Stephen James Anaya is an American lawyer and the 16th Dean of the University of Colorado Boulder Law School.

In March 2008, he was appointed by the United Nations as its Special Rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, replacing Rodolfo Stavenhagen.

He teaches and writes in the areas of international human rights, constitutional law, and issues concerning indigenous peoples.

[2] Anaya has served as a consultant for organizations and government agencies in numerous countries on matters of human rights and indigenous peoples, and he has represented indigenous groups from many parts of North and Central America in landmark cases before courts and international organizations.

[5] In addition, he directed the legal team that successfully achieved a judgment by the Supreme Court of Belize affirming the traditional land rights of the Maya people of that country.