23 Oct. 2001)

Norsk Hydro: Global Compact Violator: In the sixth article in our series on Global Compact companies, Indian journalist Nityanand Jayaraman looks at the Oslo-based corporation Norsk Hydro, a partner in the Utkal bauxite mine and alumina smelter in Orissa State. He provides evidence that the corporation has violated human rights Principles 1 and 2 of the UN Compact. Nor has the company withdrawn plans for a project that would violate Principle 9 which promotes eco-friendly practices. While the company has put the project on hold for the moment, officials indicate that violations of these principles could resume at any time. (Nityanand Jayaraman, special to CorpWatch, 18 Oct. 2001) 

Aboriginal Sea Rights Confirmed in Australia's High Court: A landmark ruling handed down by the High Court of Australia late last week has confirmed the validity of limited Aboriginal rights over 2,000 square kilometres of the seas adjoining traditional lands off the north coast. The decision has been cautiously welcomed by Aboriginal and environmental groups...A Northern Territory conservation group, the Marine and Coastal Community Network, sees the extension of Aboriginal rights as leading to better marine management than exists at the moment. "Aboriginal people have a really strong stewardship ethic and a lot of cultural law and I think that strengthening that recognition of people's cultural responsibilities and rights would empower people to look after their area," says network coordinator Patrick O'Leary. (Bob Burton, Environment News Service, 17 Oct. 2001)

Peru's rainforest natives pin future on ecotourism (Simon Gardner, Reuters, 10 Oct. 2001)

Brazil to manage protected areas in fighting deforestation: WWF, together with OSR (Rondonia rubber tappers organization) and CND/IBAMA (National Center for Sustainable Development of Traditional People), shall take charge of making the management plan for the two new sustainable use protected areas (PA) created last month by the federal government in the state of Rondonia (South West Amazon Ecoregion). (World Wildlife Fund, 10 Oct. 2001)

International Court Rules in Favor of Indigenous Community Land Rights: The Inter-American Court on Human Rights, in a precedent-setting ruling, recognized the property rights of indigenous community traditional lands which were threatened by illegal commercial timber harvesting. The international court, located in San José Costa Rica and the American hemisphere’s most important human right tribunal, declared that the state of Nicaragua violated the human rights of the Mayagna Sumo Indigenous Community (the Awas Tingni) and ordered the state of Nicaragua to recognize and protect the legal rights of the community with respect to its traditional lands, natural resources, and environment. (Center for Human Rights and the Environment, CEDHA, 9 Oct. 2001)

Pakistan court rejects petition vs Premier Oil: A Pakistani court yesterday rejected a petition against a decision to award Britain's Premier Oil Plc a gas exploration licence in the country's largest national park, a court official said...It [the national park] has protected areas of great scenic beauty and ecological importance, as well as being home to the rare urial sheep, ibex and chinkara gazelle and around 20,000 tribal people...Premier has vowed to work within strict environmental guidelines, including using camels for transport where there are no existing tracks, and says its project will generate income and employment in an arid, poverty-stricken area. (Reuters, 5 Oct. 2001)

Peru: loggers poised to overrun uncontacted Indians - The Peruvian government is poised to allow logging companies to invade the territory of uncontacted Indians in the Amazon. (Survival International, Oct. 2001)

Venezuela: Pemón fight power project: The Pemón Indians live in the Gran Sabana, a UNESCO World Heritage area of grasslands and forest in south-east Venezuela. In contravention of international law and Venezuela's own constitution, the government has not recognised the land ownership rights of many Pemón communities. Now the government has built a huge powerline project which the Indians fear is intended to provide electricity for mining companies who are eyeing up the area's rich mineral wealth. The Venezuelan army has been threatening and attacking the Pemón who have resisted the scheme. (Survival International, Oct. 2001)

Illegal logging in Amazon exposed - Brazilian Government fails: Greenpeace presents evidence to Federal Prosecutors - Greenpeace today released fresh evidence of extensive illegal logging deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Photographs and video images from a recent aerial reconnaissance by Greenpeace clearly show sophisticated logging operations in lands belonging to the Amazon's Kayapó Indians, an area where logging is strictly prohibited. (Greenpeace, 26 Sep. 2001)

Mining and Sustainability: The Case of the Tulsequah Chief Mine [Canada] - This report develops a model for assessing the compatibility of proposed mines with the requirements of sustainability. The model is then applied to the Tulsequah Chief Mine reopening project proposed by Redcorp Ventures Ltd. (Environmental Mining Council of British Columbia, 25 Sep. 2001)

