United Nations Conference Of Parties 15 (COP 15) 2009

Hello from Copenhagen, Denmark! I have been here for a week attending various UN and Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) functions for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change COP 15. An estimated 30,000 delegates from International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) and NGOs have descended upon Copenhagen. The Bella Center where an official UN badge is required to enter the premises is packed daily from early morning to late at night for lower-level delegates meeting for NGO side events to the high-level negotiations between the Conference of Parties in un-circulated locations.
This morning I happened to attend the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus (IPC), composed of Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPOs) such as the Arctic Athabaskan Council and the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, which has been drafting an official lobby package for directly including language and declarative statements from and for Indigenous Peoples into the final draft of the UN Framework on Climate Change as-of-yet legally non-binding agreement for a Post-Kyoto Protocol treaty on addressing the pressing issues and anthropogenic reasons for climate change, specifically carbon dioxide emissions. The IPC will be closing in on a final draft to be approved by willing and supporting member states by tomorrow afternoon during the high-level negotiations.
So, starting tomorrow the high levels of negotiations will begin with the world leaders, from environment ministers and other affiliated cabinet members to prime ministers and presidents. The daily agenda provided by COP staff usually has a list of high-profile appearances more than several pages long. As a result, lower-level NGO observers such as myself and the group of 15 other UAF students will not have access to the Bella Center as much more important officials and observers will have priority. The capacity of the Bella Center is maxed at 15,000 people and is predicted to be easily reached during the high-level process of COP.
Just a few minutes ago I was in the presence of the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra K. Pachauri. How many people from Alaska can say such a thing?!
Whatever the result of COP 15, positive or negative, it certainly has been a once in a lifetime experience!

AFN 2009: “We Have No Business Bickering Amongst Ourselves”

Starting from the end of AFN on Saturday Oct. 24 and going backwards to the beginning on Thursday Oct. 22…
The resolutions process Saturday morning proved to be trying in achieving concesus between regions (maybe even within regions), with three or four regions out of a total of thirteen dominating the proceedings of pulling resolutions and discussing resolutions and amending resolutions. The AFN resolutions committee members even pulled a few underhand tactics and pushed voting through several resolutions before the general delegation realized what even happened. A CITC delegate, CIRI delegate and CEO Gloria O’Neill, and Sealaska delegate and board president Rosita Worl expressed disappointment in the committee’s actions before the convention. Usually Trefon Angasan, the resolutions process chair from Bristol Bay, provides witty humor to the process, but this year laughs and good natured fun were few and far between. A delegate from Bristol Bay became fed up with the bad atmosphere and addressed the resolutions process and convention with: “We have no business bickering amongst ourselves.”

Friday evening Oct. 23 packed the house for Quyana Night II with many different dance groups performing at least a half-hour each. I remember as a child spending half the night watching all the dance groups and seeing many hundreds of people swarm around the stage. There aren’t as many dance groups these days, but Quyana Night is still very important for the convention I would think. I have a lot of respect for people who can sing and dance in their traditional ways in front of the whole convention and state and even world thanks to live internet streams. An AFN board member reported thousands and thousands of hits from around the world on the AFN website.

Friday afternoon stole the show when former state Senator Kim Elton, now a policy advisor to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, presented video addresses by both the Secretary and Assistant Secretary of the BIA Larry Echohawk. All three Department of Interior officials addressed necessary policy and regulations changes to Alaska subsistance laws, coming by at least February 2010. I do have to admit I did not pay attention to the presenations, as I was expecting the same old same old! But I do have a pretty good understanding of the framework and background of Alaska subsistence laws and policies and issues, and even I can say I saw these changes coming. What I am concerned with is how Alaska Natives, whether through tribal IRAs or through AFN as a whole or by region to region, are going to influence these policy and regulations reformation and/or overhaul of subsistence in Alaska. An undercurrent to the topic of subsistence defenitely provided a feeling of impetus throughout the whole convention, but no one really got up and stated how exactly these changes are going to be addressed, from any Alaska Native or non-Native official or semi-official entity. I’ll be watching intently for any whiff of news and development regarding the new changes coming in late winter next year…

To no suprise then when state Senator and AFN Co-Chair Mr. Albert Kookesh was awarded with the AFN Citizen of the Year Award Thursday afternoon Oct. 22. Senator Kookesh was cited by the State of Alaska in early August of this year for taking too many fish in Admiralty Bay in Southeast Alaska near the village of Angoon. Senator Kookesh has vowed to fight the citation to bring about a new contemporary court ruling regarding subsistence policy and regulation and law in Alaska, divided between Federal enforcement and State of Alaska enforcement. The basis of Senator Kookesh’s legal battle has been stated as the State having no legal basis behind the citation, since Senator Kookesh was practicing subsistence on lands and waterways mangaged by the Federal government, not by the state government. I can take up the rest of this post over subsistence alone, so I will stop writing about it now. Nevertheless, AFN came out with a very strong political statement in awarding Senator Kookesh with the Citizen of the Year Award, voted on by the members of the AFN board of directors.

