Abstract
The paper looks at the article "Discovering Peoples in International Law", by Sharon Helen Venne, that examines international law regarding indigenous rights. The paper looks at how the article discusses the historical evolution of indigenous rights and how it provides an overview of sources of international law. The paper is of the opinion that this article provides a very comprehensive introduction to the subject matter although it has some minor flaws.

From the Paper
"As Venne explains, international law regarding indigenous rights began to evolve when Spanish explorers discovered the Indigenous Peoples of America. Finding these people gave rise to the key question of whether these were biological humans who had human rights. The answer to this would determine whether they had rights over their own persons, their land, and their natural resources - or whether the European invaders could simply lay claim to all of this. Today this seems like a strange question to pose, but it triggered a very serious debate in Europe."

Tags:European, invaders, human, rights, tribunals

Abstract
The paper offers a brief history of the efforts of Canadian authorities to "convert" the natives and raise the Inuit in missionary schools. The paper then contrasts Western law, with its emphasis on material conditions, with Inuit law, which prizes respect for the elders and harmonious coexistence with nature. The paper focuses on the document of the Ontario government that advises lawyers on how to be conscientious to aboriginal customs, but highlights the intrinsic contradictions that exist between the Western concept of the law and that of the natives. The paper clearly shows how the essence of Inuit traditions largely evades the parameters of Western law.

From the Paper
"A native community can only be said to be surviving if its traditions remain viable. It is important that we do not reduce the meaning of tradition to some meaningless customs that help only to identify a people, but who are otherwise expected to think and act according to codes of modern and Western civilization. If a tradition is viable it is determining the very content of the society in question, and therefore is also determining its law. The Western ideal of respecting cultural diversity contains a blatant contradiction, because it puts the law, as emerging from a written constitution, above the individual cultures and religions of the people. It is stated that a person may follow a certain culture and religion of his or her choice as long as he is committed to follow the law of the land. In this way the indigenous cultures are rendered meaningless, which facilitates the process of cultural erosion, which some call "cultural genocide". Some native communities fiercely resist this process, and one consequence is the reform of Canadian law that allows for a more conscientious approach to the settlement of affairs that are strictly confined to aboriginal communities."

Tags:elders, healing, culture, tradition, respect, nature, coexistence, harmony, materialism

Abstract
This paper discusses how John William Sayer's book, "Ghost Dancing the Law: The Wounded Knee Trials", not only examines American culture and history but also draws parallels between the Nixon and Bush administrations. The paper also examines the legal concepts of the Native Americans and that of the US in terms of the system of jurisprudence. The paper then discusses in detail, the history of the Wounded Knee trials, as discussed in the book.

From the Paper
"Operating on all those levels, and probably more, Ghost Dancing the Law: The Wounded Knee Trials offers fascinating insights into American culture as defined by its institutions, its operatives, and its outcasts and fugitives. Chillingly, the book draws a parallel between the political manipulations of the Watergate era and the apparent duplicitousness of the current Bush administration. However, it would be overstating the fact to say that it is a diatribe against the current Washington juggernaut. (It may well have been a diatribe against the Nixon administration, however, leaving readers to conclude whatever they like regarding current situations.) It is, instead, an indictment of the creeping erosion of American freedoms, freedoms American Indians--unlike the rest of us--were never able to take for granted in the first place."

Tags:wounded knee trials, john william sayer, indigenous people, native americans, nixon bush

Abstract
This essay demonstrates the erratic history of indigenous land claims in Australia, from the colonial period to advancements made under legislative modernization today. The paper begins with a quote by Mudrooroo, to show just how frustrating the situation is. The paper concludes that Indigenous Australians are finally being recognized as the original owners of this country, although much needs to be done before the struggle is over.

From the Paper
"In 1788, the Indigenous people were violently deprived of their land rights. Their struggle for the return of these rights has proved a tumultuous journey through the history of Australia, often exposing fundamentally racist beliefs and laws. Recent legislation has paved the way for greater victories for Indigenous Australians, although the extent to which even these are just remains questionable."

Tags:aborigine, land, law, mabo, dreamtime

Abstract
This paper discusses the inherent racism within the policies of assimilation employed by the Australian government towards the indigenous Aborigines. The paper first describes the origins and history of the policies of assimilation. The paper then discusses the stated intent of the policy to help assimilate the Aborigines into white Australian culture. The paper also describes the official policies and laws enacted by the Australian government and their effects on the Aborigines people. This paper also documents the developments in the education system for Aborigines children.

From the Paper
"The time of Assimilation was a period when government documents were created posing as agents for protection and welfare of Indigenous Australians. However, they effectively aimed to strip Indigenous Australians of their identity and culture by forcing them to conform to the white values, beliefs and manner of living. This would in turn eradicate their existence as they are submerged in white culture. What this policy involved, including how it was implemented and what its original purpose was will be discussed. Followed by, an exploration of the history of Aboriginal education and the setting at the time of the implementation of the policy. During the critical assessment of the policy, there will be a debate of the effects on Indigenous education. To conclude, there will be a reflection of how things have changed and detail of our current policies and views of Aboriginal education."

Tags:government aboriginese education, policy implementation, population

Abstract
The paper discusses how the pre-conquest cultures of the Caribbean were necessarily distinct, owing to the diversity of their island landscapes, from the rugged mountains of Haiti to the tropical beaches of Barbados. The paper notes that although we know very little about indigenous Caribbean cultural practices due to the paucity of archeological remains (Denevan 64), we do know that farming and fishing practices (which ranged from cultivation of maize and cassava to pineapple), as well as domestic architecture, differed between the islands (Denevan 65, Williams 28).

