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 Commit-
tees 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, edu-
cation, and health;
Whereas indigenous peoples are descendants of the original
inhabitants of many countries with many diverse cul-
tures, religions, languages, and social and economic cus-
toms;
•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 preserva-
tion of land and natural resources, the preservation of
culture, arts, and language, and social and economic con-
ditions;
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 discrimi-
nation, exploitation, and the denial of basic rights in
their homelands;
Whereas the rights and social and economic conditions of in-
digenous 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, there-
fore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the United States should play an active role
in cooperating with indigenous peoples, the United
Nations, and national governments to promote pub-
•HCON 165 IH
lic awareness of and improve the political, social,
economic, and environmental conditions of indige-
nous peoples;
(2) the United States should address the rights
and improve the social, economic, and environmental
conditions of its own indigenous peoples, including
Native American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native
Hawaiians, Chamorros, American Samoans, and
Palauans;
(3) the United States should actively support
and participate in the work of the United Nations
to establish international standards with respect to
the rights of indigenous peoples, including the intel-
lectual property rights of indigenous peoples with re-
spect to the ethnobotanical and medicinal plants and
seed varieties they develop; and
(4) the year 1993 is an insufficient time period
for promoting public awareness of the plight of in-
digenous peoples and the United Nations should
adopt a resolution declaring an International Decade
for the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
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