FACTSHEET Who are indigenous peoples It is estim ated that there are re than m illion - PDF document

li ve . Spread across the world from the Ar ctic to the South Pacific, they are the descendants - according t o a common definition - of those who inhabite d a countr y or a geographical region at the t i m e when people of differ e nt cu ltures or ethnic origi n s arrived. Th e new arrivals later i of northern Europe, the A borigines and Torres Strait Islanders of Au stralia and the Maori of New Ze aland. These and m o st other indi gen ous peoples h a ve retained distinct charact eristics which are clearly different from those of other seg m e nts of the national p opulatio ns. Understanding the term “indigenous” Considering t h e diversit Self- identification as indigenous peopl es at the indi vidual level and accepted by the community as their m e m b er. Historical co ntinuit y with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies Strong l i nk t o territories and surroundi ng natural resources A question of identity According to the UN the most fruitful approach is to i d entif y , rathe r than define i ndigeno us pe oples. This is based on the funda mental criteri on of self-i de ntification as underlined i n a num ber of human rights docum ents. The term “in d igenous” ha s prevailed as a generic term for many years. In so m e countries, there m a y be preference fo r other terms including tribes, firs t peoples/nations, aboriginals, eth n ic grou ps, adivasi, janaja ti. Occupational and geographical term s like hunter-gat herers, nom ads, peasants, hill people, etc., also exist and for all practical purposes can be u sed interchangeably with “indi genous people s”. In many cases, the notion of being termed “indigeno us” has negative connotati ons and som e people m a y choose not to reveal or define their origin. Others m u st respect suc h choices, while at the sa me ti m e working agai nst the discrimination of i ndigeno us pe oples. Culture and Know ledge Indigenous peoples are the holders of unique language s, knowledge sy stem s and beliefs and possess invaluable knowledge of practices for the sustainable m a nagemen t of natural resources. They have a special relation to a nd use of their traditional land. Their ancest ral land has a f undam e ntal i m portance for their collective phy s ical and cultural survival as peoples. Indigenous peoples hold their own diverse concepts of developm ent, based on their traditional val u es, visions, needs and pri o rities. Political participation Indigenous peoples often have m u ch in common with other negle c ted seg ments of societies, i.e. lack of political representatio n and participation, econo mic marginalization and poverty , lack of acce ss to soci al service s and discrim ination. Despite their cultural dif f erences, the diverse indig e nous people s share co mmon pro b lem s also related to the protection of their rights. T h ey stri ve for recognition of their identiti es, their way s of life and their right to traditional lands, te rritories and natural resources. For media enquiries or interviews on these issu es, please contact : Oisika Chakrabarti, Department of Publ i c Information, tel: 212.963. 8264, e-mail: mediainfo@un.org For Secretar iat of the Permanent For u m, please c o ntact: Mirian Masaquiza, Secretariat of the Perm anen t Forum on Indigenous Issues, tel: 917. 367 .60 06, e-m a il: IndigenousPerm an entForum @un.org