Indigenous Peoples of Costa Rica

1. Indigenous Peoples of Costa Rica Climate Change and Colonialism

2. An intro by Costa Rican Students http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-UNjMKHck1g

3. The eight Indigenous groups in Costa Rica • The Malekulive in the San Carlos region (central north; • Decendants of the Chorotegasare found in Matambú, Guanacaste (nicoya). • Decendants of the Huetareslive in the Zapatón and Quitirrisí communities of San José, • The Bribrisand the Cabécaresare from Talamanca (south), • The Guaymíes, the Borucasand the Térrabaslive in the (south) eastern zone

4. 8 groups, 2 language families

5. Bribri language and dialects http://www.inil.ucr.ac.cr/cvjara-bribri1/cvjara-bribri1-12.MP3

6. The History of colonization

7. Recent History of Colonization • In 1939, Decree 13: territories that Indigenous peoples inhabited their exclusive and inalienable property • In 1956, the Board of Protection created the first three indigenous reserves (territories) in Costa Rica in the Southern region. They where registered in the public registry as private property owned by each Indigenous people. • When the Institute of Lands and Colonization (ITCO) was established in 1961, it took responsibility for these territories. • In 1973 law #5251 created the National Commission of Indigenous Affairs (ComisiónNacional de AsuntosIndígenas) as a governmental institution to coordinate the work of all public institutions and Indigenous peoples.

8. Recent History of Colonization • In 1997, upgraded the legal status of reserves created between 1956 and 1977. This law established indigenous reserves as inalienable, imprescriptible, non-transferable and exclusive to the indigenous communities that inhabit them. • A Contradictory law was established in 1978 substituting previously recognized traditional indigenous structures with the Integral Development Associations (Asociación de Desarrollo Integral, ADI). • In 1982 modification to the Law through the Mining Code removed the co-ownership of the subsoil resources. This made the State the sole owner of all subsoil resources in the country. Indigenous peoples were not consulted. • In 1999 a constitutional reform was made to recognize Indigenous languages alongside Spanish, the official language. • Today ongoing issues with “free informed consent” on development projects in Indigenous territories.

9. Issues affecting Indigenous Peoples world-wide • Colonization: including diseases, violence, institutionalized racism, and relocations • Languages currently in danger of extinction • Development pressure forcing relocation and major lifestyle changes for national interests and “progress” • Reserve system, wards of the nation limited local control over territories. – a strange colonial legacy. • Some restricted legal rights to environmental preservation for some traditional uses, which require constant advocacy for their protection.

10. Climate Change and Colonialism • “Loosing an Indigenous language is like loosing an old growth forest of the mind” – the case for social and cultural sustainability, not just ecological. • Dams endangering Indigenous territories (including archeological sites dating back to 1000BC) in the name of green energy (not a new story to British Columbians). • Limited consultation means local ecological knowledge is not considered in development plans and opportunities to reduce or monitor ecological impacts are not afforded. • Limited consultation and institutionalized racism means that Indigenous peoples loose in all deals.

11. Amazing archeological sites