The tone of the whole 2009 AFN Convention was firmly and emphatically set by the keynote speakers Thursday morning Oct. 22. Mr. Willie Hensley of Kotzebue and his daughter Elizabeth Hensley were fitting speakers representing the old and new guard of the Alaska Federation of Natives and Alaska Native peoples as a whole. Mr. Hensley provided a knowing speech and Ms. Hensley provided an open and very welcome speech. Many convention delegates and attendees know and understand the background of Alaska Native social and political affairs without having them aired and brought out for the convention, but this is exactly what Ms. Hensley did for her keynote speech. Having the old and stale background information brought out for everyone to regard gave new light, at least I would think, to the fast coming future of Alaska Native peoples…

The 2009 Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives proved undoubtedly to be important.

AFN 2009

Tomorrow I will be on my way to Anchorage, Alaska for the 2009 Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives starting Thursday morning. A lot of hype and talk this year from a lot of different people, even starting way back in August! I may or may not have time to post developments during the convention, but after a state of normalcy returns at the end of the week I will have my synopsis posted!

UN Conference on Climate Change (COP 15)

The UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, or COP 15, will take place from December 7-18, 2009. A majority of member nations are scheduled to take part of the conference, with many hundreds of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) also scheduled to observe the proceedings.
I have recently received word that I and about 15 other students of Rural Development at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the College of Rural and Community Development (CRCD) of greater Alaska will be attending the conference through the Arctic Athabaskan Council based in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, an approved NGO by the UN.
In preparation for the conference and for a study/travel grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the students will meet by teleconference for a weekly seminar focusing on contemporary climate change issues and studies. Yet more books and articles and scholarly debate to dig in to…

From ADN: Kookesh and Subsistence

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/rural/southeast/story/970340.html

JUNEAU — State Sen. Albert Kookesh believes Alaska Natives may be forced to file a class action lawsuit against the federal government to restore subsistence rights secured under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

The Angoon Democrat is facing trial over a $500 state subsistence fishing citation. He gave a video statement Friday to the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood 97th Grand Camp Convention in which he criticized the state for its handling of subsistence rights.

Kookesh was in Washington, D.C., for much of the five-day convention.

Alaska Natives own 45.5 million acres of land and should not be subject to state law because of the federal government’s commitment through the ANCSA agreement, Kookesh said.

“We need to get away from the state as much as we can,” he said. “They are not our friend. They’ve proven that time and time again. Let’s make the federal government responsible and sue them if we have to.”

The majority of Friday was spent discussing subsistence issues, something Grand Camp leaders said has not been a focus at the convention for a while. The delegates passed numerous resolutions at the end of the day related to subsistence and Native rights.

Kookesh said he is fervently fighting for subsistence rights and federal rights to be recognized, not just because he got cited for overfishing.

“We have to band together to get our subsistence rights back,” he said. “We’ve lost it somewhere along the way.”

Kookesh, Stanley D. Johnson, Rocky L. Estrada Sr., and Scott T. Hunter were cited for illegally harvesting 73 sockeye on July 12 in Kanalku Bay near Angoon.

There are as many as 3,000 to 5,000 citations in Alaska out there right now against people just because they were trying to subsist, Kookesh said.

Tanana, Alaska

Nuchuleghoye, Koyukon Athabascan for “Where the Two Rivers Meet” for the Yukon River and the Tanana River, has been a meeting place since time immemorial. Modern Tanana was established in the early 20th century after the establishment and closing of U.S. Army base Fort Gibbon.

I am always glad to be there, even for short visits lasting no longer than a weekend.

Alaska Legislature: Bush Caucus

http://housemajority.org/item.php?id=item20090204-44

Posted: February 2, 2009

(Juneau) – Representative Reggie Joule, D-Kotzebue, is pleased today to announce that six members of the Alaska State House have joined the Bush Caucus.

