CWIS Info-Sheet with PGP Public Key
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 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. 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 international relations between
nations and between nations and states. Rudolph C. Ryser (a
member of the Cowlitz Tribe and Chief George Manuel of the
Shuswap Nation founded CWIS as an independent organization in the
Spring of 1984 in response to calls by the Conference of Tribal
Governments in the United States and the World Council of
Indigenous Peoples for a documents center. 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, conflict resolution symposia and
conferences benefiting constructive relations between nations,
and 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 exchanges of information through people exchanges,
encouraging direct visits between people in their territories,
through workshops, symposia, conferences and an internationally
accessible computerized Fourth World Documentation Project on the
World Wide Web accessed 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 '90s
ELABORATING POLICY
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INTERNATIONAL LAW: The Center for World Indigenous Studies has
long advocated that the world's nations must resume direct and
active role as the source of international rules of conduct.
Over the last two hundred years, states' governments have slowly
taken the primary responsibility for formulating and instituting
international law. During the same time, nations were pushed to
the back bench. In 1994, with CWIS playing the leading role as
the agency responsible for drafting the document, the world's
nations formulated the first modern international law called the
INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS NATIONS. This
law is currently under consideration for ratification by nations
around the world.
HEALTH POLICY: Under the leadership of Dr. Leslie Korn, the
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE PROJECT seeks to increase understanding of
the role women and traditional medicine play in the
strengthening, stabilization and nurturing of human society. The
Working Group elaborates policy recommendations in support of
this goal to national, state and international decision making
bodies.
PUBLIC DELIBERATIONS: The WORLD CONGRESS ON VIOLENCE AND HUMAN
COEXISTENCE will convene at University College Dublin in Ireland
17 - 21 August 1997 under the sponsorship of the International
Association for Scientific Exchange on Violence and Human
Coexistence (ASEVICO) in collaboration with the Center for World
Indigenous Studies. This important Congress will provide an
interdisciplinary, multicultural forum for expression, research,
exchange, and problem-solving on the conditions required for the
fullness of human coexistence and a deeper understanding of the
eruptions of violence in human life and history.
Planning of the FOURTH WORLD CONGRESS ON APPROPRIATE ENERGY
RESOURCES is underway to bring representatives of Fourth World
nations and of First, Second and Third World states into an
international Congress to discuss and deliberate on the future
use of energy to diminish adverse demands on the Earth's limited
resources, the preservation and protection of traditional foods
and medicines, and to formulate an agreement on the appropriate
disposal of nuclear, chemical and biological waste.
THE POLITICS OF LAND AND BIGOTRY conference was convened by CWIS
on March 8, 1996 in Seattle, USA. This conference joined public
policy activists and representatives of Indian nations in a
dialogue about the portentous movements in America intent on
promoting interracial discord, extremist claims on lands and
natural resources, and a growing politics of fear. Conferees
formulated proposals for constructive land and environmental
policies promoting a balance between human need and nature's
ability to replenish. A second session of the Conference is
proposed to convene in late 1996.
RESEARCH
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SELF-GOVERNMENT PROCESS EVALUATION PROJECT (SPEP) was
commissioned by the Lummi Nation Education and Communication
Project to evaluate the negotiation and implementation of
Compacts of Self-Government between thirty-three Indian
governments and the government of the United States. This eight
month Study examined documents and communications by affected
Indian Governments and the United States. CWIS published a final
report of the project entitled SELF-GOVERNMENT PROCESS EVALUATION
- FINAL REPORT in 1996. Research in this specialized area is
expected to become an ongoing focus of CWIS work
RIGHT WING AND ANTI-INDIAN NETWORK PROJECT (RWAIN) was originally
sponsored by CWIS beginning in 1986. The Center conducts this
on-going project to study the phenomenon of population
displacement by non-tribal members experienced by Indian nations
in the United States. The study is conducted in cooperation with
Indian Tribes, local organizations, the Western States Center and
the Center for Democratic Renewal. While the project continues
to examine and update data for events in the United States of
America, a new phase begins with a focus on Canada in 1996.
THE FOURTH WORLD ATLAS PROJECT is a continuing research effort
coordinated by Dr. Richard A. Griggs. The project focuses on the
documentation of the 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 and the Department of
Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Queensland, and
contributors of individual nations, CWIS is building a detailed
database and maps depicting Fourth World Nations.
