Communiqué to the Vatican: DISMANTLING the Doctrine of Discovery

V Continental Summit of Indigenous Nations and Pueblos of Abya Yala

La Maria Piendamo, Cauca [Colombia]

November 15, 2013

Communiqué to the Holy See, Vatican State
Rome, Italy

His Holiness, Pope Francis

In Plenary Assembly at the V Continental Summit of Indigenous Pueblos and Nations of Abya Yala gathered at La María Piendamó, Cauca [Colombia], and in the Spirit of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples, equal to all other peoples, we call upon your office to clarify and commit to rectify the issues we now present:

With the intention of moving deliberately towards the end of the age of colonialism and into decolonization across the length and breadth of our continent of Abya Yala, and in Mandate of Spiritual Liberation from the schema of domination which has been normalized and justified by the Doctrine of Discovery of Christendom for over five hundred and twenty years in this continent of Abya Yala [the Americas],

We here and now remind your office:

The 11^th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues made the following recommendation:

4.            The Permanent Forum recalls the fourth preambular paragraph of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust. Legal and political justification for the dispossession of indigenous peoples from their lands, their disenfranchisement and the abrogation of their rights such as the doctrine of discovery, the doctrine of domination, “conquest”, “discovery”, terra nullius or the Regalian doctrine were adopted by colonizers throughout the world. While these nefarious doctrines were promoted as the authority for the acquisition of the lands and territories of indigenous peoples, there were broader assumptions implicit in the doctrines, which became the basis for the assertion of authority and control over the lives of indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources. Indigenous peoples were constructed as “savages”, “barbarians”, “backward” and “inferior and uncivilized” by the colonizers who used such constructs to subjugate, dominate and exploit indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources. 

The Permanent Forum calls upon States to repudiate such doctrines as the basis for denying indigenous peoples’ human rights. 

In consequence and in implementation of the above recommendation from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, an International Conference was convened in O’otham Territory [Arizona] in April of 2013, organized under the theme of DISMANTLING the Doctrine of Discovery.  Upon presentation and ratification of the Abya Yala Declaration which was emitted from this continental indigenous conference, the Plenary of the V Continental Summit of Indigenous Nations and Pueblos of Abya Yala has addressed the issue in our agenda. 

Therefore:

In the course of reviewing the history of the issues of conflict and ongoing criminal violations of our Human Rights as Indigenous Peoples, which lie at the base of continuing pogroms of political persecution disguised as “legal” policies under the mantle of the Doctrine of Discovery;

Concerned regarding public comments made regarding the dispute over territorial jurisdiction over the Islas Malvinas/Falkland Islands between Argentina and Great Britain;

With the intention of addressing the systematic violation of Human Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, in particular the Right of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples, and with the goal of instituting collective corrective measures in repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery which continues to serve as a mantel of camouflage for the pathology and colonization that deforms and distorts the spirit and well being of our common humanity;

Our position is that the Vatican State, the Holy See and Your Holiness Pope Francis must take adequate measures and advance in the process of international responsibility for the role that the Catholic Church has played in the origin and as intellectual author of the criminal violations of Human Rights which continue to be normalized by the Doctrine of Discovery.

We exhort Your Holiness to make public comment in repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery and in clarification of the contradictions here documented.

Plenary Assembly of V Continental Summit of Indigenous Nations and Pueblos of Abya Yala

Secretariat of the Continental Council of Indigenous Nations and Pueblos of Abya Yala

******** 

 Annex:
2010 UNPFII Preliminary Study on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery

2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 

1493 Papal Bull Inter Caetera  

1513 El Requierimiento

1984 ANASAZI Letter to Pope John Paul II 

1984 Letter of Response : Vatican Secretary of State

2013 Catholic Herald: "Usurped" Malvinas-Falkland Islands

Comunicado a la Santa Sede: DESMANTELANDO la Doctrina de Descubriminto

V Cumbre Continental de los Pueblos Indígenas del Abya Yala

Noviembre 15, 2013

La María Piendamó, Cauca [Colombia]

Comunicado a la Santa Sede, El Vaticano, Roma, Italia

Su Santidad, Papa Francisco

En Asamblea Plenaria de la V Cumbre Continental de los Pueblos y Nacionalidades Indígenas del Abya Yala, reunidos en La María Piendamó, Cauca y en el Espíritu de la Libre Determinación de los Pueblos Indígenas, igual a todos otros pueblos, hacemos un llamado a su oficina para que aclare y se comprometa a rectificar los asuntos que aquí presentamos:

