Indigenous rights

This essay presents a reflection on a funded cultural project focused. on museum work in the Global South (2020–2024), and raises questions about power, hierarchy, and legibility in the contemporary museum landscape. Focusing on the ways in which knowledge is produced about museums, and drawing from the published material developed through the project, the authors analyse how “southness” as framed within this project speaks to
broader interpellative structures within a global cultural knowledge economy. The authors locate tensions between embedded and localized museum work practised by museum workers in complex and turbulent social contexts (such as Maputo, Bahia, Ahmedabad), and the imperative to make museum-work legible within a larger discursive network or knowledge economy. Ultimately, the authors point to the limitations and inadequacies of existing museological terminology and concepts, which remain tethered to larger imperial structures of thought, and argue for a recourse to experimental and bold practices of translation and imagination within museology and cultural work.

Constitutional Court Decision No. 35/PUU-X/2012 (MK 35/2012) marked a landmark shift in Indonesia's forest governance by formally separating customary forests (hutan adat) from state forests (hutan negara) and recognizing indigenous law communities (masyarakat hukum adat) as rights-bearing legal subjects. However, the transformative potential of this ruling depends on how local governments translate its constitutional mandate into operational regulatory frameworks. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Lebong Regency Regulation (Perda) No. 4/2017 on the Recognition and Protection of Rejang Indigenous Law Communities as a mechanism for implementing MK 35/2012, using constitutional dialogue theory, legal pluralism, and the substantive-symbolic recognition distinction as analytical frameworks. Drawing on empirical data from twelve mayoral decrees (SK Bupati) issued in 2018 and the 2024 Ministry of Forestry recognition of 248 hectares of customary forest for five Rejang communities, this study finds that Lebong's local regulatory framework constitutes a partial constitutional bridge. It successfully facilitates formal recognition but fails to establish functional governance institutions for post-recognition management. The study identifies three critical gaps: jurisdictional ambiguity for customary forests located within Kerinci Seblat National Park (TNKS), weak institutional capacity at the community level, and insufficient integration between local adat governance and national conservation policy. This article argues that symbolic recognition without substantive governance architecture perpetuates the same exclusionary outcomes that MK 35/2012 sought to rectify, and recommends a rights-based conservation management framework co-produced by indigenous communities, local government, and national park authorities.

Nutuwa niyãka katsá itsaapai natupohogekene kamukuwaká itsenu. Topakana kamukuwaká pokuwiha, nejoyájo kiyãkã waujapohoouwiu upawa putakanãu ouhawamiu.Ja topakana onãipai yanãi topa okaho onãi sekunyãtopanãu akiyejetewekepepei sekunya, kamukuwakápohogou. Ja topa awaunakira jiuno. Topakana onaku awakiyejetepei yamukunãu awaunakira okaho, anããka okaho, aixakawakapitsaná okaho. Sekunya, autupajoponanãu aunakiyekehopei iyuwapapai yamukunãu kamukuwaká onãi iyãkapai oupa aunakí. Ojupai já topakana aitsa ekehetoja owakuwiu, aitsa akiyeje aya awaunakitsawapai onaiyiu. Ja kamukuwaká batoviyene/tamitatuwaluwene ahalehenei onaya, nejo akakawakatá au pohokápitsanakiyiu, akakawakata yanãi, apaí, anaaka, ojotsei aumatetsei ja anaakatope. Awaunakira kata kamukuwaká, anããka, oukaká nejoyájopei Wauja ou katano. Hokotakonepene ekehetoja Xingu kala 1961 kamokakixei okahogou punupa unogene onãinpai kamukuwaké-eu aitsa ekehotoja uwakuwiu. Oukaka sekuya, aitsa sekunyãtopaanãu uutapai já hokotaki kehoto, oukaká aitsa hokotapene pautsawawaitsa ja ekehotojayájo.Onatsa katapitsanawiu, ixeihenei yamukunãuwiu punupa uutakonene kala awaunakira aitsa ekehotoja uwakupai, kajaopata hokehotoja uwakutai.Punupa aitsa aya aunupa ja awaunakira opokuwiu. Katsa itsa awakiyejeteneje onãi kata pixanãúpatsixai yamukunãu ouwiu? Hokotakonepene ekehotoja oukakiu awakapitsapai maka awawojo aitsaunaano kata ekehotoja onãi aixakawaká onatsa. Onatsatuwa amunãu umatene já aunakipokuwiu uputatowo atapana otakuwiu punupa IPHAN (Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional) hokotenogou outsatsapata awakapitsapai ja awaunakira okaho, topakana okaho unogene okaho. Kata kamokawa ayapai kamukuwaká onãi. Kata kamokawa aunupapai meyei uno iipi, kehoto aumetuwapai topakana onaku ehejehenei yanãi onaku, maanopai onatsa kupatogou. Kata kamikaki okahono aya onãi kala Factum Foundation itsenu aixatunpã onãiyiu. Kala yanãi aunakikopokuonaku halakakoneneu. Aunupa yanãi upajutotope ehemeputai wixatakutsiu. Katsa itsa aumatenejogou? Halakanakutakoneneu akatunta aitsu kiyãke-eu. Halakakonehei waujaotaapayájo jiuno, autawakatã jiuno, ãiyatawanato jiuno. Aunupatsapatama onãi meyei, aunupa unogene akamapaiyiu, aitsa kiyãkã kupatogou, iyehenei ogama teeté panaka onatse-eu. Aixatunpã kiyãke-eu awakulukayájowiu. Katsa itsa ewekepejeteeneje ja aunakipokuwiu? Katsa itsa ewekepejeteeneje unogene, ekehotoja? Awatukutayajopaiyiu ja amunautaapai kajaopepei onalepei ekepejetepei ja onaínpai aunakipoku kamukuwaké-eu. Awakapitsawe okahoga. Nakapitsawepete nuutapai nutãiyãu ukujateneje kata nakapitsataapaiyiu. Awakapiitsawe maka aitsa wasixuwa anããka, kata unogene anããka katano, ekehotoja, awaunakirapoku kamukuwaká. Awakotepete katano, itsatsai akotepetepei autsumiu. Aminya aunupajotapato, aminyatsapatama tukaatakutakonene. Aitsumapai aunakí kamukuwaká upeke, yanãi aasatapai kala anããkayájo, aitsatuwa auputapapai ãiyãtawana nakepenei Nejopitsanakí awasatawé Veneza onãi, nejoyájo Wauja ouwiu. Maká iyãunãu unupawe aitsaapai aitsu, kaanaitsa aitsuwa katsa itsa aitsanaapai. Uutapawe awaunakira, awakaapitsapitsanaapai, maka jaanaya iyãu atukuta akapaamonatawa autsu ekepejeteneje etsenu aunakipoku, unogene anããka itsenu. Apaiyekeho, aunakiyekeho waujapoho onaatsá iyãupei.

