Vol. 13 Núm. 2 (2015)

This issue of the Fourth World Journal examines the renewed struggle of Fourth World nations to reclaim authority over their lands, resources, and cultural practices amid the continuing pressures of modern colonization. Despite the recognition of the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in international law, Indigenous nations continue to confront what Editor Rudolph C. Rÿser calls the “Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse”: states, corporations, organized crime, transnational religions, and NGOs—all entities that seek to profit from Indigenous territories and wealth. These forces represent the ongoing mechanisms of dispossession that have reshaped Indigenous existence, forcing many peoples into urban displacement while eroding traditional governance and relationships with the land.

The contributors to this volume address these dynamics from diverse perspectives, offering strategies to resist colonial structures and restore Indigenous sovereignty. From analyses of capitalism’s entanglement with colonialism to studies of cultural continuity, Buddhist militarization, and Indigenous diplomacy, each essay explores pathways toward decolonization and self-determination. Together, they reaffirm the persistence and vitality of Fourth World nations as foundational actors in confronting global systems of exploitation and reimagining just, sustainable futures.