Con la intención de avanzar deliberadamente hacia el fin de la era del colonialismo y hacia la descolonización por lo largo y ancho de todo nuestro continente de Abya Yala, y con el Mandato de la Liberación Espiritual de emerger del esquema de dominación que ha sido normalizado y justificado por la Doctrina del Descubrimiento de la Cristiandad hace más de quinientos veinte años en este continente de Abya Yala [América]:

Los Pueblos y Naciones Indígenas de Abya Yala aquí recordamos a su oficina:

En La 11ª Sesión del Foro Permanente de las Naciones Unidas para las Cuestiones Indígenas se presentó la siguiente recomendación:

4 . El Foro Permanente recuerda el cuarto párrafo del preámbulo de la Declaración de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en que se afirma que todas las doctrinas, políticas y prácticas basadas en la superioridad de determinados pueblos o individuos o que la propugnan aduciendo razones de origen nacional o diferencias raciales, religiosas, étnicas o culturales son racistas, científicamente falsas, jurídicamente inválidas, moralmente condenables y socialmente injustas. En todo el mundo, los colonizadores han aducido justificaciones jurídicas y políticas para desposeer a los pueblos indígenas de sus tierras, privarlos de derechos y derogar sus derechos, como, por ejemplo, la doctrina del descubrimiento, la doctrina de la dominación, la “conquista”, la doctrina de terra nullius o la doctrina real. Si bien estas doctrinas nefandas se favorecieron para justificar la adquisición de las tierras y los territorios de los pueblos indígenas, implícito en ellas había postulados más amplios que se tomaron como base para afirmar la autoridad y el control sobre las vidas de los pueblos indígenas y sus tierras, territorios y recursos. Los colonizadores consideraron a los pueblos indígenas “salvajes”, “bárbaros”, “poco evolucionados”, “inferiores e incivilizados” y usaron estos conceptos para someter, dominar y explotar a los pueblos indígenas y sus tierras, territorios y recursos.

El Foro Permanente exhorta a los Estados a que repudien esas doctrinas como base para denegar los derechos humanos de los pueblos indígenas.

En consecuencia y en cumplimiento de la recomendación anterior del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas, se reunió en el territorio O’otham [Arizona], en abril 2013 , una conferencia internacional organizada en el marco del tema del Desmantelamiento de la Doctrina del Descubrimiento.  Al presentar y ratificar la Declaración Abya Yala que fue emitida por esta conferencia Indígena continental, la Plenaria de la V Cumbre Continental Indígena del Abya Yala ha tomado en cuenta el asunto en su agenda y preocupados por los comentarios recién hechos acerca de la disputa entre Argentina y la Gran Bretaña sobre la jurisdicción territorial de las Islas Malvinas/Islas Falkland;

En el discurso de la revisión de las historias y de los conflictos y las violaciones criminales actuales de los Derechos Humanos de nuestros Pueblos Indígenas que se encuentran en la base de los pogromos que permite la persecución política de nuestros Pueblos Originarios disfrazada de "sistemas legales" bajo el manto de la Doctrina del Descubrimiento;

Con la intención de abordar las cuestiones de violaciones de Derechos Humanos, en particular el derecho a la autodeterminación de los Pueblos Indígenas, con el fin de instituir  medidas correctivas colectivas en el rechazo de la Doctrina del Descubrimiento, ya que la Doctrina continúa sirviendo como una manta de camuflaje para la patología y para la colonización que deforma y viola el espíritu y el bienestar de nuestra Humanidad Común;

Nuestra posición es que el Estado del Vaticano, la Santa Sede y Su Santidad el Papa Francisco deberán tomar las medidas adecuadas y llevar adelante un proceso de responsabilidad internacional por el papel que la Iglesia Católica ha jugado en el origen y autoría intelectual de las violaciones de Derechos Humanos que siguen siendo normalizadas por la Doctrina del Descubrimiento.  Exhortamos Su Santidad a hacer comentario público en repudiación de la Doctrina del Descubrimiento y en clarificación de las contradicciones aquí documentadas.

Asamblea Plenaria de la V Cumbre Continental

de los

Pueblos y Nacionalidades Indígenas del Abya Yala

Secretaría del Consejo Continental de las Naciones y Pueblos Indígenas del Abya Yala

Anexo de Documentos

• 2010 Estudio Preliminar de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Impacto de la Doctrina del Descubrimiento.

