Today at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, in front of representatives from hundreds of countries attending, the Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, David Archambault II, personally handed Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpuz, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, an invitation to come to Standing Rock to witness first-hand how the Dakota Access Pipeline threatens the treaty rights and human rights of the Lakota people of Standing Rock.
The Special Rappateur on Indigenous Peoples is part of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Her role is to: Promote good practices, including new laws, government programs, and constructive agreements between indigenous peoples and states, to implement international standards concerning the rights of indigenous peoples; report on the overall human rights situations of indigenous peoples in selected countries; address specific cases of alleged violations of the rights of indigenous peoples through communications with Governments and others; and conduct or contribute to thematic studies on topics of special importance regarding the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.
Ms. Tauli Corpuz was very excited to receive the invite.
From: Steve Sitting Bear, External Affairs, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe