IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1551 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States 
should promote respect for and full application of the provisions of 
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 
consistent with United States law. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2010 
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA (for himself, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, 
Ms. LEE of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
GEORGE MILLER of California, and Mr. LEWIS of Georgia) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States should promote respect for and full 
application of the provisions of the United Nations Dec-
laration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples consistent 
with United States law. 
Whereas, on September 13, 2007, the United Nations Gen-
eral Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of 
Indigenous Peoples, a landmark declaration outlining the 
rights of the world’s 370,000,000 indigenous peoples in 
70 countries; 
Whereas the Declaration is a non-binding text, which sets out 
the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples, 
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•HRES 1551 IH 
as well as their rights to culture, identity, language, em-
ployment, health, and education, and encourages indige-
nous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own insti-
tutions, cultures, and traditions, and pursue their devel-
opment in keeping with their own needs and aspirations; 
Whereas the Declaration prohibits discrimination against in-
digenous peoples and promotes their full and effective 
participation in all matters that concern them, and their 
right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions 
of economic and social development; 
Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon de-
scribed the Declaration’s adoption as ‘‘a historic moment 
when UN Member States and indigenous peoples have 
reconciled with their painful histories and are resolved to 
move forward together on the path of human rights, jus-
tice and development for all’’; 
Whereas the Declaration was approved after 143 United Na-
tions Member States voted in favor, 11 abstained and 
four, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United 
States, voted against the text; 
Whereas since the Declaration’s adoption, Australia and New 
Zealand have reversed their positions and now endorse 
the Declaration; 
Whereas in March 2010, the Government of Canada an-
nounced it would take steps to endorse the Declaration; 
Whereas indigenous peoples continue to face disproportionate 
and dire poverty, unemployment, environmental degrada-
tion, inadequate health care, violent crime, and discrimi-
nation around the world; 
Whereas in November 2009, President Barack Obama invited 
representatives from each of the 564 indigenous tribes in 
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•HRES 1551 IH 
the United States to attend a White House Tribal Na-
tions Conference; 
Whereas nearly 500 tribal leaders participated in the most 
widely attended White House tribal meeting in United 
States history; 
Whereas President Obama signed a memorandum on Novem-
ber 5, 2009, directing every Federal agency to develop 
plans to implement fully the Executive Order on ‘‘Con-
sultation and Coordination with Tribal Governments’’, 
which mandates that all agencies have an accountable 
process for meaningful and timely input by tribal officials 
in the development of regulatory policies that have tribal 
implications; 
Whereas the United States supports the Initiative for Con-
servation in the Andean Amazon, a regional program de-
signed to strengthen indigenous efforts to protect and 
conserve the Amazon rainforest; 
Whereas the United States participates fully and actively in 
the Arctic Council, a high-level intergovernmental forum 
comprised of the eight Arctic countries where Arctic in-
digenous peoples, represented by Permanent Participant 
organizations, have co-equal roles; and 
Whereas in an April 20, 2010, speech at the United Nations 
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Ambassador 
Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent Representative 
to the United Nations, stated that, because ‘‘far more 
must be done—at home and abroad—to tackle [the chal-
lenges of indigenous peoples], expand the circle of oppor-
tunity, and work with our Native communities to ensure 
they enjoy the security and dignity that all citizens de-
serve . . . I am pleased to announce that the United 
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