31. Two main Core Themes were recommended for grouping indicators:
Identity, Land and Ways of Living;
Indigenous Rights to, and Perspectives on, Development.
Within each Core Theme, a list of sub-themes and preliminary indicators were proposed, as outlined in the following table.
Security for Indigenous Peoples. Background paper submitted to the Meeting by the International Indian Treaty Council.
32. It was acknowledged by the experts that basic demographic data would be required as the basis for the list of indicators suggested. Demographics would include: population size, age, gender, and location of residence.
| Core Theme | Sub-Theme(s) | Examples of Indicators | |||
| Identity, Land and Ways of Living | Maintenance and development of Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural expressions and practices | ||||
| Use and intergenerational transmission of indigenous languages Support of, and access to, bilingual, mother tongue, and culturally appropriate education | - | Percent of indigenous peoples' who recognize their indigenous language as their mother tongue | |||
| - | Percent of fluent indigenous language speakers in indigenous communities | ||||
| - | Percent of children learning indigenous languages | ||||
| - | Number of programs to transmit/learn indigenous languages/culture | ||||
| - | Use of indigenous languages in state documents | ||||
| - | Use of indigenous languages in the media | ||||
| Ownership, access, use, permanent sovereignty of lands, territories, natural resources, waters | - | Percent of indigenous peoples' owned lands | |||
| - | Percent of indigenous community members that participate and are employed in traditional and subsistence activities; | ||||
| - | Percent of indigenous peoples that participate in modern/nontraditional economic activities; | ||||
| - | Percent of indigenous community economy generated through traditional subsistence activities; | ||||
| - | Other indicators for food security and sovereignty (see list provided by the International Indian Treaty Council) | ||||
| Health of communities | - | Community Safety | |||
| • | Number of preventive programs to reduce violence against indigenous women and families in indigenous communities and percentage of these led by indigenous peoples | ||||
| • | State of violence against indigenous women and in indigenous families (reports filed) | ||||
| • | Number of crimes and level of criminality in the areas where indigenous peoples live vs. in areas where there are mixed populations | ||||
| • | Rate of incarceration of indigenous peoples vs. general population | ||||
| • | Rate of youth suicide among indigenous peoples versus general population | ||||
| - | Community vitality | ||||
| • | Physical health | ||||
| • | Life expectancy (compared to general population as well as increases/decreases) | ||||
| • | Infant mortality rates | ||||
| • | Diabetes rates | ||||
| • | Alcoholism and substance abuse rates | ||||
| • | Non-intentional injuries (reports) | ||||
| • | Number of programs for maintaining health | ||||
| • | Access to health care | ||||
| • | Number of hospitals, smaller health centers/clinics, availability of doctors, health care providers, and medication | ||||
| - | Support for safe and culturally appropriate infrastructure | ||||
| • | Quality and occupancy rate of shelter | ||||
| • | Proportion of safe drinking water relative to supply and wastewater and sanitation systems and level of water borne diseases in indigenous communities | ||||
| Health of ecosystems | - | Biodiversity | |||
| • | Number of endangered flora and fauna linked to indigenous peoples' current and future subsistence needs, and dependence based upon ceremonial and cultural practices | ||||
| • | Number of fish, animals and other life-forms that can be sustainable, hunted, fished and gathered on lands and territories | ||||
| • | Documentation of climate change, contaminate levels, habitat destructions affecting viability of subsistence resources and protection of traditional habitat | ||||
| - | Indigenous peoples' inclusion, participation and employment in ecosystem management | ||||
| - | Number of preventive programs, regulations, ordinances and measures (tribal and non-tribal) protecting ecosystems in indigenous lands from mineral extraction and non-sustainable activities | ||||
| - | Number of environmental protection violations and reports of conservation damage within and near indigenous lands and territories | ||||
| - | Rates of and number of reports of toxic contamination and industrial damage too the aquatic ecosystem that affects indigenous peoples consumption of fish, shellfish, aquatic plants | ||||
| - | Rates of suppression effects whereby an ecosystem and the fish, wildlife or plant life it supports is contaminated or destroyed beyond the ability of indigenous peoples to consume or practice its cultural, subsistence and ceremonial use | ||||
| - | Existence of legal frameworks for indigenous veto over the use of indigenous lands | ||||
| Demographics | Patterns of migration | - | Percent of indigenous peoples living in urban areas | ||
| - | Net migration rate from indigenous lands over time and rate of return | ||||
| Indigenous Rights to, and Perspectives on, Development | Indigenous governance and management systems | - | Recognition of indigenous governance and laws by state governments | ||
| - | Support for indigenous capacity, leadership, policy and program development by state and indigenous governance, including number of programs and persons participating in and completing trainings | ||||
| Free, prior, informed consent, full participation and Self-determination in all matters affecting indigenous peoples' well-being | - | Recognition of the existence and rights of indigenous peoples in state laws | |||
| - | Number and effectiveness of consultations implementing free, prior and informed consent with indigenous community members and representatives | ||||
| - | Percent of indigenous peoples' participation in state civil service, state elections and parliaments | ||||
| - | Degree of state governments' accountability to indigenous peoples' on the extent to which they are meeting their legal obligations and responsibilities (case studies &/or court decisions) | ||||
| Degree of implementation/compliance with international standards and agreements relating to indigenous peoples' rights: Nation-to-Nation Treaties between states and indigenous peoples, ILO 169, UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and relevant UN human rights and other instruments; recommendations by relevant international monitoring bodies | - | Number of complaints filed by indigenous peoples | |||
| - | Number of nation to nation agreements between state governments and indigenous peoples | ||||
| Government funding for indigenous peoples' programs and services | - | Government expenditures relative to need for indigenous peoples' programs and services, and relative to percentage of population | |||
| - | Existence, and extent of, economic burden of remedial actions for disadvantaged indigenous peoples (case studies) | ||||
| - | Existence of targeted budgetary, legal and policy measures implemented by state governments to address discrimination | ||||
33. The United Nations should identify and adopt appropriate indicators of indigenous identity, lands, ways of living, and indigenous rights to, and perspectives on, development and well-being. The development of indicators of indigenous peoples' well-being should impact performance measurement and monitoring by the UN system, as well as its member states, intergovernmental organizations and other development institutions.
34. The United Nations should consider the above list of Core Themes, sub-themes and examples of indicators as a basis for further consideration, development and analysis of indicators on and for indigenous peoples' well-being. More exact indicators need to be developed in a measurable form, with full participation by indigenous peoples from all regions.
35. The United Nations system and states should recognize that indigenous peoples will define their own understandings and visions of well-being from which indicators will be identified, and include the full participation of indigenous peoples in the development of these indicators.
36. Varied methods of data collection should be supported, some undertaken by states and others by indigenous peoples. Qualitative approaches, such as case studies and interviews with community members, should be explored to measure complex issues of significance to indigenous perspectives on development and well-being, including indigenous governance, the impacts of financial debt on indigenous communities, and “opportunity costs” (the cost of state government inaction projected into the future).
37. Within this process of measurement, recommendations from the January 2004 Permanent Forum Workshop on Data Collection and Disaggregation for Indigenous Peoples (www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/news/news_workshop_doc.htm) should be addressed. These recommendations include a strong emphasis on the need to respect indigenous peoples' intellectual property rights, cultural perspectives and practices, self-determination as applied to data collection and assessment, information and research, and indigenous peoples' capacity development and sustainable institutions building.
