June 2021
Welcome to the Grade 12 Global
Indigenous Studies class blog!
Students were to research an Indigenous nation in the world and investigate a current issue they are facing, and make connections back to Indigenous nations here in Canada.
Please view the posts below and then click on "Older Posts" at the bottom to see more.
Chi miigwech for your support!
For reference, Indigenous Hawaiians- refer to themselves as Native Hawaiians but for the sake of this class I will refer to them as Indigenous- are widely regarded as Aboriginal rather than Indigenous. This is because their ancestors were Polynesian voyageurs that travelled by canoe from the Marquesas Islands, settling on the Big Island in Hawaii in 400 C.E. in search of new land to farm on and new waters to fish. The original Kingdom of 300 000 people ruled by their monarchy dropped to 70 000 people by 1853 due to the diseases brought by colonists and the kingdom itself became annexed by the U.S. in 1898 when it was overthrown by American colonists that held control over their economy based around sugar cane farming declaring its territory of the U.S. It was in the 1890s that the last ruler, Queen Lili’oukalani was suddenly and forcefully removed from her position as queen and was imprisoned and forced to renounce her title by a group of American sugar planters working for Sanford Ballard Dole who then re-established Hawaii as the Republic of Hawaii naming himself it’s first President.
The issue I chose to focus on is the homelessness crisis in Hawaii that greatly affects many Native Hawaiian people. Nearly 15 000 people in Hawaii are homeless with 1500-2000 being chronically homeless. I found out that chronically homeless individuals were people who had been homeless for more than 6 months and had mental and/or physical health conditions. The average life expectancy for these individuals is 53 years, which is nearly 30 years less than the general population. Many of the individuals suffer from incredibly high rates of mental illness, addiction and PTSD. Some of the highest Medicaid -a low-income health insurance- users in the state are those who are chronically homeless, 3.61% of these Medicaid recipients take up 61% of the annual 2 billion dollar budget with 13 000 people spending nearly 1.2 billion yearly in Medicaid. There is a nearly complete overlap with the chronically homeless being some of the highest Medicaid users and a disproportionate amount being Native Hawaiians. The average person costs the health system $4 650 per day with the highest Medicaid users spending 82 000 per year. Creating housing for these homeless individuals and families would drop their Medicaid costs by 43%-73% resulting in saving a minimum of $300 000 000 yearly in Medicaid while also protecting these Hawaiians' health. There is a prominent link between poor health and homelessness since it can potentially worsen existing medical conditions, heighten stress levels which tax the body, the lack of ability to keep clean results in infections, they are exposed to the elements, they have a higher risk of injury and there is no safe place for them to store prescription medication.
In an attempt to rectify this statewide issue, in 2016 Governor David Ige set a goal for his administration to end homelessness by 2020, claiming that anyone on the streets would be permanently housed within a few weeks. The main objectives of his plan to end this crisis were, to put an end to encampments on state land, get people off the streets and into homes and build 10 000 new homes while focusing on affordable units. The results shown are 8700 homes being built since, 5000 of which are affordable with 3000 more in the process of being built. The Governor's office claims that 616 people are being taken off the street each month totalling around 7392 per year, nearly twice as many compared to 2016. The goal however was not met and the number of homeless individuals has remained just as high if not higher since Gov. Ige pledged to end the crisis. The Governor did recognize his shortcomings in an interview with Hawaiian News Now stating “I do think in hindsight maybe it was too aggressive, too aspirational, but it did drive us. It made us realize to be successful we need to have all hands on deck.” That being said, I still think that the Governor has made a significant impact on the issue by taking action and continuing to try and reach his goal despite his plan no doubt being derailed by COVID-19. There are conflicting perspectives on whether or not Ige's administration could do more to alleviate the crisis from many different people. Taking a deeper look into the perspective of these homeless individuals and families being victims of homelessness with unstable living circumstances, being constantly at risk of disease and danger and being desperate to feel safety and comfort, you can understand why they might feel that the Ige administration hasn’t done enough to help them. Residents who do have stable homes share a similar perspective but for different reasons, these reasons being, they feel endangered by having so many desperate people living in the streets, they deal with the inconvenience of homeless camps in public places like parks and beaches. Governor Ige and his administration do believe they achieved partial success while taking accountability for falling short of their goal. I think that you can better understand their perspective when you recognize that there is a set budget to build the housing and they might have overshot their original estimated cost. It’s also important to take into consideration that despite there being a global pandemic that hindered their final year of progress they still managed to nearly meet their goal of building 10 000 homes most of which are affordable.
Some next steps being taken would be to continue with building more affordable housing, funding more outreach programs to help with mental illness and addiction. Honolulu has taken the approach of building the Kahauiki Village, a community of affordable housing for families in need of permanent housing and the Punawai Rest Stop, a publicly accessible hygiene facility that provides a place to do laundry, shower/bathe and charge electronics.
