tara/M3 and Shell Raised at UN Forum

by southern comfort Fri May 09, 2008 17:43

"In the absence of indigenous spiritual guidance, conferred by traditional rites-of-passage ceremonies, indigenous youth were experiencing high levels of depression, addiction and suicide. The Irish Government must inform its indigenous peoples of its commitment to the Declaration."

That's a good one. As an indigenous youth I didn't realize that I was in need of (yet more) spiritual guidance, murry-ah.

by JM Fri May 09, 2008 22:53 Rossport

The desecration of the Gabra Valley and the surrounds of the Hill of Tara in County Meath continues on a daily basis. Private business interests take priority over history and culture, backed to the hilt by all aspects of State beurocracy.

A planned raw-gas, high pressure pipeline to cut a swathe through several Special Areas of Conservation in Mayo, including Sruwaddacon Bay that forms part of the Children of Lir legend. A short distance from Ceide Fields, the oldest stone-walled field structures in the world. Private business interests take priority over history and culture, backed to the hilt by all aspects of State beurocracy.

by Uncle Tom Mon May 12, 2008 01:54

Living in today's Ireland it is hard for many to believe how backward we are. In fact, I am sure to many that they see the word 'indigenous; and backward as being synonymous. Those traditional folk in funny clothes, celebrating some mad ceremony. How quaint, or stupid, you might say. But actually, indigenous and human rights are one in the same, And human rights are an integral part of the theory and law of sustainable develoipment. All 'native' people have human rights, which are protected under international law. That law applies to all states, and also the successive state, ie the Republic of Ireland that succeeded the coloniser.

But Ireland is still being treated like a colony, or a third world country, and citizens and natives are in need of protection from both foreign multinational corporations and from their own government, whose actions and alliances are threatening the resources and heritage the Governent holds in trust for us, and for future generations. Shell and the M3 are prime examples. The foreign corporations use the State police as their own private security firms. We saw today the bill for Shell is allegedly at 8 million. And that figure is then used against the people in media spin as well. We as citizens and natives are treated like monkeys.

The question of whether or not there is an 'indigenous' Irish population is an interesting one. We are no different from Africa, America, and other countries in that we were conquered, and then much later released. During colonial times, Irish were legally on par with natives of other lands. However, in many cases where there is law relating to rectifying past wrongs it relates to an ethnic minority, which was mistreated...and is still clearly identifiable today. That is not the case in Ireland, where the 'natives' remain a majority, and are racially indistinguishable from the former colonists. Names do identify people to an extent, but that is not scientific. So, does indigenous law apply to Ireland?

I would say it does, because it is grounded upon continuous tradition, custom and attachment to land. Indigenous rights apply because of who we are, not because of how we were mistreated. From our indigenous status, we derive human rights to the environment...much in the way people derive an easement from using a certain piece of land over a long period of time.

For us to cock our noses, and look down on the notion of customary rights, is very small minded. You don't have to wear funny clothes, perform ceremonies, or subscribe to a religious sect to have rights. The right to have a share of the gas. The right to walk up to Tara any time you feel like it. The right to drive down the road, without paying. These rights, and many others, are slipping away, day by day. It is quite obvious to people outside of Ireland... Maybe it's the Guinness in the air here (for the time being anyway) that clouds the mind...

by Fearbolg - S2S Mon May 12, 2008 11:07

The author of that posting is typical of the kind of stupid, vacuous nosebag that Shell love to encounter when they target aThird World

country such as ours: No ability at any kind of intelligent analysis of the issues, just a glib one-liner that might get half a giggle on the Ray

Darcy show. I bet he's hoping Dustin wins Eurovision, so that we can show Europe that we're all grown up now, and can 'laugh at

ourselves'. So come on, everybody, let's get ready to don all the accoutrements of modern Irish Culture: The feathers, the plastic beak,

the Eircom jersey and the bonce boppers with green lights at the top (de riguer for watching England playing Rugby at Croke Park). And

let's cheer the Turkey home.