Indigenous Nations and Political Autonomy
Heidi Bruce, Dina Gilio-Whitaker
Volume 13, Number 1 (2025) 13 (1): 69-82
Keywords Indigenous Peoples; Political Autonomy; Self-Determination; UNDRIP; International Law; Human Rights, Decolonization; International Relations; Territorial Integrity; Fourth World Nations; Autonomy Projects; Indigenous Nationalism, Indigenous Nations Political Autonomy; United Nations Declaration Rights Indigenous Peoples; International Legal Frameworks; Power-sharing Arrangements; Negotiating Autonomy; Third Party Mediation; Political Autonomy Challenges; Environmental Justice Advocacy, Indigenous Peoples, Political Autonomy, Self-Determination, UNDRIP, International Law, Human Rights, Decolonization, International Relations, Territorial Integrity, Fourth World Nations, Autonomy Projects, Indigenous Nationalism, Indigenous Nations Political Autonomy, United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), International Legal Frameworks, Negotiating Autonomy, Third Party Mediation, Political Autonomy Challenges, Power-sharing Arrangements
Abstract
The article analyzes Indigenous political autonomy as a factor of state stability, highlighting the historical agency of original nations despite colonization. It examines the legal foundations of autonomy and self-determination in the UNDRIP, and the challenges of articulating models of self-government within state frameworks. The concept of treaties as ongoing relationships (Leanne Simpson) is explored, emphasizing territorial rights and the limitations of state-centric arguments. The study discusses alternative formulations of political status, shared power categories, and negotiation tools in the face of international law constraints (with reference to the Fourteen Points and UN Covenants). It addresses the role of third-party mediation and the geopolitical complexity of the Fourth World, including environmental justice and Indigenous nationalism, from multidisciplinary perspectives on migration, climate change, and biocultural education.Pending
Heidi Bruce
Dina Gilio-Whitaker
Published August 13, 2025
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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