THE NEW-AGE INDIANS STUDY is a continuing research effort
coordinated by Rosalee Tizya, Chief George Manuel Chair for
Fourth World Politics. This study examines the abuse and misuse
of ceremony and ritual by non-tribal native people who have not
been properly trained by spiritual leaders. The study focuses
primarily on Canada.
THE FOURTH WORLD COMMUNITY TRAUMA STUDY is a ten-year study
initiated by CWIS as a priority beginning in 1996. The Study is
an applied research project focusing on the evaluation and
treatment of native communities which have suffered traumatic
stress due to sustained experiences with violence, torture,
displacement, and attempted genocide. The Study focuses on
traumatized populations which have experienced "historical
violence" and those populations that have experienced violence in
the modern era.
EDUCATION
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FOURTH WORLD INSTITUTE: Beginning in 1996 CWIS established the
Fourth World Institute that includes a Graduate School and a
Division of Continuing Education. The Institute offers learners
(expected to begin in the Fall of 1996) an opportunity to earn
graduate degrees in Fourth World Geopolitics, Indian Affairs and
Traditional Healing Arts and Sciences. Under the Division of
Continuing Education individuals seeking to improve their skills
in the governments of Fourth World nations are offered intensive
training in "Self-Government Workshops for Nations." Individuals
seeking to improve their skills and understanding of Fourth World
nations and relations between nations and states in are invited
to participate in "Fourth World Geopolitics for States'
Governments Seminars." Graduate learners participate in a
"remote learning" program augmented by participation in Institute
sponsored seminars presented at different venues. All learners
are connected to each other and Institute Faculty via the
seminars and the Internet. Continuing Education learners
participate in five-day workshops located at convenient venues.
CWIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: Exceptional individuals interested in a
stimulating experience working with CWIS programs, participating
in CWIS research or conducting independent study writing for CWIS
journals are invited to apply for an internship. Activists and
academics participate in this program on-site in Olympia,
virtually (via the Internet) or on a remote campus (where a
cooperative arrangement has been established. Most interns are
"virtual interns" located throughout the world.
DOCUMENTATION AND PUBLICATIONS
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FOURTH WORLD DOCUMENTATION PROJECT: The Fourth World
Documentation Project (FWDP) was organized by CWIS in 1992 under
the direction of John H. Burrows. Its mission is to document and
make available to tribal governments, researchers and
organizations, important documents relating to the social,
political, strategic, economic and human rights situations being
faced by Fourth World nations. The Documentation Project is an
historical archive of the political struggles waged by indigenous
peoples reclaiming their rights as sovereign nations. As one of
the first documents archives on the Internet's World Wide Web,
the Fourth World Documentation Project on-line archive contains
full text documents from nations in the Americas, Africa, Europe,
Asia, Melanesia and the Pacific. The FWDP is an award winning
resource vital to the needs of tribal officials, researchers,
academics, activists or any one interested in the status of the
world's original nations. 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
FOURTH WORLD BOOKSTORE: In the Spring of 1996 CWIS opened the
on-line Fourth World Bookstore available to users of the
Internet's World Wide Web. CWIS publications, videos, audio
tapes, and calendars are available for purchase directly. On-line
publications like the Fourth World Journal and eventually
Occasional Papers are also featured for subscribers.
FOURTH WORLD JOURNAL: The first on-line journal (World Wide Web)
dedicated to the advancement of ideas and knowledge from the
perspective of indigenous peoplesÄthe world's more than six
thousand nations. This is the quarterly publication of the
Center for World Indigenous Studies.
DAYKEEPER PRESS: Books, and Occasional Papers written by
activists, scholars and cultural leaders from the Fourth World
perspective. Multi-Media offerings for the Internet and users of
compact disks are coming.
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
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* Rudolph C. Ryser, Ph.D., 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
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* 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
F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N
If you would like more information on CWIS or would like to
inquire about any of our programs, please contact
John Burrows, Executive Director .
OR WRITE TO
Center For World Indigenous Studies
1001 Cooper Point Road SW
Suite 140-214
Olympia, WA 98502 U.S.A.