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It is in this context that we have worked to protect the rights of the indigenous peoples during the past fifteen years. I have often been told that the whole effort is useless. I can not agree. I think we have little choice but to continue to defend our rights at the international level. We have also had the opportunity now to see how critical it is that we demand our rights without reservation. The rights of the indigenous peoples in Quebec have become a test case for the whole question of the rights of the world's indigenous peoples. Is it possible for a mixed population of European origin to demand and exercise a right of self-determination, but for the same population to deny that the indigenous peoples have at least the same rights? The Quebec example clearly demonstrates a double-standard based on race. In the separatists' view, Quebecois, whoever they are, have the right; Indians do not.
If it had not been for our international work, this issue would likely already have been lost. We raised the question of Cree rights in the context of Quebec secession from Canada, in Geneva in 1991. I was summoned by the Canadian Ambassador in Geneva and reprimanded, as he said, "for bringing a domestic issue to international attention. Separation will never happen, why discuss it here and make it a reality?" That is what he said.
We persisted, filing a large brief with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in February 1992. That brief became the essence of the argument concerning our rights. It helped people understand that indigenous peoples must have the same status and level of recognition as all other peoples. It was no longer acceptable to propose that our right of self-determination be limited only to internal self-determination. Sometimes, and the Quebec situation demonstrates this conclusively, the indigenous peoples may need to be able to exercise an external right of self-determination in order to protect their most fundamental rights.
The Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reflects this need... no conditions may be imposed upon the exercise of the rights of indigenous peoples that do not apply equally to all of the world's peoples, indigenous or otherwise...
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