1 12 1 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/6f875b05b21021d2adc7a0022ed6b90d.pdf a0c8771e6f5061c20a76a40e5931fe69 PDF Text Text Three Indian People Elected to National Constitutional Assembly (Colombia) Thnae delegates were chosen to represent Colombia's 600,000 Indians in the National Constitutional Assembly (ANC), responsible for reforming the Colombian Constitution. Alfonso Pcllas Chcpe, Lorenzo Muelas Hurtado and Frandsoo Rojas Birry were elected to the newly formed ANC This is a major step for a nation which passed a law in 1890 which set a taJget date of 50 years to "dvilize the savages." The slruggJe for Indian rights has pined new impetus with the plans to celebrate the SOOth anniversary of Columbus' arrival in Santo Domingo. In his first speech before the assembly, Birry, an Embcrd Indian elected as a delegate on Dcccmbcr9, declared: "We, the Indians of Colombia, reject with all the anger we have built up over hundreds of years, the 'celebration' that the West wants to make in 1992 of the great cthnoddal saga." Representing 80 Indian groups, from the Amazon forest to the Andean highlands, the three Indian delegates proposed that Colombia's new Constitution accord Indians rights to bilingual education and to political and economic control over recognized homelands. They also demanded that Indians be judged by Indian courts and Indian judges and that seats be set aside for Indian representation in Colombia's Congress. The rewriting of the Constitution was begun in February and finished on July 5th. Among the propositions approved by the Assembly was the political and administrative decentralization of the a>untry. The indigenous representatives presented and passed a proposal for "relative autonomy: which guarantees their survival as peoples with characteristics which differ from the rest of sodety. The recognition of territories which traditionally have been inhabited by indigenous peoples and arc isolated from the political and administrative arena of the country was also obtained. A degree of autonomy in administrative justice was also adopted, whereby indigenous peoples will be implementing their own traditional fonns of justice. policies, plans and programs of eoonomi<: and social • deudopmenl within thdr lands, and in harmony with the National Plan~ Deudoptnent ... The exploitation of natuml resources located in indigenous territories will lake p/Da without dividing the cultuml, social and a:onomic identity ofindigeMUS eotnmunilils. In the dtrisilm to exploit such resoun:es, the goveou11ent will facilitate the participation of representatives~ the •tSptJCti« communilils. In addition to territorial rcfonns, education, health care, and all projects, investments, and services affecting indigenous peoples will be carried out with their partidpation, Input and subject to the approval of indigenous authorities. The 64 indigenous languages of Colombia were ofRdally recognized, requiring the state to train bilingual teachers for community schools. The multi-<!!hnic and cultural diversity of Colombia is also recognized and protected by the Constitution. As a permanent guarantee of the political·institutional recognition of the indigenous peoples of Colombia, a special electoral body was formed. Two posts of the 102 senatorial seats, along with one of five posts in the Chamber of Representatives will be permanently provided for indigenous delegates. · The changes taking place in Colombia today are not only of great significance to Colombians, but to Native peoples of the entire continent, especially when one considers that indigenous peoples were not even mentioned in the last Constitution, written in 1886. The new Constitution was In danger of not being approved because of the additions by the indigenous representatives. Due to increased ~ng and an outcry of support from indigenous communities, the proposals were approved. Selections from the new Colombian Constitution a.rc as follow: Indigenous lands are collectively owned ... Act:Qrding to the Constitution and law, indigenous territories wiU be governd by councils formed and rultd acamling to the use and customs~ their communifilS and will aercise the fol/Qwing functions... Design the Voi6Nos 1&2 9 � 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. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) 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 Three Indian People Elected by Nationa Constitutional Assembly Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Three Indian People Elected by Nationa Constitutional Assembly Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 9 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Three indians elected the the ANC help give a voice to the 600,000 Indians of Colombia. Attachment Title Three_Indian_People_Elected_To_National_Constitutional_Assembly.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Colombia National Constitutional Assembly reform