Facade of Understanding

As noted in this article at Indian Country Today, the Obama Administration’s endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples comprises a facade of understanding, while largely continuing the status quo. As Duane “Chili” Yazzie, Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission chair put it, “The declaration recognizes Native American possession of distinct rights to sacred sites since time immemorial, whereas the U.S. recognizes a few rights post-colonization.” The difference helps to explain why the administration touts talks with tribal leaders, while simultaneously fighting against an honest accounting and fair resolution of such betrayals as deliberate mismanagement of Indian trust funds and other treaty obligations.