Similar to Indigenous Hawaiians, a 2016 National Shelter Study showed Indigenous Canadians are 10 times more likely to use shelters than non-Indigenous Canadians and according to the same study nearly 30% of all people staying in shelters in Canada are Indigenous people. Overall I would say that Indigenous Hawaiians’ and Indigenous Canadians share a similar story of having their land taken and their people displaced. Then being forced to adapt to a foreign economy with no resources or support, leading to younger generations fighting to survive and struggling to have their basic need for shelter met.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021, June 5). Sanford Ballard Dole. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sanford-Ballard-Dole.
Smithsonian.com. (2007, November 6). Hawaii - History and Heritage. Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/hawaii-history-and-heritage-4164590/.
Green, J. (n.d.). Homeless In Hawaii : Facts and Resources. https://ltgov.hawaii.gov/homeless-in-hawaii-facts-and-resources/.
Hawaii Medicaid. (2021). Hawaii Medicaid / MedQuest Eligibility for Long Term Care: Income & Asset Limits. Medicaid Planning Assistance. https://www.medicaidplanningassistance.org/medicaid-eligibility-hawaii/.
Blair, A. (2020). Ige pledged to end homelessness in Hawaii by 2020. What happened? https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/01/18/ige-pledged-end-homelessness-hawaii-by-what-happened/.
YouTube. (2019). Kahauiki Village and Punawai Rest Stop: Community, Permanent Housing, and Hygiene Services. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyX9ctxZIho&t=17s.
Mayor's Office of Housing. (2019). WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO HELP? City & County of Honolulu. http://www.honolulu.gov/housing/homelessness/ohou-what.html.
Canada, E. and S. D. (2021, February 25). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/reports/research/indigenous-homelessness.html.
Almeida, M. (n.d.). photograph, Hawaii.
The Sami people of Norway and Sweden
The Saami people are an arctic-based native community, they have a population of around 80,000 to 100,000 spread out between Finland, Russia, Norway, and Sweden having most of their population placed in that country. Fishing and reindeer herding help the economy for the Saami people and even bring tourists for the big herds of friendly reindeers. Over the past two decades, mental health problems have popped up creating a focus on such issues. A lot of this has to do with the cultural loss of identity and tradition. Taboos about mental health are more popular around that region, and a portion of these mental health issues revolve around the reindeer herding dilemma.
What is so important to Sami people about reindeer?
Reindeer herding is a huge part of Saami tradition, it's believed to be in practice since the 17th century. Not only has reindeer provided food, clothes, shoes, and transportation but practically a second family belonging to the Saami people. Frøydis Nystad Nilsen, a Saami psychologist claims “We are nature people. When you lose your land, you lose your identity.” Since there is a crisis surrounding reindeer, it has impacted many Saami family’s mental health. Many reindeer herders spend time with those animals daily around that season, so if reindeers are negatively affected by it, it affects the Saami people secondhandly as well.
What issues have affected reindeers?
The main issue affecting reindeer is climate change. The drastic changes in weather make it hard for lichen (the main food source for reindeer) to survive due to some days it being sunny and snow melting then the next day it being super cold causing it to freeze up again. In the past couple of years lots of reindeer herds face starvation, starvation is a huge cause for mother reindeers to miscarry which lowers the population of reindeer. Another big factor affecting reindeer is the use of land choices made by the government in control of where the Saami people live. A reindeer herder, Aslak Eira, states “The problem is land grabbing. Government expropriates land for roads and tunnels, wind farms and mines. Our land is being eroded by development. Almost half of our winter lands have gone. I fear that in future there will be nowhere left for the reindeer.” an example of this would be the battle between the Saami people and Sweden army to fight against the industrial expansion of the Mauken-Blafjell military area for anti-terrorism training. There are now roads and huts dotted across their pasture since the Saami people lost this case. Conservationists know this is an issue so the protection of predators such as eagles and lynx(One lynx can kill 100 reindeer in a year ) comes into place, but since the food chain is disarrayed more reindeer are being hunted down faster than they can produce. One other big issue is waste dumping, Aili Keskitalo, president of the Saami parliament concludes ''The latest assault on the Saami way of life comes from companies which have been allowed to dig massive open-cast mines on Saami land, and then dump toxic mineral waste in fjords with the best salmon fishing''. In the end, not one issue is causing distress to the reindeer herding community but the build-up of multiple issues.
