Opposition Calls for Referendum on Bolivia’s Morales

Staff / Truthdig May 9, 2008 Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, will face a confidence vote in the next 90 days as opposition groups continue their push to remove him from power. The vote comes on the tail of last week's unofficial and meaningless referendum for autonomy in which the wealthy state of Santa Cruz voted for greater independence from the federal government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Australian Gov’t to Apologize to Aborigines

Staff / Truthdig Jan 30, 2008 Even though imperialism clearly isn't a thing of the past as a global phenomenon, the Australian government is preparing to verbally own up to a painful chapter from its own national history by formally apologizing to Aborigines for past attempts at "civilizing" their people via forced assimilation initiatives that spanned more than five decades. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Throws Native People a Bone

Staff / Truthdig Sep 14, 2007 After 22 years of debate and opposition (not to mention centuries of exploitation and genocide), the United Nations has finally approved the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a nonbinding treaty meant to promote the human, territory and resource rights of native people around the world. Only four nations voted against the measure: the U.S., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Virginia House Finally Regrets Slavery

Staff / Truthdig Feb 4, 2007 Stopping short of a full-blown apology, Virginia's House of Delegates voted unanimously on Friday to issue a statement of "profound regret" over the state's role in the slave trade, "the historic wrongs visited upon native peoples" and "all other forms of discrimination and injustice". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )