Smith, Peggy. 2004. "Indigenous Rights, Traditional Knowledge and Identity." The Common Property Resource Digest 71.

Abstract

"Nelson Lemus Cruz had some of us in tears as he described the 'ancestral struggle and resistance' of his people, the Paez people ('nasa' meaning 'living being') in Colombia. His story of the Paezs determination to protect their lands was similar to so many other Indigenous peoples around the globe, but it was also unique. The Paezs desire to carry out their sacred duty as stewards of their land is fraught with danger and death. The Paez have faced state incursions onto their lands, invasion by guerrillas involved in civil war and the lawlessness of drug traders. In spite of this, they continue to assert their own stewardship and customary laws. Lemus Cruz's story wove together with so many other Indigenous peoples stories at the IASCP conference. His voice and others Indigenous voices at the conference fed my hunger to hear directly from Indigenous peoples, as well as to learn about their struggles through academic studies."