U.S. Found in Violation of Native Americans' Rights,Anti-Racism Treaty

[AGENDA21]

UNITED NATIONS - A United Nations committee took the rare step Friday of assailing the U.S. government for violating Native Americans' land rights and said Washington had run afoul of an international anti-racism treaty.

The independent Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said Friday it had ''credible information alleging that the Western Shoshone indigenous people are being denied their traditional rights to land'' and asked federal authorities to cease all activities on tribal land--including efforts to set up commercial mining operations.

Native American advocates hailed the finding as a victory.

''This is a tremendous victory for the Shoshone people,'' said Laura Inouye of the aid group Oxfam America. ''The UN decision acknowledges the U.S. government's violations of Shoshone civil, political, economic, and cultural rights.''

''''Hopefully, they will now be granted the justice that the US government has denied them for years,'' added Inouye, whose organization had backed the Western Shoshone.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0311-07.htm

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

1. Shameful how many treaties the US gov broke with the Native Americans

not exactly a bright shining beacon of freedom, tolerance and justice.

[Burning Water]

2. Does this

committee have any enforcement powers? Will the US obey? It will be interesting to see how this turns out.

[AGENDA21]

4. Yes..it should be interesting to see how turns out..

[Bushy Being Born]

3. An "international anti-racism treaty"?

I would be interested in knowing just what that is and if the U.S. even recognize it.