This essay examines the enduring presence and cultural vitality of the Ramapough Munsee Lenape community in northern New Jersey. Through a combination of descriptive narrative, cultural observation, and referenced reporting, Williams challenges common assumptions that Indigenous communities in the northeastern United States exist only in the past. Instead, the essay demonstrates that the Ramapough continue to practice traditional lifeways, maintain ceremonial practices, and sustain deep ecological relationships with their environment despite ongoing external pressures.

Particular attention is given to ceremonial traditions, environmental contamination resulting from industrial dumping, and the community’s resilience in the face of systemic neglect and regulatory hostility. Ultimately, the work argues that recognizing the continued existence and strength of Indigenous communities offers a pathway toward more sustainable and respectful relationships between people and the land.

Original work authored by Muriyd "Niish Akumahkwak" Williams (Two Clouds). Posthumously published archival edition edited and preserved by Mumtahanah Williams-Ansari.

Narratives and stories are powerful things. We use them in our everyday life, we use them professionally whether in academia, politics, business, or in the civil society. They can be used to create meaning and context, to analyze complexities or to raise awareness and push for change by creating alternative futures. My own story, as all narratives, is constantly evolving and its meaning often created in retrospect. Some components have nonetheless been relatively fixed and have played a significant part as my journey has slowly unfolded: a curious student has become an equally curious researcher and lecturer. Justice and fairness are two examples of values that have always remained significant and which have in one way or another defined my interests and path. Even today, few things provoke me as much as injustice or ill treatment.

La presente investigacion, tiene como objetivo la revision y analisis de las principales politicas de seguridad aplicadas por el Estado chileno frente al conflicto que este sostiene con el movimiento mapuche en el periodo de la post-dictadura. Ademas, se observa cuales han sido las consecuencias que el accionar estatal ha tenido en relacion al ambito de los derechos humanos, tanto colectivos como individuales. El marco teorico sobre el cual este trabajo se estructura, comprende elementos de la discusion sobre los conceptos de Estado, nacion y nacionalismo, seguridad –tanto en terminos teoricos como en su implementacion, especialmente en America Latina-, y derechos humanos e indigenas. Luego, y en relacion al problema de investigacion, se desarrolla la historia del conflicto; la que permite entender los principales nudos sobre los cuales este se erige. Esto dara paso a la revision del periodo en cuestion, en donde el centro del analisis pasara por la accion del Estado, tomando del mo...