The mental health crisis with the Sami people
Overall mental health is a very taboo topic in that European region. An ordinary reindeer herding Saami family lost two family members due to suicide and the surrounding people who knew that family disconnected themselves from them. The family believes it's because of the embarrassment of knowing those two people passed by committing suicide. Suicide offers an escape from the inexorable force of climate change, which is "eroding" the traditional way of life in the Arctic. Jonas Partapuoli, a member of the Saami Youth Association says ''traditional reindeer-grazing land has been taken by the state for resource development or sustainable energy projects, such as wind farms, with no consultation with the Saami. The changes have had massive effects on their way of life, and one in three reindeer herders between the ages of 18 and 29 have considered suicide. There is little mental health support specific to the Saami, and reindeer herders often eschew seeking help as they feel it weakens their image.'' Ethnic discrimination, cultural loss, and identity are the biggest factors affecting mental health, 60,000 to 100,000 remaining Saami are being “Norwegianised '' cutting ties with the traditional way of life. Researchers have found that Half of Saami adults suffer from anxiety and depression and rates of suicidal ideation to be around four times higher among Saami than other people in Sweden. Although the Saami people used to have one of the highest rates of suicide amongst other native nations and have gotten better, does not mean it still isn’t a massive issue that needs to be resolved.
How is this issue being resolved?
Not much can be done about climate change since it's an international issue, but more mental health programs are being offered to the countries in which the Saami people live. SANKS (Saami Norwegian National Advisory Board on Mental Health and Substance Abuse) offers a therapeutic camping program for healing families. This includes campfires, fishing trips, horseback rides, and creating traditional handicrafts. As much as this sounds amazing there are still flaws about this program. Patients have to travel to Norway to be in the program. No similar programs exist in Sweden. Traveling can cause more distress for the Saami people and may not fix the cause of the mental health issues they face. In Sweden, it is illegal for doctors to ask about a patient’s ethnic background. Providing care that is specific to an indigenous group would technically disobey that rule. In 2017 a Truth and reconciliation commission opened up focused on indigenous peoples of Sweden, so in hopes that if all goes well, the overall objective of mental health help for the Saami people will progress. The result of the Truth and Reconciliation commission being propelled, by 2023 some members of the truth and reconciliation team have scheduled physiological help for indigenous groups of Findland.
Connections to other native nations
The opening of Truth and reconciliation for the Saami people is heavily based on Canada’s actions. Tuomas Aslak Juuso, Vice-President of the Sami Parliament of Finland, says “I think the Canadian example has triggered political will among Saami representatives. It was the crucial factor for us to take the leap and believe in this kind of process." A lot of the living styles of the Saami people are similar to Canadian indigenous culture as they both still make a profit off of their traditions, the most common one is fishing.
The way issues around the Saami people only have just recently tried to be resolved reminds me of Australia and how it’s been more of s struggle to deal with native issues. Canada seems to have a little more progress towards fixing issues as these other communities have to fight more to get recognition.
Final Thoughts
This topic hits a lot deeper than normal due to the massive involvement animals have with this topic, and the fact mental health is seen as embarrassing. A way for both you and I can help this situation is to spread more awareness about climate change, help remove our environmental footprint and help make mental health a less taboo topic in other parts of the world. Which we can do by making groups and organizations that clearly support European regions.
References
advertising agency SEK, and the visit Finland team. (2020, April 21). Meet the Sámi - Finland's indigenous people. VisitFinland.com. https://www.visitfinland.com/article/meet-the-sami-finlands-indigenous-people/#7e96acad
Andersen, C., & Schreiber @m_scribe, M. (2016, December 9). Suicide stalks reindeer herders in the land of midnight sun. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2016/12/09/suicide-sweden-sami-mental-health/
CBC, N. (2015, March 27). Mental health issues rampant among Saami reindeer herders: CMWS presenter | CBC News. CBC news a disappearingthe . https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mental-health-issues-rampant-among-saami-reindeer-herders-cmws-presenter-1.3010792
Kvernmo, S. (n.d.). The Impact of Cultural Determinants on Indigenous Sami Adolescents' Well-being and Mental Health. Northern and Indigenous Health and Healthcare. https://openpress.usask.ca/northernhealthcare/chapter/chapter-20-the-impact-of-cultural-determinants-on-indigenous-sami-adolescents-well-being-and-mental-health/
News, Y. (2021, March 26). Psychosocial support for Sami proposed ahead of Finland's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Eye on the Arctic. https://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2021/03/26/psychosocial-support-for-sami-proposed-ahead-of-finlands-truth-and-reconciliation-commission/
Petit, F. (2019, September 11). Finland to set up Truth Commission for the Sami people. Intercontinental Cry. https://intercontinentalcry.org/finland-to-set-up-truth-commission-for-the-sami-people/
Vidal, J. (2016, February 21). Sami reindeer herders battle conservationists and miners to cling on to Arctic culture. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/feb/21/sami-people-reindeer-herders-arctic-culture
Ogiek (Muthoni Wanyeki)- Land Rights in Kenya
(Trees being cut down on their ancestral lands)
Who are the Ogiek peoples?