Text of class action complaint against DynCorp in U.S. court [download]: "The claims in this action arise from the DynCorp Defendants' conduct in connection with the implementation of their contract with agencies of the U.S. government to exterminate, by use of fumigants sprayed from airplanes, plantations of cocaine and/or heroin poppies in large tracks of the Colombian rainforest owned by private citizens of Colombia. During the course of implementing this contract, Defendants also sprayed large sections of Ecuador that border with Colombia, and caused severe physical and mental damage to Plaintiffs, their children, and other similarly situated lawful residents of Ecuador who have nothing whatever to do with the production of illegal drugs in Colombia." (International Labor Rights Fund, 25 Sep. 2001)

Oil Development in Ethiopia: Anuak (Anywaa) are a Nilotic people indigenous to the fertile Gambela state in southwest Ethiopia, and to the Akobo, Pochalla, and Jokau areas in Sudan. For years they have been the victims of abuses by successive Ethiopian governments...The recent oil exploration deal signed between the Ethiopian government and the Gambela Petroleum Corporation (Pinewood Resources, Ltd. of Canada) has raised great concern in Gambela state. Not surprisingly, the Anuak are worried about the potentially devastating effects of such a “development” project. (Nyikaw Ochalla & Deidre d'Entremont, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 3, fall 2001)

GUATEMALA: Indigenous People Face Discrimination, U.N. Report Says - Indigenous people in Guatemala still face racial, ethnic and cultural discrimination although the country signed a human rights agreement more than seven years ago, the U.N. Verification Mission in the country (MINUGUA) said yesterday in a new report...The United Nations urged implementation of affirmative action programs in the country and called on the government to consider legislation that would for the first time make racial discrimination a criminal offense. (UN Wire, 21 Sep. 2001)

Environment: Ecuadorians file U.S. suit over Plan Colombia - Ecuadorian Indians are taking legal action in federal court here, charging that a U.S. company that was contracted to carry out fumigation of illicit crops in neighboring Colombia recklessly sprayed their homes and farms, causing illnesses and deaths, and destroying crops. U.S.-based attorneys representing 10,000 individuals living in the Amazon rainforest near the border with Colombia filed a class action complaint against Virginia-based DynCorp Corporation in federal court here Sep. 11. A DynCorp spokesperson said the company has not been notified about the complaint and declined to comment further. (Inter Press Service, 21 Sep. 2001)

Queensland Indigenous People Approve Mineral Exploration [Australia]: Indigenous land use agreements have been signed between the Kalkadoon People, the Queensland Government and a number of mineral exploration companies, the National Native Title Tribunal has announced...Tribunal president Graeme Neate said Thursday that the agreements give indigenous parties economic security and cultural protection while providing certainty to exploration companies. (Environment News Service, 17 Sep. 2001)

A Tribal Struggle to Preserve What's Left of a Borneo Forest [Malaysia]: What once was rain forest owned by a local community has been destroyed in the name of development. Rumah Nor, 60 kilometers (about 40 miles) southeast of Bintulu, site of the world's largest natural gas complex, is the scene in a land rights struggle in which Sarawak's indigenous people are fighting government and industrial powers. Lani, 33, was one of four plaintiffs in a legal battle that conservationists say has produced a major victory. His Iban tribal longhouse community of 70 families successfully sued to regain 672 hectares (1,660 acres) of land. The court decided the land had been illegally acquired by Borneo Pulp and Paper and the Sarawak state government, which turned forest into a huge acacia plantation. (Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, International Herald Tribune, 12 Sep. 2001)

Amazon Indians begin cutting a boundary in the forest to keep illegal loggers out of their land [Brazil]: The Deni Indian community have begun to cut a physical border around their territory in the Amazon rainforest. This demarcation of their lands is an attempt to protect their traditional territory from industrial exploitation. Without this demarcation the Deni lands would be vulnerable to land grabs by logging companies which are after the wealth of natural resources that rightfully belong to the Deni. (Greenpeace, 11 Sep. 2001)

Forest Peoples Seek Compensation: Forest dwellers from seven African countries this week appealed for compensation for livelihoods compromised by government activities, and for vindication of their human rights, AFP news agency reported. Meeting in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, from 3-6 September, representatives of the Twa of Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda; the Ogieks of Kenya, the Maasai of Tanzania; the Bushmen of South Africa; and the Baka Bagyeli of Cameroon, paid particular attention to the plight of indigenous peoples living in, or displaced from, protected areas in their countries. (UN Integrated Regional Information Network, 8 Sep. 2001)

Land quarrels shatter calm of Malaysia's Sarawak: Court cases, sporadic protests and even killings over indigenous land rights issues are destroying the calm of Sarawak state on Borneo island. Traditionally placid Ibans, Penans and other groups used to obeying their longhouse headmen and the authorities, are bridling at logging and plantation activity on land they say is ancestral. (Patrick Chalmers, Reuters, 6 Sep. 2001)

