Law Commons^™

Self-Determination In Regional Human Rights Law: From Kosovo To Cameroon, Dinah L. Shelton

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This article discusses the right to self-determination in Africa and America and begins by examining the right to self-determination in regional human rights treaties. No treaty in the Inter-American system provides a right to self-determination; however, the African Charter provides a right to self-determination, which I attribute to its history of colonization and apartheid. Next, the article describes secession claims made in Africa, starting in 1995 and discusses self-determination of indigenous and tribal groups by analyzing case law from the Inter-American system and the African Commission. The article concludes that these regions have established the framework for self-determination and must …

On The Right To External Self-Determination: "Selfistans," Secession, And The Great Powers' Rule, Milena Sterio

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

This Article discusses, in Part II, the notion of self-determination, its history, and its recent applications. In Part III, this Article describes how the theory of self-determination is linked to other international law concepts, such as statehood, recognition, sovereignty, and intervention. Part IV focuses on several case studies to illustrate the discrepancy of results attached to the self-determination struggles by different peoples.

This Article describes the self-determination quests of East Timor, Kosovo, Chechnya, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia, and will show that while the first two entities achieved external self-determination, the latter three did not. Finally, Part V of this Article …

The Constitutionality Of Decolonization By Associated Statehood: Puerto Rico's Legal Status Reconsidered, Robert D. Sloane, Gary S. Lawson

Faculty Scholarship

International and constitutional law arguably collide in the legal arrangement between the United States and Puerto Rico. As a matter of international law, it is unclear that this arrangement conforms to customary international and treaty obligations. As a matter of national law, it is unclear that the Constitution permits an arrangement between Puerto Rico and the United States—short of separation (independence as a State) or integration (admission to the Union as a state)—that could conform to these international obligations. In particular, the Appointments Clause and the Constitution’s voting provisions may well be in tension with contemporary international law relative to …

Blood Quantum And Equal Protection, Rose Cuison Villazor

Studio for Law and Culture

Modern equal protection doctrine treats laws that make distinctions on the basis of indigeneity defined on blood quantum terms along a racial/political paradigm. This dichotomy may be traced to Morton v. Mancari and more recently to Rice v. Cayetano. In Mancari, the Supreme Court held that laws that privilege members of Native American tribes do not constitute racial discrimination because the preferences have a political purpose – to further the right to self-government of tribes. Rice v. Cayetano crystallized the juxtaposition of the racial from the political nature of indigeneity by invalidating a law that privileged Native Hawaiians. That …

Indigenous Self-Determination And The State, Shin Imai

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The right of indigenous self-determination is now accepted at both the national and international level, but the exercise of the right to self-determination does not connote any specific institutional arrangement. This chapter, from the forthcoming book, Indigenous Peoples and the Law: Comparative and Critical Perspectives (Hart Publishing, Oxford), describes a variety of arrangements in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Indigenous people have the greatest political autonomy in the sovereignty/self-government model found in the United States and in the latest self government agreements from Canada. The self- administration/self-management model provides for indigenous entities to deliver social services and …

Indigenous Self-Determination: A Global Perspective, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The concepts of self-determination and sovereignty, from an Indigenous perspective, embrace values, attitudes, perspectives, and actions. Of course, as a result of the historical phenomenon known as colonialism, in which expansive European states sought to dominate the rights, resources, and lands of aboriginal people worldwide, one cannot discuss Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty without some corresponding discussion of how states and their policy makers understand these politically charged terms as well.

I have been thinking, acting, researching, and writing on these two vital concepts, intergovernmental relations, critical legal theory, and comparative Indigenous politics for nearly two decades. Along with this, I …

Indian Nations And The Federal Government: What Will Justice Require In The Future? Claims Against The Sovereign 20th Jusicial Conference Of The United States Court Of Federal Claims, Charles Wilkinson

Publications

No abstract provided.

