The Former Inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago As an Indigenous People

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The Former Inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago As an Indigenous People Copy 1 of 1 FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE Draft Report The Former Inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago as an Indigenous People: Analyzing the Evidence David Vine, M.A. Ph.D. Program in Anthropology Graduate Center City University of New York 9 July 2003 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Le Résumé Exécutif 5 Geographic Glossary 7 1. Introduction 9 2. The Indigenous Peoples Concept: 15 Reviewing the Literature 3. Self-identification as an Indigenous 42 People Among the Ilois 4. Recognition as an Indigenous People and 50 as a Distinct Collectivity 5. Historical and Temporal Evidence 56 6. Evidence of Sociocultural Distinctiveness 65 7. Evidence of Non-dominance in Society 89 8. Discussion and Conclusion: Strong 93 Support for the Ilois as an Indigenous People Appendix A: A History of the Inhabitants of 100 the Chagos Archipelago Appendix B: Chagos Population Change 142 Works Consulted 144 Acknowledgements / Remerciements 157 FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Overview The former inhabitants of the Indian Ocean‟s Chagos Archipelago, known as Ilois or Chagossians, have been identified as an “indigenous people” by individuals inside and outside the group. To date no one has detailed systematically how and if this label fits these people who lived in Chagos until their forced removal from the archipelago between 1965 and 1973. This report reviews a large body of evidence about the Ilois, compares this evidence to contemporary understandings of the term indigenous peoples in international law, anthropology and related social sciences, and concludes that the evidence strongly suggests categorization of the Ilois as an indigenous people. Ilois Self-identification as an Indigenous People Many Ilois identify themselves as an indigenous people. For numerous experts, this is evidence enough that the Ilois qualify as an indigenous people, given a growing consensus that self- identification as an indigenous people is the fundamental evidence demonstrating a group is an indigenous people. Many non-Ilois observers, most notably the British High Court (Bancoult 2000), have also described the Ilois as an indigenous people, lending further support to the Ilois claim. The Analysis In addition to self-identification, many experts still look to other criteria to determine if a group constitutes an indigenous people. This report bases its analysis around five such major definitions and frameworks of the indigenous peoples concept: the 1994 Draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 1989‟s International Labour Organisation Indigenous and Tribal People‟s Convention No. 169, the work of UN special rapporteurs José Martinez Cobo and Erica-Irene A. Daes, and that of legal scholar Benedict Kingsbury. Each of these frameworks, as well as other major definitions, is reviewed in detail in the report. The report analyzes five major criteria shared by the representative definitions: 1) Self- identification as an indigenous people; 2) Identification by others as an indigenous people or as a distinct collectivity; 3) Historical and temporal evidence; 4) Evidence of sociocultural distinctiveness; and 5) Evidence of societal non-dominance. Main Findings from the Evidence The report presents evidence about the Ilois relevant to these five criteria, concluding: 1) Self-identification as an Indigenous People Many Ilois individually and collectively self-identify as an indigenous people and as a group distinct from other peoples in Mauritius and Seychelles, where most Ilois live. FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE 4 2) Identification by Others as an Indigenous People or as a Distinct Collectivity Statements and findings from the British High Court, scholars, the Mauritian and British governments, the UN, non-governmental organizations, and others demonstrate that many non-Ilois find the Ilois are an indigenous people and, more widely, a distinct collectivity. 3) Historical and Temporal Evidence The Ilois have an ongoing historical, ancestral connection with the Chagos Archipelago and its first inhabitants dating to 1783-84, only interrupted (geographically, not ancestrally) by their expulsion from Chagos. Crucially, no other group can claim a prior historical or ancestral relationship to Chagos and trump the Ilois as Chagos‟s first inhabitants. 