<P> Speaking for the United States mission to the UN, spokesman Benjamin Chang said, "What was done today is not clear . The way it stands now is subject to multiple interpretations and doesn't establish a clear universal principle ." The U.S. mission also issued a floor document, "Observations of the United States with respect to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", setting out its objections to the Declaration . Most of these are based on the same points as the three other countries' rejections but, in addition, the United States drew attention to the Declaration's failure to provide a clear definition of exactly whom the term "indigenous peoples" is intended to cover . </P> <P> On 16 December 2010, President Obama declared that the United States would "lend its support" to the Declaration . The decision was announced during the second White House Tribal Nations Conference, where he said he is "working hard to live up to" the name that was given to him by the Crow Nation: "One Who Helps People Throughout the Land ." Obama has told Native American leaders that he wants to improve the "nation - to - nation" relationship between the United States and the tribes and repair broken promises . Today, there are more than 560 Indian tribes in the United States that are recognized at the federal level, with some sixty - plus tribes recognized at the state level . Many had representatives at the White House conference and applauded Obama's announcement . </P> <P> The Obama administration's decision came after three consultation meetings with Native Americans and more than 3,000 written comments on the subject . The support of the government also included several interpretations of the meaning of the Declaration . In the view of the United States government, the Declaration advances "a new and distinct international concept of self - determination specific to indigenous peoples," which is not the same as the existing concept in international law . The statement also interprets free, prior, and informed consent, "which the United States understands to call for a process of meaningful consultation with tribal leaders, but not necessarily the agreement of those leaders, before the actions addressed in those consultations are taken ." </P> <P> Speaking on behalf of the United Kingdom government, UK Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Karen Pierce, "emphasized that the Declaration was non-legally binding and did not propose to have any retroactive application on historical episodes . National minority groups and other ethnic groups within the territory of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories did not fall within the scope of the indigenous peoples to which the Declaration applied ." </P>

United nations charter on the rights of indigenous peoples