Indigenous peoples' rights a focus at anti-racism conference: Some of the root causes of conflict they identified stem from a lack of recognition of indigenous peoples' right to land, identity and culture, as well as indigenous social systems and development perspectives. "Development aggression", such as the construction of dams or mining that threaten indigenous communities, is another cause...Speakers welcomed the new UNDP policy on indigenous peoples, underpinned by a human rights framework, and voiced hope that it will pave the way for a new relationship. (U.N. Development Programme, 5 Sep. 2001)

Malaysia loggers consider turning over new leaf:...some timber barons are beginning to realise the benefits of branding their timber with the globally recognised Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certificate of approval...But Malaysia's approach to certification has critics, who say the process fails properly to address native land rights issues. (Patrick Chalmers, Reuters, 4 Sep. 2001)

No caribou for oil: An Arctic tribe struggles for survival - In early August, the US House of Representatives passed an energy bill that included a provision to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. If the bill passes in the US Senate in September, multinational oil and gas corporations stand to make billions of dollars in profit, while the Gwitch'in people stand to lose their livelihood and their culture. (Nadine Pedersen, Alternatives for a different world, 3 Sep. 2001) 

Honey-hunters to face Kenyan government in court: On October 4th, the Ogiek will face the Kenyan government again in court to protect their land. The Ogiek (sometimes referred to as 'Dorobo') are a small tribe who live in the Mau mountain forest overlooking Kenya's Rift Valley. As former hunter-gatherers they are looked down on by their pastoralist neighbours. They still partly depend on hunting, and gathering honey and wild plants. Ever since colonial times, governments have tried to evict them from the forest, allegedly to protect the environment. Yet at the same time the forest is being taken over by logging companies, tea plantations and farms. The Ogiek, however, have always trickled back. (Survival International, Sep. 2001)

'I cannot describe how happy I feel.' Nor Nyawai, village headman - Sarawak [Malaysia]: Tribal people celebrate an historic court ruling...in May this year, in a landmark ruling, a judge finally recognised that tribes like the Iban do actually own their land, and companies have no right to log them, irrespective of whether they have been given permits. (Survival International, Sep. 2001)

Bolivia: Shell and Enron Gas pipeline in the Chiquitano Forest: The construction of the gas pipeline between Bolivia and Brazil by the Shell and Enron petroleum companies has affected an area of 6 million hectares of Chiquitano Forest, inhabited by 178 indigenous and peasant communities. (WRM Bulletin, World Rainforest Movement, Sep. 2001)

Malaysian natives en route for land rights fight: The orang asli decision to fight the proposed deal is the first time that the issue of native land ownership and legal title has been argued in court in the southeast Asian nation. (Marty Logan, Reuters, 28 Aug. 2001) 

The Violence of Development: [M]ost large forced dislocations of people do not occur in conditions of armed conflict or genocide but in routine, everyday evictions to make way for development projects. A recent report by the World Commission on Dams estimates that 40 million to 80 million people have been physically displaced by dams worldwide, a disproportionate number of them being indigenous peoples. (Balakrishnan Rajagopal [Professor of Law and Development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of MIT's Program on Human Rights and Justice], Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2001)

Communities and companies [Indonesia]: Violations of community rights are still continuing as companies and regional governments try to maximise income from the country's mineral resources. At the same time, mining companies are complaining about the "legal vacuum" hampering their operations in Indonesia. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Aug. 2001)

PT KEM agreement [Indonesia]: Pressure from communities, Indonesian and international NGOs has forced improvements in the way Rio Tinto deals with people affected by its Kelian gold mine in East Kalimantan. Here, Dayak communities have persisted in asserting their rights to proper compensation for land resources lost to the mine and for the ill-treatment at the hands of the company. This was despite years of intimidation from security forces and the company's failure to stick to negotiation agreements. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Aug. 2001)

Business as usual in the Mentawais [Indonesia]: Protected areas such as Siberut are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation - legal and illegal - due to Indonesia's prolonged economic crisis, coupled with regional autonomy and the devolution of revenue gathering. The island of Siberut has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1981 due to its rich forests, unique wildlife and the traditional lifestyle and beliefs of the indigenous people. Nevertheless, local authorities and the Forestry Department have issued a number of logging permits over the last three years. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Aug. 2001)

Colombia's U'wa Tribe and Supporters Celebrate Oxy's [Occidental Petroleum] Failure to Find Oil: End to Oil Drilling on the Tribe's Ancestral Land and Total De-Militarization Urged (Amazon Watch, Rainforest Action Network, Project Underground; 31 July 2001)

Cameroon: New international report points to labour violations - Restrictions on the right to organise, regular interference by the government in trade union activities, blatant discrimination based on gender and ethnicity, and widespread use of forced labour in prison. (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions [ICFTU], 25 July 2001) 

Greenhouse melts Alaska's tribal ways: As climate talks get under way in Bonn today, some Americans are ruing the warming their president chooses to ignore (Duncan Campbell, Guardian [UK], 16 July 2001)

