Moral Conscience

When the moral conscience of a society no longer tolerates overt
attacks on indigenous cultures by the dominant powers, the powerful have
to resort to covert operations and public relations in order to
undermine these most forceful opponents of globalization. This can come
in the form of funding death squads that murder indigenous leaders, in
the form of denying indigenous peoples a voice in official gatherings
like Copenhagen and Cancun, or in broader attempts at censoring freedom
of information online.

Extinguishing indigenous cultures worldwide through armed assaults by
corporate mercenaries and proxy militaries  is the most obvious way;
less obvious methods of indigenous disempowerment are through fraudulent
humanitarian initiatives like REDD, NED, and USAID. Confronted with
government, corporate and media collusion, indigenous cultures find that
free expression of their anti-globalization narrative requires allying
with independent media and the creative use of the Internet.

After murder and censorship, the most effective technique in
silencing indigenous dissent is assimilation. Co-opting indigenous
leaders with bribes, bromides or empty promises allows power brokers to
continue the annihilation of indigenous cultures with their apparent
consent.

Destroying indigenous collective cultures by turning them into
state-approved corporate entities is a very tempting form of cultural
suicide.

As indigenous institutions and leaders in the US and Canada navigate
the hazards of negotiation with two of the most devious opponents of
indigenous self-determination in the world, they must not only keep in
mind the difference between official rhetoric and reality, they must
also monitor and expose that difference. The survival of their cultures
and the lives of their indigenous relations around the globe depend on
it.