T h e C e n t e r F o r W o r l d I n d i g e n o u s S t u d i e s Advancing Cooperation and Consent Between Nations The Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) is an American Indian controlled, independent, non-profit [U.S. 501(c)(3)] research and education organization dedicated to wider understanding and appreciation of the ideas and knowledge of indigenous peoples. The Center fosters better understanding between peoples through the publication and distribution of literature written and voiced by leading contributors from Fourth World nations. An important goal of CWIS is to establish cooperation between nations and to democratize relations between nations and between nations and states. Rudolph C. Ryser (a member of the Cowlitz Tribe) and Chief George Manuel (1929-1989) of the Shuswap Nation founded CWIS as an independent organization in the Spring of 1984. Indian leaders (in the United States) expressing joint policy from the Conference of Tribal Governments called in 1979 for the establishment of a documents and research center that would advance Indian rights and strengthen Indian governments. In 1983 the World Council of Indigenous Peoples called for a similar center that would directly benefit indigenous peoples throughout the world with the best thinking available. It is in response to these appeals that the Center for World Indigenous Studies was formed. Concerned with the advancement of ideas for solving social, economic and political problems in the Fourth World, the Center for World Indigenous Studies links voluntary contributors world-wide and conducts original research, education, symposia, workshops and conferences benefiting constructive relations between nations, and between nations and states. The Center serves as a clearinghouse of ideas between nations and between nations and states governments. CWIS receives documents, publications and undocumented information from throughout the world. These materials are carefully archived. Organizations, governments, and individuals frequently ask CWIS to provide information from Fourth World nations or about nations. We gather and store information and make it available. We also promote direct interchange of information through "people exchanges," encouraging direct visits between people in their territories, through workshops, symposia, conferences and the internationally accessible, computerized Fourth World Documentation Project through the Internet. THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE GUIDING CWIS IS: Access to knowledge and peoples' ideas reduces the possibility of conflict and increases the possibility of cooperation between peoples on the basis of mutual consent. By democratizing relations between peoples, between nations and states, the diversity of nations and their cultures will continue to enrich the world. CENTER ACTIVITIES IN THE '9Os ELABORATING POLICY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INTERNATIONAL LAW: Drawing on more than fifteen years of discussions between indigenous nations' leaders and between representatives at the United Nations, CWIS produced a new draft international law. THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS NATIONS was drafted by CWIS board chairman, Rudolph Ryser in 1994 and presented for review to indigenous leaders at Session Twelve of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva, Switzerland where the necessary approval for putting the new law before indigenous governments world-wide for their ratification was secured. NATION AND STATE COMMUNICATIONS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RUSSIA: The Center played an active role in the development of constructive and cooperative policies between the Government of the Russian Federation and the more than sixty-five nations within the federation. CWIS worked in collaboration with other non-governmental organizations beginning in 1992 to organize and convene the Moscow Conference on Indigenous Peoples in the Fall of 1993. States' government representatives, nations' government representatives and international organizations participated. CANADA: The Center provided research and information to the Royal Commission on Indian Self-Government, contributing to the formulation of a mutually acceptable basis for political relations between Indian nations and the government of Canada. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Center's work contributed to the development of the United States government's policy of government-to- government relations with Indian nations and the formulation of a framework for negotiating bi-lateral Compacts on Self-Governance in 1990. These Compacts have become a focus of interest for the United Nations Study on Treaties and other Cooperative Arrangements between Indigenous Peoples and States' Governments. The Center is an active contributor to the United Nations Study. NICARAGUA: The Center worked with the leaders of Yapti Tasbia (Miskito territory) and the government of Nicaragua to establish the Miskito Coast Protested Area, a 5000 square mile region established as an environmentally protected zone under the management of 26 Miskito villages. RESEARCH ~~~~~~~~ RIGHT-WING AND ANTI-INDIAN NETWORKS PROJECT (RWAIN) was organized to study the phenomenon of population displacement by non-tribal members experienced by Indian nations in the United States of America The study is coordinated by Rudolph Ryser and conducted in cooperation with Indian Tribes, local organizations, the Western States Center and the Center for