From the Paper
"The pre-conquest cultures of the Caribbean were necessarily distinct, owing to the diversity of their island landscapes, from the rugged mountains of Haiti to the tropical beaches of Barbados. Although we know very little about indigenous Caribbean cultural practices due to the paucity of archeological remains (Denevan 64), we do know that farming and fishing practices (which ranged from cultivation of maize and cassava to pineapple), as well as domestic architecture, differed between the islands (Denevan 65, Williams 28). Cultivation of domestic animals was not common (Williams 29) as the people relied upon ample supplies of meat from..."

Tags:caribbean, indigenous, history

Abstract
Discusses the evolution of Australian policy and practice regarding land rights. Denial of land to Aborigines and other indigenous peoples. Land use and economic benefits. Land agreements. Court cases and rulings. Political controversy. Traditional view of Aboriginal rights. History of the country. UN intervention. Statatory framework to determine land claims.

From the Paper
"AUSTRALIAN NATIVE TITLE LAW AND RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

This research paper discusses the evolution of Australian policy and practice concerning the rights of Aborigines and other indigenous peoples with respect to land, the functioning of, and the pros and cons of taking recourse to, National Native Title Tribunals (NNTTs) and the right of indigenous peoples to negotiate (RTN) regarding land use and its economic benefits. In the early 1990s the High Court by its decisions in certain landmark cases recognized after nearly two centuries of denial that native Australians had rights with respect to lands they had traditionally occupied. By enacting the Native Title Act 1993, ch. 110 (the '93 NTA), the Commonwealth Parliament established mechanisms for determining the validity and scope of native land title claims. However, grave uncertainty and ..."

Abstract
The paper relates that in many parts of the world where the West has exploited the resources and the people over the last two centuries or more, the plight of the indigenous people of that region has been poor. The paper argues that these people have often been left without the resources needed to achieve economic advancement, without the social or political development they could use to improve their lot, without an infrastructure that supports them, and often with continuing antagonisms with the current majority population occupying the same territory.

From the Paper
"In many parts of the world where the West has exploited the resources and the people over the last two centuries or more, the plight of the indigenous people of that region has been poor. These people have often been left without the resources needed to achieve economic advancement, without the social or political development they could use to improve their lot, without an infrastructure that supports them, and often with continuing antagonisms with the current majority population occupying the same territory. Efforts to help these people may center on broad-based economic change for the entire area through entities such as the IMF and the World Bank, though these efforts may not be as beneficial to the..."

Tags:anthropology, indigenousq, peoples

Abstract
Shintoism is a religion with strong indigenous roots. Because it developed as Japan developed into a unified culture, its ties to Japanese culture are strong. The paper shows that it is markedly different from many religions because it has no set of laws that its followers must follow and no concept of punishment for sins. Shintoism is a religion of many major and minor gods and teaches that each person becomes a god at death. The paper shows that, for this reason, an important part of Shintoism is ancestor worship, making Shintoism an important part of family life. Many people who declare themselves to be Shintoists also follow many Buddhist practices. While there is no one prophet for this religion, its followers embrace Confucian teachings for moral guidance.

Abstract
Introduction
Meaning of "Shinto"
Overview
History
Myth of Creation
Indigenous Basis
Other Influences
Buddhism
Confucius
Shinto Today
Loose Structure
Influence of Buddhism
Interview
Converting to Shintoism
Holidays and Traditions
National
Ceremonies
Comparison to Other Religions
Conclusion
References

From the Paper
"The Shinto religion can be hard for some people from other cultures to understand, because it does not have a deeply evolved theology. In fact, it does not even have a moral code, such as the Torah for Jews, the Ten Commandments for Christians, or the rules given in the Qu'ran for followers of Islam. Generally speaking, Shintoists embrace the moral code provided by Confucius, but they are not obligated to (Author not given, 2004). Confucius' teaching is just part of Japanese cultural history. Reflecting the country's mixed religious influences, many Japanese homes contain two altars. One is for Shinto rites and the other for Buddhist (Kumagi, 1995). Many followers of Shinto believe that the kami are various manifestations of the Buddha (Japan-guide)."

Tags:shin, tao, buddhism, shaman, kagura

Abstract
This paper explains that, although the origins of the Basque people are unclear but possibly of Turkish, Magyar or Berber descent, the Basques may be the oldest indigenous race in Europe; their language Euskera has supposedly been traced back to Babel. The author points out that, for centuries, the region south of the Pyrenees was recognized as "una tierra apartada", a self-governing area, subject to an absolute monarchy and had its own code of laws and rights (fueros); in 1876, the Basque country was assimilated into the rest of Spain. The paper relates that the Spanish Civil War had a major impact on the Basque because the Franco regime, which exercised cultural repression over the whole nation, was particularly severe in those regions where a language other than Spanish was spoken.

From the Paper
"The father of Basque nationalism, Sabino Arana, described by Mark Kurlansky as an 'unpleasant zealot', insisted that to be Basque a person's four grandparents must all have been born in the Basque country and have Euskera names - a qualification which would be much modified when the terrorist organization ETA admitted to its membership people whose families came from elsewhere in Spain. Both Arana's party and ETA were officially founded on the saint's day, 31 July, of the Basques' most famous son, Ignatius Loyola. (The first Basque underground movement in the 1950s, formed by a handful of Guipuzcoans, initially called itself by the acronym ATA, unaware that in the dialect of the neighbouring province, Viscaya, ata means 'duck'.) "

Tags:cooperatives, pronouns, artisits, self-governing, nationalist