АНОТАЦІЯ. Вступ. Євроінтеграційний напрям розвитку України включає децентралізацію, регіоналі
зацію, згуртованість, добре врядування, перегляд екологічної політики на базі громад. Окрім того, комунальна
власність, як форма публічної власності, закладає особливості щодо управління нею. Уже розпочата муніци
пальна реформа направлена на впровадження відповідних аспектів у територіальні громади України. Проте,
нові виклики, що пов’язані з повномасштабним вторгненням Росії в Україну не дозволяють завершити розпо
чаті реформи та не сприяють розвитку інститутів партисипативної демократії. 
Попри те, що сучасні держави світу, які вдало вирішують питання економічного розвитку громад не сти
калися безпосередньо з війною, однак їхні практики можуть бути корисними для України. 
Короткий зміст основних результатів дослідження. Обмежуватися Методикою формування спро
можних громад, не слід. Так, дійсно, даний документ був базовим для формування спроможних громад в про
цесі їх об’єднання. І хоча й досі цей акт залишається чинним, проте, ним питання спроможності не обмежують
ся. 
Економічно спроможна громада це більше ніж економічні показники. Процеси євроінтеграції включають
регіоналізацію, децентралізацію (компетенції та фінансів) та згуртованість територіальних громад, що виступає
логічним продовженням муніципальної реформи після об’єднання територіальних громад. Незавершеність
конституційної реформи істотно стримує завершення муніципальної.
Можна стверджувати, що згуртованість територіальної громади може виступати водночас результатом,
інструментом і наслідком економічної спроможності. Економічна спроможність громади це також здатність
забезпечити належні соціальні стандарти в межах території. Економічний розвиток громади пропонує численні
переваги в межах громади, гарантуючи, що громади формують своє місцеве економічне майбутнє як стратегіч
но, так і практично.
Висновок. Економічно спроможна громада у сучасному розумінні це згуртована громада де забезпечено
основи для сталого розвитку. При цьому, існування таких громад можливе виключно в демократичних децен
тралізованих державах. 
Серед зарубіжних заходів слід відзначити: локальні освітні пілотні проєкти в межах конкретного населе
ного пункту (Фінляндія); системні проєкти в межах конкретної галузі, де спостерігається вивільнення
працівників та припинення роботи підприємств спрямовані на перенавчання з урахуванням розвитку галузі
(держави ЄС); зовнішня та внутрішня міграційна політика (Канада, Австралія, Японія, Португалія); запро
вадження дистанційної роботи або роботи з гнучким графіком, побудова в малих громадах інфраструктури для
дистанційної роботи її жителів; підтримка місцевих енергетичних громад та соціального спрямування еко
номіки та сучасні технології та ін.
Серед успішних практик забезпечення економічної спроможності громад, які можна запровадити в
Україні, слід виокремити наступні: освіта  як спосіб заповнення робочих місць у межах конкретної громади;
стимулювання внутрішньої міграції та дистанційна робота як спосіб забезпечення громади працівниками; ро
зробка програм імміграції з урахуванням потреб громад у працівниках; підтримка створення місцевих енерге
тичних громад та соціального спрямування економіки та базі сучасних технологій.
Цифровізація сьогодні це і про безпеку також, оскільки доступність інформації про загрози та доступ
ність адміністративних послух в умовах дії воєнного стану забезпечують збереження та забезпечення життя та
здоров’я населення.
Попри численні вдалі проєкти в зарубіжних громадах, не слід відволікатися від ключових аспектів забезпечення спроможних територіальних громад України. До ключових складових стратегії економічного розвитку територіальних громад в Україні слід віднести наступні: завершення децентралізації, зокрема, розмежування
повноважень між органами виконавчої влади та місцевого самоврядування; впровадження навчання та стимулювання практики залучення громадян до прийняття рішень через інституту партисипативної демократії; залучення інвестицій з метою забезпечення сталого розвитку та згуртованості територій; підвищення рівня
контролю з боку громади за діяльністю органів та посадових осіб місцевого самоврядування; подальша цифровізація громад та впровадження електронного голосування на виборах та референдумах; визначення стратегій розвитку громад на основі конституційних цінностей та засад конституційного ладу. Насамкінець, слід застерегти від суто ідейного підґрунтя для реформування без урахування реалій кожної територіальної громади.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the origins of the Papua New Guinea Land Disputes Settlement Act 1975 and its innovations.
The Papua New Guinea Land Disputes Settlement Act 1975 (LDSA) was an innovative Act that made provisions for special district and provincial court hearings to determine disputes concerning the customary usage and customary ownership of land.  The Act intends that the disputes heard should be resolved in accordance with the customs of the parties and that dispute resolution should be achieved by a defined process of mediation in preference to a court ordered disposition.  The LDSA bars parties representative lawyers from ordinarily appearing before the court (LDSA S 72).
The lack of scope for legal representation is the most likely reason that the LDSA has attracted very little or only superficial jurisprudential comment and analysis.  Outside of the legal fraternity the LDSA should have been the main focus of attention of all those persons whose work concerned the identification of the customary landowners that the Papua New Guinea mineral resource extraction industries legislation intended to become the entitled beneficiaries of the extractive mineral projects.  Unfortunately the LDSA was frequently derogated, sometimes described as ‘not fit for purpose’.

Authored by Muriyd "Two Clouds" Williams. Posthumous archive addition prepared and uploaded by his mother, Mumtahanah Williams-Ansari.

