As a result of a fruitful collaboration, The New School and IPRI presented, as a side event to the 15th session of the EMRIP, a study on the incarceration of indigenous people covering the USA, Canada, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Tanzania.
Mark Johnson, the professor in charge of the project for The New School, considered that collaboration with IPRI “has given us more understanding and interest in Indigenous Peoples issues and rights”. The academic exposed the lack of quality data and the fear of speaking out that they found in many people as a challenge for the research.
Professor Johnson explained that is very important as a program on international affairs to have partnerships with Indigenous Peoples because they are on the frontline of global problems: racism, human rights, climate change, and land grabs by corporations and governments.
For her part, Joan Carling, Executive Director of IPRI, said that IPRI wants to develop more targeted advocacy plans, particularly addressing the need for access to justice which is one of IPRI’s priorities, as well as support to the victims.
Molly Simpson, the researcher on the USA case, stated that Native Americans are the unseen victims of a cripplingly broken justice system. She found an over-representation of Native Americans in the prison population, particularly youth and women; and that Indigenous Human rights and land defenders are often incarcerated for protecting their territories. “The measures in place to combat this injustice are insufficient, under-resourced, and underfunded”, concluded Ms. Simpson.
Lucas Gioiosa, the student developing the study on Tanzania, pointed out that Indigenousness is a recent concept that is not recognized by the government. In Tanzania, the incarceration of indigenous people has implications for community life, and the lack of access to justice is a constant. Indigenous Peoples are evicted from their lands for “conservation” and tourism, and they are also punished by burning their homes, and suffering beatings, rapes, and violence. Access to justice and to media access is needed because Indigenous Peoples are presented as criminals. A better connection is needed so their stories can come to a global level.
As a special panelist, Antine Sonde, a researcher from the indigenous nomadic peoples of Burkina Faso, informed that in their region they are touched by security matters: violence from terrorism and from the State, as well as land and cattle grabbing. They are frequent victims of arbitrary detentions. Incarceration has become very common, and very difficult to document; people risk their freedom or their lives if speaking about this situation or defending themselves.
Indonesia has one of the highest rates of killed and murdered land defenders, especially in West Papua, highlighted Sandra Creamer. It is difficult to find statistics on police brutality or incarceration when it comes to Indigenous Peoples; land defenders are disappeared. Ms. Creamer said that Indigenous Peoples are accused of crimes even when they are taking care of the world for the next generations.
Joan Carling pointed out that the issue of incarceration is a very serious problem that needs concerted efforts, especially since is very much tied to existing systems of racism and discrimination, as well as to the lack of justice. While thanking for the efforts, she explained that “IPRI is committed to looking into this issue; this is why we partnered with The New School and these committed students and teachers”.
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