Indigenous Peoples and the European Union

Supporting the rights of Indigenous peoples is an integral part of the European Union's human rights policy. The legal basis of the European Union's approach to working with and supporting indigenous peoples (IPs) is governed by the Commission Working Document on support for indigenous peoples which was adopted in 1998, followed by the Council Resolution which provides the main guidelines for the policy. In November 2002, the Conclusions on Indigenous Peoples recalled the commitment to the 1998 Resolution and invited the Community and Member States to continue its implementation. The basic principles of cooperation with indigenous peoples, as spelled out in the 1998 Council Resolution are:

• the importance of self-development, which implies the recognition and respect of indigenous people's own social, economic and cultural development and of their own cultural identities, including their right to object to projects in their traditional areas;
• the consequent need to ensure the effective participation of indigenous peoples at all stages of the project cycle and to permit their free prior and informed consent;
• the recognition of the key role played by indigenous peoples notably in the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources; and
• acknowledgement that cooperation with indigenous peoples is considered essential for the objectives of poverty elimination and sustainable development of natural resources, the observance of human rights and the development of democracy.

The principles of the European Union's engagement towards indigenous peoples are applied in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of 2007, which advances the rights of indigenous peoples around the world. Indigenous issues are consistently mainstreamed in European Commission's development cooperation strategies. In addition, the Commission gives direct support to civil society organisations working on indigenous issues, through various thematic instruments, in particular through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

Related news

• 18/11/2010 - Statement by the Spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, on Canada joining the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples
• 09/08/2010 - Declaration by High Representative Catherine Ashton on behalf of the European Union on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
• 23/04/2010 - Statement by the spokesperson of HR Ashton on New Zealand joining the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

Source: EU Policy on Indigenous Peoples

Eco-cultural mapping to protect natural resources and sacred sites, South Africa

The case of the vhaVenda people echoes throughout many other rural areas in Africa and amongst other groups of traditional and indigenous peoples – the loss of communally owned territories, the expansion of industrial plantations and non-sustainable forms of land and resource use including tourism, the erosion of cultural values and sacred sites. With support from CTA, women, men and youth from Tshidzivhe community, in Limpopo province, northern South Africa, spent six days exploring ways to ‘map’ their traditional knowledge and practices for managing their natural resources. As the different maps were finished, the local people celebrated their new capacity to express traditional environmental knowledge in an appropriate way for gaining recognition, reviving traditional practices and securing their rights.

This was a unique mapping experience that involved local people as well as indigenous from other parts of the world. More than 70 vhaVenda people took part, guided by trainers in eco-cultural mapping from Colombia and accompanied by indigenous leaders from the Colombian Amazon and the Russian Republic of Altai. The process required the full participation of community members, especially the elders and the makhadzis, women custodians of sacred sites, but with minimal materials or technology.

Four maps and two ecological calendars were produced, covering what the local population refers to as “Venda territory” and with special attention to the main sacred sites. The maps show the changes and alterations to the land - the past, present and future visions - and the importance of recovering traditional practices and rituals.

Trainees from Kenya and Ethiopia, members of the African Biodiversity Network, took part and hope to carry out similar workshops in their respective countries in 2010.

Photos by Will Baxter, text by Fiona Wilton / The Gaia Foundation