Suriname remains the only country in South America that has not recognized collective land rights for its Indigenous Peoples. Photo by Surinjama Photograph (Kaliña Peoples).
September 17, 2024
Part I: Indigenous Peoples in Suriname Join Forces to Demand Access to their Fundamental Human Rights
By Stefanie Lauchman
Leaders of Suriname's Indigenous Peoples convened in August to develop proposals to national authorities that ensure the human rights of Indigenous Peoples while addressing the challenges they are facing.
Suriname’s First National Indigenous Congress, held on August 7th, 2024, gathered representatives of the country’s Indigenous Peoples – Kari’na (Caribs), Lokono (Arawaks), Trio (Tiriyo, Tarëno), and Wayana – to discuss pressing matters that hinder access to their fundamental rights.
“The Congress was born out of distress, literally. We are being marginalized and discriminated against...It is time we have full access to our fundamental human rights,” declared Jupta Itoewaki, chairwoman of the Mulokot Foundation, during her opening speech.
Itoewaki’s statement underscored a critical and longstanding issue: Suriname remains the only country in South America that has not recognized collective land rights for its Indigenous Peoples. Her words cut through the silence of the conference room, clearly resonating as her fellow participants nodded in collective agreement.
In 2015, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a significant ruling, known as the Kaliña and Lokono decision, which ordered the Surinamese government to grant Indigenous Peoples collective land rights over the lands and territories they have traditionally occupied.
Before this ruling, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights had already ruled in 2007 that the Surinamese government must stop awarding logging and mining concessions in the Saamaka People's territory and recognize their land rights.
Although subsequent government authorities have not yet implemented the decision, they have repeatedly granted concessions for mining and logging in the direct territories of Indigenous and Maroon Peoples, leading to large-scale deforestation, contamination of rivers with severe health consequences for the local population, and displacement of local communities resulting from land grabs.
“The fight for collective land rights has been going on for 30 years. As of today, we can conclude that the situation is worsening since the government does not have any respect for us,” said Muriel Fernandes, chair of the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) and village chief of Casipora (Lokono, Suriname). “We will keep on fighting until we get what is rightfully ours.”
The National Indigenous Congress: A Historic Gathering Coinciding with International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2024
Organized by The Mulokot Foundation in collaboration with the Association of Indigenous Village Leaders in Suriname (VIDS) and the Indigenous Collective Suriname (IkSur), the Congress aimed to identify structural challenges and to formulate concrete proposals for policy measures and high-priority actions to ensure the human rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“To this day, decisions that affect our lives and existence are being taken, yet we are not heard or consulted...This Indigenous Congress is extremely important to fight against these human rights violations and for the different Indigenous Peoples of Suriname to come together and reach a consensus regarding pressing matters that affect our daily livelihood, culture, and self-determination,” said Cylene France, Director of the VIDS Office.
The event featured presentations on Self-Determination & Free Prior Informed Consent, Climate Change and Land Rights, and Indigenous Leadership, Development & Economy.
The historic gathering provided a platform for voicing pressing issues and forging actionable goals with a spirit of unity and collaboration.
The outcomes of the National Indigenous Congress would be later presented to the Cabinet of the President and the Parliament of Suriname as an amendment to an earlier resolution by VIDS. The main outcomes included the demand for recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and for historical injustices to be rectified (including the return of their traditional lands and natural resources that are essential for their existence, as well as economic reparations). They also emphasized the unity among the Indigenous Peoples in Suriname.
During the Congress, Itoewaki also highlighted the lack of investment from the government in Indigenous Peoples, further exacerbating the marginalization they face.
“The government's annual budgets speak for themselves. The budgets for the Directorates of Indigenous and Tribal Affairs are the lowest among all other departments across ministries, accounting for less than 0.04% of the national budget, primarily for personnel costs, with nothing allocated for development costs [activities or projects that would directly be implemented in the villages for the development of the community]. When something is done for the interior, it comes from donor projects, not from the national budget. There is never any money for the interior, whether for education, healthcare, telecommunications, and so forth. Yet, there is money for various other projects.”
Representatives of the Saamaka, Okanisi & Kwinti Maroon Peoples were also present at the Congress as observers. They were invited due to the shared struggles with Indigenous Peoples regarding their fundamental human rights being repeatedly violated.
More About Nia Tero
The Mulokot Foundation and VIDS are Nia Tero's partners in Suriname. Nia Tero is committed to working alongside Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon to strengthen, amplify, and maintain guardianship of their collective territories.
Through long-term partnerships, Nia Tero supports 69 million hectares of thriving forest landscapes, and 36 Indigenous organizations and their trusted allies in Amazonia to exercise their territorial rights while bolstering governance of their communities and asserting their own visions of well-being.