International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples

Book excerpt: This exciting book is the only one of its kind. International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples (Aspen Elective Series) will be the first published compilation of materials and commentary intended for use in courses focusing on the subject of indigenous peoples within the international human rights system. S. James Anaya, co-author of the well-known casebook, International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy and Practice, uses carefully edited material from varied sources to illustrate the major issues facing indigenous peoples today. This unique addition to the Elective Series features: complete or edited versions of all the major contemporary international documents concerning indigenous peoples--declarations, treaties, decisions, and interpretive statements by international human rights and other institutions on the topic--placed in the context of relevant historical antecedents. materials highlighting the major issues concerning indigenous peoples, including issues of self-determination, culture, lands and resources, collective rights, state responsibility for historical wrongs, and the meaning of the "indigenous" rubric. The issues are then linked to actual cases concerning or situations faced by indigenous groups. edited materials from a range of authors along with insightful commentary providing in-depth discussion of the issues and developments discussion of the international and domestic mechanisms by which human rights norms concerning indigenous peoples are implemented. This provides students with an understanding of the practical implications of the norms and their potential strategic value. background material on the authority and workings of the various international institutions that are addressing indigenous issues, enabling students to understand the legal or political significance of the relevant developments and place those developments within the broader context of the international human rights system An invaluable resource for any course dealing with international human rights, International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples (Aspen Elective Series) has just the right mix of institutional and case material, historical background and recent developments, and perceptive commentary.