Indigenous rights and development : self-determination in an Amazonian community / Andrew Gray.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 328-342) and index.

Ch. 1. Indigenous Rights from Patio to Palais -- Ch. 2. State and Community in the Peruvian Amazon -- Ch. 3. Losing Control: Arakmbut Territories and Resources -- Ch. 4. Peoples, Persons, and Plurals -- Ch. 5. Knowing Your Place: Cultural Heritage -- Ch. 6. Arakmbut Governance -- Ch. 7. Self-development: An Alternative to the Impasse -- Ch. 8. Self-determination and Arakmbut Decolonisation.

Over a period of about two decades the indigenous movement has grown into an international force, making a marked impact on the United Nations and the International Labor Organization. In this volume, the author looks at the growing consciousness among the Arakmbut who are increasingly demanding that their rights to their territories and resources should be respected in tandem with the growing development of indigenous rights internationally. However, the author points to a significant difference of perception: whereas non-indigenous human-rights legislation receives its legitimacy by judicial means, the Arakmbut find their legal system legitimised through the spirit world. The invisibility of this world makes it appear non-existent to non-indigenous observers. However, to overlook its importance prevents outsiders from understanding and appreciating its significance in the Arakmbut struggle for survival.