Koji Mizoguchi, President of WAC, sent a letter- 20150831 Maya Land Rights -expressing a serious concern about the treatment of Maya citizens of Belize on the 30th of August, 2015.
The letter was approved and signed by members of the Council of the World Archaeological Congress, representing some 80 countries and territories across the world. The Congress was particularly concerned with the issues of human rights associated with cultural heritage. We consider the treatment of Maya citizens of Belize, especially concerning their rights to their traditional lands and land use practices to be of singular importance for the future of archaeology and its relationship with Indigenous Peoples.
We understand that United Nations Development Program and the Equator Initiative awarded the Equator Prize for 2015 to the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA) and Toledo Alcaldes Association (TAA) . We offer our hearty congratulations to Belize and all its Indigenous Peoples.
The letter was intended to be shared publicly with all interested parties.
Sincerely,
President of World Archaeological Congress (WAC)
Koji Mizoguchi