The permanent forum is an opportunity for all indigenous people to stand united and demonstrate a high quality of brotherhood for all mankind. Remember, we are the living, ancient, history of humanity in the modern world, which is a great honor. We must maintain the purity of natural living, and protect Mother Earth from industrial assault.

In May of 2003 at the first session of the permanent forum of indigenous people in the United Nations I saw my brethren respond in a reactionary tone against the colonial exploitation of indigenous people. It is a natural sentiment but there is no point to repeat the history of the colonial mindset of the past. We must avoid a power struggle for cheap material gain, rather, hold on to the indigenous ethics and be the guide to lead the modern man away from self-destruction. This self-destruction comes as a consequence of the tampering with the balance in the law of nature. We practice the noble rules of self-control in our lives in order to be an example for modern civil society.

Our forefathers taught us to appreciate everything that we have. Complain not for what we don’t have. An indigenous person is genuine; his or her life must remain pure from any corruption. We speak the truth that comes from the heart. We live in simple dwellings close to the wild and are accustomed to nature’s hardships.

We must not allow any hatred, discrimination, prejudice or racism, for any fellow man regardless of race, color of skin, gender, origin, belief or religion. We must rise above all the diseases that have paralyzed man’s ability of rational thinking. We must not become involved in the same mentality of a power struggle to make up for past injustices. We must practice patience and perseverance in times of hardship and distress. Show forgiveness and mercy to those who were unfair with us, those who knowingly or unknowingly paid no mind to understand the simplicity of living with Nature.

We live in the purity of the mountains, in lush valleys or along the seashore by the roaring tides. We have remained respectful to the laws of nature and considered the web of the ecosystem as part of our own self. The running water of the stream is the running blood in our veins; the air that we breathe is our life.

We are thankful with regions that may be fertile or arid; we roam over land, sail on the seas, fish in the rivers and hunt on the plains. We tend our flocks, till the soil and seek the seas for food. From beneath the Earth, we dig out precious gemstones and metals for ornaments. We lived well, but never heard of jobs. We may be poor but our love for one another is rich.

Whatever we do for a living, we must make sure to safeguard the rights of others in the family of Mother Earth because our lives emerge from an eternal unity. After a short visit to the amazing world, we go back to the eternal unity to be one with all. So there is no point in terrorizing innocent people, fighting a war or hoarding wealth by hurting others. After all, when the soul departs from the mortal body we join the atom as a speck of dust.

So do good, Remember good and evil cannot be equal, Repel the evil with good then he or she, whom has enmity with you, will become your friend.

• We must establish funds for the permanent forum from our own means, so that we may be able to think and act freely.
• We indigenous people are nations amongst nations, and since the UN has recognized our identity, we should have our own collective, united flag flown in front of the U.N.