“Our primary focus is on addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by rural Alaska. Adding the rural statewide perspective my colleagues bring to the table is important and timely, and an excellent chance to share our ideas across many viewpoints.”
~ Rep. Reggie Joule

Representatives joining the caucus are:
•John Harris, R-Valdez, former Speaker of the House and current Joint Legislative Council Chairman
•Kyle Johansen, R-Ketchikan, current House Majority Leader
•Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, current House Minority Leader
•Peggy Wilson, R-Wrangell, current House Transportation Committee Chairwoman
•Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, current House Finance Committee member
•Cathy Muñoz, R-Juneau, current House Community & Regional Affairs Co-Chairwoman

“I am glad so many members of our chamber have accepted our invitation to join us for the 26th Legislature,” Joule, the caucus chairman, said. “Our primary focus is on addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by rural Alaska. Adding the rural statewide perspective my colleagues bring to the table is important and timely, and an excellent chance to share our ideas across many viewpoints.

“Tempering the high cost of energy in rural Alaska and ensuring the economic well-being of our communities are top priorities for the caucus this session,” Joule added.

The caucus is sponsoring a forum for the Alaska Federation of Natives, First Alaskans Institute, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center to jointly make an informal presentation to the Legislature on Feb. 3 at noon in the House Finance Committee room. In mid-February the caucus will also sponsor a forum with the Alaska Native Health Board.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html

Annex
United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The General Assembly,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, and good faith in the fulfilment of the obligations assumed
by States in accordance with the Charter,

Affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples,
while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider
themselves different, and to be respected as such,

Affirming also that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness
of civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage
of humankind,

Affirming further that all doctrines, policies and practices based on
or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of
national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are
racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and
socially unjust,

Reaffirming that indigenous peoples, in the exercise of their rights,
should be free from discrimination of any kind,

Concerned that indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices
as a result of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession
of their lands, territories and resources, thus preventing them from
exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance
with their own needs and interests,

Recognizing the urgent need to respect and promote the inherent
rights of indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic
and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions,
histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands,
territories and resources,

Recognizing also the urgent need to respect and promote the rights
of indigenous peoples affirmed in treaties, agreements and other
constructive arrangements with States,

Welcoming the fact that indigenous peoples are organizing themselves
for political, economic, social and cultural enhancement and
in order to bring to an end all forms of discrimination and oppression
wherever they occur,

Convinced that control by indigenous peoples over developments
affecting them and their lands, territories and resources will enable
them to maintain and strengthen their institutions, cultures and traditions,
and to promote their development in accordance with their
aspirations and needs,

Recognizing that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and
traditional practices contributes to sustainable and equitable development
and proper management of the environment,

Emphasizing the contribution of the demilitarization of the lands
and territories of indigenous peoples to peace, economic and social
progress and development, understanding and friendly relations
among nations and peoples of the world,

Recognizing in particular the right of indigenous families and communities
to retain shared responsibility for the upbringing, training,
education and well-being of their children, consistent with the rights
of the child,

Considering that the rights affirmed in treaties, agreements and other
constructive arrangements between States and indigenous peoples
are, in some situations, matters of international concern, interest,
responsibility and character,

Considering also that treaties, agreements and other constructive
arrangements, and the relationship they represent, are the basis for a
strengthened partnership between indigenous peoples and States,

Acknowledging that the Charter of the United Nations, the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,2 as well as the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,3 affirm the fundamental
importance of the right to self-determination of all peoples,
by virtue of which they freely determine their political status and
freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development,

Bearing in mind that nothing in this Declaration may be used to
deny any peoples their right to self-determination, exercised in conformity
with international law,

Convinced that the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples
in this Declaration will enhance harmonious and cooperative relations
between the State and indigenous peoples, based on principles
of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination
and good faith,

Encouraging States to comply with and effectively implement all
their obligations as they apply to indigenous peoples under international
instruments, in particular those related to human rights, in
consultation and cooperation with the peoples concerned,

Emphasizing that the United Nations has an important and continuing
role to play in promoting and protecting the rights of indigenous
peoples,

Believing that this Declaration is a further important step forward
for the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights and
freedoms of indigenous peoples and in the development of relevant
activities of the United Nations system in this field,

Recognizing and reaffirming that indigenous individuals are entitled
without discrimination to all human rights recognized in international
law, and that indigenous peoples possess collective rights
which are indispensable for their existence, well-being and integral
development as peoples,

Recognizing that the situation of indigenous peoples varies from
region to region and from country to country and that the significance
of national and regional particularities and various historical
and cultural backgrounds should be taken into consideration,

Solemnly proclaims the following United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a standard of achievement to be
pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect . . .

46 Articles adopted by the United Nations General Assembly September 2007