The Tribal Right to Protect the Environment

Indian country in the United States can be seen as a venue in which a global movement is taking place, a movement that seeks respect for the rights of indigenous peoples as a matter of international law. International recognition of such rights occurred in September 2007, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration). U.N. document A/61/L.67 (7 Sept. 2007), available at www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf. This event marked the culmination of three decades work by indigenous peoples and their advocates.