THE "HEART OF THE PEOPLES" DECLARATION

Aug. 7, 1997
Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Nations' Territories
Fort Belknap Reservation
State of Montana, U.S.

PREAMBLE

We, the participants in the North American Indigenous Peoples Summit on Biological Diversity and Biological Ethics, held in conjunction with the 8th Annual Indigenous Environmental Network Protecting Mother Earth Conference and hosted by the White Clay Society and Buffalo Chasers Society and Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Nations in what is now Montana, of the United States; express our profound concern for the well being of our Mother Earth and the Indigenous Circle of Life known as "biological diversity".

We wish to add our voices to ongoing global discussions regarding the protection of biological diversity, the safeguarding of traditional knowledge and sustainable development practices, and the ethical use and treatment of all forms of life based on harmony, respect and the spiritual interconnectedness of the natural world.

PRINCIPLES

We endorse by consensus the following principles as a statement of our beliefs and a guide to our actions.

Mother Earth and all human, plant and animal relatives are sacred, sovereign, respected, unique living beings with their own right to survive, and each plays an essential role in the survival and health of the natural world.

As sovereign Peoples and Nations, we have an inherent right to Self Determination, protected through treaty rights. We must be consulted through prior informed consent regarding any and all appropriation, commercial use and or intrusion onto our lands, ecosystems, bodies or other natural resources. We reserve the right to say no.

Human beings are not separate from the rest of the natural world, but are created to live in relationship and harmony with it and with all life.

The Creator has given us a sacred responsibility to protect and care for the land and all of life, as well as to safeguard its well being for future generations to come.

CONCLUSIONS

• We uphold the sacredness of life and oppose ideas, systems, world views and practices, including global finance and patent laws; which define the natural world, its life forms and the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples as property or "commodities".

• We oppose biological engineering and manipulation of the natural world and life forms through biological prospecting, genetic research, cloning, organ harvesting and human experimentation.

• We oppose the actions of government agencies, corporations, educational institutions and religious bodies which promote the idea that the natural world is to be dominated and exploited by humanity using non-sustainable development practices that contaminate or destroy the natural world, species and habitats, sacred sites and our communities and homes.

• In order to protect Indigenous Peoples' cultures, survival and way of life, we assert our right to fully informed participation in global policy making where matters of biodiversity, genetics and the use of biological resources and sustainability are being discussed, negotiated and determined.

ACTIONS

1. We strongly support the call by Indigenous Peoples for a moratorium on the patenting of all life forms including human, animal and plant cells, seeds and genetic material, until the rights and traditional world view of Indigenous Peoples can be fully recognized and assured.

2. We call for the United Nations and all countries to fully recognize our basic right of Self Determination as well as the rights to the protection of our cultures, traditional knowledge, lands, ecosystems, resources, and sustainable development practices

3. We call for the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples and include Indigenous Peoples' input on the use of natural resources, subsistence plans, health and education efforts and the safeguarding of all biological resources in their traditional territories.

4. We call for the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity Conference of Parties (CBD/COP) to assure Indigenous Peoples the protection of their knowledge as well as the protection and use of all biological resources within their traditional territories.

5. We call for the United Nations Education, Social and Cultural Organization International Biological Ethics Committee (UNESCO/IBC) to (a) adopt a global standard of biological ethics that reflects Indigenous world views, recognizes Indigenous rights, and respects the sacredness of life; (b) declare a moratorium on all activities related to human genetic diversity specifically involving Indigenous Peoples, including access, sampling, testing, research and experimentation; (c) return all samples of genetic materials obtained from Indigenous Peoples without their full prior informed consent.

6. We call for all global policy making institutions to establish mechanisms for the broad and full participation of Indigenous Peoples with a special emphasis on spiritual leaders, traditional practitioners, elders, youth and women.

7. We commit ourselves to disseminate information and provide assistance to Indigenous Peoples and tribal governments regarding these vital issues, to assure the widest possible participation in global policy making.

8. We recommend establishing an information clearinghouse for all human and botanical genome collection, research, experimentation and use, on Indigenous Peoples or in our communities.

9. We commit ourselves to safeguard, protect and reaffirm, whenever possible, the use of traditional medicines and practices within our own Peoples, Nations and communities, as an alternative to Western medicine, medical practices and technologies.

THE FOLLOWING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND NON-INDIGENOUS SUPPORTERS HAVE INDICATED THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF AND COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTING THIS DECLARATION

INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK (NATIONAL)
INTERNATIONAL INDIAN TREATY COUNCIL
INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURE AND TRADE POLICY
NORTH AMERICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BIODIVERSITY PROJECT

IF YOUR COMMUNITY OR ORGANIZATION WISHES TO BE ADDED TO THIS LIST PLEASE INDICATE SO BY CONTACTING:

ROY TAYLOR, COORDINATOR
NAIP-B PROJECT
2105 FIRST AVENUE SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55404 USA
TELEPHONE 612.870.3411
FAX 612. 870. 4846
E-MAIL: rtaylor@iatp.org