Each individual on earth has the basic right to life, liberty, and property. These and other rights have been accepted by States all over the world since after World War II when the United Nations was formed. However, there are populations in many parts of the world whose basic rights are still not fully recognized by the States governing the countries these groups have lived in for centuries. The indigenous peoples such as the American Indians have yet to fully experience being accorded basic human rights.
The Hopi, Wintu, and Lakota are American Indians who are struggling to gain recognition of their rights to their ancestral lands. History have shown that war, encroachment of settlers, and government policies have displaced American Indians from their ancestral lands. Thus, groups have experienced loss of life and loss of property. During the time of the gold rush in the US, the number of the Wintu tribe decreased rapidly because of government orders to “kill American Indians five dollars a head” (In the Reverence of Light). At present, American Indians are not given full access to sites they have hold sacred for generations. Hopi sacred sites were desecrated by mining, such as the bulldozing of their sacred mountain. The Lakota’s full access to the Devil’s Tower to perform their ceremonies is recognized only in the month of June, and still there are rock climbers who refuse to respect this month. The Wintu is not even officially recognized as a tribe by the government.
Land is life for the indigenous peoples. Their human rights is closely connected to their ancestral lands. Although it is a basic right for an individual to practice his/her religion, the American Indians right as an indigenous people to practice their religious beliefs is limited by the majority’s need for mining areas and recreation sites. This is just one example. Indigenous peoples all over the world are still struggling to have their rights recognized. The right to self-determination, non-discrimination, enjoyment and access to their ancestral lands, and freedom to practice their culture are all basic rights that American Indians, and to a broader context indigenous peoples that are yet to be given recognition. In the US, the struggle of the American Indians continues. The Lakota, Hopi, and Wintu continue to visit their sacred places. By doing so, they maintain their claim over these ancestral lands. Recognizing their rights over these sacred site is a step towards respect of their human rights.
Works Cited
In the Light of Reverence. Sacred Land Film Project. 2010. DVD