Democratic Renewal. Initial products of this research included an analytical paper released in 1987 and a major publication entitled ANTI-INDIAN MOVEMENT ON THE TRIBAL FRONTIER (1992). In 1994, planning began for the production of a television documentary based on the ongoing results of RWAIN research. THE FOURTH WORLD ATLAS PROJECT is a continuing research effort coordinated by Dr. Richard A. Griggs. The effort focuses on the documentation of social, economic, political and territorial characteristics of the worlds' surviving original nations. In cooperation with researchers in the Department of Geography at the University of California - Berkeley, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Queensland, the Department of Geography at Capetown University in South Africa and contributors from individual nations, CWIS is building a detailed database and maps depicting Fourth World nations. SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SYMPOSIA: The establishment of self-government by nations served as the subject of a Symposium on Indian Self-Government sponsored by the Center in cooperation with the Evergreen State College, the Fourth World Center for the Study of Politics at the University of Colorado- Denver and the Quinault, S'Klallam (Jamestown), and Lummi nations in 1988. This symposium resulted in the publication of a book entitled, Indian Self-Government (1989) and extensive use in Indian communities, colleges and universities and government during the 1990s. WORKSHOPS: A series of community self-determination workshops in collaboration with MIKUPIA in Miskito villages in Yapti Tasbia (Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua), and in San Jose, Costa Rica aimed at developing community organization skills of key community leaders. FOURTH WORLD COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION INSTITUTES are being planned in collaboration with the OPM of West Papua (Indonesia), MIKUPIA of Yapti Tasbia (Nicaragua), Jumma of Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh), and the Tatars of Crimea (Russian Federation). These Institutes are anticipated to begin in the late 1990s DOCUMENTATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT was organized by CWIS in 1992 with the intent of making available to tribal governments, researchers and organizations with an interest in the Fourth World, many of the Center's documents and resources. The FWDP gathers documents from nations and organizations around the world and processes them into electronic text for distribution on the Internet and other computer networks. These documents form an electronic archive of voices from the Fourth World. The FWDP archives may be accessed via: WWW at http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/fwdp.html Gopher at fir.cic.net (1. Politics, 2. Fourth.World) FTP at ftp.halcyon.com in the /pub/FWDP directory BBS at The Quarto Mundista BBS, Fido Net 1:352/333 360-786-9629 300-28.8 baud 8N1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Members of the Board of Directors and members of the Founding Advisory Board reflect the diversity of the world's peoples, and their cultures. They are leaders of nations' governments, community activists, academics, artists, and spiritual leaders actively contributing to the survival and development of the original nations of the world. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Rudolph C. Ryser, Chairman (Cowlitz Indian Tribe) * John H. Burrows III, Executive Director * Dr. Kenneth Benshoof, Secretary * Joseph W. Ryan, Treasurer * Russell Jim (Yakima Indian Nation) * Ralph Eluska (Aleute) FOUNDING ADVISORY BOARD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Apesanakhwat (Minominee Nation) * Prof. Carol J. Minugh (Gros Ventre Nation) * Dr. Bernard Q. Nietschmann (U.C. - Berkeley) * Sharon H. Eluska (Navajo Nation) * Lars Anders-Baer (Nordic Sammi Council) Sweden * Jacob Marule (Shoa) Southern Africa * Yann Celene-Uregei (Kanak) Kanakia (New Caledonia) * Joseph Tallakson (Sense, Inc.) * Dr. John H. Bodley (Washington State University) * Rosalee Tizya (Vandu Kutchin Nation) Chief George Manuel Chair for Fourth World Politics PUBLICATIONS INDIAN SELF-GOVERNMENT: PERSPECTIVES ON THE POLITICAL STATUS OF INDIAN NATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [Edited by Carol Minugh, Glenn Morris, Rudolph Ryser], (1989) INDIAN WAR AND PEACE IN NICARAGUA [Edited by Eleanor Menzies] (1985) FOURTH WORLD JOURNAL - Periodical of essays, articles and commentaries by leading contributors about Fourth World nations. OCCASIONAL PAPERS [sample list] The Interdependence of Biological and Cultural Diversity (1992) The meaning of 'Nation' and 'State' in the Fourth World (1992) Anti-Indian Movement on the Tribal Frontier (1991, 1992) Fourth World Nation's Reality in Canada (1990) Europe's Fourth World Nations in a 'Common European Home' (1990) The Rules of War and Fourth World Nations (1985) Horrors of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (1985) F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N Publication Catalogue and all future updates are available via anonymous FTP at ftp.halcyon.com. FTP /pub/FWDP/CWIS/cwis-cat.zip or send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com and one will be sent to you via e-mail. OR WRITE TO Center For World Indigenous Studies P.O. Box 2574 Olympia, Washington 98507-2574 USA FAX 360-956-1087 The following is the PGP 2.6 public key block for the Center for World Indigenous Studies. 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