The goal of this article is to shed light—from the Islamic perspective—on the revelation received by Native American peoples—specifically the Lenape or “Delaware”people. I plan to draw parallels between certain Nabiyin mentioned in Qur’an, and with the assumed Nabiyi referred to in the story in order to come to a conclusion as to whether or not this could be a Messenger sent to the Eastern Woodlands of North America. Anything stated inaccurately is from my own ignorance, may I be protected from it.

This dissertation analyzes the intercultural negotiations of the Amazonian multi-ethnic group of the People of the Centre with the universal discourses of human rights and development promoted by the Colombian State. I focus on the Leticia Witoto Ethnic Safeguarding Plan (ESP), which is one of the 73 plans formulated and implemented by the Colombian State to acknowledge the basic rights of indigenous groups endangered by internal forced displacement. I analyze the ESP through the notion of friction (Tsing, 2005), which refers to the complex, unequal, and changing character of contemporary encounters across difference between local and global knowledges. My analysis also draws on Foucauldian and/or subaltern approaches such as anti-colonial and decolonizing research, critical and counterhegemonic perspectives on human rights, post-development, and feminist critiques of development. I analyze the knowledges (understandings of law, justice, and development), logics of thought (practice...

Since the momentous release of the Montecristi Constitution of Ecuador in 2008, which recognised Nature, or Pacha Mama, as a subject of rights, the rights of Nature movement across the world has gained exponential momentum, with numerous jurisdictions worldwide now recognising some form of legal subjectivity vested upon Nature. In particular, since 2017, river personhood has dominated news headlines around the world as one of the most recognisable forms of Nature's novel subjectivity. The emergence of legal personhood for nature, however, has been far from uncontroversial, and numerous critiques have been advanced against the use of such a legal categorytraditionally applied to humans and their abstract creations (such as States and corporations)to the natural world, resulting in numerous calls for an alternative category of legal personhood (one that some rights of Nature advocates have termed an 'environmental person'). Against the backdrop of this emerging debate, this paper acknowledges the work undertaken by the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (Martuwarra Council), which was established in 2018 in the Kimberley region of Western Australia by six independent Indigenous nations to preserve, promote and protect their ancestral River from ongoing destructive 'development'. The Council believes it is time to recognise the pre-existing and continuing legal authority of Indigenous law, or 'First Law', in relation to the River, in order to preserve its integrity through a process of legal decolonisation. First Law differs markedly from its colonial counterpart, as its principles are not articulated in terms of rules, policies and procedures, but rather through stories. This paper, therefore, begins with a dialogical translation of one First Law story relating to Yoongoorrookoo, 1 the ancestral serpent

The indigenous peoples in Brazil have conquered many rights with the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution. As the most critical right for their survival as peoples, the land right was guaranteed by the constitution next to implementation instruments. Throughout four decades, many indigenous lands were established by the demarcation procedures, reserving approximately 14% of the Brazilian territory. Although this represented a great accomplishment, there are still numerous indigenous lands to be demarcated, and the rate of violence against the indigenous territories is on a continuous rise. This paper seeks to report the patterns of illegitimacy and insufficiency in the legal norms concerning the demarcation of indigenous peoples’ lands in Brazil. The sustained hypothesis is that: due to the lack of effectiveness and materialization perceived among the territorial rights of the indigenous peoples in Brazil, the constitutional land right and the official procedure of indigenous land ...

Having been neglected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),1 minority rights, and even more so, the rights of indigenous peoples, have developed in quite an ad hoc and indolent manner. The rights of minorities were recognised in Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)2 in 1966, but as yet no binding UN instrument on minorities exists. Indigenous peoples fared worse under the UN system as their rights, apart from labour rights,3 were not codified in a legal instrument until the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)4 in 2007. Over the years a complex framework of mechanisms was established within the UN to support the rights of these groups,5 but their concerns and entitlements were still sidelined to an extent due to the lack of binding instruments and the absence of comprehensive and compulsory State reporting requirements on these issues. However, in 2007 the newly created Human Rights Counc...

My topic is the incompatibility of oil and water; the extractive oil industry and the rights of Indigenous peoples to water -and to guardianship of clean water on their homelands and beyond. My focus is the environmental video-game by Anishinaabe designer Elizabeth LaPensée, Thunderbird . This game has come to prominence in the context of Indigenous opposition to oil pipelines on reservation land (notably the "NoDAPL" protests of last year). LaPensée's game is focused on Enbridge's Line 5 which runs under the Mackinac Bridge at the point where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet, where an oil spill would poison both of these Great Lakes. A more immediate context is Enbridge's current attempts to replace Line 3. Dating from the 1960s, it is corroded, leaking, and running at 50% capacity. Line 3 runs through two Anishinaabe reservations in Northern Minnesota: Leech Lake and Fond du Lac. Native communities oppose Enbridge's proposa,l which is simply to bury the old leaking pipeline and leave it in the ground while building a new pipeline along a completely new route. This proposal is currently making its way through the Minnesota Court system and the controversy has given LaPensée's game a particular relevance. I'll start with the official video-game trailer (which is very short) so that you can know what I'm talking about! → Video-games characterized by "aesthetic activism" are also known as "social impact games". This genre has been especially attractive to Indigenous game designers such as Elizabeth LaPensée, who creates → Indigenously-determined video-games