“The Ogiek (Muthoni Wanyeki) is one of the last forest dwelling hunter-gathers living in the Mau Forest in Kenya’s rift valley and in the forests around Mt.Elgon.” Says The University of British Columbia (UBC). The Ogiek people are fully dependent on the resources that the forests provide, this includes shelter, food, water, their identity and just for overall everyday life. They have integrated themselves into the forest and ecosystem thus, hunter gathers.
Where are they located?
The Ogiek people are located on around 4,000 hectares that run through 7 legislative districts on government land. Out of all this land about 15,000 of the population live among the Mau forest and Mt. Elgon. They have settled here, due to all the land that the government has illegally obtained, soon we will find out what is happening to these people and what is being done.
What has/is happening to the Ogeik people?
From the beginning out time Ogiek people have been pushed off their rightful land, evictions were put out by British colonizers, After the Ogiek peoples gained their independence, the Kenyian government decided to try and evict the land that they occupied, their reasoning, for “the respect to water conservation of the water catchment zone, stated in section 4 of Government Land Act of 2005.” They were able to do this because the act states that the government has the right to kick a population off conservation lands. In 2009 after much protesting and refusing to leave their land, the Kenya Forest Services (KFS) sent out a 30 day eviction notice, leaving the Ogiek peoples homeless and helpless. Although they were given water and environmental stability, the eviction was not for the reasons mentioned. The KFS gave out licenses to timber companies to cut a tremendously large number of trees, just another way the government is seen as ignorant and the fact they have not changed whatsoever.
When did this begin? The history leading up to now
Like stated before, the Ogiek people have struggled long and hard, throughout centuries around the battle for their land rights and general human rights and freedoms. First we have to take a look at the beginning, pre-colonization of the British government. During this period there had been “no claimed land” although the Ogiek people were living there and traded with other tribes, such as food, resources, etc. In 1505 trading between the Portuguese and East Africa began, the trading was mostly based around slave trading . The Ogiek people were just a tribe that settled in the valley, they were easily manipulated due to their size and the way of life in the tribe. Next we look at the Colonized period, during this time the Ogiek peoples were forced out of the forest to make room for white british settlers. UBC states, “The issue of the Ogiek getting evicted from the Mau Forest and forested areas near Mt. Elgon has started even during the colonial era. It is a past, present and ongoing issue.” This then brings us to 2009-2017, the NGO brought up enough evidence to take the Ogiek peoples case to court, it was shown to violate the Human and Peoples rights. The case went on for around 8 years and a final verdict was decided.
What was the final verdict? Was it successful?
To understand the verdict, first you should know the “tenure agreement” there are 3 types of land, 1.government land, 2.private land and 3.trust land. In 2012 NGO found enough evidence to file to the African Commission on People’s rights, this case lasted an extremely long 8 years, finally in 2017. The NGO stated “Human rights and land claims protected by the legislative law and the actual enforcement of the law remains doubtful and currently still getting updates.” Now to look back at the different types of land, during the trial they hoped to regain the Ogiek peoples ancestral land without the restrictions the government put on them. The aim was to turn the land from government land to private or trust land. The case found that the government illegally evicted the Ogiek peoples land and that the Kenyian government had no evidence that the tribe affected the water conservation. Throughout the course it has been shown that Indigenous people respect their land and have a special connection with the environment. After the long, hard fight the Ogiek people regained their ancestral lands and the freedom to live within the forest, the way that they have always tried to do. One thing to think of when reflecting on this case is the stakeholders that play a large role in the Ogiek people, these include; “1.relations between the Ogiek and supernatural beings living in the forest, 2.relations between Ogiek and the animals in the forest, and 3.relations between Ogiek and others (enemies-those who partition the sources with the Ogiek.” (UBC) All these stakeholders took effect in the court case and eventually played a part in the final verdict.
Although legally the Ogiek people have claim over their ancestral lands, the government refuses to respect the decision set out by the court, is there a way to change this behaviour, if so how?
As seen in many ways, the Kenyian government still refuses to respect the verdict, “But a ruling is not enough, it must be respected. The Kenyan government must now implement the ruling and let the Ogiek live freely on their ancestral land.” says Amnesty International. A way this behaviour can be changed is stricter laws surrounding the Ogiek people and the leniency the government has when their rights have been violated. If more people knew about this issue, awareness could be spread and justice could begin to be served to the Ogiek people’s.
How does this connect to Canada? How about the communities around us, close to home?
This all begins from the start of colonizers, they took land and violated Indigenous peoples. In Canada we have many reserves around us, that have separate police forces, but are still being controlled by white people (colonizers).
On the other hand we look at how much less Indigenous peoples have all around Canada, an example could be Manatoba and the reserve that is completely isolated from the mainland of the province. Yes we gave them a piece of land but completely disregarded clean water, proper resources, healthcare and so much more that are basic human rights. Just like the Ogiek people who were kicked off their land and given the bare minimum.