Interpretive Sovereignty: A Research Agenda, Kristen A. Carpenter

Publications

In federal Indian law, the treaty operates as our foundational legal text. Reflecting centuries-old historical political arrangements between Indian nations and the United States, treaties remain vital legal instruments that decide dozens of legal cases each year. Yet, these treaties--originally drafted in English by the federal government, following negotiations with tribal representatives who usually spoke their own languages--present a number of ambiguities for contemporary courts. The dominant model of treaty interpretation is one in which judges interpret treaties in a manner they they believe to reflect Indians' understanding of treaty terms and, more generally, to promote the interests of Indian …

The Policies Of State Succession: Harmonizing Self-Determination And Global Order In The Twenty-First Century, Robert D. Sloane

Faculty Scholarship

In State Succession and Commercial Obligations (2006), Tai-Heng Cheng applies the New Haven School methodology to an opaque and unsettled body of international law: that governing the commercial rights and duties of states, creditors, and other participants in the unruly process of state succession. Rather than work within inherited conceptual and doctrinal frameworks, which have seldom proved either helpful or descriptively accurate, Cheng provides a fresh perspective on the issues. He argues that a policy-oriented perspective on state succession ameliorates the "descriptive inaccuracy" and "normative deficit" of inherited theories. Part I of this review considers the former claim; Part II …

Land Feuds And Their Solutions: Finding International Law Beyond The Tribunal Chamber, Steven R. Ratner

Articles

The resolution of conflicting claims to land has long stood at the heart of the project of international law. Indeed, the encounter between the order envisaged by advocates of the law of nations and what Georges Scelle called the" obsession with territory" has been a defining struggle for our field, demonstrating to some its promise and to others its futility. Much, perhaps even most, legal scholarship on this subject over the last century has focused on adjudication by ad hoc tribunals or standing courts, in which jurists have derived and invoked hallowed principles that enabled them to draw lines-across mountains, …

Mutual Dependency In Child Welfare, Clare Huntington

Faculty Scholarship

The child welfare system is in need of fundamental reform. To the great detriment of parents and children, in the current system the state waits for a crisis in a family and then intervenes in a heavy-handed fashion. The state pays scant attention to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This article argues that the principle conceptual barrier to the adoption of a prevention-oriented approach to child welfare is the dominant conception of family autonomy, which venerates freedom from state control. This article proposes a novel reconfiguration of family autonomy that encourages engagement with the state, rather than simply …

Indian Givers: What Indigenous Peoples Have Contributed To International Human Rights Law, S. James Anaya

Publications

No abstract provided.

"Peoples Distinct From Others": The Making Of Modern Indian Law, Charles Wilkinson

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Renaissance Of Tribal Sovereignty, The Negative Doctrinal Feedback Loop, And The Rise Of A New Exceptionalism, Sarah Krakoff

Publications

No abstract provided.

Self-Determination In International Mediation: Some Preliminary Reflections , Jacqueline Nolan-Haley

Faculty Scholarship

Few concepts have generated as much discussion in the post-war international legal system as that of “self-determination.” Scholars debate the proper identity of the "selves" endowed with this right, its boundaries, and its normative relevance. When the focus turns to mediation, the discussion becomes murky because the concept of self-determination has both procedural and substantive components, and is noticeably different in the private and public sectors. The generic concept of self-determination relates to ideas of democratic governance and the Enlightenment belief that legitimate government depends upon the consent of the governed. As adapted to private mediation theory, the right of …

The (Surprising) Truth About Schiavo: A Defeat For The Cause Of Autonomy, O. Carter Snead

Journal Articles

A survey of the commentary following the conclusion of the Theresa Marie Schiavo matter leaves one with the impression that the case was a victory for the cause of autonomy and the right of self-determination in the end-of-life context. In this essay, I seek to challenge this thesis and demonstrate that, contrary to popular understanding, it is the defenders of autonomy and self-determination who should be most troubled by what transpired in the Schiavo case. In support of this claim, I will first set forth (in cursory fashion) the underlying aim of the defenders of autonomy in this context. Then, …

