We are honored and pleased to invite you to the “Indigenous Peoples’ Border Summit of the Americas II” from November 7-10, 2007 at the San Xavier Community Center, 2018 W. San Xavier Rd, Tohono O’odham Nation. It is hosted and coordinated by the San Xavier Tohono O’odham District Community.

The “Indigenous Peoples’ Border Summit of the Americas II” will provide the opportunity for Indigenous peoples of the border regions to exchange experiences and information about how the international borders impact their respective communities.

It will also create a way to unite Indigenous Peoples to address and resolve issues of mutual concern affecting our traditional homelands, cultural and ceremonial practices, sacred sites, treaty rights, health and way of life.

The San Xavier Community/District previously hosted border summits in 1989 and 2006, recognizing the critical issues facing the Tohono O’odham and other indigenous nations divided by international borders (US/Mexico/Canada).

By again hosting an “Indigenous Peoples’ Border Summit of the Americas”, San Xavier Community wants to promote the human rights of indigenous peoples and support each other in our common struggles.

The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is co-sponsoring the Summit, and will be the fiscal sponsor. The IITC is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America and the Pacific, working for the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights, Treaties, traditional cultures and sacred lands.

IITC representatives will provide training and updates on new developments at the United Nations during the Summit, including the recent adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and how we can use the UN to hold countries, including the US, accountable for human rights violations.

The “Indigenous Peoples’ Border Summit of the Americas II”, will build awareness and educate all peoples about the impacts of polices and practices being carried out along the borders. We hope that you, your Nations and your organizations can participate and we look forward to seeing you in the San Xavier Community in November, 2007.

Should you have any questions or need additional information please contact: Kim Garcia at (520) 573-4000 or by e-mail at kgarcia [at] waknet.org or Mike Flores, (520) 235-2406, email: Michaelflores_ [at] hotmail.com. Thank you for your interest.

Indigenous Peoples’ Border Summit of the Americas II
San Xavier, Tohono O’odham Nation
PROPOSED AGENDA

Wednesday, November 7th
6 am – Sunrise Ceremony
7 am – Breakfast
9 am – Introductions
Human rights, Indigenous Peoples and impacts current Border policies
12 pm – Lunch
1 pm – Humanitarian Aid and saving lives along the Border
3:30 pm – Break
4 – 5 pm – Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and the Border: Human Rights, Treaty Rights and Rights to Traditional Lands and Territories
6 pm -- Dinner
7 pm -- Oral Testimony

Thursday, November 8th
6 am – Sunrise Ceremony
7 am – Breakfast
9 am – Immigration/Indigenous Traditional Mobility
12 pm – Lunch
1 pm – Militarization/Surveillance of the Border
3 pm – Break
3:30 pm - Detention Centers/Prisoners of the Border
5 pm – Oral Testimony
6 pm – Dinner- on your own

Friday, November 9th
6 am – Sunrise Ceremony
7 am – Breakfast
9 am – Implications on Lands, territories, and national resources & environment
12 pm – Lunch
1 pm – Religious/Cultural/Spiritual Rights, traditional mobility, ceremonial practices and sacred sites
3:30 pm – Break
4 pm – Women/Children and the Borders
6 pm – Dinner – on your own
7 pm Oral Testimony

Saturday, November 10th
6 am - Sunrise Ceremony
7 am – Breakfast
9 am – Current Review of the US by the UNCERD: “Using the UN to hold the US Accountable for Racism”
11 pm – UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: a new international framework for upholding our human rights
12 pm - Lunch
1 pm – Conclusions, Summaries, Recommendations & Resolution
2 pm – Break, dinner on your own
7 pm – Concert

Andrea Carmen Executive Director, International Indian Treaty Council Web
Site: http://www.treatycouncil.org/
E-Mail: andrea [at] treatycouncil.org
Office: 907-745-4482
Fax: 907-745-4484

Human Rights Training At Border Summit
Submitted by Alyssa Macy
Also submitted by Brenda Norrell

Using the United Nations to hold the US accountable for Racism towards Indigenous Peoples & Strategies for Implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Thursday, November 8, 20071 p.m. - 6 p.m .

Indigenous Peoples' Border Summit of the Americas II, San Xavier, Tohono O'odham Nation
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) will conduct a workshop focusing on holding the United States' accountable to its legally binding obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

The US will be examined by the CERD Committee in March of 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland. This workshop will provide information as to how Indigenous Nations, tribes and organizations can use this historic opportunity to inform the CERD Committee on the true state of racial discrimination in this county and how it affects Indian Nations, Peoples and communities.

This information will be very important to help the UN CERD experts get a more accurate picture of racial discrimination in the US and hold the US accountable to their obligations under international human rights law.

An additional focus will be on strategies to defend our human rights, border rights, and protect our sacred sites and traditional land rights using the newly-adopted UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from the local to the international levels.

MC:
Bill Means (IITC Board Member);

PRESENTERS: Andrea Carmen (IITC Executive Director);
Ron Lameman (IITC Board Member, Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations Canada),
Francisco Cali (CERD Member, IITC Board President).

This workshop is being held in conjunction with the "Indigenous Peoples' Border Summit of the Americas II" from November 7-10, 2007, at the San Xavier Community Center, 2018 W. San Xavier Rd, Tohono O'odham Nation.

For more information on the Indigenous Peoples' Border Summit, contact Kim Garcia at (520) 573-4000 or by e-mail at kgarcia [at] waknet.org or Mike Flores, (520) 235-2406, email: Michaelflores_ [at] hotmail.com
http://www.treatycouncil.org/

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