References
An Assessment of the Land Claims and Rights of the Ogiek (Muthoni Wanyeki) in the Mau and Mt. Elgon Forests of Kenya. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cases.open.ubc.ca/assessment-of-land-claims-and-rights-of-the-ogiek/
Kenya: Ruling in Ogiek case gives hope to Indigenous peoples everywhere. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/05/kenya-ruling-in-ogiek-case-gives-hope-to-indigenous-peoples-everywhere/
(Garifuna women breaking in the land).
June 24, 2021
By: Payton
Who Are the Garifuna People?
THE GARIFUNA PEOPLE LEFT SANTE VICENTE searching for a peaceful place to live, free of the oppressive British colonial powers. Three thousand women, men and children sailed across the blue Caribbean Sea, thirsty and hungry. Many perished before reaching the island of Roatan, Honduras, where their new home would be. Today, many of the Garifuna people, an Afro-descendant population in the Caribbean coast of Central America, are still struggling for days of peace, like their ancestors envisioned 213 years ago. It is extremely sad to see an entire nation not be able to live in peace on their ancestral lands for more than 213 years. Hassling to find work in Central America, many of the Garifuna people were able to survive all those years because they refused to separate themselves from their land and culture. Even those who were forced to migrate to a different country to find work and a better lifestyle still stay close to their roots. Many still dream of the day when they are able to return home to the flat coastal lands of Honduras and Guatemala, where the Garifuna have rebuilt their lives by the ocean. For the Garifuna, their culture originated and nourished through their language, and daily connection with the land and ocean, which provides both food and energy. This strong connection motivates the Garifuna people to continue to keep fighting for their land today.
(Garifuna playing their traditional drums).
What is Happening to the Garifuna People and the Land?
LAND CONFLICTS HAVE OCCURRED REGULARLY IN LATIN AMERICA societies for centuries, and they continue to do so despite the trends toward rapid urbanization. Access to land has long been documented to play a vital role in reducing rural poverty. This remains as an important political policy issue in the area for the Garifuna people. Most Garifuna communities in Latin America are still very reliant on access to land for their cultural, economic, environmental and social security. These communities have tried to collectively claim the lands they have inhabited since the colonial era, pressuring national governments to provide them formal title. As a central element of this struggle, rural Garifuna people across Latin America are demanding recognition as distinct ethnic groups and to have group-specific rights, including the land and territory. Here, the distinction between race and ethnicity is important. In Colombia, the land rights of Indigenous descents on the Pacific coast gained constitutional recognition in 1991 as well as the 1998 Constitution of Ecuador granted Afro-Ecuadorians collective rights to ancestral lands. Indigenous groups have often been granted more rights but not to Afro Descendant groups. In Colombia, for example, Indigenous communities were granted not only rights over land but also political, jurisdictional autonomy, so now they have Indigenous governments that are able to govern their own territories. The distinction between the two is that none of these privileges have been granted to the Garifuna Afro Descendant communities. Doesn’t it seem wrong that the Indigenous group in Columbia was able to receive rights to their ancestral land but the Garifuna people cannot? The legal logic behind ethnically based land claims can be both empowering and exclusionary. These complicated issues are now the struggles of Honduras' Garifuna people.
(Garifuna woman on the land that was once hers, Garifuna people protesting about the land).
How Has Colonialism Affected the Garifuna People?
GARIFUNA COSMOLOGY IS A WAY FOR THEIR PEOPLE to show very specific notions about the land and how it is to be treated. With respect to land rights, the Garifuna occupy a complex position. Legal and constitutional terms are often too narrow to acknowledge the diverse ways in which the Garifuna self-perceive and show themselves to others. Although they have been racialized within the categories of black and moreno (dark skinned), the Garifuna see themselves, and are seen, as both a racial and an ethnic group. As a group, they have experienced high levels of discrimination and have been assimilated ever since their arrival in Honduras and have been characterized by the denial of social and civil rights by the government. How is it fair to allow the government, the people who should have the goal to help their people, be allowed to treat people this way? Garifuna people have also sometimes been negatively stereotyped as being too elemental and rural by others. 
(Garifuna women).
What is the Reason Ancestral Land Rights are Unrestored for the Garifuna?
