Indigenous Peoples in International Law [Hardcover]

S. James Anaya (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 2004 | ISBN-10: 019517349X | ISBN-13: 978-0195173499 | Edition: 2

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of the first book-length treatment of the subject, S. James Anaya incorporates references to all the latest treaties and recent developments in the international law of indigenous peoples. Anaya demonstrates that, while historical trends in international law largely facilitated colonization of indigenous peoples and their lands, modern international law's human rights program has been modestly responsive to indigenous peoples' aspirations to survive as distinct communities in control of their own destinies.

This book provides a theoretically grounded and practically oriented synthesis of the historical, contemporary and emerging international law related to indigenous peoples. It will be of great interest to scholars and lawyers in international law and human rights, as well as to those interested in the dynamics of indigenous and ethnic identity.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A superb description and analysis of the origins and current practices of the international law of indigenous rights. The book is timely and important and will be indispensable to scholars and practitioners."--W.M. Reisman, Yale Law School

"James Anaya has done for indigenous people in international law what Felix Cohen did for Native Americans in the United States. He has brought clarity, understanding, and order to a field previously understood only in isolated bits and pieces. It will now be impossible to think about this topic without consideration of Professor Anaya's prodigious research and deeply analytical jurisprudential and pragmatic insights."--Rennard Strickland, Dean, Oklahoma City University School of Law, and Editor-in-chief, Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law

"[The author's] arguments are persuasive and his research immaculate."--The Annals (The American Academy of Political and Social Science)

"...The scope, detail, and documentary rigor of [the book] make it an essential reference for future work in the field."--American Political Science Review

"..a refreshing and useful perspective... No human rights collection would be complete without this well-documented survey of an often-neglected area of international law"--American Society of International Law

"Anaya's presentation of the history, continuing struggles, and achievements of the indigenous rights movement is exemplary scholarship."--European Journal of International Law, Vol.8, No.2, 1997

"...provides a thorough, insightful, and constructive analysis of the treatment of indigenous peoples in both historical and contemporary international law regimes. The book leaves the reader with a clearer understanding of the failures of international law in the past, as well as a sense of the potential of international law today."--Virginia Journal of International Law

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

S. James Anaya is James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, where he teaches and writes in the fields of international human rights, indigenous peoples' rights, and constitutional law. He has practiced law representing Native American peoples and organizations in matters before United States courts and international institutions.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (September 23, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019517349X
• ISBN-13: 978-0195173499
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,744,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Seminal Work, May 14, 2001

By 

Tim Hundsdorfer (Boulder, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indigenous Peoples in International Law (Paperback)

The obscure international relations world of international organizations and countries is generally visible and comprehensible to academics and human rights activists, but Anaya has written a seminal work in this area that provides sufficient background for readers to understand the relationship between indigenous peoples and human rights. This is extremely important reading for environmental activists interested in preserving the rainforest, defending sensitive environmental homelands of tribal peoples or understanding the question of access to international fora.

Anaya provides a legal background for the domination of the Western hemisphere by whites and shows how thin it really is.

But the really great thing about this book is that it shows what the state of indigenous people in international bodies is and how it is harnessed by human rights and environmental groups.