World Bank Evaluation Team Requests Written Input From Indigenous Peoples and NGOs: After years of pressure from indigenous peoples and NGOs, the World Bank's quality control arm, known as the Operations Evaluations Department (OED), is finally starting a review of the way Bank operations have affected indigenous peoples during the 1990s.  (Abigail Parish, Bank Information Center, 12 July 2001)

Protest Violence Against Embera Katio in Colombia! Following is an action alert issued by Amnesty Int'l on the recent murder of an indigenous activist fighting against the Urra Dam in Colombia. The Embera Katio community has faced kidnappings and attacks for its resistance to the project. (International Rivers Network, 6 July 2001)

ENVIRONMENT-RIGHTS: Amazon Leaders Plan to Intensify Campaigns: Leaders of indigenous communities throughout the Amazon region plan to intensify their struggle against environmental destruction and work to build on recent political gains. The main struggle for environmental and cultural survival in Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil will be against oil and gas companies, particularly as they move to lay new pipelines and other infrastructure in the biologically rich rainforest region, say indigenous leaders from these countries. [also refers to French Guiana and Suriname] (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 2 July 2001)  

The World Bank Draft Policy on Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10): Electronic Consultations with External Stakeholders - In addition to other forms of consultation, the World Bank is carrying out electronic consultations with external stakeholders on its draft indigenous peoples policy. (World Bank, 1 July - 31 Oct. 2001)

SBC Holdings / Stroh Brewing Settles Lawsuit with Crazy Horse Family: In a landmark victory for indigenous intellectual property rights, SBC Holdings (p/k/a Stroh Brewing Company) has formally agreed to cease bottling Crazy Horse malt liquor. (The Corporate Examiner, Interfaith Center on Corporate Resonsibility, July 2001)

The Bonn Declaration: Third International Forum of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities on Climate Change (July 2001)

Natives fail to sway Norton from ANWR oil stance: [U.S.] Interior Secretary Gale Norton said this week a visit to an Alaska Native community this week had not changed her opinion about oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but had given her a "better appreciation" for local concerns. (Yereth Rosen, Reuters, 22 June 2001) 

Amazon chief [Brazilian Indian Chief Raoni] says big firms [forestry and mining multinationals] threaten forests (Reuters, 21 June 2001) 

BIOPIRACY: Conference Blasts US For Profiting From Asian Resources (UN Wire, 21 June 2001)

Toxic Drift: Monsanto and the Drug War in Colombia - The U.S. sprays tons of Monsanto's herbicide, Roundup, in Colombia as part of the drug war. Local residents say it makes them sick and destroys their crops. (Jeremy Bigwood, CorpWatch, 21 June 2001) 

Shrinking Arctic ice threatens Inuit, polar bears (Alister Doyle, Reuters, 20 June 2001) 

In Africa the Hoodia cactus keeps men alive. Now its secret is 'stolen' to make us thin - Pharmaceutical firms stand accused of once again plundering native lore to make fortunes from natural remedies (Antony Barnett, The Observer [UK], 17 June 2001)

Judge dismisses Indians suits against Texaco - A federal judge [U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff] this week dismissed lawsuits against Texaco brought by rainforest Indians of Ecuador and Peru who alleged the oil company contaminated their water and land (Reuters, 1 June 2001) 

ENVIRONMENT-ECUADOR: Minister [Environment Minister Lourdes Luque] Speaks Out against Oil Pipeline (Kintto Lucas, Inter Press Service, 23 May 2001)

Suncor Oil Sands achieves goal for aboriginal business development [Canada] (Suncor Energy Inc., 23 May 2001)

Dam the Dayaks dread: Project has displaced thousands of Borneo's indigenous people - About 10,000 of Borneo's 200,000 indigenous peoples have already been forced off their ancestral lands so the Malaysian government can build a massive dam, scheduled to open in four years. The $5 billion Bakun Dam on the Balui River will flood a rain forest area the size of Singapore and is expected to generate 2,400 megawatts of electricity, making it the biggest hydroelectric dam in southeastern Asia. Government officials maintain that the dam will help bring new industry and much-needed economic development to Sarawak's 2 million inhabitants. But critics say the dam will destroy the habitat of more than 100 endangered species, produce far more electric power than needed and unnecessarily displace tribal minorities, including the Kenyah, Ukit, Kayan and Penan tribes. (Reese Erlich, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 May 2001)

Ecuador environment ministry reviews pipeline route (Reuters, 22 May 2001) 

Indigenous & Environmental Groups File Lawsuit Challenging the OCP [Oleoducto de Crudo Pesado, proposed new Ecuadorian oil pipeline]: US & German Banks on the Hot Seat for Financing the New Crude Pipeline in Ecuadorian Amazon (Amazon Watch, 16 May 2001)