Dynamic Complementarity: Terri's Law And Separation Of Powers Principles In The End-Of-Life Context, O. Carter Snead

Journal Articles

The bitter dispute over the proper treatment of Theresa Marie Schiavo - a severely brain-damaged woman, unable to communicate and with no living will or advance directive - has garnered enormous attention in the media, both national and international. What began as a heated disagreement between Ms. Schiavo's husband and parents mushroomed into a massive political conflict involving privacy advocates on one side, and right-to-life and disability activists on the other. The battle raged on the editorial pages of the world's newspapers, in the courts, and ultimately, in the legislative and executive branches of the Florida state government. After nearly …

Recovering Homelands, Governance, And Lifeways: A Book Review Of Blood Struggle: The Rise Of Modern Indian Nations, Kristen A. Carpenter

Publications

No abstract provided.

Gollum, Meet Smeagol: A Schizophrenic Rumination On Mediator Values Beyond Self Determination And Neutrality, James Coben

Faculty Scholarship

The author asserts that the exclusive reliance on the "Two Towers" of self-determination and neutrality as the foundation for mediation practice has inevitably left us with a process routinely characterized by mediator manipulation and deception. The "tricks" are tolerated by sophisticated repeat players, and absent transparency in practice, disturbingly not known to others. The evolution of mediation, from empowerment/community roots to corporate/court sustenance, is no surprise given the nation's journey through the Reagan revolution, the ideology of free markets, and the Supreme Court's unbridled support for freedom to contract in disputing. In short, mediation is at a crossroads needing to …

Contemplating Failure And Creating Alternatives In The Balkans: Bosnia's Peoples, Democracy And The Shape Of Self-Determination, Timothy W. Waters

Articles by Maurer Faculty

A decade after Dayton, Bosnia is a fictive, failed state held together by outsiders' weapons and outsiders' will. All parties recognize that Bosnia's current constitutional dispensation is dysfunctional and are calling for change, but how should the international community respond? In deciding, we should recognize that we may owe Bosnians much, but we owe Bosnia nothing.

This Article argues that traditional self-determination doctrine is unable to justify either further claims for secession from Bosnia or Bosnia's own original secession. It examines the processes used by the international community to frame the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the recognition process for Bosnia, …

Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2003, United States 108th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2003, PL 108-34, 117 Stat. 782 (June 23, 2003). Parties: Zuni Tribe, US, AZ. The Act ratifies the Settlement Agreement concerning Zuni Indian Tribe water rights in the Little CO River basin, AZ. It authorizes appropriations for acquisition of water rights and associated lands and, for fiscal years 2004 through 2006; and for actions necessary to restore, rehabilitate, and maintain the Zuni Heaven Reservation, including the Sacred Lake, wetlands, and riparian areas. The US shall take legal title of specified lands in the Gila and Salt River Base and Meridian …

Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement In The Little Co River Basin, Zuni Indian Tribe Et Al

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement in the Little CO River Basin (June 7. 2002) Parties: Zuni Indian Tribe, US, AZ, AZ Game & Fish Commission, AZ State Land Department, AZ State Parks Board, St. Johns Irrigation & Ditch Co., Lyman Water Co., Round Valley Water Users’ Ass’n, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement & Power District, Tucson Electric Power Co., City of St. Johns, Town of Eagar, and Town of Springerville.

The Agreement resolves the Zuni Indian Tribe water rights in the Little CO River basin, AZ. The Zuni Tribe intends to reestablish and maintain the wetland environment …

The Thinning Vision Of Self-Determination In Court-Connected Mediation: The Inevitable Price Of Institutionalization?, Nancy A. Welsh

Faculty Scholarship

Ethical codes for mediators describe party self-determination as “the fundamental principle of mediation,” regardless of the context within which the mediation is occurring. The definition of self-determination, however, is a matter of dispute. Based on a review of the debate surrounding the promulgation and revision of ethical codes for court-connected mediators in Florida and Minnesota, this Article demonstrates that a vision of self-determination anchored in party-centered empowerment is yielding to a vision that is more reflective of the norms and traditional practices of lawyers and judges, as well as the courts’ strong orientation to efficiency and closure of cases through …

Undoing Indian Law One Case At A Time: Judicial Minimalism And Tribal Sovereignty, Sarah Krakoff

Publications

No abstract provided.

