Introduction
On September 13, 2007, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by an overwhelming majority.2 The UNDRIP was a product of over two decades of negotiations.3 In response to the Assembly’s adoption of the UNDRIP,Les Malezer, a Chairperson of the Global Indigenous Caucus, asserted that “the United Nations and indigenous people had found common ground” by enshrining rights that were already approved by the United Nations system but denied to indigenous people.4
While there was a significant consensus on the declaration’s provisions,some countries, including the United States, expressed “concerns over provisions on self-determination” and the possibility they might be construed as giving indigenous peoples rights to “veto national legislation and State management of resources.”5 Expanding and clarifying the definition of indigenous people under the UNDRIP to include the Kurdish people will provide clear rights recognized by the greater international community, helping the Kurdish people to maintain their culture and heritage in the face of persecution.[1]

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