SANTIAGO — Once again, Chilean students have taken to the streets to protest the…
Indigenous Focus: Chile hosts Latin American Parliament’s committee on indigenous peoples
From October 27-29, the Latin American Parliament’s (Parlamentario Latinoamericano) committee on indigenous peoples and ethnic groups was hosted in Valparaíso, Chile. The Latin American Parliament is an international organization founded in 1964 that, among other things, seeks to defend democracy and promote human rights within Latin America. During this recent three-day event, representatives from 22 [...]
Indigenous Focus: For indigenous peoples, land matters
In Chile, and throughout the globe, if you are talking about issues that are important to indigenous peoples, land is going to be mentioned early and often. There are many reasons why lands are important to indigenous peoples: some communities have lived and worked the same lands for millennia; many lands contain religious and cultural [...]
Indigenous Focus: Indigenous Languages Being Strengthened Throughout Chile
At the beginning of October, CONADI (the Chilean government’s department for Indigenous development) put out a press release stating that they were working with Diaguita communities to develop a plan to rescue the Kakan language – a language spoken for centuries by the Diaguita people and, until recently, believed to be largely lost. One week [...]
Indigenous Focus: Thousands march in Chile to question 500 years of colonialism
SANTIAGO — Monday, Oct. 10 was a holiday here in Chile. It was the day to commemorate the “discovery” of the New World or the encounter of the European World with the Americas. Historically known as the Aniversario del Descubrimiento de América (Anniversary of the Discovery of America), today it is more commonly known as [...]
Indigenous Focus: Annual report on human rights highlights indigenous struggles in Chile
On Monday, Oct. 3, the Human Rights Center at Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago released its “Annual Report on Human Rights in Chile” for 2011. The report, which is also available online, is arguably the most comprehensive document on human rights in Chile released each year and covers a wide variety of topics. As in [...]
Indigenous Focus: Indigenous peoples will spend two days meeting with Congress
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 4-5, the Chilean Congress will host indigenous leaders from all over the country for two days of meetings on the implementation of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Convention 169. The two-day event, called the “Encuentro Nacional Parlamentario entre Pueblos Indígenas y el Congreso Nacional” (National Parliamentary Gathering between Indigenous Peoples [...]
Indigenous Focus: The special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and Chile
by Laura Seelau and Ryan Seelau This week, the United Nations Human Rights Council is meeting in Geneva, and among the issues on the agenda each year are debates about indigenous rights and what individual countries around the world can and should be doing with regards to recognizing and promoting indigenous rights. Specifically, on Tuesday [...]
Indigenous Focus: The role of the U.N. in guiding Chilean indigenous rights
by Laura Seelau & Ryan Seelau Tuesday, Sept. 13 marked the fourth anniversary of the United Nations passage of the “Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” The declaration is a landmark document detailing indigenous rights more completely than any other international document. As such, it took over two decades of work at the United Nations [...]
Indigenous Focus: Raising indigenous flags, recognizing indigenous identities
With the Fiestas Patrias just around the corner, an important symbol of Chilean identity, culture and patriotism is starting to appear everywhere. We are speaking, of course, of the Chilean flag. The simple act of raising or carrying a flag, such as the Chilean flag, conveys an enormous sense of belonging and identity. This is [...]
Indigenous Focus: Who represents indigenous peoples?
When the government wants to consult with indigenous people, what organization or leader should it talk to? Or if the government wants to transfer administrative or management responsibilities of an intercultural education program in Santiago, which organization or leader should it talk to? And which organization should actually take on those responsibilities? by Laura and [...]