Protecting the traditional knowledge of the poor nations: The world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) no longer have to sit back and see their traditional knowledge, folklore and genetic resources robbed by global players in possession of the most modern know-how and financial muscle.  This is at least what Roberto Castelo, deputy director-general of the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), says. (Ramesh Jaura, Inter Press Service, 16 May 2001)

RIGHTS: Defending Indigenous Cultures against Globalisation (Kintto Lucas, Inter Press Service, 8 May 2001)

PNG [Papua New Guinea] Wilderness Laid Waste by Corruption [steps by the Center for Environmental Law & Community Rights to prevent abuses by logging companies] (Australian television's SBS Dateline, 2 May 2001)

Rebels Reject Indigenous Bill [Mexico] (Guardian, 1 May 2001)

Zapatistas renew struggle [Mexico] (Peter Greste, BBC News Online, 1 May 2001)

Behind the Central Kalimantan violence [Indonesia]: The appalling ethnic violence in Central Kalimantan is rooted in the decades-long violation of indigenous rights and the wholesale destruction of natural resources in the province...A major cause of the conflict between indigenous Dayaks and Madurese settlers - and other ethnic conflicts in Indonesia - has been the 'development' that the Suharto regime promoted for over thirty years. Natural resources, including Kalimantan's forests and minerals were handed out as concessions for a powerful business elite. The customary landowners - the indigenous Dayaks - were systematically denied their land and resource rights. They have had no recourse to legal action to defend their rights since, under Indonesian law, forests belong to the state. (Down to Earth Newsletter, May 2001)

Oil palm investments opposed [Indonesia]: The government's plan to expand oil palm plantations could founder because it fails to address the underlying question of community rights to farmland and forests. Oil palm remains a central plank of Indonesia's economic recovery strategy despite growing social unrest arising from disputes over plantation land. Oil palm development is also widely accepted to be a major cause of forest loss in Indonesia, due to the policy of converting natural forests to plantations and because of the fires spread by the illegal practice of burning to clear plantation land. (Down to Earth Newsletter, May 2001)

Measure on Mexican Indians' Rights Gets Mixed Reviews (Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2001)

No easy way out for the 'lead people' [Thailand, pollution by a lead extracting plant and its effect on Karen villagers] (Anchalee Kongrut, Bangkok Post, 30 Apr. 2001)

{···español} Aprueban la Ley Indígena Diputados de PAN, PRI y PV [México] (Manuel Rojas Cruz, Excelsior [México], 29 abril 2001)

Human Rights vs. Oil: A CorpWatch Interview with Sarah James [indigenous leader fighting to prevent oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, USA] (CorpWatch, 27 Apr. 2001)

Indian Rights Bill Gains Victory [Mexico] (Associated Press, 26 Apr. 2001)

U'wa Leader and Activists Target Occidental Petroleum's Largest Investor: Protests in Seven Cities Call on Bernstein/Alliance Capital/AXA Financial to Divest from Occidental and the Deadly Oil Project in Colombian Coudforest Region (Activism Center at Wetlands Preserve, Amazon Watch Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Relief, 26 Apr. 2001)

Oil revenues at odds with human rights and environment in Chad, Cameroon (Korinna Horta, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin, in WOZA Eco [South Africa], Apr. 2001)

Commission on Human Rights decides to appoint Special Rapporteur on Rights of Indigenous People (United Nations, 24 Apr. 2001)

U'wa Tribal Chief Sends Message to Shareholders to Divest from Occidental Petroleum and Vows to Continue Resistance against Drilling in Colombia (Amazon Watch, Action Resource Center, and Rainforest Action Network, 20 Apr. 2001)

Mining: North America sets new diamond standard: The environmental restrictions on building a new mine in North America are crippling, according to many miners.  Yet a corollary of this view is that North America is setting the standards towards which the rest of the world is gradually moving. Environmental groups complain that some global mining companies take advantage of the laxer norms in many developing countries to act overseas as they would not at home. The pressure is thus on the mining companies to observe higher standards in those countries.  In the Northwest Territories, one of Canada's most sensitive areas, two mining companies, BHP and Rio Tinto, have had to jump a remarkable series of hurdles to get permission to develop diamond mines. The prize is a new source of high-quality, conflict-free diamonds. Their story reveals the kind of process miners may eventually have to go through if they want to develop a new mine anywhere in the world. (Gillian O'Connor, Financial Times, 19 April 2001) 

Indigenous From Across Americas to Bring Free Trade Concerns to Quebec Summit (Agence France Presse, 19 Apr. 2001)

Open letter to Occidental Petroleum's President, Members of the Board of Directors and Shareholders [Colombia] (Asociación de Autoridades Tradicionales U'wa [U'wa people, Colombia], 16 Apr. 2001)

