Native Notes

Brandy Kanani Michelle Toelupe, a 2009 J.D. candidate at the University of Denver College of Law will be interning with the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management. Brandy, a native Hawaiian, will be looking at U.S. military participation in multilateral military training exercises such as the recently concluded Talisman Sabre 2007 to identify: the extent to which any multilateral agreements, operational orders, and the like identify and consider the effects of such exercises on the lands, environment, resources and rights of indigenous peoples; the extent to which indigenous peoples are consulted during the planning of such exercises; and the extent to which indigenous peoples are involved in the planning, execution, and monitoring of environmental remediation efforts.

Exercise Talisman Sabre is one of Australia’s largest multilateral military training exercises. Beginning in mid 2001 and occurring every two years, Talisman Sabre involves joint exercises performed by the Australian Defence Force and the United States Military at the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in Central Queensland, Australia. SWBTA was occupied by the Darumbal people prior to European settlement 1855 and encompasses several cultural heritage significance sites.

In November 2005, the Chief of the Australia Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, and Commander United States Pacific Command, Admiral William J. Fallon, signed the historic Statement of Environment and Heritage Principles. This Statement acknowledges the importance of managing and using training areas sustainably. The principles encourage a high-quality and continual improvement approach to the planning and conduct of Australian and U.S. combined activities.

Brandy will look at the relevance of these Principles to U.S. military relations with Native Hawaiians and other indigenous peoples affected by U.S. military operations.

The Institute’s interest in this project predates the signing of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but it seems to us the signing of the Declaration emphasizes the need for this project.  Anyone interested in similar internships with the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management should contact Mervyn Tano at mervtano@iiirm.org.