4) Evidence of Sociocultural Distinctiveness An overview of Ilois society and culture, before and after the expulsion from Chagos, shows that the Ilois are in many ways a socially and culturally distinct people, clearly distinguishable from other peoples in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere. 5) Evidence of Societal Non-dominance Considerable evidence demonstrates the poverty of the Ilois since their expulsion and their position at the bottom of the social, economic, and political hierarchies in Mauritius and Seychelles. As a group, the Ilois are undoubtedly non-dominant in Mauritian and Seychellois society. General Conclusion With few minor exceptions, the Ilois fulfill all criteria in all five of the major representative frameworks of the indigenous peoples concept. Thus, the collected evidence about the Ilois and current understandings of the indigenous peoples concept in international law, anthropology and related social sciences strongly suggest categorization of the Ilois as an indigenous people. FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE Copy 1 of 1 LE RÉSUMÉ EXÉCUTIF Le résumé Les anciens habitants de l‟Archipel de Chagos de l‟Océan Indien, connu comme Ilois ou Chagossiens, a été appelé un <<peuple indigène>> par des personnes à l‟intérieur et à l‟extérieur du groupe. À ce point, personne n‟a exposé systématiquement comment et si ce titre est d‟accord avec ces personnes qui habitaient à Chagos jusqu‟à leur déracinement de l‟archipel entre 1965 et 1973. Ce rapport examine un grand corps de données sur les Ilois, compare ces données aux connaissances actuelles du terme <<peuples indigènes>>, et conclut que les données suggèrent fortement que les Ilois sont un peuple indigène. Les Ilois identifient eux-mêmes (<<self-identification>>) comme une peuple indigène Beaucoup des Ilois identifient eux-mêmes comme un peuple indigène. Pour beaucoup des spécialistes, ce fait est assez preuve que les Ilois sont un peuple indigène à cause du consensus agrandi que <<self-identification>> est la preuve fondamentale montrant qu‟une groupe est un peuple indigène. Beaucoup des autres qui ne pas être Ilois, notamment le High Court de la Grande Bretagne (Bancoult 2000), ont décrit aussi les Ilois comme un peuple indigène, donnant plus de soutien à l‟affirmation Iloise. L’organisation de cette analyse et ce rapport Beaucoup des spécialistes, néanmoins, cherchent encore aux autres critères plus que <<self- identification>> comme un peuple indigène. Ce rapport ainsi organise cette analyse sur cinq des définitions majeures du concept de <<peuples indigènes>>: l‟avant projet de la déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples indigènes (1994); la convention 169 de l‟Organisation internationale du Travail sur les peuples indigènes et tribales (1989); le travail des rapporteurs spéciales des Nations Unies José Martinez Cobo et Erica-Irene A. Daes; et celui de la savant de la loi Benedict Kingsbury. Chacun des définitions, et aussi des autres définitions, est examiné en détail. Ce rapport examine cinq critères majeures partagé par les définitions représentatives: 1) <<self- identification>> comme un peuple indigène; 2) l‟identification par des autres comme un peuple indigène ou comme un collectivité distinct; 3) la preuve historique et ancestrale; 4) la preuve d‟une société et une culture caractéristique; et 5) la preuve de ne pas dominer la société. Les conclusions des données Ce rapport présente les données sur les Ilois concernant ces cinq critères, conclurant: 1) Beaucoup des Ilois, comme individus et comme une groupe, identifient comme un peuple indigène et comme un collectivité distinct des autres peuples en Maurice et aux Seychelles. 2) Les mots et les actions du High Court de Grande Bretagne, des savants, des gouvernements mauriciennes et britanniques, des Nations Unies, des organisations non-gouvernementale, et 6 des autres montrent que beaucoup des gens qui ne sont pas Ilois tiennent que les Ilois sont un peuple indigène et, même plus, un collectivité distinct. 3) Les Ilois ont une relation historique, ancestrale, et continuant avec l’Archipel de Chagos et ses premiers habitants à partir de 1783-84. Cette relation a été interrompue seulement par le déracinement de Chagos. C‟est bien important aussi que il n’y a pas un autre groupe qui peut faire une affirmation avoir une relation historique et ancestrale avec Chagos avant les Ilois et ainsi être les premiers habitants en Chagos. 4) Une étude de la société et la culture des Ilois, avant et après le déracinement, montre que les Ilois ont, en beaucoup des manières, une société et une culture unique. Ils sont aussi vraiment différents des autres peuples dans l‟Océan Indien et dans tout le monde. 5) Les données considérables montrent la pauvreté des Ilois depuis leur déracinement et qu‟ils sont dans une position en bas des hiérarchies sociales, économiques, et politiques en Maurice et aux Seychelles. Comme une groupe, les Ilois sont clairement dans une position de ne pas dominer les sociétés mauriciennes et seychelloises. Une conclusion générale Avec peu des exceptions, les Ilois
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