RIGHTS-AUSTRALIA: Business Pressure Collides with Aboriginal Law (Bob Burton, Inter Press Service, 6 Apr. 2001)

Cultural Survival on "cultural survival":...In this issue of the Cultural Survival Quarterly we present two sets of essays on the theme of cultural survival: visions of indigenous sovereignty by indigenous scholars, and a guest-edited section on perhaps the most significant threat to cultural survival--mining on indigenous lands. (Ian S. McIntosh & David Maybury-Lewis, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Mining and Indigenous Rights: The Emergence of a Global Social Movement (Saleem Ali & Larissa Behrendt, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Native Resistance to Multinational Mining Corporations in Wisconsin [USA]  [refers to Exxon, Rio Algom, Billiton] (Al Gedicks & Zoltan Grossman, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Staking Claims: Innu Rights and Mining Claims at Voisey's Bay [Canada] [refers to Diamond Fields] (Larry Innes, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

The Cordillera People's Alliance: Mining and Indigenous Rights in the Luzon Highlands [Philippines] [refers to Newmont Mining] (R.K. Tartlet, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Uranium Mining on Navajo Indian Land [USA] [refers to Hydro-Resources Incorporated] (Doug Brugge, Timothy Benally & Esther Yazzie-Lewis, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Mining in Paradise? Caught Between a Rock and Heavy Minerals on the Wild Coast, South Africa (Ralph Hamann, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Maroon Gold Miners and Mining Risks in the Suriname Amazon (Marieke Heemskerk, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Community Consultation in Mining: A tool for community empowerment or for public relations? [refers to Tiomin Resources mine in Panama; Royal Oak Mines & Miramar Mining Corporation in Canada] (Gail Whiteman & Katy Mamen, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

An Interview with Sayo':kla Kindness: an Oneida woman talks about mining [USA] (Amanda Siestreem, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

The Amungme, Kamoro & Freeport [West Papua] : How Indigenous Papuans Have Resisted the World's Largest Gold and Copper Mine - The story of the Amungme and Kamoro peoples and U.S. mining corporation Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold1 ("Freeport") offers one of the best-documented examples of how local communities have experienced and resisted the seizure of their traditional lands by government-backed multinational mining enterprises. (Abigail Abrash, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Papuan Gold: A Blessing or a Curse? The Case of the Amungme [West Papua] [refers to Freeport McMoran] (Carolyn D. Cook, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

The Mining Minerals and Sustainable Development Project and Indigenous Peoples (Frank McShane & Luke Danielson, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Native Reluctance to join Mining Industry Initiatives: Activist Perspectives [Australia, West Papua, UK, Papua New Guinea, USA, Canada] [refers to Rio Tinto, Anglo-American, BHP, Codelco, Newmont, Noranda, Phelps Dodge, Placer Dome, WMC, Freeport McMoRan] (Vicki Tauli-Corpuz & Danny Kennedy, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

The Man-Eating Mines of Potosi [Bolivia] (Johannes Stahl, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

Old Habits Die Hard: Indigenous Land Rights and Mining in Australia (Lisa Strelein & Larissa Behrendt, in Cultural Survival Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1, spring 2001)

A Way Forward Together [agreement between mining company Comalco, indigenous peoples and government - Australia] (Comalco, 14 Mar. 2001)

Cape York Agreement [between mining company Comalco, indigenous peoples and government - Australia] shows Australia the right way forward (Lester Rosendale, ATSIC [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission of Australia] Commissioner for Far North Queensland, 14 Mar. 2001)

Cape York Agreement welcome [agreement between mining company Comalco, indigenous peoples and government - Australia] (Geoff Clark, Chairman, ATSIC [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission of Australia], 14 Mar. 2001)

Globalization Threat To World's Cultural, Linguistic And Biological Diversity (United Nations Environment Programme, 8 Feb. 2001)

Dying for oil: U'wa leader Roberto Pérez speaks about indigenous resistance to the Colombian oil rush (Camille T. Taiara, Bay Guardian [San Francisco], 7 Feb. 2001)

Defending the Amazon: This series of On the Record tells the story of the poisoning of Ecuador's Amazon jungle by oil companies. It tells of the contamination of the waters and the resulting sickness in indigenous communities. (On the Record, Advocacy Project, Feb.-Mar. 2001)

Indigenous small-scale mining under threat [Indonesia]: For the Muluy Dayak community in East Kalimantan, small-scale gold mining is part of their traditional way of life. adat (customary law) governs their gold-panning activities, practised using simple equipment made from materials collected in the surrounding forests. But this integral part of Muluy livelihood is now under threat. Mining company surveyors have recently shown interest in the community's gold mining area. In response, the Muluy community has taken the decision to oppose large-scale mining. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2001)

Rights & environmental disputes flare: As huge oil and gas developments continue in Indonesia, communities in areas where these industries operate are becoming more vocal in demanding a stop to pollution and fair compensation. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2001)