SINCE GARIFUNA COMMUNITIES ARE LOCATED along the country's northern beaches, the growth of tourism takes over their land claim efforts. Tourism has become Honduras' second largest source of foreign exchange. Foreign investment in the tourism sector is necessary around existing land ownership. Honduran constitutional recognition of Garifuna land rights puts valuable lands under a communal titling that is, at least theoretically, immune to market logic. The representative political institutions of Garifuna communities, known as patronatos, hold the communal land titles. These titles grant the community rights to a given area in the state of being. They may not sell the land or transfer its ownership outside the community. How is this fair to the Garifuna people and their land? Improvements, such as houses and other buildings, can be bought and sold within the community, but the land remains deniable. I do not understand why the Garifuna people are able to buy and sell the land but are not allowed to make any changes to the land itself. Why are the Garifuna people being denied their rightful land? Meanwhile, tourism throughout the years and the demand for valuable beachfront property has created incentives for taking land, as well as bribery and outright violence against Garifuna communities. Who is bringing hate crimes and violence against the Garifuna people, is it the government who is taking their land away from them? While other commercial interests have historically threatened Garifuna lands, tourism has greatly amplified the intensity of this threat. Some community members have responded by illegally selling their land to outsiders, often fearing they will lose their land without financial compensation if they refuse to sell. I do not understand why the Garifuna people are living their lives in fear and having to sell their land to outsiders in order to receive compensation for their land. Some patronatos have also engaged in illegal land sales to outsiders and because of these sales, the Honduran political and legal institutions are often ineffective and corrupt, nearly all Garifuna territories suffer from multiple ownership claims. This has made foreign investment in coastal tourism difficult to manage.
Who is Apart of the Change for the Garifuna Land Rights?
THERE ARE TWO ORGANIZATIONS KNOWN AS the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) and the Ethic Community Development Organization (ODECO), who have both played a key role in pressuring the Honduran government to honor its constitutional commitment to give the title to the Garifuna land. I have never heard of these organizations. Are the government and the media hiding their good work for the Garifuna people because they don’t want the people to know the wrong they are doing to the Garifuna people and their land? They are active in public education and consciousness-raising, political advocacy and community organizing, development work and fundraising. I think that these organizations are doing an amazing thing for the Garifuna people and their land. Both of these organizations are an amazing political advocacy for the Garifuna people and their land conflict with the government. But the struggle is clearly unfinished and the obstacles remain substantial.
(Garifuna people defending their land by protesting).
How Has Canada’s Colonization Affected Indigenous People and Their Land?
LAND ISSUES WITHIN CANADA HAS BEEN AN ONGOING issue since European colonizers came to this foreign land. In Canada all Indigenous peoples have rights that can include access to ancestral lands and resources, and the right to self-government. In addition to the treaties that were made in Canada, which were supposed to protect certain rights to the land, resources and more. The Constitution Act, in 1982, was also made to protect Indigenous rights. The European colonists who came to Canada did not befriend the Indigenous people, they manipulated and lied to them, in order to take what they wanted. An example of this, is that when the European settlers came to Canada they brought over a disease known as smallpox. The smallpox was infested in blankets that European colonizers gave to Indigenous communities, this wiped out Indigenous women, children, and men. The European colonizers wanted the land to do what they pleased with and by doing so they removed the Indigenous people off of their land and homes that they created with their own two hands and forced them to move onto reservations to live in isolation. How is this fair and why isn’t there anything being done for Indigenous people in Canada today and their land? By continuing to attack Indigenous nations’ relationship to the land, settler governments and corporations have attempted to destroy the basis of culture, identity, and sovereignty for entire communities and nations. Colonialism at its core is about erasing Indigenous nations’ sovereignty over their homes and lands.
(Canada's Indigenous people protesting about land issues).
How do the Garifuna People and Women Land Defenders in Latin America Go Through Persecution and Violence?
ACROSS LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN, women land defenders each carry their own stories of persecution and violence. But a transformative multilateral agreement, known as the Escazú Agreement, could provide a promising path forward. Like the Garifuna people, the Amazonian Women Defenders are trying to protect their territories in the Ecuadorian Amazon from extractive industries and Indigenous rights violations. At least 212 land and environmental defenders were murdered, with over two-thirds of killings taking place in Latin America, which is the highest number since the group Global Witness began gathering data eight years ago. Out of this about 40% of those who were killed were Indigenous peoples. When I heard this statistic I was completely and utterly shocked, these people were just trying to protect their ancestral land and lost their lives in doing so. There was an update from Honduras, where the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna community continues to demand the safe return of five Garifuna defenders who were kidnapped by heavily armed men who were reportedly wearing police uniforms and forced into three unmarked vehicles at gunpoint. This was the latest attack against the Garífuna community as they defend their territory from destructive projects fueled by foreign investors and the Honduran government. “We are in danger daily — all the leaders of the Garífuna community, all the defendants of the land in Honduras,” says Carla Garcia, international relations coordinator at the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras. Why should anyone feel like they are in danger when they are trying to protect what is rightfully theirs? The Escazú Agreement is an agreement guaranteeing access rights on environmental matters, and the explicit protection of human rights and environmental defenders. The Escazú Agreement was adopted two years after the murder of Honduran environmental activist, Berta Cáceres, and carries the dedication and spirit of women’s defense of the land. The Agreement aims to carry on the legacy of Berta Cáceres as well as the struggles of thousands of land defenders, particularly women, across the Latin America and the Caribbean, that stand up against extractivism and injustices. Like the Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) and Ethic Community Development Organization (ODECO), these women land defenders are doing amazing political advocacy for their communities and land. A just and ethical person would believe that it is only right to allow the Garifuna people who arrived to their lands centuries ago, deserve the right to live a free and hopeful life on their lands. The Garifuna’s struggle to secure their land rights has led to a series of repression. An attempt to secure land rights, offers a glimpse into the difficulties the Garifuna people face in trying to reclaim their territories. But the struggle is clearly unfinished and the obstacles remain substantial to this day. The people of society need to come together and find ways to help Indigenous people and their communities to take back what is rightfully theirs, like the Garifuna situation. We can do this together, and help the repression end, once and for all.