• Declaración de la ONU de 2007 sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas

• Bula Papal Inter Caetera de 1493

• El Requerimiento de 1513

• ANASAZI: Primavera 1984 Carta al Papa Juan Pablo II

• 30 de mayo 1984 Respuesta: Secretaría de Estado del Vaticano

• 14 de marzo 2013 Artículo: "usurpada" - El cardenal Bergoglio y el 30 º aniversario de la guerra por las Islas Malvinas/Falkland entre Gran Bretaña y Argentina .

Continental Network of Indigenous Nations and Pueblos Affected by Mining

V Continental Summit Abya Yala

November 9-16, 2013

Cauca, Colombia

 

Warning From the Elder Brothers

Tayrona Confederacy of Umunukunuh

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, [Colombia]

Star Man jumps down for a Moment's Notice to the provide the designation of REALITY to the Bull Smoke

Continental Network of Indigenous Peoples and Nations Affected by Mining

Strategic Question:
How may we empower ourselves to advance the argumentations which have successfully led to the global call to REPUDIATE  and DISMANTLE the Doctrine of Discovery into the particular local, regional, national, and continental PROCESSES and PROCEDURES of authorization, legitimization and FINANCING of the MINING CONCESSIONS, CONTRACTS, and LEASES in violation not only of the Right of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala [the Americas], but the FUNDAMENTAL Rights of MOTHER EARTH?
 

TENAMAZTLE: The Rebellion of the Caxcan Nations 1555

Case Study:
NAFTA: The North American Free Trade Agreement

By what Due Process independent of the now repudiated Doctrine of Discovery did the courts of Canada establish inherent power to determine or administer justice over territories of the Nations of Indigenous Peoples, in violation of not merely of the internal domestic procedures of consultation, licensing, and permitting but the Right of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent as recognized in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? In this regard, by what jurisgenesis relative to the constraints of Time, is justice Due?

Hosting Indigenous Organization in Colombia:
 CRIC
Consejo Regional Indigena del Cauca

Pachacutic Kundur Anka

Abya Yala Report from Ecuador: Pachacutic Kundur Anka

20th Anniversary
of the
First Continental Encounter of Indigenous Peoples
June 14-16, 2010
Quito, Ecuador

PACHACUTIC KUNDUR ANKA

Wind of the Wings
of
The Eagle and the Condor of Abya Yala

Rose Auger, of the Cree Nation is now at home with the rest of her Spirit Lodge relatives. Yet the Tepetlaca - the Mountain Spirit that spoke through her still resides among the summits, valleys, forests, deserts, and waterways that remembrance traced within, encounters of Earth and Sky with in the misty horizon of coastline that runs with Peace and Dignity in protection and projection of the memory and dreams of Abya Yala .

The Kundur of Urin, the Anka of Hanan: The Ebb, and Flow. The Sees Far, and the Sees Within.

Now we arrive and plan to return, not as visitors but relatives of Abya Yala Cuauhyotl, the Confederation of the Eagle of the North in Abya Yala.

The Circle of Purpose approaches completion, the Pachacutic Abya Yala is evident, and with the wind of the wings of transformation the spirit of Kundur Anka prepares for a new emergence of the ancient hope of humanity’s regeneration.

When we arrived in 1990 in Quito, the indigenous uprising across the entire county of Ecuador led by the CONAIE was in full expression and millions of Indigenous Peoples were in engaged in direct action movements. Now, twenty years later the cycle completes but the issues that framed the uprising of 1990 in Ecuador have shifted in context to a Battle for the Planet and the Future of Humanity.

Approaching the field of battle, there arises the sense of a spiritual struggle to assert our Self Determination as Nican Tlacah Cemanahuac, Indigenous Peoples of the World in fulfillment of our traditional cultural obligations as guardians of the Pachamama, the xicalli of MotherEarth. In the context of the situation here in Ecuador and the ongoing crisis in the Territories of the Confederation of the Boa, the Amazon territories of Peru, Colombia and Ecuador share a common scenario.

The governments of each of these countries advocate, either from the right or the left of the Euro-American political agenda, for the supremacy and domination of the Divine Right of States as preemptive of the territorial rights of the Indigenous Peoples, in violation of the Universal Human Rights principles expressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The position of Peru, Colombia and Ecuador in terms of territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples prescribe an official version of Human History that is in itself a violation of reality, for being domestic derivatives of the Doctrine of Discovery and the social constructs of political states imposed by force of genocide on the continent Abya Yala.

