This course examines how the colonialist legacy of powerful states has constrained the political, territorial, and cultural rights of Indigenous Nations. We explore how a state-centric international legal system has limited Indigenous Nations’ ability to enjoy their human rights and to influence law-making and law enforcement in UN and regional institutions. We also discuss why many advocates argue that the UN human rights system has adopted an “internal” or minimalist approach to self-determination—one that restricts access to effective remedies such as restitution.

Faculty address structural barriers to Indigenous representation at the UN, the colonial foundations of international law, and efforts to advance collective rights through advocacy, treaty bodies, and Indigenous-led institutions such as the Nations International Criminal Tribunal. The seminar will also feature special presentations on the Original Nations Approach to Inter-National Law (ONAIL), the Lakota Nation and the DAPL resistance, and global Indigenous–Palestinian solidarity.