Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

September 19, 2011

Watch Live UN Geneva: Protect San Francisco Peaks, Sept. 20, 2011


U.N. Official addresses Navajo Human Rights at U.N. Human Rights Council

Watch video of Navajo President Ben Shelly's address to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva:
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2011/09/video-navajo-president-at-un-protection.html
By Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission
Censored News
San Francisco Peaks desecrated for Snowbowl pipeline
for sewage water/Photo Protect the Peaks
ST. MICHAELS, Ariz. -- The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission’s request to a U.N. official will finally be heard on the floor at the United Nations in Geneva Tuesday morning, Sept. 20.

About 15 months ago, the Navajo Nation’s legislative entity to protect Navajo human rights (NNHRC) together with the Diné Hataałii Association, the Diné Medicine Man Association, and the Azee’ Bee Nahagha of Diné Nation communicated with Professor S. James Anaya, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, regarding the desecration of the San Francisco Peaks [Dook’o’osliid], and the violation of Navajo human rights. The request followed Navajo Nation formal protocols and on May 17, 2010, the 21st Navajo Nation Council authorized the formal communiqué to Anaya.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Anaya will share his report with the U.N. Human Rights Council, which recommends that the U.S. President suspend the permit authorizing the use of reclaimed water on Dook’o’osliid [San Francisco Peaks], the sacred mountain to the west marking the traditional boundary of the Navajo people—the Diné. 

Anaya’s report to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland was released to the public on August 22, 2011. To download it, visit the NNHRC web site atwww.nnhrc.navajo-nsn.gov.

To watch Anaya present his report and recommendations to the 18th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council via a web cast, go to www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/c/un-human-rights-council.html. Anaya will be presenting his report in Geneva at 1 p.m., which means at 5 a.m., Navajo Nation time (Mountain Standard – Daylight Savings).

“Anaya’s report supports the need to not only elevate the fundamental religious rights into the international arena but importantly the necessity to ensure that United States carries out its commitments to human rights based on binding international treaties,” said Gorman in a previous press statement for the NNHRC and continued, “This is a comprehensive approach to protect Dook’o’osliid.”

On September 2, 2011, NNHRC passed a resolution; 4 in favor, 0 opposed, titled, “Acknowledging the Report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, S. James Anaya, and Recommending that the Navajo Nation Council to Formally Request the President of the United States of America to Direct the U.S. Forest Service to Suspend the Permit authorizing the use of Reclaimed Waste Water to make Artificial Snow and follow the Recommendations of the Special Rapporteur; and other recommendations” and indicates the timeline between the NNHRC and Anaya formal correspondences. The 22nd Navajo Nation Council Delegate Jonathan Nez (Shonto/Navajo Mountain/Oljato/Tsah Bii Kin) will sponsor the legislation on behalf of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, date to be determined. To view the legislation (0387-11), visitwww.navajonationcouncil.org/legislation.html. The public comment period for the 22nd Navajo Nation Council legislation 0387-11 will end on September 20, 2011.

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