IV

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 165

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the International Year

of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 14, 1993

Mr. PORTER (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, and Mr. UNDERWOOD) submitted the

following concurrent resolution; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the

International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Whereas United Nations Resolution 45/164 of December 18,

1990, proclaimed the year 1993 as the International

Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, in order to

strengthen international cooperation for a solution to the

problems faced by indigenous communities in areas such

as human rights, the environment, development, education, and health;

Whereas indigenous peoples are descendants of the original

inhabitants of many countries with many diverse cultures, religions, languages, and social and economic customs;
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•HCON 165 IH

Whereas an estimated 300,000,000 indigenous peoples live in

more than 70 countries, including the United States;

Whereas indigenous peoples, one of the most disadvantaged

groups on Earth, face difficulties in their homelands with

respect to issues such as self-determination, the preservation of land and natural resources, the preservation of

culture, arts, and language, and social and economic conditions;

Whereas the tremendous contributions to the conservation of

biological and cultural diversity by indigenous peoples are

often undervalued, and the intellectual property rights of

indigenous peoples with respect to the ethnobotanical and

medicinal products and seed varieties they develop are

often unrecognized;

Whereas many indigenous peoples continue to face discrimination, exploitation, and the denial of basic rights in

their homelands;

Whereas the rights and social and economic conditions of indigenous peoples have often been overlooked by individual

nations and the international community; and

Whereas the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous

Populations has drafted a Universal Declaration on the

Rights of Indigenous Peoples which sets forth such basic

human rights and addresses such conditions: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the United States should play an active role

4 in cooperating with indigenous peoples, the United

5 Nations, and national governments to promote pub-
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1 lic awareness of and improve the political, social,

2 economic, and environmental conditions of indige3 nous peoples;

4 (2) the United States should address the rights

5 and improve the social, economic, and environmental

6 conditions of its own indigenous peoples, including

7 Native American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native

8 Hawaiians, Chamorros, American Samoans, and

9 Palauans;

10 (3) the United States should actively support

11 and participate in the work of the United Nations

12 to establish international standards with respect to

13 the rights of indigenous peoples, including the intel14 lectual property rights of indigenous peoples with re15 spect to the ethnobotanical and medicinal plants and

16 seed varieties they develop; and

17 (4) the year 1993 is an insufficient time period

18 for promoting public awareness of the plight of in19 digenous peoples and the United Nations should

20 adopt a resolution declaring an International Decade

21 for the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

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