And so the lines are drawn: The Black Line, The Blue Line.

******* 

 Souncloud

Kuntur Anka Pachacutik

Reflection and Emanations from the 20th Anniversary of the First Continental Encounter of Indigenous Nations, Pueblos, and Organization Quito, Ecuador June 14-16, 2010

Interview on American Indian Airwaves - Coyote Radio with Tupac Enrique Acosta of TONATIERRA.

V Continental Summit Abya Yala - Cauca, Colombia

Website:

V Continental Summit
of

Indigenous Peoples and Nations of Abya Yala

II Continental Summit of Indigenous Women

Indigenous Reserve of María Piendamó, Cauca Colombia.

November 10-16, 2013

 CONVOCATION

As Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, children of Mother Earth, we have come a long way together towards the realization of our self-determination, both in the defense of our territories as well as in determining our own ways of life for the future. This long road, which originates in our communities, bringing together both men and women, has been strengthened historically in four continental summits: Teotihuacan (Mexico, 2000), Kito (Ecuador, 2004), Iximche' (Guatemala, 2007) and Titicaca (Peru, 2009). In these spaces of encounter we have shared our culture, spirituality, languages, ancestral knowledge, problems and challenges, alternatives and dreams, and we have reaffirmed our undiminished and inalienable Rights as Indigenous Peoples.

Along this journey, since the First Summit of Teotihuacan 2000 to the IV Summit 2009 in Titicaca we recognize the advances marked by our agreements:

Council of Indigenous Nations and Organizations of the Continent

We agreed to work together to bring the States to recognize the national and international legal instruments on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and that these be incorporated into their respective Political Constitutions.  In this sense, our Indigenous Peoples of the continent have contributed to the approval in 2007 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, we are still advocating and insisting that the Declaration be raised to the status of national law as has been realized in Bolivia.

It has been a long struggle and continues to be so for the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala to push for ratification by the states of ILO Convention 169. To date in the Americas only 15 of the 35 OAS member states have ratified the Convention. However, ratification alone is not enough to realize the full exercise of our rights and so the implementation of ILO 169 is one of the major challenges we continue to face.  For example, the implementation and application of the consultation process has both has light and dark histories in the region.  Experience shows that despite having the force of law, as in Peru, its application is still elusive.

In the second summit it was agreed to strengthen the process of articulation and alliances with other movements. Since 2005, the indigenous peoples have developed strategies to achieve greater exchange, visibility and support for proposals with other social movements of the continent and the world. These processes have enabled us to disseminate our political proposals and contribute to collective actions for a world in balance with Mother Earth inspired by the principle of Living with Wellness.

Indigenous Peoples have woven together these joint convergences and the result has brought about the creation of common regional-global agendas in recent years. One of the milestones along the way was made evident at the continental level by the contributions and proposals of indigenous women of Abya Yala from the First Continental Summit of Indigenous Women (Puno, 2009).

Another very important collective space has been the organization of the First Continental Summit of Indigenous Communication (Cauca, 2011).  As a result of mobilizations of indigenous Quechua, Aymara and Kichwas, progress has been made in the advancing the proposal of Sumac Kawsay, Living with Wellness as an alternative to crisis of civilization affecting humanity.

The Indigenous Peoples bring to the modern world a global proposal based on our ancestral lifestyles and daily life of respect, harmony and balance with all that exists on Mother Earth. We believe that the western way of life with it’s projections of unconstrained economic growth has reached its limit and to heal Mother Earth is necessary to return to the culture of life, the Indigenous Peoples principle of Sumac Kawsay, Living with Wellness.  However, in the present context we are witnessing the deepening of actions of state repression and criminalization targeting us as Indigenous Peoples standing in defense of our territories and rights.  Without our free, prior and informed consent and in the name of supposed national development our territories are granted in concessions to companies who implement mega-development projects that threaten our cultural survival as Indigenous Peoples.

The predatory economics of extractivism that causes displacement and pollution of Mother Earth is the model that prevails on the continent and we Indigenous Peoples are considered an obstacle to this development.  Therefore, it is necessary to continue to articulate our demands and proposals, define strategies to enhance the processes towards completion of a new civilizational paradigm supported by the principle of Living with Wellness, strengthening the implementation of indigenous rights to be recognized by the states, and to promote recognition of the Rights of Mother Earth.

