The self-determination of indigenous peoples: panacea or pandemonium?

6.Conclusion

This paper argues that the uncertainty around the right of self-determination for indigenous peoples lays, at least in part, in the conceptual discussion and indecision involved. Indigenous matters seem to allow an enormous range of "exceptions" for achieving their rights. It is very important to define which terms apply and which terms do not apply to indigenous groups in this confusing scenario. In a famous speech in 1937 ^[36], Winston Churchill gives an idea of how volatile indigenous rights have been seen throughout history:

"I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit, for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place".

Amid this very negative perspective to indigenous rights, self-determination showed as a optimistic hope, a panacea for these native groups. As it turned out, the hope did not live up to the expectations. Indigenous peoples are still at a complete loss about which instrument to use to claim their rights; and the diversity of ways, rather than amplifying their chances, weakens their plea in the national estates. The term "peoples", although clearly inclusive at first, is not consensual either, with defenders that it includes indigenous societies and defenders that it does not.

The law and the jurisprudence cautiously limit the rights of indigenous peoples to rights inside the respective national states, due to the relationship between indigenous self-determination and the states territorial integrity and the fear of creating a state within a state.

Despite the right to self-determination to indigenous societies being set amidst complete conceptual pandemonium, it has to be remembered that self-determination is also a principle of international law and therefore an important factor that the judge takes into account when reaching a decision. For this reason, this paper argues that self-determination expressed as it currently is, apart from all the difficulties, can be at least a useful starting point ^[37] for the debate about indigenous protection.

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Note

1. XANTHAKI, Alexandra. "The right of self-determination: meaning and scope" in GHANEA, Nazila; XANTHAKI, Alexandra (eds.) Minorities, peoples and self-determination: essays in honour of Patrick Thornberry. Leiden; London: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2005. P. 15.
2. CASTELLINO, Joshua; GILBERT, Jérémie. (2003) "Self-determination, indigenous peoples and minorities". Macquarie law journal,Vol. 03, 115-177. (Online). Available at: http://www.law.mq.edu.au/html/MqLJ/Volume3/Vol3_Castellino.pdf [accessed 23 April 2009]. P. 115.
3. XANTHAKI, Alexandra. Indigenous rights and united nations standards: self-determination, culture and land. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. P. 131.
4. CASSESE, Antonio. International law. 2. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. P. 61.
5. KINGSBURY, Benedict. "Reconciling five competing conceptual structures of indigenous peoples’ claims in international and comparative law" inALSTON, Philip. (ed.) People’s rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. P. 69.
6. Ibid. P. 70.
7. Ibid.
8. CRAWFORD, James. "The right of self-determination in international law: its development and future" in ALSTON, Philip. (ed.) People’s rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. P. 25.
9. BRÖLMANN, Catherine; ZIECK, Marjoleine. "Indigenous peoples" in BRÖLMANN, Catherine; LEFEBER, René; ZIECK, Marjoleine. (eds.) Peoples and minorities in international law. Dordrecht; Boston; London: Matinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1993.P. 216.
10. CRAWFORD, supra note 8. P. 69.
11. CASTELLINO, Joshua. "Conceptual difficulties and the right to indigenous self-determination" in ALSTON, Philip. (ed.) People’s rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. P. 55.
12. ANAYA, S. James. Indigenous peoples in international law. 2. ed.Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. P. 100.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid. Pp. 100-103.
15. Ibid. P. 100.
16. Ibid. P. 101.
17. Ibid.
18. XANTHAKI, supra note 3. P. 136.
19. BRÖLMANN, supra note 9. P. 187.
20. Ibid. P. 135.
21. SHAW, Malcolm N. International law. 6. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Pp. 289-290.
22. BRÖLMANN, supra note 9. Pp. 197-215.
23. Ibid. P. 215.
24. CASSESE, supra note 4. P. 63.
25. MOUCHEBOEUF, Alcidia. Minority rights jurisprudence digest. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2006. P. 381.
26. NIEZEN, Ronald. The origins of indigenism: human rights and the politics of identity. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. P. 203.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid. P. 204.
29. Ibid. P. 205.
30. Ibid. P. 206.
31. XANTHAKI, supra note 3. P. 140.
32. HIGGINS, Rosalyn. Problems and process: international law and how we use it. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994. P. 111.
33. SHAW, supra note 19. P. 257.
34. STAVENHAGEN, Rodolfo. "Self-determination: right or demon?" in CLARK, Donald; WILLIAMSON, Robert. (eds.) Self-determination: international perspectives. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1996. P. 4.
35. Ibid. P. 9.
36. CASTELLINO, supra note 11. P. 57.
37. Ibid. Pp. 68-69.