Researchers' responsibility to uphold Indigenous rights Too often research brings harm to Indigenous peoples
Ban, Natalie C.
- 1University of Victoria
- 2
Journal
Science
ISSN
0036-8075
1095-9203
Open Access
closed
Volume
381
Start page
129
End page
131
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the most comprehensive international human rights instrument concerning Indigenous peoples, was adopted in 2007 by 144 countries to ensure protection of Indigenous rights and self-determination (1). While directed at states, UNDRIP should guide all levels of society. With governments lagging in its implementation, we argue that researchers-at universities, government institutions, consultancies, and elsewhere-have a responsibility to understand and advance these rights. As Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers with backgrounds and experiences partnering with Indigenous peoples, we reviewed the articles of UNDRIP to identify those relevant to researchers. We summarized these into four themes: self-determination; free, prior, and informed consent; intellectual property; and engagement and learning. These articles provide a starting point for researchers to engage with and become allies in upholding Indigenous rights, in a way that supports Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty now and into the future.