When the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, only four nations voted against it: New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and the United States. Since then, both Australia and New Zealand have reversed their positions and endorsed the declaration, and Canada also has recently indicated an interest in reversing its position in a qualified way. And now the United States has joined the trend toward enlightenment.
In April, the Obama administration announced that it is reviewing its position on the declaration. To that end, the State Department will be holding a series of consultations around the country with Native American tribes, nongovernmental organizations (like Cultural Survival), and other interested parties. The department is also soliciting written comments from those unable to attend the consultations and has launched a website for this purpose. Click here to go to the web page where the locations and dates of the consultations will be posted. Written comments should be emailed by July 15 to this address: Declaration@state.gov