Prior consultation (PC) has been an internationally enshrined norm for indigenous peoples’ rights since the 1980s. Indigenous peoples have called for PC for decades, but when governments finally begin implementation, a paradox results: previous advocates increasingly turn away from consultation processes. I argue that only with the perspective that norms are and should be contested “on the ground,” we are able to understand this contradiction. Therefore, the article presents a new conceptual and methodological interpretive framework for studying indigenous grassroots contestation. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon (2013–2016), I hone in on three layers of contestation—explicit contestation, attitudes and perceptions, and political implications—and demonstrate that (1) non-contestation confirms state monologues and is an alarming sign for silenced voices, not for norm support; (2) contested consultations reproduce asymmetries within indigenous groups replicatin...

This thesis explores the cultural, psychological, and inter-generational impacts of closed adoption on Māori adoptees in New Zealand, with a particular focus on the disconnection from whakapapa (genealogy) and the ongoing search for identity.

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The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) received a mixed reception. Some commentators viewed it as setting important normative standards for the recognition of Indigenous human rights within the international law framework, whilst others have been critical of the declaration for unduly limiting the nature and scope of Indigenous rights (Anaya 2004; Churchill 2011; Davis 2008; Moreton-Robinson 2011; Pitty 2001; Watson and Venne 2012). Indigenous Nations’ Rights in the Balance: An Analysis of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by Charmaine White Face (2013) makes an important contribution to this debate by methodically charting the key changes made during the passage of the declaration through the United Nations process and highlighting the significance of these changes for the recognition and realisation of Indigenous rights. White Face (2013) presents a unique analysis, drawing on her experience in the drafting process from 2004 to...

South African land restitution law is anchored to the Natives Land Act of 1913, creating a temporal limitation that excludes earlier dispossession. This article argues that pre-1913 land dispossession was systematic, legally rationalised, and economically transformative, and that its exclusion from restitution frameworks creates a constitutional inconsistency. Drawing on historical evidence, constitutional jurisprudence, and comparative law, the article proposes a doctrine of temporal non-arbitrariness to support recognition of pre-1913 claims.

International law underwent a major shift when the second World War ended; the creation of the United Nations (UN) led to a system based upon human rights. The UN Charter, which affirmed support for equal rights and self-determination, was adopted in 1945, followed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. A number of binding treaties were ratified in the years that followed, most notably the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1966. This shift, together with the first explicit endorsement of self-determination, (defined as the freedom of a group of people to choose a political status and pursue development ) led to the demise of colonial powers dominating entire peoples and the creation of a number of new states. Indigenous peoples, effectively trapped within the borders laid down by their colonial oppressors, were largely left out of this. Indigenous peop...

Relationships with rivers in British Columbia are often imbued with social and material toxicity. Learning from three sources of law in British Columbia—Indigenous, Canadian, and international law—this article draws out one potential remedy to the imbalanced relationships between humans and rivers through exploring the viability of declaring the rights of nature in accordance with the socio-cultural and doctrinal frameworks embedded in these three sources of law. By taking seriously storied precedents and governing practices from the ‘Namgis, Heiltsuk, and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations, this article is guided by their water relations, governance, and legal orders. In expanding Canadian conceptions of personhood, challenging anthropocentrism within section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and expanding section 35 constitutional protections, this article also leverages Canadian legal concepts and protections for remedying river relations. Drawing upon the United Nations Declaration on the R...

This paper delves into Africa's protracted and arduous pursuit of reparations for the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and apartheid, contextualizing these egregious historical injustices as crimes against humanity that incur binding obligations under international law. By examining the continent's quest for redress, the paper sheds light on the complexities of seeking accountability for past atrocities and the imperative of holding perpetrators responsible for their actions, underscoring the imperative of reparatory justice in promoting healing, reconciliation, and equitable development. Africa's quest for reparations is anchored in robust normative frameworks, including the UN Basic Principles on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation, the Durban Declaration, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. However, despite this strong foundation, implementation remains a distant reality. Landmark cases like the Ogiek decision underscore both the progress made and the daunting challenges ahead, with inadequate state compliance exposing the fragility of regional human rights enforcement. The African Union's bold move to prioritize reparations, as reflected in its 2025 Theme of the Year and the launch of a Decade of Action (2026-2036), signals a continental commitment to truth-telling, restitution, and systemic reform. Comparative frameworks, such as CARICOM's Ten-Point Plan, emphasize the need for multifaceted approaches that encompass land restitution, cultural heritage return, ecological justice, and debt cancellation. Yet, entrenched political interests, bureaucratic inertia, and weak enforcement mechanisms continue to hinder meaningful redress, leaving the promise of reparations tantalizingly out of reach. The paper concludes that Africa's pursuit of reparations serves as a critical benchmark for assessing the effectiveness and legitimacy of international law. The continent's quest for redress underscores the need for innovative, hybrid approaches that blend international standards, regional jurisprudence, and customary governance to foster transformative justice and sustainable reconciliation. By integrating these diverse frameworks, Africa can create a more inclusive and responsive reparations architecture that addresses historical injustices and promotes healing, accountability, and equitable development. This approach recognizes that reparations are not solely about financial compensation but also about dismantling systemic inequalities and promoting structural transformation.

