i n t he new s Land Title Rights Victories for Four Queensland Peoples
The Shibipo of Peru are renowned for their intricate geometric patterns on textiles, pottery, and in beadwork. Teresa Rango pictured.
Fall 2012
The Pitta Pitta, Wik, Wik Way, and Jangga peoples in the state of Queensland of northeast Australia won historic victories in gaining non-exclusive rights to hunt, fish, gather, travel, and hold ceremonies on a combined total of approximately 61,000 square kilometers. The settlement of these long-standing claims restores access to the economic, cultural, and social claims held on this land by Aboriginal peoples.
Bangladeshi and Indonesian Governments Ban International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 2012
Despite orders by the Bangladeshi and Indonesian governments to disallow celebration and participation in the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, many Indigenous Bangladeshis and Papuans of Indonesia tried to go forward with the activities. The day was marked by protests, clashes with police and military, and several arrests.
Indian Government Takes New Steps to Protect Adivasi and Dalit Lands September 2012
Two new rulings by the Indian Supreme Court assert that Adivasi and Dalit lands cannot be bought by corporations or other third parties in an effort to shield Indigenous Indians from corporate interests. At the same time, seven bauxite mining leases have been withdrawn in the state of Andhra Pradesh by the Tribal Affairs Minister to preserve tribal rights.
Shipibo & Ese’Eja Com- munities Make Gains Over Resource Exploitation September 2012
A group of approximately 400 Shipibo people gained control of nine oil wells from a Canadian company in their community in an effort to re-assert their rights and make their dissent public. 2 • www. cs. org
Photo by Howard G. Charing
On the heels of the takeover, Peru’s Supreme Court affirmed Shipibo and Ese’Eja communities’ right to seize a road being constructed on their land by illegal miners and loggers that were operating without prior consultation. The court also vacated the sentences of four community leaders fighting against the illegal exploitation.
the court ruled. The defeat was a disappointing blow for the many Mapuche who travel to the land for rituals and view the environmental destruction as an affront to their sacred land.
Indonesian Government Claims No Indigenous People in Its Population October 2012
Peruvian Amazon Bids Farewell to Talisman Energy and ConocoPhillips September–October 2012
The oil company Talisman Energy announced its imminent departure from the ancestral land of the Achuar people in the Peruvian Amazon, much to the delight of many residents. Soon after, following protests and a direct appeal from the regional government’s president, ConocoPhillips announced that it too would abandon its exploratory drilling projects in the Upper Nanay- Pintuyacu-Chambira Regional Conservation Area. The area’s fragile watershed provides over 90 percent of the drinking water to some 500,000 residents of the Iquitos area.
Mapuche People Lose Court Case for Land Access and Protection October 2012
The Chilean Supreme Court deemed claims by the Mapuche people for protection to a piece of land they call Ngen Mapu Kintuante from logging and for ceremonial access invalid. Under current Chilean law, the land does not qualify as “Indigenous” and therefore is not subject to Mapuche demands,
The Indonesian government announced again that it has no “Indigenous” citizens at the prompting of the UN’s request to respect Indigenous rights. The state maintains that of its 365 ethnic groups, several fit the category of “geographically isolated customary law communities,” but do not qualify as “Indigenous.”
Yoruba Organizations Promote Regional Autonomy October 2012
In an effort to combat the effects of colonization that destroyed the power held by the Yoruba kingdoms, several Yoruba organizations in their traditional lands of southwest Nigeria have begun campaigning for regional autonomy to regain their place in governance.
K’iche’ Protests End in Deadly Violence October 2012
Eight K'iche' activists from the city of Totonicapán, Guatemala were killed and more than 35 injured after military forces opened fire on a protest that had closed the Inter-American highway. Activists were opposing several new government measures including electricity rate increases, unilateral changes to the constitution, and challenges to education access.