Land is lost illegally by most tribes. This is not a legal issue, it is an issue of ethics. Martinez further states that most tribes must negotiate with treaty agreements and laws they did not create. Lastly and most important is Martinez' finding that treaties are to be recognized as valid instruments of international law, which has been neglected due to racism and eurocentric values. We, Lance Henson and Lisa Schnorf propose a poetry tour involving indigenous poets whose tribal brothers and sisters are presently imperiled by multinational forces and Governments who disregard their lifeways.
Poetry is an integral force in the metaphysical and political lives of indigenous peoples.
Many poets from these tribal nations are deeply involved in the struggle of their people against the tyranny of corporate colonialism. For twenty-two years indigenous peoples have been gathering at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This forum is one of the few places where tribal voices can have common political and social impact on Governments whose desires are not favorable toward indigenous nations. This project will complement the ongoing dialogue at the U.N. and will open new doors of communication between the tribal voices and communities, schools, universities throughout Europe. The poets will bring a message of cultural solidarity from their tribal homelands.