From the POPs INC2, Treaty Negotiations, Nairobi, Kenya for the second round of negotiations of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2), January 1999

On behalf of the Indigenous Environmental Network, we thank the government of Kenya, the Chair, and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Secretariat for hosting this INC2. The Indigenous Environmental Network is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) based in the aboriginal territories of North America, otherwise known as the United States. The Indigenous Environmental Network is a member of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN).

The Indigenous Environmental Network has affiliation of over 200 Indigenous organizations, traditional societies and tribal sovereign governments from throughout United States and Canada, as well as, Indigenous associations in Mexico, Central and South America. Collectively, our affiliations comprise over < million Indigenous Peoples throughout the Americas. What I want to do now, is make general remarks on the INC2 conference.

During the past two years, our organization has directly consulted with approximately 1,500 Indigenous Peoples on the serious issue of the impact of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) upon our communities - our villages - our environment.

We are discovering that our Indigenous Peoples from the farming villages of the south - to the villages of the Arctic north are being disproportionately impacted from POPs contamination. Our Indigenous Peoples are at higher risk to POPs exposure due to our land-based and subsistence cultures.

Within the Great Lakes water basin that includes the political transboundaries of the United States and Canada, there have been marked increases in cancer, birth defects, diabetes, and immunological based disorders (e.g. allergies and asthma). Indigenous Peoples within the Great Lakes have reported residues of certain chemical contaminants in their tissue. Residues of these chemicals, such as PCBs, DDT, and dioxin are stockpiled in the blood, fat, and mothers breast milk of our Indigenous women - who are the first environment of our Peoples. POPs remain stockpiled in the sedimentation of riverbeds, on the land and bodies of our habitat, often without adequate remediation.

In Sonera, Mexico, high levels of multiple pesticides were found in the cord blood of newborns and in breast milk of the Indigenous Yaqui farmers.

Mr. Chair, I wish I could provide a more positive intervention, however, the state of affairs concerning POPs and its impact to Indigenous Peoples is not encouraging.

In addition to the recognition of human health impacts of POPs exposure within Indigenous populations, UNEP must evaluate the cumulative impact of POPs exposures that consider socio-economic, cultural, religious and other factors.

Persistent organic pollutants affects the traditional cultural and religious practices of Indigenous Peoples throughout the world. The continued production, release, and use of

POPs affect our right to maintain a sustainable and subsistence way of life. POPs chemicals affects our right to fish, to hunt, and to gather within environments that are clean. In many areas of North America we do not have access to chemical free plants that we use for healing our families. We have women basketweavers that are contaminated from persistent toxic substances. This situation reflects Indigenous Peoples issues throughout the world.

National and international policies that prevent Indigenous Peoples from practicing their cultural and religious rights become a religious intolerance that violates basic principles of human rights. Fundamental human rights demand the right for all people throughout the world to live in a safe and healthy environment free from disproportionate toxic burdens and discriminatory treatment. Yes, this is a life and death situation - but not only for Indigenous Peoples - but all people, all races, all nationalities and the biodiversity of the planet.

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