CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

United Nations Commission on Human Rights

Fifty Ninth Session

March 17- April 25, 2003

Agenda Item 10: Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Oral Intervention of the International Indian Treaty Council

On behalf of the Gwich’in Nation

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Today in the United States, the threat to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Gwich’in Peoples’ is propelled by the cry of American patriotism and war.  It is a sad time in the history of humanity.  We witness the bloodshed of innocents for the sinister intent to promote attaining control of more oil for market. 

Most believe if Iraq was not fertile with oil, there would be peace instead of war today.  Citizens of the world community are appealing to all Governments with the cry of “NO BLOOD FOR OIL!”.  This cry falls upon the deaf ears of the hierarchy within the United States Government.

The Gwich’in Nation of Northeast Alaska and Northwest Canada also raise their voices to denounce the war for oil.  The Gwich’in are fighting for recognition of their survival and their fundamental human rights to live their subsistence way of life. 

The Arctic Refuge is sacred to the Gwich’in Nation.  The Gwich’in call this “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins”, the core birthplace and nursery of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.   The Gwich’in rely on the Caribou to meet their essential Economic, Social, Cultural, Physical and Spiritual needs. 

The Bush Administration, Alaska’s Congressional delegation, Multi National Oil Companies, The State of Alaska, and for profit “Native” corporations continue to seek access to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil extraction as the foremost source within the US to quench the country’s voracious thirst for oil. 

The policy of “ecocide” to access the remaining 5% of Alaska’s only intact Arctic coastal ecosystem, when 95% of Alaska’s coastline is already open for oil development, represents a unjust policy that threatens to violate the integrity of Indigenous lands and territories with impunity.

International Human Rights Covenants uphold the right of all Peoples to freely pursue their Economic, social and cultural development.  Article 1 in common of  the International Covenants affirms:

“In no case may a people be deprived of their own means of subsistence…”

The US government blatantly disregards their commitments under international law along with the human rights of the Gwich’in when they attempt to intrude upon the sanctity of the Arctic Refuge.  Multinational corporate economic interests with the bottom line motivation of profit take priority over Gwich’in Economic, Social and Cultural rights. 

This pursuit to access our ancestral lands for oil development is now being justified under the guise of “homeland security”.  The threat of gross exploitation and degradation to our sacred lands is more imminent due to war.   

We remind this Commission that there still are no effective measures for redress within the United Nations for Indigenous Peoples whose survival is threatened  by imposed development.   We therefore ask this body to call upon the US to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil exploration and drilling, and to uphold the economic, social, and cultural rights of the Gwich’in Peoples under international law. 

We ask this distinguished international body to join us in a call for peace and for a vision of human rights that upholds the sacredness of life and the survival of all the worlds’ peoples, not just those who are rich and armed with military might.