References
Admin, C. (2017, November 11). Indigenous Land Rights. Courage. http://www.couragecoalition.ca/en-indigenous_land/.
Araujo, B. S. (2016, September 20). "Land, water and food are part of our existence," Garifunas share. Grassroots International. https://grassrootsonline.org/blog/land-water-and-food-are-part-of-our-existence-garifunas-share/.
Blog, S. (2010, December 14). Garifuna and Land Rights. smduarte's blog. https://smduarte.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/garifuna-and-land-rights/.
Gibler, J. (2017, June 14). "They captured me for defending our collective rights.". Sierra Club. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/they-captured-me-for-defending-our-collective-rights#8.
Gracia, C. (2020, August 17). We Are in Danger Daily: Honduran Afro-Indigenous Garífuna Demand Return of Kidnapped Land Defenders. Democracy Now! https://www.democracynow.org/2020/8/17/garifuna_land_defenders_honduras.
Henderson, W. B., Bell, C., & Albers, G. (2019). Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-rights.
Magazine, C. S. (1996, June 1). The Garifuna Journey. Cultural Survival. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/garifuna-journey.
Mowforth, M. (2018, December 20). Undermining Garífuna land rights in Honduras. The Violence of Development. https://theviolenceofdevelopment.com/undermining-garifuna-land-rights-in-honduras/.
Regulator, F. (2021, January 28). Garifuna (Garinagu). Minority Rights Group. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/garifuna-garinagu/.
Thorne, E. T. (2004). Land Rights and Garifuna Identity. Report on Race. http://web.sonoma.edu/users/s/shawth/Garifuna.pdf.
BACKGROUND
To begin this post, let me give you some background on the Samburu Tribe. This is a resident Indigenous
group that has been present in East Africa for several thousand years. They are a Nilotic tribe and thus
they share ground, territory and a few languages with other East African tribes such as the Maasai, but
have their own unique culture and way of life compared to these other peoples. The Samburu are a
pastoral people. This means that they are traditionally herders and practitioners of animal husbandry
over the more agriculture or hunter gatherer like peoples that existed in North America. Samburu people
usually herd cattle, goats and sheep, occasionally camels, and make a living off of their milk, meat and
other resources they find in their environment. They are defensive by nature and have never been a
warrior based society, though there have been recorded clashes with other tribes. An interesting point
about the Samburu people: They are one of the few Indigenous peoples in Africa, and the world,
that were affected very little compared to other Nations and groups by colonialism. The British
occupied East Africa in the past, along with other European powers such as the Netherlands,
Germany and others, but none of them targeted Samburu lands. The land they traditionally grazed
their animals on was arid for most of the year, and was unsuitable for settlers because of that.
Today, the Samburu retain a fair amount of their pre contact traditions and culture because of
that, including a unique social system, a gerontocracy. Gerontocracy is a societal system where the
oldest individuals hold the most power over the community, and Samburu elders control their own tribes.
“The power of elders is linked to the belief in their curse, underpinning their monopoly over arranging marriages and taking on further wives. This is at the expense of unmarried younger men, whose development up to the age of thirty is in a state of social suspension, prolonging their adolescent status.”