Shivwits Band Of The Paiute Indian Tribe Of Utah Water Rights Settlement Act Of 2000, United States 106th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal Legislation: Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Water Rights Settlement, PL 106-263, 114 Stat. 737 ( Aug. 18, 2000) Parties: US, City of St. George, & Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. (Not other Bands of Ut Paiute Tribe) The Act provides for St. George (Utah) Water Reuse to divert and transport water for use by City of St. George and the Shivwits Band (2K acre-feet annually). St. George and the Band ($15M) will pay for the project. The Santa Clara Project will deliver 1,900 acre-feet annually to the Band. This project will …

Environmentalism, Human Rights And Indigenous Peoples: A Tale Of Converging And Diverging Interests, S. James Anaya

Publications

No abstract provided.

Indeterminate Claims: New Challenges To Self-Determination Doctrine In Yugoslavia, Timothy W. Waters

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Serbia has two autonomous provinces, with nearly identical constitutional and political claims: heavily Albanian Kosovo and ethnically diverse but Serb-majority Vojvodina. One is headed towards some form of internationally recognized independence; the other almost certainly is not, even though calls for its autonomy have been mounting. What makes the difference?

This article examines what the reasons for these different outcomes show about the changing content of self-determination in an environment of persistent ethnic claims. The defining characteristic of self-determination today is its indeterminacy, which allows policymakers to pursue a broader range of policies than was possible in the era of …

Chippewa-Cree Tribe Of The Rocky Boy Reservation Indian Reserved Water Rights Settlement And Water Supply Enhancement Act Of 1999, United States 106th Congress

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Federal legislation: Chippewa-Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy Reservation Indian Reserved Water Rights Settlement and Water Supply Enhancement Act of 1999 (PL 106–163, 113 Stat. 1778) Act approves and ratifies the Water Rights Compact entered into on April 14, 1997, by the Tribe and MT, as modified by this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to execute and implement the Compact. Requires the US, the Tribe, or MT to petition the MT Water Court to enter and approve the proposed decree. Provides an expiration date; a tribal water code. Satisfies any entitlement to Federal Indian reserved water of any …

San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement Of 1999, San Carlos Apache Tribe Et Al

Native American Water Rights Settlement Project

Settlement Agreement: San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Agreement (Mar. 30, 1999) Parties: San Carlos Apache Tribe, US, AZ, Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement & Power District, Salt River Valley Water Users Assn., Roosevelt Water Conservation District, Buckeye Irrigation District, Buckeye Water Conservation and Drainage District, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert and Central AZ Water Conservation District. This Settlement Agreement resolves the water rights as between these parties in the Gila Water Rights Adjudication of AZ. Other claims remain to be resolved. Neighboring non-Indian communities will relinquish to approximately 58,735 a/f of surface water to the Tribe, provide …

Reconstructing Self-Determination: The Role Of Critical Theory In The Positivist International Law Paradigm, Ediberto Román

Faculty Publications

This article (or conference transcription) discuses the role that critical race theory may have on what, will be called, self-determination movements. It commences with the introduction of four speakers Taygab Muhmud, Seigfried Weissner, Julie Mertus and Donna Coker, discussing various forms of self-determination movements of indigenous people, the neocolonial plight of the people of South Asia and a comparative analysis of Eastern Europeans. The article then undertakes an innovative critical analysis of the acceptance of the liberal international law doctrine of self-determination. In particular, it will critique the purportedly universal norm of self-determination in order to expose and explain its …