
                  T h e   C e n t e r   F o r   W o r l d
                    I n d i g e n o u s   S t u d i e s

             Advancing Cooperation and Consent Between Nations 
   
   The Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) is an American Indian 
   controlled, 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. The 
   Center fosters better understanding between peoples through the 
   publication and distribution of literature written and voiced by 
   leading contributors from Fourth World nations. An important goal of 
   CWIS is to establish cooperation between nations and to democratize 
   relations between nations and between nations and states.  

   Rudolph C. Ryser (a member of the Cowlitz Tribe) and Chief George 
   Manuel (1929-1989) of the Shuswap Nation founded CWIS as an 
   independent organization in the Spring of 1984. Indian leaders (in the 
   United States) expressing joint policy from the Conference of Tribal 
   Governments called in 1979 for the establishment of a documents and 
   research center that would advance Indian rights and strengthen Indian 
   governments. In 1983 the World Council of Indigenous Peoples called 
   for a similar center that would directly benefit indigenous peoples 
   throughout the world with the best thinking available. It is in 
   response to these appeals that the Center for World Indigenous Studies 
   was formed. Concerned with the advancement of ideas for solving 
   social, economic and political problems in the Fourth World, the 
   Center for World Indigenous Studies links voluntary contributors 
   world-wide and conducts original research, education, symposia, 
   workshops and conferences benefiting constructive relations between 
   nations, and between nations and states.  

   The Center serves as a clearinghouse of ideas between nations and 
   between nations and states governments. CWIS receives documents, 
   publications and undocumented information from throughout the world. 
   These materials are carefully archived. Organizations, governments, 
   and individuals frequently ask CWIS to provide information from Fourth 
   World nations or about nations. We gather and store information and 
   make it available. We also promote direct interchange of information 
   through "people exchanges," encouraging direct visits between people 
   in their territories, through workshops, symposia, conferences and the 
   internationally  accessible, computerized Fourth World Documentation 
   Project through the Internet. 
   
   THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE GUIDING CWIS IS: 
   
   Access to knowledge and peoples' ideas reduces the possibility of 
   conflict and increases the possibility of cooperation between peoples 
   on the basis of mutual consent. By democratizing relations between 
   peoples, between nations and states, the diversity of nations and 
   their cultures will continue to enrich the world.  


                     CENTER ACTIVITIES IN THE '9Os 
                     
   ELABORATING POLICY 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   INTERNATIONAL LAW: Drawing on more than fifteen years of discussions 
   between indigenous nations' leaders and between representatives at the 
   United Nations, CWIS produced a new draft international law. THE 
   INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS NATIONS was drafted 
   by CWIS board chairman, Rudolph Ryser in 1994 and presented for review 
   to indigenous leaders at Session Twelve of the United Nations Working 
   Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva, Switzerland where the 
   necessary approval for putting the new law before indigenous 
   governments world-wide for their ratification was secured.  

   
   NATION AND STATE COMMUNICATIONS 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
   RUSSIA: The Center played an active role in the development of 
   constructive and cooperative policies between the Government of the 
   Russian Federation and the more than sixty-five nations within the 
   federation. CWIS worked in collaboration with other non-governmental 
   organizations beginning in 1992 to organize and convene the Moscow 
   Conference on Indigenous Peoples in the Fall of 1993. States' 
   government representatives, nations' government representatives and 
   international organizations participated. 
   
   CANADA: The Center provided research and information to the Royal 
   Commission on Indian Self-Government, contributing to the formulation 
   of a mutually acceptable basis for political relations between Indian 
   nations and the government of Canada. 
   
   UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The Center's work contributed to the 
   development of the United States government's policy of government-to-
   government relations with Indian nations and the formulation of a 
   framework for negotiating bi-lateral Compacts on Self-Governance in 
   1990. These Compacts have become a focus of interest for the United 
   Nations Study on Treaties and other Cooperative Arrangements between 
   Indigenous Peoples and States' Governments. The Center is an active 
   contributor to the United Nations Study. 
   
   NICARAGUA: The Center worked with the leaders of Yapti Tasbia (Miskito 
   territory) and the government of Nicaragua to establish the Miskito 
   Coast Protested Area, a 5000 square mile region established as an 
   environmentally protected zone under the management of 26 Miskito 
   villages.  

