Juana Majel understands institutional racism, as Secretary of the National Congress of American Indians and a member of the Pauma-Yuima Band of Luiseño Indians, she has lived through it in many forms. Unfortunately, she says, racism has its manifestations right here in the World Conference preparatory process – especially when you look at the plans to extend this week's meeting.

"There’s a critical mass here with fair representation to address these issues. To extend the meeting a week would dramatically decrease our ability to participate in this process because our numbers will diminish significantly. It’s a subtle form of institutional racism."

For many indigenous peoples, the World Conference process is full of ironies and contradictions. As sovereign nations, they are denied government status and left to fight to occupy even "middle ground" in the NGO forums.

"Because we are sovereign nations, we have no voice, we have no Bill of Rights because we’d have to give up our governance, our independence. In a sense, we’d have to give up being Indian. The US fights to keep sovereign nations out of the UN as states with government status. At the same time, there are much smaller countries, countries with much less population, that are here at the table as governments. A year ago, we had to fight just for a place at the World Conference forum."

Majel is used to fighting back. She started out as an activist while in her teens with the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1960s where she took on a range of issues including the forced sterilization of indigenous women, self determination, land rights and environmental issues.

"We were one piece of the picture of putting together Indian Country, to end tribalism. Then, we had more horizontal violence – violence amongst ourselves. We were missing the fact that we had a common enemy."

Majel's work for the rights and self determination of indigenous people has brought her into many forums worldwide. At the heart of her work is an awareness, a centeredness in her culture and traditions – something instilled in her from her youth.

"They really engulfed us in the traditional way of life, that what was good for the people was good for me. This kind of thinking eradicates the kind of fear that breeds xenophobia. Xenophobia is really fear of the unknown."

As for the future of the work, Majel is cautiously hopeful.

"We have a lot of allies that have stood in the gap for us – Senator McCain and other Senators. The list is long but our adversaries list is longer. Most Americans and, we've since learned most countries, don't understand the complexity of being invisible in your own country. This is not in opposition to other people of color and their journeys in America but the truth is we are often invisible to other people of color as well. Still, we have an incredible core of graciousness. Our ideology and core understands how we are all related. And we have the patience to know that one day other folks will figure this out as well."