Belizean Maya Land Rights Case Update

Despite the Supreme Court of Belize's landmark 2007 decision "affirming the rights of the indigenous Maya communities of Belize to their traditional lands and resources and declaring those rights protected by the Constitution of Belize in light of relevant international law" (also called "the most far-reaching application of international law by a domestic court to recognize the rights of indigenous groups to their traditional lands”), the Maya of Toledo District continue to have to fight to uphold these rights.

The Rogers College of Law at The University of Arizona's Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program [2] offers a wealth of information on southern Belize and the issue of who was there first. Their documents page [3] is particularly informative ... appeals are pending.

Feb.2009 update from The Reporter in Belize [4].