1 12 1 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/b6971d95a794158df5f2bc1080c154d5.pdf 124bd5a7404aec4b605aded70247c631 PDF Text Text IN BRIEF Indigenous Leaders Awarded Goldman Environmental Prize Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution On April IS, 1994. Luis Macas president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAl E) and Mathew Coon Come. grand chief of the Cree were awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in San Francisco, California. The prize includes a no-strings attached $60,000 grant. Macas was recognized for his role in the 1990 Le''llntamiento lndigena (Indigenous uprising) in Ecuador which forced the government to seriously negotiate the conditions for oil drill- The fifteen Indigenous nations in Argentina are ean;ing out a country-wide mobilization in response to the opening of ing in the Ecuadorian Amazon. He was also praised for his role in the negotiations between CONAIE and the Ecuadorian government which resu1ted in a sweeping settlement giving Indigenous nations title to three million hectares of rainforest in the Amazon. Coon Come has worked fordeeades to oppose the Quebec government's monumental plans for hydroelectric dam building in James Bay. Both these struggles put Indigenous and environmental organizations against some or the world's most powerful forces. With these a"'llrds, the Goldman foundation has helped give world attention and Stature to these leader's struggles. Following is Luis Macas' statement at the ceremo· nies. a process for constitutional revision. Indigenous groups are pressuring the national congress to finally include an article stating their rights under the constitution. Indigenous organizations held two assemblies regarding the issue of constitutional refom1 and have drafted a proposal for rights to be included in the new constitution. The proposal's most important points were recognition that Indigenous peoples existed before the creation of the National state and birth of the provinces; the recognition of the Argentinian Republic asa pluri-ethnic and pluri-cultural state; the inclusion of rights to communal land ownership as well as control of all natural resources found in these lands: the right to educate their children in their own language and culture~ and finally, the deletion of pan 15 of article 67 of the current constitution which states that the govenment should •main· tain a peaceful relationship with the lndiansand promote their conversion to Catholidsm•. After drafting these proposals. representatives of all the Indig- enous communities presented a declaration to the national con· gress to urge inclusion of these changes in the new constitution. ...1Virl1 the arrival of western civilization the plundering of natural rtsourGes was init'iatcd as ·was the taheove:r and destmclion of our mother earth and the exploitation of our people. This imcnsive and irrational exploitation of nmural resources ca11sed nor only impoverishment of the earth but has generated poverry and the violation of human rights among our 1>tople in the South. The culture ofcapitalism and avarice has forced itself on nature to achieve its goals no matter what the sacrifice. As a result, we an: 110w experiencing an accelerated process of true global collapse. As inhabitants of this planer, it is viral and urgem to stop these crimes against nature and life and worh tore huegrate ourselves with the natural world so as to redirec.rour path toward a more respectful and harmonious relationship wirh it. These beliefs motivate us to defend ourmotherea,.th and resist hcrdcstntction with her. Therefore it is important that we gain title to territories which will gtwrantee their proteaion, not only for us, but for the benefit of all life... We have to oppose destruction and death with justice. s11stainable development and life. 4 lnnu Activists Blockade Hydro-Quebec Roads lnnu from the Coalition for Nitassinan (their traditional lands) supported by observers set up camp on Ma)' 29. blocking the access ro.~d which Hydro-Quebec intends to use for construction of the massive Sainte-Marguerite Ill (SM Ill) hydroelectric project. Hydro-Quebec officials have reportedly sought an official injunction against the blockade in order to remove the protesters. The SM Ill project would be built in lnnu territory along the nonh shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. It would flood over 450 square km. and, possibly contaminate this area with the toxin methyl mercury. lnnu fear this contamination will render the region's fish, one of their main food sources. · Abya Yala News � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 8, nos. 1 & 2 (Summer 1994) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource SAIIC Board of Directors Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1994 Language A language of the resource English Zotero Title Indigenous Groups in Argentina Push for Rights Under New Constitution Item Type Journal Article Volume 8 Issue 1&2 Pages 4 Publication Title Abya Yala News Date Summer 1994 Abstract Note Indigenous groups in Argentina pressed the congress for the acknowledgement of their rights under a changing constitution. Attachment Title abya yala p4.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Language English Argentine Constitution Indigenous Rights