Guyana: Transnational mining companies' impacts on people and the environment (World Rainforest Movement Bulletin, Feb. 2001)

Tribal People in India Confront Alcan Investment: Three Die (MiningWatch Canada / Mines Alerte, 17 Jan. 2001)

Mine thy neighbour: The Australian government needs to control Australian miners in Indonesia - A large proportion of foreign mining companies in Indonesia are Australian. They may be generating badly needed funds for the country, but the cost to those living near these mines has been very high. (Jeff Atkinson, Advocacy Coordinator, Community Aid Abroad [Oxfam Australia], Inside Indonesia, Jan.-Mar. 2001)

2000:

Campaign Launched Against Sanford Bernstein for 'Unethical' Investments in Oil Project on U'wa People's Sacred Land: Groups Call on Company to Divest from Occidental Petroleum (Rainforest Action Network, Amazon Watch, Project Underground, Ruckus Society, 12 Dec. 2000)

Environmental Racism gets on Radar Screen of International Conference (CEDHA [Center for Human Rights and the Environment / Centro de Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente], 5 Dec. 2000)

U.S. Backs Tribe, Rejects Gold Mine Proposal (Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2000)

Indigenous Peoples Delegation to the Sixth Session of the U.N. Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (16 Nov. 2000)

Declaration of Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change (Second International Indigenous Forum on Climate Change, 11-12 Nov. 2000)

Whose Globe? The plight of local people gets a voice in corporate boardrooms (Paul Raeburn and Sheridan Prasso, Business Week, 6 Nov. 2000)

On the Ground Research: A Research Agenda for Communities Affected by Large-Scale Mining Activity -- Submitted to the International Development Research Centre (MiningWatch Canada / Mines Alerte, 6 Nov. 2000) {···français}

Philippine Indigenous Tribe Urges Calgary Mining Company to Respect Their Land Rights: Subanen Representatives Tour Canada (MiningWatch Canada / Mines Alerte, 4 Nov. 2000)

Aceh: ecological war zone - Natural resources are one of the main factors underlying the independence struggle in Aceh, but decades of plunder have left them severely depleted. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 2000)

Indigenous miners evicted [Indonesia]: There has been further conflict at indigenous mining lands inside the PT Indo Muro Kencana gold concession operated by Australia's Aurora Gold in Central Kalimantan. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 2000)

Freeport: still getting away with it - A series of official investigations into Freeport Indonesia, operators of the huge Grasberg gold and copper mine in West Papua, has done nothing as yet to curb the excessive environmental damage caused by the company. It is business as usual at the US-British-owned mine, despite persistent questions over the company's contract, its environmental and human rights record and allegations of corrupt share allocations. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 2000)

Villagers shot, one killed in Sosa land dispute [Indonesia]: On 25 August 2000, police shot indiscriminately into a crowd of people gathered outside the factory gates of oil palm company PT Permata Hijau Sawit (PT PHS) in Mananti village, Sosa sub-district, South Tapanuli (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 2000)

Bolivia: indigenous peoples concerned by oil prospection (World Rainforest Movement Bulletin, Oct. 2000)

Who Has the Right to Know? (Cees J. Hamelink, Professor of International Communication at University of Amsterdam, in UNRISD News [U.N. Research Institute for Social Development Bulletin], no. 23, autumn/winter 2000)

On The Ground Research: A Workshop to Identify the Research Needs of Communities Affected by Large-Scale Mining ­ April 14-16 2000, Ottawa, Canada - Workshop Report (MiningWatch Canada and the Canadian Consortium for International Social Development, Sep. 2000)

Declaration Of The First International Forum Of Indigenous Peoples On Climate Change (Sep. 2000)

Mining in India: Movements, Multinationals and Malaise [provides examples of mining projects, and local resistance to those projects, including resistance by tribal peoples] (Suman Ray, Labour File, June-July 2000)

Communities confront loggers [Indonesia]: Indigenous communities whose forests have been plundered by logging companies are demanding compensation for the damage. Deprived of the protection they enjoyed under former President Suharto, the companies are having to take them seriously. (Down to Earth Newsletter, May 2000)

Uranium Miners, Families Bring Tales of Pain to Washington (Associated Press, Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2000)

Greenpeace and Deni Indians demand removal of logging from indigenous lands [Brazil] (Greenpeace, Apr. 2000)

The U'wa-Oxy Standoff [Colombia] (Charlie Cray, Multinational Monitor, Apr. 2000)

Loggers rush to strip Siberut [Indonesia]: Siberut provides a vivid example of the way the powerful combination of Indonesia's economic problems and changes to local autonomy and forestry legislation threaten the future of the country's forests and indigenous people. A UNESCO workshop on conservation and sustainable development for the Siberut biosphere zone brought various conflicting parties together to look for local solutions. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2000)

