See also:
Letters
to the
public -
April 20,
2003
Constitution
of the
Miccosukee
Tribe of
Indians of
Florida
requiring
"prior
approval"
from Dept.
of Interior
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians
Seeks Solidarity in Venezuela
El
Nacional
Thursday
December 26,
2000
A group
representing
the
Miccosukee
Indians of
Florida will
soon come to
Venezuela in
search of
solidarity
in the
fight for
the defense
of their
rights as a
native
community,
that they
consider
violated by
the
authorities
of the State
of Florida
and United
States
Federal
Government,
according to
information
given in
Miami by the
chief of the
tribe, Billy
Cypress and
lawyers,
Michael Diaz
and Juan
Vargas.
(Emphasis
added)
This
initiative
of the
Miccosukee
Tribe is
inspired by
the norms
contained in
the Bolivian
Constitution,
which
establishes
that “ The
State will
recognize
the
existence of
towns and
indigenous
communities,
its social
organization,
political
and
economical,
its
cultures,
uses and
customs,
languages
and
religions,
as well as
its habitat
and original
rights on
the lands
that they
ancestrally
and
traditionally
occupy”.
That
principle is
also
captured in
the
juridical
classification
of the
United
States, even
in emanated
decisions of
the Supreme
Court of
that
country, and
on that base
is
established
the autonomy
and
sovereignty
of the
Indigenous
communities.
As for the
specific
situation of
the
Miccosukee
Tribe, the
right to
apply their
tribal laws
and to
establish
their
jurisdictional
organization
in the
process of
administration
of justice
is
recognized,
so that they
solve
inherent
matters to
the
community,
in
accordance
with their
heritage,
ethnic and
cultural
identity.
To ignore
the
decisions of
the organs
of tribal
justice and
their laws,
besides
forcing the
autonomy of
the
indigenous
communities,
it harms the
members of
these
communities
the right of
being judged
by their
natural
judges, the
right unless
judged by
the same
cause, the
right to the
defense and
the due
process of
justice.
Even more,
since the
sixties,
this tribe
possesses
the
recognition
of its
belligerency
and
sovereignty
from the
Cuban
Government,
through
Fidel Castro
who has
received
them in
several
occasions.
They
assured and
hoped that
the country
of Venezuela
and
specifically
the
indigenous
community
support the
actions of
the Tribe.
They assured
and hoped
that the
country of
Venezuela
and
specifically
the
indigenous
community
support the
actions of
the Tribe.
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