7th Annual International Day of the World's Indigenous People

The United Nations hosted the 7th annual International Day of the World's Indigenous People at UN Headquaters in New York City on August 9 and 10, 2001.
ISF Director General Yoshimi Umeda, accompanied by ISF New York Center staff, participated in the two days of celebration and discussions. At the opening ceremony, messages from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Mrs. Mary Robinson, High Commission for Human Rights, were read. Prominent Native American Chief Dr. Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota Nation conducted a traditional Sacred Pipe Ceremony, followed by performances of songs, dances and ceremonial blessings. After the ceremony, more than 300 people in colorful tribal clothing enjoyed a luncheon hosted by ISF at the Church Center for the United Nations. At lunch, event organizers expressed their appreciation to Mr. Umeda for ISF's generous support.

The afternoon session started with statements made by international organizations, indigenous groups and individuals based on this year's theme "Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues." The Permanent Forum is an adversary body to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues relating to ECOSOC's concerns. The Permanent Forum will be comprised of 16 independent experts and the first meeting will be held in New York in May 2002. During the session, ISF Director General Yoshimi Umeda made a statement supporting the establishment of the Permanent Forum, stressing the Forum's important role in voicing indigenous peoples' concerns, and in introducing the knowledge and wisdom of the world's indigenous peoples to the international political arena. The audience warmly accepted his statement.

On the second day, participants divided into four different working groups to discuss indigenous issues and come up with recommendations to the Permanent Forum. Four topics of concentration are: 1.Culture, Education and Information, 2.Health, 3.Human Rights and 4.Environment and Development. The discussion went in depth as the participants focused on each issue. Mr. Yoshimi Umeda expressed the important role played by indigenous faith traditions through their rituals and healings connected with nature and inherited over generations, which should be well preserved and continued to be practiced. Then he called attention to the issue of indigenous faith traditions as one of the values that can contribute to the creation of a world culture of peace.

Overall, the Indigenous Day was successful in that the participants went home with prospects of the Permanent Forum providing a strong voice for concerns of the world's Indigenous Peoples.

New York, August 2001