Thus as the Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala we self convene to gather at the V Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nations of Abya Yala, the Second Continental Summit of Indigenous Women and the III Continental Meeting of Indigenous Children and Youth to be hosted at the Indigenous Reserve of La Maria Piendamó, department of Cauca, Colombia, from November 10 -16, 2013.  In this process we call upon the Indigenous Peoples of the continent to convene in Preparatory Meetings to discuss and agree on proposals to be integrated into the agenda of the continental summit.

At the V Summit of Indigenous Peoples of Abya Yala, both men and women, we will gather and exchange, we will discuss and agree on actions on issues such as:

·      Alternatives to the colonial development model

·      Threats to indigenous territories: Megaprojects

·      Plurlnational States: Challenges and Implementation

·      Indigenous Diplomacy and World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (2014) and,

·      Continental Political Unity: Articulation and Alliances. 

OBJECTIVES:

General Objective

Develop and articulate strategies of Indigenous Peoples and their organizations confronting the capitalist neoliberal development model and outline the foundations for the construction of a new global civilizational paradigm supported by the principles of Living with Wellness, the Rights of Mother Earth and Plurinationality.

Specific Objectives

Assess the status of continental indigenous movement, our progress, setbacks and challenges in the realization of our proposals.

Set the foundation for political and economic strategies leading towards Living with Wellness.

Consolidate and articulate proposals and positions of the Indigenous Peoples Movement of Abya Yala in the context of the Indigenous Peoples Conference convened by the United Nations in 2014.

Visualize, articulate and consolidate the demands, proposals and strategies of indigenous women and indigenous children and youth.

Expand and strengthen the communication networks of the indigenous movement and our allies.

Location and Date

Indigenous Reserve of María Piendamó, Cauca Colombia.

November 10-16, 2013

Events that compose the V Summit

V Continental Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Abya Yala

II Continental Summit of Indigenous Women of Abya Yala

Ill Continental Meeting of Indigenous Children and Youth

Thematic Working Groups

Models of development: Neoliberal capitalism versus right to self determined development. Foundations for the construction of a new global civilizational paradigm, Living with Wellness and the Rights of Mother Earth.

Self-determination: Territory and natural assets. Consultation and Free, Pior, and Informed Consent.  Traditional Justice. Intercultural education and health.

Continental Indigenous Movement: Assessment of progress and setbacks in the implementation of rights and indigenous proposals.

The State and Indigenous Peoples: neoliberal and “progressive” governments. Participation in political dialogue. Construction of proposed public laws and policies.

Political Incidence: Indigenous Diplomacy. Participation in the international arena.  Mechanisms for the international protection of Indigenous Peoples Rights.

Indigenous Communication: Rights, Proposed policies and communication laws. Indigenous Communication networks and allies.

UN High Level Plenary/World Conference on Indigenous Peoples 2014, New York. Analysis of the proposals of the UN and the positions of Indigenous Peoples. Timelines, mechanisms of participation, agenda, proposals.

Continental Indigenous Political Unity: Articulation and Alliances 

Organizing Commission 

National Indigenous Organization of Colombia -ONIC

Organización Nacional Indígena de Colombia – ONIC
E-mail: onic@onic.org.co Tel: (57)1 284 2168
Coordinadora y Convergencia Wakiq Kej' de Guatemala
Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas – CAOI
E-mail: caoi@coordinadoracaoi.org web
www.coordinadoracaoi.org (51)1 265 6250

*******
Links:
First Continental Encounter of Indigenous Nations, Pueblos and Organizations - Quito, Ecuador 1990
Declaration of Quito, 1990 
 *******
Temoaya Declaration 1993
 *************
Pachacutic Kundur Anka 2010  
********************
DISMANTLING
The Doctrine of Discovery
Abya Yala Declaration 2013
 

TONATIERRA 
www.tonatierra.org 
tonal@tonatierra.org

5 de Mayo: Communiqué to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix

Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted 

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
400 East Monroe

Phoenix, AZ  85004 

5 de Mayo, 2013 

Good Greetings,

On March 23, 2012 our organization organized an Indigenous Peoples Forum on the Doctrine of Discovery at the Arizona State Capitol House of Representatives.  The purpose of this forum was to bring forward the perspectives and historical processes which frame the inter-relationships between the Nations and Pueblos of Indigenous Peoples of the territory and the hemisphere, in terms of our coexistence with the States that are direct beneficiaries of the Doctrine of Discovery in the Americas. 

