U.N. Discourses on Indigenous Religion

Abstract

Several scholars have commented on the ‘spiritual tone’ of u.n. discourses on indigenous peoples, but mostly in passing and never – to my knowledge – as a main focus. An attempt to address this gap and discuss in more detail u.n. discourses on indigenous religion, this chapter is concerned with references to religion and cognates, and with extent, patterns and usage. Anything resembling a complete account is ruled out by the size of the material, but digital availability allows for a survey of targeted concepts in central publications, substantial enough for an analysis of the main (spiritual) concerns: how is the term ‘indigenous religion’ used at this top-level of global governance? Are ‘indigenous people’ spoken of in religious terms, and – if so – to what extent, in which contexts and for which reasons?<p>

<p>I will start with a brief discussion of methods and material, followed by a tentative overview of the religious wording in three prominent texts: the <i>Martinez Cobo Study</i> (launched in 1972 and completed in 1986); the ilo Convention 169 (1989); and the United Nations’ <i>Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples</i> (2007). In the second part of the chapter, I will dig deeper, on more delimited grounds, using as my point of departure <i>State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples</i>, a report issued by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2009, as part of their awareness-raising and agenda-setting programmes. Although not a discourse analysis in the strictest sense of the term, I will draw selectively on tools and perspectives from Norman Fairclough (2003) and others, most explicitly in regard to notions of <i>vocabularies</i> and <i>interpretative repertoires</i>; connected words or word-clusters that constitute both frames and resources for thinking and talking about indigenous peoples.