Outline Draft 1: Contemporary Problems Facing Costa Rican Indigenous Populations

This topic submitted by Daniel Beck ( beckdp@muohio.edu) at 8:27 PM on 3/14/08.

The back of our truck was home on San Salvador in the Bahamas

Tropical Field Courses -Interdisciplinary Studies-Miami University


Statement: I plan to explore the history of and contemporary issues facing indigenous cultures in Costa Rica. In particular I want to address the two questions of how the various indigenous groups in Costa Rica can continue to thrive in spite of political, economic, and cultural factors working against them and what lessons we can learn from them concerning the conservation of biodiversity. My research will cross several disciplinary lines, borrowing from anthropology, geography, political science, and ecology.

I. Introduction

II. Cultural survey of differing indigenous groups
a. Demographics
b. History and Geography
c. Subsistence activities
d. Social organization
e. Religion
f. Cross Cultural Influences: Native Inhabitants and European Settlers

III. Recent Political History of Indigenous Rights
a. Overview
b. U.N. Declaration of Indigenous Rights
c. ILO Convention 169
d. Costa RicaÕs Successes and Failures in living up to these Treaties

IV. Social and Political Issues facing Indigenous Groups today
a. Free Trade/ Globalization
b. Land Encroachment
c. Lack of Access to Medical care and Education
d. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

V. Conclusion: Where to go from here?

References:

Stone, Doris. The Talamancan Tribes of Costa Rica. Peabody Museum of Harvard
University. Cambridge: 1962.

---. The Boruca of Costa Rica. Peabody Museum of Harvard University. Cambridge:
1949.

Schulting, Gerard. ÒIndigenous Peoples in Costa Rica: On the Road to Extinction?Ó
Journal of the South and Mesoamerican Indian Rights Center. Vol. 10, No. 4, Fall 1997. http://saiic.nativeweb.org/ayn/crilo.html

Miller, Michael J. ÒBiodiversity Policy Making in Costa Rica: Pursuing Indigenous and
Peasant Rights.Ó The Journal of Environment and Development. Vol. 15, No. 4, December 2006. http://jed.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/15/4/359

ÒILO Convention No. 169.Ó September 5, 1991. University of Minnesota Human Rights
Library. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/r1citp.htm

ÒCosta Rican Indigenous Protest FTT.Ó Prensa Latina: Latin American News Agency.
February 28, 2008. http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B63533D9E-2C60-467C-9612-451E70730101%7D)&language=EN

Infocostarica Staff. ÒÉIndigenous PeopleÉ.Ó InfoCostaRica.
http://www.infocostarica.com/people/indigenous.html

ÒCountry Reports on Human Rights Practices 2007: Costa Rica.Ó Bureau of Democracy,
Human Rights, and Labor: U.S. Department of State. March 11, 2008. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100634.htm



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