This annual publication (published separately in English and Spanish) examines political, legal, social, and educational issues concerning indigenous peoples around the world during 1996-97. Part I highlights news events and ongoing situations in specific countries. In North America, these include threats of proposed oil drilling on sacred sites of the Blackfeet Nation and associated wilderness environment, the Leonard Peltier case, international boycotts of lumber and oil companies threatening the proposed Lubicon Cree territory in Alberta, the choice of an Ojibwa activist as 1996 Vice-Presidential candidate of the U.S. Green Party, intrusion of mining activities on the sacred sites of the Western Shoshone, and conflicts between the National Park Service and the Timbisha Shoshone and other tribes. Other sections cover the Arctic, Mexico and Central America, South America, the Pacific and Australia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Indigenous issues in these regions include violations of human rights, harassment of indigenous leaders and activists, colonialism, exploitation of indigenous territories by national and multinational companies, lack of land rights, and forced relocation and settlement. Many sections comment on the status of bilingual education or native language instruction, the lack of health and educational services in rural villages, and efforts aimed at cultural maintenance. Part II describes international work on behalf of indigenous rights and includes two articles: "Indigenous Peoples Keep the U.N. Declaration Intact for a Second Year" (Jens Dahl, Andrew Gray); and "The 53rd Session of the Commission on Human Rights" (Inger Sjorslev). (SV)