"Defending the Future of Our Nations", Chief Phil Lane Jr. Delivers

Phil Lane Jr.'s Blog

"We, the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples, Nations and Nationalities in Abya Yala, within the scope of exercising the right of self-determination and in defense of Mother Earth, present our position to the Seventh Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Americas, to be celebrated in Panama from April 10th to the 11th, 2015.

CONSIDERING

That all doctrines, policies and practices based on the superiority of certain peoples or individuals, or which are promoted by arguing reasons based on national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences: are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust.

That we, the Indigenous Peoples have been systematically discriminated against since the Abya Yala invasion by the Europeans, who... supported by the Papal Bulls of 1455 and 1493, have justified the Doctrine of Discovery so that in this way they could commit the genocide of more than 90 million Indigenous Peoples, as well as the dispossession of our lands, territories and natural resources. That, through the legal system, the current Republics signify the continuity of these injustices imposed on the indigenous peoples of Abya Yala.

That the current States of America should eradicate the inequality, discrimination and colonization of Indigenous Peoples, such as established in the Resolution #1514 of December 14, 1960; the 1989 ILO Convention C-169; the 2003 Vienna Declaration; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007 and the final Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples of the General Assembly of the UN September 2014, amongst others.

That in Abya Yala, the murder, persecution and physical disappearance of male and female indigenous leaders persists, because they defend their lands, territories and resources from the programs and megaprojects such as mining, hydroelectric and hydrocarbons which have been imposed in the name of development and the common interest and executed without their free, prior and informed consent.

That the prior six Summits of the Americas have not contributed toward their goals to eradicate poverty, exclusion and inequality, but yet they have allowed the development of new forms of colonization, sometimes through electoral democracy, other times with the illusion of economic development and with the savage commercializing of humanity’s common resources. These declarations have remained as mere intentions, being that the situation of the more than 50 million Indigenous People has not changed at all; to the contrary, the violation of our human collective rights worsens.

Given the foregoing considerations exposed by the Fifth Indigenous Peoples Summit of Abya Yala, "Defending the Future of Our Nations",

WE DEMAND the following of the Heads of State and Governments of the Americas:

The constitutional, legal and administrative reforms that may support the States in the effective practice of the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

To comply with the “Right to Free, Previous and Informed Consent” prior to the adoption or execution of any program or megaproject affecting our territories.

To develop and implement Well-being into the social, cultural and economic policies of the Indigenous Peoples as a guiding principle of human collective rights.

To eliminate discrimination in all educational systems and include the contribution of our knowledge in history, science, arts, philosophy and identity.

To implement intercultural bilingual education in order to reflect cultural identity and ensuring active participation in national life, recognizing the linguistic diversity.

To protect and restore sacred sites, including the repatriation of the cultural and ceremonials effects that belong to the Indigenous People, fully supporting unified actions to educate and ensure the expressions of art and culture.

To adopt the holistic vision of the Indigenous Peoples into the health policies so that development projects in the territories are not approved if they affect the health of the people, whether indigenous or not,

To reject all energy projects that involve the violation of Collective Human Rights, especially those that imply forced displacement.

The titling, demarcation, remediation and protection of our lands, territories and resources.

To reject the use of our lands, territories, hydric resources and forests in climate change projects that allow developed countries to avoid their responsibility of reducing polluting emissions.

To promote and adopt the Indigenous Peoples’ right to free determination and in this sense develop the necessary autonomous rule that enables the children, women, youth and organizations of the People of Abya Yala to be subjects of the development, democratization and governance of our own lands, territories and natural resources, recognizing the indigenous jurisdiction.

We demand that all Heads of State at the Seventh Summit of the Americas meet all our requirements contained in this statement, complying with the standards of human rights established by the International Conventions and Treaties of which all the States are part.

Rights to communications, community networks, and the use and access to communication technologies in our own languages.

That the voice of the indigenous youth of Abya Yala be incorporated into the different processes of debate, so that we may give our contribution and point of view as youth, as well as that of the children and the women in our indigenous territories, for the well-being of our cosmo-vision.

For Peace to be strengthened within all the peoples of our Abya Yala it is necessary to abolish the Laws that advocate racism, lack of respect, discrimination and violation of all the rights of Indigenous People, and to recognize and comply with the different Treaties and International Accords that recognize the rights of the Indigenous Peoples.

Presented in the City of Panama on April 9th and 10th, 2015.

Unanimously Approved By the Vote of More than 300 Indigenous Delegates from

South, Central and North America.

