World Council of Indigenous Peoples

World Council of Indigenous Peoples
Name	World Council of Indigenous Peoples
Formation	1974
Dissolution	1996 (inactive)
Type	International Indigenous organization
Headquarters	Originally Port Alberni
Region served	Global Indigenous Peoples
Language	English, Spanish, French, Indigenous languages

World Council of Indigenous Peoples The World Council of Indigenous Peoples was an international Indigenous organization established in 1974 to coordinate activism among First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Ainu people, Sámi people, Maori people, Aboriginal Australians, Native Hawaiians, Sami Parliament of Norway, Zuni people, Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Blackfoot Confederacy, Haida Nation, Gitxsan, and other Indigenous nations. It sought to influence international fora such as the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and regional bodies including the European Parliament, the African Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Founders and leaders included figures associated with movements and institutions like Harold Cardinal, George Manuel, Eddie Mabo, Billy Diamond, Ovide Mercredi, and delegations linked to the National Congress of American Indians, the Assembly of First Nations, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

History

The council emerged from transnational encounters among leaders from Canada, United States, Mexico, Greenland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Peru, and Colombia during the early 1970s, influenced by events such as the 1969 White Paper (Canada), the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation, the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, and connections with activists from the Pan-African Congress, American Indian Movement, and Movimiento de los Trabajadores Rurales Sin Tierra. The inaugural meetings drew parallels with organizations like the League of Nations, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the World Council of Churches while reacting to national policies exemplified by the Indian Act, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act, the Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and the Mabo case. Over successive decades the council coordinated global conferences, mirrored efforts by the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (ILO Convention 169), engaged with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples campaign, and intersected with courts such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and national judiciaries including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Objectives and Principles

The council articulated objectives resonant with instruments like the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights while emphasizing Indigenous priorities found in declarations by the International Indian Treaty Council, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, and the World Health Organization's Indigenous health initiatives. It promoted principles drawn from customary laws of peoples such as the Cree people, Anishinaabe, Lakota, Yupik, Nenets, Koryak, Mapuche, Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani, and aligned with campaigns by organizations including Survival International, Cultural Survival, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch. The council prioritized self-determination, land and resource rights influenced by cases like Calder v. British Columbia (Attorney General), cultural preservation akin to programs of the Smithsonian Institution, and environmental stewardship similar to initiatives by Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.

Membership and Structure

Membership comprised delegations from tribal authorities, regional councils, and advocacy groups such as the National Indian Brotherhood, the Inuit Circumpolar Council, the Aleut International Association, the Arctic Council-linked indigenous organizations, the Pacific Islands Forum-affiliated groups, and representatives from entities like the British Columbia Treaty Commission. Governance mirrored models used by the League of Nations and the United Nations General Assembly with assemblies, executive committees, and working groups focused on law, culture, and environment. Key offices and secretariats were situated in Indigenous territories including locations near Vancouver Island, Geneva, and Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining-adjacent networks, interacting with legal advisers from institutions such as Harvard Law School, the University of British Columbia, University of Auckland, and University of Oslo.

Major Activities and Campaigns

The council organized international conferences, cultural exchanges, and campaigns responding to episodes like the Nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, the Ok Tedi environmental disaster, and extractive conflicts around projects like the James Bay Project and Altamira Dam. It supported litigation and advocacy linked to the Delgamuukw v. British Columbia litigation and participated in crafting submissions to the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Campaigns included alliances with movements such as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, the Black Panther Party historically, and modern networking with NGOs like Forest Peoples Programme and Mine Advisory Group. Educational and cultural initiatives involved collaboration with museums like the Canadian Museum of History, festivals akin to the Celtic Connections model for cultural promotion, and language revitalization efforts parallel to programs at the Endangered Languages Project.

Relations with Governments and International Organizations

Interactions ranged from formal consultations with the Canadian federal government, the Government of New Zealand, Norwegian Government, Australian Government, and the United States Department of the Interior to participation in multilateral diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and sessions of the International Maritime Organization on coastal rights. The council engaged with development institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development over projects affecting Indigenous territories, and worked alongside treaty bodies like the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and specialized agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics invoked tensions similar to those faced by bodies like the World Council of Churches and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention debates, questioning representation, accountability, and funding ties to NGOs including Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and national donors. Disputes mirrored controversies seen in cases involving the Assembly of First Nations leadership disputes and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami over resource development stances, with accusations of political partisanship, unequal delegation privileges, and conflicts reminiscent of debates over the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples outcomes. Allegations also arose regarding effectiveness compared to legal victories achieved in tribunals like the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and national courts such as the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Category:Indigenous rights organizations