Our intention of moving deliberately out of the age of colonialism and towards decolonization, called upon us to define and determine for ourselves as "Peoples, equal to all other Peoples" the criteria of fundamental processes required to guide this vision of our political, economic, cultural, and spiritual liberation from the schema of domination which has been normalized by Christendom and justified by the Doctrine of Discovery for over five hundred and twenty years in this continent of Abya Yala [the Americas].
 
The report of the Forum in Arizona was presented in May of 2012 to the 11th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.  Two recommendations from this session of the UNPFII are especially pertinent to this communiqué:

4.            The Permanent Forum recalls the fourth preambular paragraph of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust. Legal and political justification for the dispossession of indigenous peoples from their lands, their disenfranchisement and the abrogation of their rights such as the doctrine of discovery, the doctrine of domination, “conquest”, “discovery”, terra nullius or the Regalian doctrine were adopted by colonizers throughout the world. While these nefarious doctrines were promoted as the authority for the acquisition of the lands and territories of indigenous peoples, there were broader assumptions implicit in the doctrines, which became the basis for the assertion of authority and control over the lives of indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources. Indigenous peoples were constructed as “savages”, “barbarians”, “backward” and “inferior and uncivilized” by the colonizers who used such constructs to subjugate, dominate and exploit indigenous peoples and their lands, territories and resources. The Permanent Forum calls upon States to repudiate such doctrines as the basis for denying indigenous peoples’ human rights.

9.            The Permanent Forum recommends that States include in all education curricula, in particular the school system, a discussion of the doctrine of discovery/dispossession and its contemporary manifestations, including land laws and policies of removal.

In consequence and in implementation of the above recommendation from the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, we convened at Arizona State University West on April 19-20, 2013, an International Conference organized under the theme of DISMANTLING the Doctrine of Discovery. Co-conveners of this International conference were TONATIERRA, Maya Vision, Centro Cultural Techantit, Instituto de Ciencia y Cultura Indigena (ICCI) of Ecuador, and Universidad Amawtay Wasi also of Ecuador.   The event was hosted by the Social Justice and Human Rights Program at ASU West.

In the course of reviewing the local history of the issues of conflict and criminal violations of our Human Rights as Indigenous Peoples, which lie at the core of continuing pogroms of persecution disguised as “legal” policies under the mantle of the Doctrine of Discovery, we now present to you the following archive of documents:

• 2010 UN Preliminary Study on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery.
• 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Papal Bull Inter Caetera of 1493
• El Requierimiento of 1513
• ANASAZI: Spring 1984 Letter to Pope John Paul II
• May 30, 1984 Response: Vatican Secretary of State
• February 7, 2012 Memorandum to the US Justice Department
• March 14, 2013 Article: “Usurped” - Cardinal Bergoglio and the 30th Anniversary of the War over the Malvinas/Falklands Island between Great Britain and Argentina.

Our purpose in presenting this archive of information to you at this time is to establish a proactive and inclusive approach to addressing the issues of Human Rights violations, in particular the Right of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples, in order to move forward into the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery as it continues to serve as a cloaking device of pathology and colonization which deforms and distorts the spirit and well-being of our common humanity.   Please consider this communiqué as a request to meet and discuss the implications and clarifications required as we prepare to participate in May of 2013 once again at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, and expect to provide a report of the developments here in Arizona relevant the ongoing process of implementing the cited resolutions of the UNPFII, in the Spirit of Truth.

Sincerely,
Tupac Enrique Acosta, Yaotachcauh 

Tlahtokan Nahuacalli 
TONATIERRA

Tezcatlipoca            Quetzalcoatl             Huitzilopochtli

TENAMAZTLE

 

NAHUACALLI

Embassy of Indigenous Peoples

802 N. 7^th Street Phoenix AZ 85006

Annex:
2010 UNPFII Preliminary Study on the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery

2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 

1493 Papal Bull Inter Caetera  

1513 El Requierimiento

1984 ANASAZI Letter to Pope John Paul II 

1984 Letter of Response : Vatican Secretary of State

2012 Memorandum to US Department of Justice

2013 Catholic Herald: "Usurped" Malvinas-Falkland Islands