File:Opening of Dignity Tribes in Transition Exhibit at the UN Office at Geneva (1).jpg

The United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva is sponsoring the exhibition “Dignity: Tribes in Transition” by the American Photographer Dana Gluckstein at the United Nations from July 11, 2011 through the end of August. The opening of the exhibition, on display just outside the Human Rights Council Chamber, was timed to coincide with the 4th meeting of the Expert Mechanism for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations Office in Geneva. Dignity: Tribes in Transition features 60 photographs of individuals from tribes around the world. Gluckstein’s black-and-white portraits of Indigenous Peoples and Tribes include subjects from Australia, Bali, Bhutan, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Haiti, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, the United States, and Zambia. The photographs convey the universality of experience that links us all without diminishing the dignity of the individual. The U.S. Mission is sponsoring the exhibition to contribute to public awareness about the situation of indigenous peoples, and to celebrate U.S. support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples announced by President Obama last December. U.S. support for the Declaration represents an important and meaningful change in the U.S. position, and resulted from a comprehensive, interagency policy review, including extensive consultation with tribes. While the Declaration is not legally binding, it carries considerable moral and political force and complements President Obama’s ongoing efforts to address historical inequities faced by indigenous communities in the United States. For more about the exhibit - Dignity: Tribes in Transition, please see the photographer’s website: <a href="http://www.danagluckstein.com" rel="nofollow">www.danagluckstein.com</a> For More about U.S. Support for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: <a href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/153027.htm" rel="nofollow">www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/153027.htm</a>