www.atlasofhumanity.com/samburu
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(Samburu Elder and Women in ceremonial garb)
The Elders of the community are believed to be capable of bringing down Nkai’s (The creator spirit
for the Samburu) wrath in the form of a curse which can bring misfortune and bodily harm. Young
men from 15 - 30, called Morans (Warriors), are kept away from the Samburu tribes and devote
themselves entirely to defending the cattle and livestock of the tribe and expanding their grazing
ground, keeping them safe from predators, and defending against other pastoral tribes, alone or
more often in specially formed bachelor groups. Nowadays, Samburu people do still practice their
pastoral traditions, but also live in more developed areas, and partake in the safari tour industry, among
other modern jobs. Traditionally, Samburu women are considered caretakers, mothers and the main
body of the community, besides the Elders, who are respected above all others. Unfortunately,
women are mistreated often due to practices that are now considered problematic…
THE ISSUE AT HAND
In Samburu culture, when a woman comes of age, or is close to marriage (two things which can be
disturbingly close, more on that later) , she is circumcised. This is already a debated topic. Many
groups frown upon the practice and it is often called female genital mutilation . For the Samburu
people, who often lack modern medicines, antiseptics and treatments, it can result in infection and
health hazards. This is a practice that is seen very rarely in Indigenous communities, and one that has
attracted a lot of negative attention from local governments and the international community. On top of
this, girls of this tribe can and are married off at very, very early ages, with some marriages occurring
between older men, and girls no older than 10. This has also not been very popular, especially when
the knowledge is made more widely available. Rigid tradition places them in the role of caretakers and
mother before all else. And when younger girls are ready for marriage, the ceremony is more for political,
material and monetary gain, as trading away a girl in marriage can secure all of the above for her family.
Cattle and other resources that are precious commodities in this community are some of the driving
factors behind this child marriage issue. Not to say this isn’t a new issue either, it is the tradition of the
Samburu, and that’s one of the hardest things to swallow. Another note is the pandemic of Covid 19
that has recently swept up the world in turmoil, and the Samburu people, and this issue in particular
has heightened because of it. Girls who no longer go to school are often forced back into households
unfit to accommodate them. The lack of income from safari tourism and increasing pressure from climate
change pushes many of these Samburu families to give away their daughters for food and resources.
“Sometimes we go hungry and can’t find clothes to put on. (Her mother) Started marrying us off, so that she can find money to bring up her other children.”
A quote from a 15 year old Samburu girl interviewed by Stephanie Sinclair and Jeremiah
Kipainoi, new york times journalists
Women in these communities are viewed more often as a resource. Those that have access to schooling
are rare, and they often have reduced access to education, financial resources and employment.
Child marriage is common around the world, sadly, and an estimated 12 million girls are subjected to
child marriage every year, usually arranged. In fact, it is estimated that worldwide there are more than
650 million women who were married off as children. Usually due to culture and circumstance, in the
case of the Samburu. The Government of Kenya, the country where almost all of the Samburu live,
but more specifically, President Uhuru Kenyatte has put out pledges to eradicate child marriage and
FGM (Femae Genital Mutilation) by Q1 2022, but many doubt this may be entirely possible in that
amount of time. Now, this is obviously not Ideal, in a perfect world no child marriage shoud be occuring,
because of Covid, is this process and the push against it erasure of that indigenous groups
culture? Probably not, but it raises some interesting questions.
The Objectives of marriage in the Samburu people is to ensure a bloodline, to carry on a family, and to
ensure a good relationship with other families through the trade of goods and a young bride. The
unintended result, unfortunately, is that in times of desperation, such as during the Pandemic, women
are married off at earlier and earlier ages as their families depend on the resources given by their
better off neighbour's from these marriages, an idea turned sour by poor situations. In a traditional sense,
these marriages are celebrated events that tie the community together. The political significance in
this situation is mostly the relation of the Samburu tribe and the groups outside it, and across the wider
world. These child marriages pin the government against the people, and in the end that leads to more
impoverished conditions. And it's spurred a lot of negativity after it was widely revealed to be an Issue.
But in this situation, is disregarding the practice entirely right? Or is there a better option out there that
preserves the culture? When women and girls undergo this process and are married off, is it only just
the poor conditions to blame? The whole situation can be connected to Canada through a marginalized
bias against indigenous women in Canadian history, and most recently the increasing trend of missing
and murdered indigenous women and girls. Poor conditions, but also an underlying bias link this issue
between the two groups, in a threat towards the Indigenous women and girls of the community.
Thankfully, nonprofit organizations like the Pastoralist Child Foundation, led by Siraria Leadismo, and
the Government of Kenya have made several attacks against child marriage in this setting, through
fundraising initiatives, onsite support and seminars, and classes for government officials, community
leaders and children. In a situation like this, knowledge and information is power.
(A member of the PCF gives a seminar in a North Kenyan classroom)
Bibliography/References
Atlasofhumanity.com. “Kenya, Samburu Tribe.” Atlas Of Humanity, www.atlasofhumanity.com/samburu.
“'These Girls Are Being Cut and Married in Droves'.” The Story INSTITUTE, www.thestoryinstitute.com/samburu.
“A Warrior for Girls' Rights. Interview with Samuel Siriria Leadismo.” Safe World for Women, www.asafeworldforwomen.org/kenya/pcf/pcf-news/4985-warrior-for-girls-rights.html.
Sinclair, Stephanie, and Jeremiah Kipainoi. “'These Girls Are Being Cut and Married in Droves'.”
The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/opinion/kenya-covid-
child-marriage.html.
