First Peoples

Several years have passed since the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the General Assembly. Since then, the four countries voting against have reversed their position and now support the Declaration. Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

The first publication of The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was published in 2009 and its major focus was on: Poverty and Well-being; Culture; Environment; Contemporary Education;Health; Human Rights and Emerging Issues. The report was well received and according to press reports, the publication revealed alarming statistics on indigenous peoples’ poverty, health, education, employment, human rights, the environment and more. This was the first United Nations publication and provided much needed information on the status of indigenous peoples throughout the world.

The Report on the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples promotes awareness of indigenous peoples’ issues within the United Nations system, with States, academia and the broader public.

Native youth are in the best position to inspire their peers to create positive change in their communities. That’s why we provide platforms that recognize inspiring actions being led by youth across the country. CNAY’s Champions for Change program acknowledges and enhances the ability of youth to overcome and address challenges, engage a wide array of stakeholders to strengthen systems of support, and inspire their Native peers to be vocal advocates for themselves and their communities. CNAY also manages the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) National Native Youth Network, which uses the Gen-I Challenge – a call to action to create youth-led positive change in Native communities – as an entry point to a growing community of Native youth leaders who support one another, share resources, and engage with CNAY to take advantage of ongoing advocacy opportunities.

History: In 1999, the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class-action suit was filed alleging that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had engaged in discrimination against Native American farmers and ranchers in loan programs and servicing of loans dating back to 1981.

Our vision is to establish the American Indian Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a leading public university for American Indian scholarship and scholars and make Native issues a permanent part of the intellectual life of the University.

The United States is an extremely diverse country in many ways - language is no exception. Our country has over 15 distinct dialects and 300 other thriving languages. The Language and Life Project was established in 1993 by Dr. Walt Wolfram, of North Carolina State University, in order to document the dialects of North Carolina and beyond. We work to document and celebrate the vast diversity of speech through research, education, and various media.
The Project focuses on research, graduate and undergraduate education, and outreach programs related to language in the American South. The project has grown to include the development of many educational and cultural resources, as well as a host of media from DVDs to podcasts to museum exhibits.

Language revitalization and cultural education