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights' groundbreaking Ogiek judgments (2017, 2022, and 2025) represent a significant shift in how indigenous land rights are recognized in Africa. Building on the Endorois case and standards from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the African Court established innovative principles tailored to the African context. These include a test for determining indigeneity specific to Africa, recognition of moral damages for harm to culture and future generations, stricter limits on evictions for conservation, and comprehensive reparations like land ownership and community funds.
This paper zeroes in on Uganda, shedding light on the severe marginalization of the Batwa and Benet communities. Analyzing data from the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, which puts the Batwa population at a mere 3,857 and lumps the Benet into a vague "Others" category, the study highlights their precarious position. Despite winning court cases, these groups face a stark "recognition-reality gap", where official acknowledgment hasn't translated into meaningful change.
The article uses comparisons to reveal how "fortress conservation" often leads to similar dispossession patterns, though institutional approaches vary. It argues the Ogiek case sets a crucial precedent for reparative justice in Africa. With the African Union focusing on reparations in 2025, the paper urges adopting Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), involving indigenous groups in managing protected areas, and incorporating traditional governance systems.

Keywords: Ogiek case, indigenous land rights, Batwa, Benet, African Court, conservation, reparations, Uganda

El trabajo examina algunas dificultades mayores que han afectado la prevencion del delito en Venezuela entre 1970 y parte de la primera decada de este siglo. Al comienzo se revisan obstaculos tradicionalmente implicados (ausencia de politica criminal, escasez de recursos economicos y humanos, poco rigor evaluativo). En un segundo momento, mediante una tipologia basica de lo que constituiria una criminalidad de Estado (cinco categorias), desarrollamos desde un enfoque cualitativo e historiografico esta tesis: desde 1999 y hasta el presente el Estado socialista ha introducido nuevas distorsiones que han comprometido gravemente las condiciones minimas para una prevencion delictiva medianamente eficaz. Un efecto previsible: el surgimiento de una politica de promocion selectiva –no de prevencion general– del delito. Lo anterior se estaria desarrollando en un contexto de desmantelamiento de la democracia, abierta conflictividad social y supresion progresiva de importantes derechos humanos...

El trabajo examina algunas dificultades mayores que han afectado la prevencion del delito en Venezuela entre 1970 y parte de la primera decada de este siglo. Al comienzo se revisan obstaculos tradicionalmente implicados (ausencia de politica criminal, escasez de recursos economicos y humanos, poco rigor evaluativo). En un segundo momento, mediante una tipologia basica de lo que constituiria una criminalidad de Estado (cinco categorias), desarrollamos desde un enfoque cualitativo e historiografico esta tesis: desde 1999 y hasta el presente el Estado socialista ha introducido nuevas distorsiones que han comprometido gravemente las condiciones minimas para una prevencion delictiva medianamente eficaz. Un efecto previsible: el surgimiento de una politica de promocion selectiva –no de prevencion general– del delito. Lo anterior se estaria desarrollando en un contexto de desmantelamiento de la democracia, abierta conflictividad social y supresion progresiva de importantes derechos humanos...

The stakeholder concept has dominated academic discussions for a number of years and has functioned as a normative guide for natural resource management. However, there are at least three characteristics in stakeholder approaches: 1) all-inclusivity; 2) prioritization of economic interests; 3) ahistorical view on rights, which risk continued marginalization of indigenous people and traditional livelihood practitioners despite of the intention to nurture indigenous and local participation by acknowledging them as stakeholders. We propose, in the context of natural resource governance, to address these biases by recognising indigenous and local traditional livelihood practitioners as rightsholders. We examine in turn: 1) how to conceptualise rights-holders in governance through a social equity perspective 2) why indigenous and local traditional livelihood practitioners should be considered as rights-holders instead of stakeholders, and 3) some of the implications and tensions associated with considering traditional livelihood practitioners, including both indigenous and nonindigenous groups and individuals, as rights-holders. We illustrate and examine these questions in a case study of reindeer herding in Finland. In Finland, today, reindeer herding is practiced by both Sámi and Finn herders and, based on a social equity perspective, both groups can be considered rightsholders if we acknowledge reindeer herding as a traditional livelihood practice. As traditional livelihood practitioners, herder have their whole way of life at stake and ultimately depend on access to land. In addition, herders have (had) detailed systems of customary rights preceding effective statebased governance in the north. Such institutions are particularly pronounced for Sami reindeer herders but are applicable to both groups. Our conceptualisation of rights-holders thus recognises herders as categorically different from stakeholders, whose stakes are typically economic. It provides an incentive to increase the efforts of recognizing and treating herders as rights-holders in land use governance and thereby addresses some of the apparent gaps when it comes to implementation of indigenous rights and rights to participation in environmental governance. In this essay we also discuss differences in rights between Sámi and ethnic Finn reindeer herders and some of the conceptual and practical tensions that arise as a consequence of our approach. We conclude that efforts to recognise and reframe herders as rights-holders rather than stakeholders in land use governance are important and a potential tool to increase social equity of land use for reindeer herders.

