This research guide is designed to provide a foundation for researching indigenous international law by covering the definition of “indigenous peoples”, a brief history, key terms and issues, regional and international organizations including the United Nations, international documentation such as treaties, selected books and articles, online sources, and research guides.

IWGIA is an independent international membership organization staffed by specialists and advisers on indigenous affairs. IWGIA’s aims and activities include support for indigenous peoples’ struggle for human rights, self-determination, right to territory, control of land and resources, cultural integrity, and the right to development.

Consists of information about the work of the United Nations concering indigenous peoples. Also contains links to UN documents on indigenous peoples.

Provides links to international human rights documents and materials--many concerning indigenous rights. Particularly good for providing info re: regional entities and documentation. In English, Russian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese.

The International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, being celebrated between 1995-2004, has brought with it advances such as the establishment of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The theme for the Decade is ‘indigenous people partnership in action’. The main objective is the strengthening of international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, education and health. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people may also examine these issues. The UN, its partners and indigenous peoples have developed a program of work that sets standards in regards to indigenous peoples and their rights. An equally important process has been to review developments regularly. The Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) has attended to both these activities since 1982. Includes a link to the draft declaration on "The Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”

Survival International is a worldwide organization supporting tribal peoples. It stands for their right to decide their own future and helps them protect their lives, lands, and human rights. This web site is available in a number of languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, German, Dutch, etc.).

This is a revision of a document prepared for presentation at the 1992 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries. It may be reproduced for non-profit educational use if this notice appears on the reproduction.

The Indigenous Environmental Network is an alliance of grassroots indigenous peoples whose mission is to protect the sacredness of Mother Earth from contamination and exploitation by strengthening, maintaining, and respecting the traditional teachings and the natural laws.

Excellent collection of documents from the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples, and the Working Group of Indigenous Populations.

The Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) is an independent, non-profit [U.S. 501(c)(3)] research and education organization dedicated to wider understanding and appreciation of the ideas and knowledge of indigenous peoples and the social, economic and political realities of indigenous nations. Contains World Council of Indigenous Peoples resolutions and papers.

The Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC) is affiliated with the Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS) at the University of Texas at Austin. LANIC has received funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts. LANIC is a key component of the International Information Systems, also based at UT Austin. LANIC’s mission is to facilitate access to Internet-based information to, from, or on Latin America.