indigenous people / minorities

‘War on Terror’ Has Indigenous People in Its Sights

Published on June 10, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, indigenous people / minorities, politics

Gustavo González, ZNet/ IPS News

The “war on terror”, identified in Amnesty International’s annual report as a new source of human rights abuses, is threatening to expand to Latin America, targeting indigenous movements that are demanding autonomy and protesting free-market policies and “neo-liberal” globalisation. In the United States “there is a perception of indigenous activists as destabilising elements and terrorists,” and their demands and activism have begun to be cast in a criminal light, lawyer José Aylwin, with the Institute of Indigenous Studies, told IPS.

In the view of anthropologist Pedro Ciciliano at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the NIC report (National Intelligence Council) is “exaggerated and fraught with errors typical of U.S. intelligence based on biased information.” >> continue

Gustavo González, ZNet/ IPS News

The "war on terror", identified in Amnesty International's annual report as a new source of human rights abuses, is threatening to expand to Latin America, targeting indigenous movements that are demanding autonomy and protesting free-market policies…

Another Anthro-Blog: FieldNotes – Occasional Musings on Anthropological Topics

Published on May 12, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, indigenous people / minorities, Native American, websites

(via my site statistics) FieldNotes is a brand new anthropology blog, the first entry was written only two weeks ago by its author Thomas ‘Tad’ McIlwraith, PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, NM, USA. Seems to focus on Native Northern America / First Nations. Good to know that there are anthropology-bloggers who are not mainly interested in media and technology stuff. There are many links to other bloggers with related interests to explore. This is good news! >> continue to “Field Notes”

(via my site statistics) FieldNotes is a brand new anthropology blog, the first entry was written only two weeks ago by its author Thomas ‘Tad’ McIlwraith, PhD Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, in…

“Stone Age Tribes”, tsunami and racist evolutionism

Published on May 4, 2005 by lorenz Posted in Andaman & Nicobar societies, anthropology in the news, Asia, indigenous people / minorities, Us and Them

The belief that the so-called Western civilisation represents the final goal of human evolution, the idea that we’re on the top of the evolution is still alive – both among journalists and anthropologists as the coverage of the tsunami disaster has shown. Today, again such a story full of racist evolutionism appeared – the Daily Telegraph writes: Chief’s death brings end of Stone Age tribes a step nearer. Quote: “Some anthropologists believe that the tribes are a vital link in the chain of human evolution. They have no written script.” >> continue

SEE ALSO:
19th Century Social Evolutionism – Anthropological theories
(Department of Anthropology, University of Alabama)

The belief that the so-called Western civilisation represents the final goal of human evolution, the idea that we're on the top of the evolution is still alive - both among journalists and anthropologists as the coverage of the tsunami disaster…

Gene Study Puts Indians on Guard

Published on April 28, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, ethics, indigenous people / minorities, Native American, Us and Them

IPS News

Scientists involved in the Genographic Project will go in search of the genes of indigenous communities worldwide in a bid to decipher the puzzle of how ancient peoples were disseminated around the planet. Negative experiences in the past, cultural resistance and the influence of global activism against ”biopiracy” have triggered suspicion among the Indians, who worry about their role in DNA studies, according to Latin American indigenous leaders consulted by Tierramérica.

But the bigger storm cloud, according to U.S. rights activists, is the controversial Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), dating to 1991. The initiative aimed to study human genetic variations to help design new medical treatments, among other purposes. Angry anthropologists, activists and Indians described the project as ”racist” and prevented it from taking place in its original form. >> continue

IPS News

Greenpeace activists & Sami reindeer herders want to stop the logging of forests

Published on April 22, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Arctic / Northern Regions, ecology nature, indigenous people / minorities, Saami

Six Degrees, Finnland

Greenpeace have set up a Forest Rescue Station in Finnish Lapland to stop the logging of forests used as natural pastures by Sami reindeer herders. This action also highlights outstanding disputes concerning the land rights of the indigenous Sami in Finland. Finland is home to about 7,500 Sami.

The Sami understandably ask why the government and Finnish NGOs always seem to be ready to defend the rights of indigenous peoples in faraway countries, while failing to uphold the rights of Europe’s last first nation in their own country. This winter the Finnish government-owned forestry organisation Metsahallitus announced plans to log state-owned forests where the Sami graze their reindeer, against the wishes of local reindeer herders’ co-operatives and environmental groups. >> continue (updated link)

SEE ALSO:
The Sámi of Far Northern Europe (ArcticCircle)

Six Degrees, Finnland