The stakeholder concept has dominated academic discussions for a number of years and has functioned as a normative guide for natural resource management. However, there are at least three characteristics in stakeholder approaches: 1) all-inclusivity; 2) prioritization of economic interests; 3) ahistorical view on rights, which risk continued marginalization of indigenous people and traditional livelihood practitioners despite of the intention to nurture indigenous and local participation by acknowledging them as stakeholders. We propose, in the context of natural resource governance, to address these biases by recognising indigenous and local traditional livelihood practitioners as rightsholders. We examine in turn: 1) how to conceptualise rights-holders in governance through a social equity perspective 2) why indigenous and local traditional livelihood practitioners should be considered as rights-holders instead of stakeholders, and 3) some of the implications and tensions associated with considering traditional livelihood practitioners, including both indigenous and nonindigenous groups and individuals, as rights-holders. We illustrate and examine these questions in a case study of reindeer herding in Finland. In Finland, today, reindeer herding is practiced by both Sámi and Finn herders and, based on a social equity perspective, both groups can be considered rightsholders if we acknowledge reindeer herding as a traditional livelihood practice. As traditional livelihood practitioners, herder have their whole way of life at stake and ultimately depend on access to land. In addition, herders have (had) detailed systems of customary rights preceding effective statebased governance in the north. Such institutions are particularly pronounced for Sami reindeer herders but are applicable to both groups. Our conceptualisation of rights-holders thus recognises herders as categorically different from stakeholders, whose stakes are typically economic. It provides an incentive to increase the efforts of recognizing and treating herders as rights-holders in land use governance and thereby addresses some of the apparent gaps when it comes to implementation of indigenous rights and rights to participation in environmental governance. In this essay we also discuss differences in rights between Sámi and ethnic Finn reindeer herders and some of the conceptual and practical tensions that arise as a consequence of our approach. We conclude that efforts to recognise and reframe herders as rights-holders rather than stakeholders in land use governance are important and a potential tool to increase social equity of land use for reindeer herders.

Título: La consulta indígena del Convenio 169 de la OIT y su relación con la legislación sobre recursos naturales en el derecho chileno. Su aplicación y un posible problema de integración de normas. Autor: Alejandro Antonio Díaz Díaz Grado: Magíster en Derecho Minero y Aguas, Universidad Finis Terrae (2016) Profesor Guía: Winston Alburquenque Troncoso

Resumen / Abstract
Este trabajo de investigación analiza la implementación y los desafíos jurídicos de la Consulta Indígena, establecida en el Convenio 169 de la OIT, dentro del marco normativo de los recursos naturales en Chile. El estudio se centra en el conflicto de integración normativa que surge entre las disposiciones internacionales ratificadas por Chile y la legislación sectorial interna, especialmente en las áreas de minería y aguas.

A través de un examen detallado, el autor explora los fundamentos y el estándar de la consulta (quién, cómo y a quién se debe consultar), contrastando los principios de la Ley Indígena chilena con los estándares internacionales. La investigación aborda un problema crítico: la falta de una integración armónica entre las normas que regulan la propiedad y explotación de recursos naturales y el derecho de los pueblos originarios a ser consultados sobre medidas administrativas o legislativas que les afecten directamente.

El artículo incluye un análisis de jurisprudencia relevante, examinando fallos de diversas Cortes de Apelaciones del país (Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Santiago y Temuco), los cuales han sido fundamentales para definir el alcance del deber de consulta frente a proyectos de inversión y decisiones estatales. Se concluye con una reflexión sobre la necesidad de establecer criterios claros de integración que garanticen la seguridad jurídica y el respeto efectivo a los derechos de las comunidades indígenas en el contexto del desarrollo económico nacional.

Palabras clave / Keywords: Consulta Indígena, Convenio 169 OIT, Derecho de Minería, Derecho de Aguas, Recursos Naturales, Pueblos Indígenas, Derecho Chileno, Jurisprudencia Ambiental.

Las demandas de reconocimiento de derechos territoriales y de uso de los recursos naturales que los pescadores cucapás le hacen al Estado mexicano, desde 1993, después de la creación de la Reserva del Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado (en adelante, la Reserva), son unas más en el panorama de los problemas socioambientales y de despojo territorial, que afectan a los pueblos originarios en México. La característica particular en este caso es que el Estado mismo es quien construye los marcos legales en materia de protección a las especies —sin consultar debidamente a dichos pueblos—, volviendo ilegal la presencia cucapá en esa zona y vulnerando sus derechos como población indígena del delta. En consecuencia, las autoridades medioambientales y de pesca mexicanas han constituido la zona del delta del río Colorado como un territorio en disputa, al implementar esquemas de protección ambiental y de pesca, sustentados en modelos disciplinarios, que únicamente se alimentan de ...