Indigenous Summit of the Americas, March 10, 2015, Panama, City, Panama.

An Indigenous Call for Unprecedented, Unified Action for Protecting and Restoring the Sacred to All Members of the Human Family

The spiritual foundation of the Indigenous world-view is based in the ancient understanding of the fundamental oneness and unity of all life. Therefore, all members of the Human Family are all part of the Sacred Circle of Life. Since all members of the Human Family are all part of the Sacred Circle of Life, we are all Indigenous Peoples of our Mother Earth. This makes every Human Being responsible for the well-being of one another and for all living things upon our Mother Earth.

Therefore, whether or not the nation states, multinational corporations or international development agencies that surround us are willing or able to participate with us at this time, it is clear our Indigenous Peoples and Allies are moving forward in rebuilding and reunifying the Americas and beyond, through the Natural Laws and Guiding Principles that are inherent in our Indigenous World View and Legal Order, on an eternal and spiritual enduring foundation.

1. We have the ancient prophecies and the clear vision of a future of social justice and collective prosperity for the Americas and beyond that we are in the process of manifested. This new global civilization that is unfolding, as promised by the Ancient Ones and the Ancient of Days, fully honors the Natural Laws and Rights of Mother Earth and the Unity and Diversity of Human Family. This New Spiritual Springtime foretold by our Elders is now unfolding globally, as sure as the sun rises every morning.

2. We have a strong, enduring and unbreakable spiritual foundations of cultural values and guiding principles that have empowered us to survive and arise, with greater strength and wisdom than ever, after a great spiritual wintertime. This long spiritual wintertime was filled, at times, with the utmost human cruelty, violence, injustice, abuse, and physical and cultural genocide.

Despite these challenges, throughout the Americas and around Mother Earth, our Indigenous Peoples are reawakening to their spiritual and cultural identities and are healing our Sacred Relationships between ourselves, Mother Earth and all members of the Human Family.

3. Together, with our other Indigenous Peoples and other Members of the Human Family, we have the cultural, spiritual, scientific, technological, social, environmental, economic and agricultural capacities and wisdom needed to co-create and rebuild our Families, Tribes and Nations stronger and more unified than ever before.

4. Our Indigenous Peoples of Mother Earth have the growing collective social and economic capital, coupled with vast natural resources, to bring our greatest dreams and visions to reality. This includes fully protecting, preserving, and restoring our Beloved Mother as the sacred heritage of all generations, yet to come! Furthermore it is crystal clear that these collective resources are in the process of empowering us to become a primary spiritual and economic force, not only in the Americas, but throughout Mother Earth.

We are now and are destined in the future to play a greater and greater role as key global leaders in wisely mandating the sustainable and harmonious ways Mother Earth's gifts and resources will or will not be developed! We will insure that when the development of the natural resources of Mother Earth are not sustainable, no matter how much profit is to be made, they will not be developed!

Our Sacred Places and the Healthful Life of our Beloved Mother Earth are not for sale and exploitation for any price!

5) We, the Indigenous Peoples of the Eagle of the North (Canada and the U.S.) have the material resources to directly support our Indigenous Relatives of the Condor of the South (Latin America) in developing their collective resources, as they choose. The Condor of the South equally has critical resources to share with the Eagle of the North. Our greatest strength yet to be fully realized is our spiritual and cultural unity.

6) By utilizing emerging digital communications technologies and corresponding green technologies and economies, in harmony with our vast, collective social, economic, cultural and spiritual capacities, we are manifesting, as promised, a future with social, environmental and economic justice for all members of the Human Family and our Beloved Mother Earth!

7) The primary challenge that stands before us as Indigenous Peoples and we as a Human Family, in rebuilding the Americas, and beyond, is disunity. This disunity has been directly caused by genocide and colonialism. This genocide and colonization has resulted in unresolved inter-generational trauma and internalized oppression that is the process of being fully recognized and addressed.

As we move courageously and wisely forward, in greater and greater love, compassion, justice and unity, we are reconnecting to our enduring and unbreakable spiritual and cultural foundation for healing, reconciliation and collective action for “Protecting and Restoring the Sacred" everywhere on Mother Earth.

With the realization of this spiritual and cultural foundation for prayerful, wise and unified action, all that is needed for our ultimate victory will gracefully and assuredly unfold at the right times and places, as foretold by our Ancient Ones.

Unanimously Approved By the Vote of More than 300 Indigenous Delegates from South, Central and North America,Indigenous Summit of the Americas, March 10, 2015, Panama, City, Panama."