The Crimean Tatar Resource Center continues a series of publications of statements by experts of the international online discussion “International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples as an instrument for protection of the rights of indigenous peoples”, which was previously held by the CTRC. For your attention the theses of Mr. Damon Gerard Corrie, Heir to the Hereditary Chieftaincy of the Eagle Clan of the Lokono-Arawak Tribal Nation, of North Eastern Amazonia, South America.
Firstly, I wish to thank my Crimean Tatar brothers who invited me to participate in this event with all of you here today, but before I end by talking about the Covid Pandemic, I will begin by talking about something more painful to my heart, I am talking about the ongoing worst International War crime of the 21st century in Europe, the illegal Russian military invasion and annexation of Crimea.
The first Crimean Tatar I ever met, was at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at United Nations headquarters in New York City, USA.
He was one of your leaders, and I do not wish to mention his name here today, but this gentleman and I became close brother-friends and allies – in the struggle for International Justice for the world's indigenous peoples, not only his Crimean Tatar people, or my Lokono-Arawak People, but ALL the indigenous peoples of the world who are forced to endure and attempt to navigate and survive the many perils of illegal military, colonial, and Neo-colonial occupations of our indigenous lands and territories.
Sadly, even in this 21st century, which was supposed to usher in an era of enlightenment in the sea of humanity….a much and vainly anticipated time when we will respect each others rights, differences, and dignity – as fellow human beings, who are sharing this mother Earth together in equity and harmony.
Unfortunately, this is YET to happen, and instead – the world watched in horror as military brute force was unleashed on the Crimean Peninsula, with a Soviet style and thinly disguised military invasion on 27th February 2014, a day of Infamy the world shall never forget.
However, apart from profuse verbal expressions of moral outrage and righteous indignation over this atrocity and gross violation of International Laws and Conventions by Russia…what did the rest of the free and 'law abiding' world do? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE…..and the illegal status quo remains.
I am proud that I was one of the first indigenous journalists for LRI in the Western Hemisphere to write news articles about the Russian oppression of the Crimean Tatars – along with my Taino sister Tai Pelli, but as an Indigenous leader as well, this brazen crime against the conscience of humanity has also taught me that International Laws and Conventions are powerless when violated by powerful countries – unless they are championed by OTHER powerful Political Nation states such as a Superpower, and I expected the USA to do more to champion democracy and the rule of law for the oppressed people of Crimea – as the USA constantly claims to be doing around the rest of the world…just not here it seems.
Without this counterbalance on the Geo-political world stage, belligerent countries like Russia can still act with martial savagery and impunity whenever they wish.
So tell me…has anything really changed since the rule of Joseph Stalin? Or the reign of the Tsarist Russian Empire? I see little evidence of any fundamental change of attitudes of Russian militarism, ultra nationalism, and Imperialism, and the world is no safer now for indigenous peoples than it was 300 years ago.
Nevertheless, my dear fellow indigenous brothers and sisters, we must remain collectively strong, united, and ever optimistic that our struggles for JUSTICE will eventually defeat INJUSTICE , and I urge us all to remember that it is WE who must help this beautiful baby of the United Nations – that we call UNDRIP (the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) – to be nurtured and grow in strength and maturity, by IMPLEMENTING it on the ground in all our territories – and in our daily lives.
For unless and until we do so, this wonderful instrument and minimum standard of International customary Law, will remain but an infant – to be coddled and admired by everyone, but having no strength or influence over anyone….for a book of wisdom left unread on a shelf – only gathers dust, but a book of wisdom read to a community comes alive and plants itself like a seed in the consciousness of all who hear its sage sayings.
Then those wise thoughts become a road map to a better future via its spoken words, and those spoken words then become physical actions, and those physical actions lay a foundation for a new social order…and ONLY then, does the positive changes we want to see in human societies everywhere – arise like a mighty fortress in the hearts and minds of men.
Study and memorise the Declaration with religious fervor, learn every article by heart, cite every relevant article in every action you take, and for OUR own sake – begin to implement and DO – everything it states that we as Indigenous peoples have a right to do!
For only in this way, will we see ultimate victory in our pan-global indigenous, multi-generational and sacred struggle for Universal Justice on the Earth…for ALL the brothers and sisters of this human family – and children of the one God who is over us all.
Finally, my brothers and sisters, we now face a new enemy, more terrible than the others, for it is invisible, and it shows no mercy to the elderly, nor the suckling babe, it is taking the lives of our peoples everywhere with a mercilessness and pervasiveness that we have not seen in living memory. COVID-19 – is now the greatest single present day threat to not just Indigenous peoples – but ALL peoples all over the world.
We must face this crisis as we always do, with fearlessness and determination to conquer this new enemy, potential solutions are within us, in small ways and great, we only need to focus our minds on solutions and I have confidence that we will find them.
In the case of my own people, within 2 weeks of the Pandemic being declared internationally, my people had created our own organic hand sanitizer using plants that exist in our country, and the formula I helped to create is not only fully effective at killing the COVID-19 Virus on the surface of your skin, it is also very soothing dermatologically, leaving your hands feeling clean, smooth and refreshed, unlike the harshness of pure alcohol so cheap and readily available, and this was entirely created from nothing purely than our own minds and our focus to offer solutions, and not merely remain on the victim side of the Pandemic. It is not a cure for COVID, but it is one more tool in the arsenal we can use in the war to survive the COVID-19 Pandemic, and I have been invited to visit and teach other indigenous communities to create the same kinds of grass roots indigenous products in their own lands and territories, because we were the first ones in the Americas to offer this product on a commercial scale.
With that, I thank you again for this opportunity to open my heart to you once more, and I now yield back my time.