Last Updated on October 4, 2013
As human inventions of political organization, modern states have served some purposes well, others not so. The bottom line in critiquing this institution from a social point of view, of course, is does it meet our needs? If not, then what new and additional forms of organization might?
These and other critical questions are now being asked by activists and scholars alike. Since the answers are apparently not coming from within the modern state apparatus, where might we find them?
One place that is being investigated is within traditional governing systems of indigenous nations. As the parent political structures that spawned modern states, they have both a greater perspective and depth of experience dealing with meeting human needs. As we venture into the 21st Century increasingly adrift from our democratic moorings, perhaps we would benefit from taking stock of how we arrived at this impasse, and from reassessing the utility of modern states and the international institutions they in turn created.
As it happens, this and related topics are the subject of the book Indigenous Nations and Modern States by my colleague Rudolph C. Ryser, chair of the Center for World Indigenous Studies. While I’ll leave reviewing his treatise to others, suffice to say that human development and international relations haven’t come to an end; nor is the United Nations, as an institution, the be all and end all when it comes to global organizations. We can create additional ones as we see fit.
As we work to create a democratized international community, using our imaginations intelligently and constructively will create new opportunities for peaceful and more effective means of solving problems and resolving conflict. Coupled with our growing awareness of how we are governed and the need for change, all that is left is our resolve and commitment to making it happen.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
That is exactly why IC Magazine exists..
For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
And when the world looks away, we stay focused.
But this work is increasingly difficult to sustain.
We refuse to lock our reporting behind a paywall. We don’t sell access through subscriptions.
And we don’t answer to advertisers. IC Magazine survives solely because readers like you choose to
support independent Indigenous journalism.
Please donate today if you can. Every contribution helps us to continue this crucial work.
Thank you,
John Ahni Schertow
Founder and Editor in Chief