   
   RESEARCH 
   ~~~~~~~~
   RIGHT-WING AND ANTI-INDIAN NETWORKS PROJECT (RWAIN) was organized to 
   study the phenomenon of population displacement by non-tribal members 
   experienced by Indian nations in the United States of America The 
   study is coordinated by Rudolph Ryser and conducted in cooperation 
   with Indian Tribes, local organizations, the Western States Center and 
   the Center for Democratic Renewal. Initial products of this research 
   included an analytical paper released in 1987 and a major publication 
   entitled ANTI-INDIAN MOVEMENT ON THE TRIBAL FRONTIER (1992). In 1994, 
   planning began for the production of a television documentary based on 
   the ongoing results of RWAIN research.  

   THE FOURTH WORLD ATLAS PROJECT is a continuing research effort 
   coordinated by Dr. Richard A. Griggs. The effort focuses on the 
   documentation of social, economic, political and territorial 
   characteristics of the worlds' surviving original nations. In 
   cooperation with researchers in the Department of Geography at the 
   University of California - Berkeley, the Department of Sociology and 
   Anthropology at the University of Queensland, the Department of 
   Geography at Capetown University in South Africa and contributors from 
   individual nations, CWIS is building a detailed database and maps 
   depicting Fourth World nations.  
   
   
   SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   SYMPOSIA: The establishment of self-government by nations served as 
   the subject of a Symposium on Indian Self-Government sponsored by the 
   Center in cooperation with the Evergreen State College, the Fourth 
   World Center for the Study of Politics at the University of Colorado-
   Denver and the Quinault, S'Klallam (Jamestown), and Lummi nations in 
   1988. This symposium resulted in the publication of a book entitled, 
   Indian Self-Government (1989) and extensive use in Indian communities, 
   colleges and universities and government during the 1990s.  

   WORKSHOPS: A series of community self-determination workshops in 
   collaboration with MIKUPIA in Miskito villages in Yapti Tasbia 
   (Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua), and in San Jose, Costa Rica aimed at 
   developing community organization skills of key community leaders.  

   FOURTH WORLD COMMUNITY SELF-DETERMINATION INSTITUTES are being planned 
   in collaboration with the OPM of West Papua (Indonesia), MIKUPIA of 
   Yapti Tasbia (Nicaragua), Jumma of Chittagong Hill Tracts 
   (Bangladesh), and the Tatars of Crimea (Russian Federation). These 
   Institutes are anticipated to begin in the late 1990s  

   
   DOCUMENTATION 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   THE FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT was organized by CWIS in 1992 
   with the intent of making available to tribal governments, researchers 
   and organizations with an interest in the Fourth World, many of the 
   Center's documents and resources.  The FWDP gathers documents from 
   nations and organizations around the world and processes them into 
   electronic text for distribution on the Internet and other computer 
   networks.  These documents form an electronic archive of voices from 
   the Fourth World.  The FWDP archives may be accessed via: 

          WWW at http://www.halcyon.com/FWDP/fwdp.html
          Gopher at fir.cic.net (1. Politics, 2. Fourth.World)
          FTP at ftp.halcyon.com in the /pub/FWDP directory
          BBS at The Quarto Mundista BBS, Fido Net 1:352/333
              360-786-9629 300-28.8 baud 8N1

   
                           BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
   
   Members of the Board of Directors and members of the Founding Advisory 
   Board reflect the diversity of the world's peoples, and their 
   cultures.  

   They are leaders of nations' governments, community activists, 
   academics, artists, and spiritual leaders actively contributing to the 
   survival and development of the original nations of the world.  

   BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   * Rudolph C. Ryser, Chairman (Cowlitz Indian Tribe)
   * John H. Burrows III, Executive Director
   * Dr. Kenneth Benshoof, Secretary
   * Joseph W. Ryan, Treasurer
   * Russell Jim (Yakima Indian Nation)
   * Ralph Eluska (Aleute)

   FOUNDING ADVISORY BOARD
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   * Apesanakhwat (Minominee Nation)
   * Prof. Carol J. Minugh (Gros Ventre Nation)
   * Dr. Bernard Q. Nietschmann (U.C. - Berkeley)
   * Sharon H. Eluska (Navajo Nation)
   * Lars Anders-Baer (Nordic Sammi Council) Sweden
   * Jacob Marule (Shoa) Southern Africa
   * Yann Celene-Uregei (Kanak) Kanakia (New Caledonia)
   * Joseph Tallakson (Sense, Inc.)
   * Dr. John H. Bodley (Washington State University)
   * Rosalee Tizya (Vandu Kutchin Nation) Chief George Manuel Chair 
     for Fourth World Politics


                           PUBLICATIONS 

   INDIAN SELF-GOVERNMENT: PERSPECTIVES ON THE POLITICAL STATUS OF INDIAN 
   NATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [Edited by Carol Minugh, Glenn 
   Morris, Rudolph Ryser], (1989)  

   INDIAN WAR AND PEACE IN NICARAGUA [Edited by Eleanor Menzies] (1985)  

   FOURTH WORLD JOURNAL - Periodical of essays, articles and commentaries 
   by leading contributors about Fourth World nations.  

   OCCASIONAL PAPERS [sample list] 

   The Interdependence of Biological and Cultural Diversity (1992)
   The meaning of 'Nation' and 'State' in the Fourth World (1992)
   Anti-Indian Movement on the Tribal Frontier (1991, 1992)
   Fourth World Nation's Reality in Canada (1990)  
   Europe's Fourth World Nations in a 'Common European Home' (1990)  
   The Rules of War and Fourth World Nations (1985) 
   Horrors of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (1985)  

                 F O R   M O R E   I N F O R M A T I O N

      Publication Catalogue and all future updates are available via 
   anonymous FTP at ftp.halcyon.com.  FTP /pub/FWDP/CWIS/cwis-cat.zip
        or send a request to jburrows@halcyon.com and one will be
                         sent to you via e-mail.

                               OR WRITE TO

                   Center For World Indigenous Studies
                              P.O. Box 2574
                     Olympia, Washington  98507-2574
                                   USA
                             FAX 360-956-1087

   The following is the PGP 2.6 public key block for the Center for World
   Indigenous Studies.  You may use this key to send secure e-mail to
   CWIS.

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