From the 1990s onwards, many Latin American states have adopted constitutional reforms that recognise indigenous peoples’ rights. In this article, we address a much less studied aspect, the emergence of new language rights. Based on field research and process tracing, we study the case of Peru where indigenous language rights were created in the absence of ethnic parties and with a relatively weak indigenous movement. We argue that the country moved slowly away from a monolingual language regime towards the recognition of indigenous languages as official languages and the creation of language rights. We identify key moments of state transformation in the 1970s, the 1990s, and the 2000s as linked to successive building blocks in the creation of a multi-lingual language regime. In particular, the decentralisation reforms of the 2000s created new opportunities for subnational actors to further develop these rights in different regions of the country. We exemplify these dynamics by look...

Calls to defend sovereignty from international investment treaties are common in Latin America. Many protest that states are often put in the difficult position of choosing between their constitution and foreign investment, reducing the space for genuine democratic emancipation. This article proposes that we, Latin Americans, have been misguided by this representation. Extractivism, perhaps the major barrier to Latin American emancipation, thrives because of constitutions and international investment treaties. These two legal orders create a legal imagination and enact the legal rules necessary for nature's exploitation. In this article, we map how constitutions and investment treaties consolidate and reproduce extractivism, recognising that constitutions provide some means for a paradigm shift, for instance through environmental activism or constitutional reforms. However, global and domestic extractivist elites can always rely on investment law to counter unwanted environmental measures or resist transformative moments, locking in the present extractivist mode of accumulation.

Constitutional Court Decision Number 181/PUU-XXII/2024 opens up legal space for communities living in forest areas to engage in plantation activities, thereby creating new dynamics in Indonesia's forestry legal regime. This ruling has sparked debate because, on the one hand, it strengthens the protection of constitutional rights of the community, but on the other hand, it raises concerns about environmental sustainability and forest area governance. This study aims to analyse the legal implications of the ruling and the challenges of its implementation within the framework of forestry administrative law. This study uses a normative legal research method with a legislative and conceptual approach. The results of the study show that Constitutional Court Decision Number 181 / PUU-XXII / 2024 marks a paradigm shift in forestry management from a repressive approach to a more inclusive and equitable approach, emphasising the principles of proportionality, legal certainty, and recognition of the social reality of the community. However, the implementation of this decision faces serious challenges, particularly related to regulatory disharmony, limited administrative capacity, and the risk of environmental degradation. Therefore, forestry administration law reform is needed that emphasises the principles of legality, good governance, control of discretion, and integration of sustainable development principles so that the protection of community rights and forest conservation can be balanced.

Constitutional Court Decision Number 181/PUU-XXII/2024 opens up legal space for communities living in forest areas to engage in plantation activities, thereby creating new dynamics in Indonesia's forestry legal regime. This ruling has sparked debate because, on the one hand, it strengthens the protection of constitutional rights of the community, but on the other hand, it raises concerns about environmental sustainability and forest area governance. This study aims to analyse the legal implications of the ruling and the challenges of its implementation within the framework of forestry administrative law. This study uses a normative legal research method with a legislative and conceptual approach. The results of the study show that Constitutional Court Decision Number 181 / PUU-XXII / 2024 marks a paradigm shift in forestry management from a repressive approach to a more inclusive and equitable approach, emphasising the principles of proportionality, legal certainty, and recognition of the social reality of the community. However, the implementation of this decision faces serious challenges, particularly related to regulatory disharmony, limited administrative capacity, and the risk of environmental degradation. Therefore, forestry administration law reform is needed that emphasises the principles of legality, good governance, control of discretion, and integration of sustainable development principles so that the protection of community rights and forest conservation can be balanced.

The development of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan has major implications for forest management, given that the area is dominated by tropical forest ecosystems and former mining sites. Forest management policy in the development of IKN is geared towards realizing the concept of a sustainable forest city, with a target of at least 65-70% of the area being green space. Through legal frameworks such as Law No. 3 of 2022 on the National Capital, the Forestry Law, and Presidential Regulation Number 63 of 2022 on the IKN Master Plan, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to conservation, land rehabilitation, protection of indigenous communities, and the development of a green economy. However, the implementation of these legal policies faces challenges, such as overlapping land claims, potential conflicts of interest between development and conservation, and weak environmental oversight and enforcement. This legal policy research, based on normative analysis using a legislative and conceptual approach, concludes that the success of forest management in IKN development depends not only on existing regulations but also on consistent implementation, inter-institutional synergy, and active involvement of local and indigenous communities. Thus, forest management law policy in the IKN is expected to become a model for sustainable development that balances ecological, economic, and social interests.