Undermining the forests: The need to control transnational mining companies - A Canadian case study - Undermining the Forests, a new report published by the Forest Peoples Programme, the World Rainforest Movement and Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links, documents cases from around the world of the disastrous impact that Canadian mining enterprises are having upon the world's forests and forest peoples. Undermining the Forests details cases from around the world that clearly indicate not only the appalling unresolved legacy of past bad practice but the continuation of serious human rights violations, impoverishment and massive and irreparable environmental damage. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Feb. 2000)

Biotechnology and Indigenous Peoples (Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Jan. 2000, to appear in Brian Tokar [ed.], Redesigning Life [London: Zed Books Ltd, forthcoming])

Research: Exploring Indigenous Perspectives on Consultation and Engagement within the Mining Sector of Latin America and the Caribbean (North-South Institute, 1999-2000)

1999:

The World's Indigenous Peoples (Russel Barsh, White Paper commissioned by Calvert Group Funds, 1999) 

Impacts of WTO On The Environment, Cultures and Indigenous Peoples (Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Director of Tebtebba Foundation [Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education] and Convenor of Asia Indigenous Women's Network, 29 Nov. 1999)

Indigenous Peoples' Caucus Statement, presented at the "Roundtable on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge", World Intellectual Property Rights Organization, Geneva, 2 Nov. 1999

Dayaks reoccupy traditional mines in Aurora Gold concession [Indonesia]: After many years of peaceful process and unsuccessful negotiations, Dayaks communities in Central Kalimantan have moved back on to their traditional mining sites. This direct action was taken as a last resort to defend rights consistently denied by the Indonesian government and by the mining company which took over their lands. (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 1999)

Rio Tinto in Southeast Sulawesi - Rio Tinto's Indonesia record worsens (Down to Earth Newsletter, Nov. 1999)

Report: An Indigenous Peoples' Information And Strategy Meeting On The World Trade Organization (30-31 Oct. 1999, Geneva)

Native Americans denounce toxic legacy (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 14 June 1999)

The right to self-rule: Indian tribals fight to control their land and resources (Oxfam/Community Aid Abroad [Australia], May 1999)

Alaska natives take message of climate catastrophe to BP AGM (Greenpeace, Apr. 1999)

New Agency Head Supports Mining, Logging Brasil's Indigenous Lands (Environment News Service, 1 Mar. 1999)

Ecuador: oil exploitation banned in protected areas (World Rainforest Movement Bulletin, Mar. 1999)

1998:

ENVIRONMENT-RIGHTS: New 'Ogonilands' Crop up a Continent Away (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 10 Nov. 1998)

Kerala Tribe Accuses Indian Biologists of Stealing Knowledge [India] (J. John and Sindhu Menon, Panos, 6 Aug. 1998)

Rural and Indigenous Women Speak Out Against Globalization (Corporate Watch, 25 May 1998)

Canada: Victory of indigenous peoples in court (World Rainforest Movement Bulletin, May 1998)

ENVIRONMENT: New Campaign Targets Oil Investors and Consumers [Colombia] (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 14 Apr. 1998)

AUSTRALIA/PHILIPPINES: Activists Pressure Mining Firm via Shareholders (Sumegha Agarwal, Inter Press Service, 9 Jan. 1998)

1997:

RIGHTS: Tribunal Attacks Violations Against Indigenous Groups (Marvette Darien, Inter Press Service, 11 Dec. 1997)

ENVIRONMENT: "Devastating" Logging in Nicaragua (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 9 Oct. 1997)

COLOMBIA-RIGHTS: Indigenous Group Testifies Against Oil Giant (Danielle Knight, Inter Press Service, 9 Oct. 1997)

Killings in West Papua [Indonesia] (Survival International, 2 Sep. 1997)

Colonos' complaint [Ecuador] (Emily Walmsley, Index on Censorship, 8 Aug. 1997)

ENVIRONMENT - G-7: Indigenous Groups Lament Record After Rio (Doug Vaughan, Inter Press Service, 23 June 1997)

VENEZUELA-INDIGENOUS: Waraos Analyse Impact of Oil Drilling (Estrella Gutierrez, Inter Press Service, 20 Mar. 1997)

ECUADOR-INDIGENOUS: Ransom or Indemnisation? (Mario Gonzalez, Inter Press Service, 25 Feb. 1997)

ENVIRONMENT-PERU: Communities Divided Over Shell Natural Gas Scheme (Pratap Chatterjee, Inter Press Service, 29 Jan. 1997)

INDIGENOUS-ECUADOR: Amazon Tribe's Fight Against Oil Companies (Inter Press Service, 6 Jan. 1997)

Scraping Bottom: Freeport McMoRan in Irian Jaya (NGO Taskforce on Business and Industry, 1997)