In recent weeks the Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA) has hosted an impromptu series of round-table discussions on indigenous and minority rights that featured two guest lecturers from the Mohawk and Pit River/Paiute peoples of North America. These events generated open interest among all participants to learn more about the indigenous peoples of North America and to compare (and contrast) their history and present situation with that of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel in order to identify common experiences and possible lessons that we can learn from their struggles, that might help us to protect the human rights of our own community.

On June 15, 2004, Brian Rice visited the HRA office and gave a lecture on the history of North America’s aboriginal people. Rice is a professor at the University of Winnipeg and a Mohawk, a member of the Six Nations indigenous to the area around the Mohawk Valley. His lecture touched on the concepts of “God’s Chosen People,” “Terra Nullius,” expansionism, legislation/treaties, land issues, reservations, and cultural uprooting, many of which have counterparts in Israeli policies towards the Palestinian minority. This event was attended by HRA staff and board members, representatives of local NGOs, and interested members of the community.

The historical background provided by Rice was then complemented by a round-table discussion on minority rights and education held at the HRA on June 21, 2004. This session was initiated by the United States Embassy and included the President of the National Indian Education Association, Cindy La Marr, as a special guest. La Marr is a member of the Pit River and Paiute tribes whose ancestral land is located in northern California, and she is also the director of a non-profit called Capitol Area Indian Resources, Inc. La Marr came to Nazareth interested in learning about the situation of the Palestinian Arab minority in Israel, and once again parallels between the American indigenous peoples and the Palestinians were discussed such as the corresponding phenomena of unrecognized tribes in the US and unrecognized villages in Israel, particularly those in the Naqab (Negev), which both lack basic services including water and electricity.

The round-table discussion with La Marr was attended by members of the HRA and other NGOs as well as educators who are participating in the HRA’s Human and Civil Rights Education Programme. The HRA plans to make exchanges of this kind a regular part of its efforts to inform the international community about the status of minority rights in Israel and at the same time to learn about the experiences of other minorities and to incorporate that knowledge into the HRA’s community education programs. The HRA recognizes the need to join our work with members of other indigenous minorities and will continue to explore possibilities for future cooperation with individuals and organizations that advocate minority and indigenous rights.

For further information, please contact us directly:

Muhammad Zeidan, Director
Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA)

PO Box 215, Nazareth 16101, Israel
telephone: +972 (0)4 6561923
fax: +972 (0)4 6564934
email: mzeidan@arabhra.org; hra1@arabhra.org