Obama adopts U.N. manifesto on rights of indigenous peoples

The Washington Times ^ | December 16, 2010 | Valerie Richardson

[jazusamo]

President Obama announced Thursday that the U.S. would reverse the position of the Bush administration and become the last nation to drop its opposition to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Mr. Obama made the announcement to enthusiastic applause at the second White House Tribal Nations Conference, a gathering attended by representatives of the nation's 565 recognized American Indian tribes.

"The aspirations it affirms - including respect for the institutions and rich cultures of native peoples - are ones we must always seek to fulfill," Mr. Obama said at the conference, held at the Interior Department. "But I want to be clear: What matters far more than words - what matters far more than any resolution or declaration - are actions to match those words. And that's what this conference is about."

The nonbinding declaration recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination, as well as their institutions, cultures and traditions, and prohibits discrimination against them. When the document was introduced in 2007, 143 countries voted to approve it, 11 abstained, and four - the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia - voted to oppose it.

~snip~

John R. Bolton, a U.N. ambassador under President George W. Bush, called the announcement "exactly the kind of mushy, feel-good multilateralist gesture one would expect from President Obama."

~snip~

Mr. Deer, who has been involved in the drafting and promotion of the declaration since 1987, said the Obama administration's decision to sign the document makes the declaration a "consensus document of the U.N.," lending it greater heft in international discussions and forums.

He dismissed the warnings of critics who say the document could be used to argue for massive land transfers back to North America's Indian tribes, but agreed that the declaration offers support for reparations.

[Cheetahcat]

“Recent DNA analysis suggest that european and people of east asian descent have some neaderthal genes in them. So can we claim we are a minority because the people of “pure human” descent are keepin’ us down???”

LOL good point.

[bgill]

This sounds like he is laying the groundwork to push through the Akaka bill declaring Hawaiians to be a native tribe, granting them sovereignty, etc. (creates a new "victim" group)

Hey, he has to pay back the newly elected (most opportune election since 2008) Gov. Abercrombie for being the only person on Earth to have claimed to have seen Ann and Sr. together. He already sent a boat load of $$$ to the island last year to help keep his BC, his kindergarten registration, his private school scholarships, his parents' marriage license and page 6 of their divorce papers, his typical white granny's real death date, etc. under wraps.

[bgill]

I was in the local LDS branch library when they opened the mail and found someone had sent in their ancestory tree all the way back to Adam and Eve. Now, if only we can work our brances in there, we’d all be rich! ...No, never mind, I don’t want to acknowlege any relation to the usurper.

[bgill]

The skeleton's perfectly preserved skull belonged to a 26-year-old woman

Scientists like throwing around definite dates but they're wrong in this instance. Her birthday was still two weeks away making her only 25.

[wolfcreek]

“There are NO indigenous People here, they came from Mongolia or Europe”

Least there be no solid proof of there being people here.

[Cheetahcat]

“Least there be no solid proof of there being people here.”

Yes ,they have never found anything.

[infidel29]

As part of the "indigenous peoples" deal, all the Muslims have to go back to that infernal sand trap of a hell they came from.

Oh, I guess the UN isn't going to go for that...

[rxsid]

or was is 27? lol.

[Happy Rain]

Same here—we landed at Jamestown—if you did too we may be kin.

Hope you're rich;)