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Indigenous Peoples Situations, Issues, and Concerns

There is no universally accepted definition of Indigenous Peoples. They are identified as tribals, adivasi, ethnic minorities, native, aborigines or Indians. In many countries they are the first peoples in the land but always a minority group. Socially, they are the most exploited and divided people in the world. Their history is history of defeat, suffering and oppression. They have suffered discrimination, devoiced, exploitation and alienation in different stage of their history. As a result of many years of slavery and subjugation, the indigenous people have lost their self-esteem and confidence that develop into feeling of inferiority that prevails even today. There are many instances where the tribal people do not want to identify them selves as “tribal” when they encounter other because of the fear of discrimination. Many young people want to change their name, do not speak mother tongue or wear traditional attire because of fear of discrimination. In the eyes of dominant communities’ indigenous people are looked down upon as backward, primitive, and uncivilized people living in the hills and forest. Within nation-states, indigenous are only economically marginalized, but also politically disenfranchised. Political oppression, militarization and all form of ethnocidal attack take place everyday. Violence, conflict, and killing become an everyday affair and realities. Thus, Indigenous Peoples reclaiming and resisting their right to self determination. Indigenous people all over the world suffer many forms of injustices. Two examples may be cited here in displacements and suppression. In different parts of the world, indigenous people have become the victims of big reservoir, mega projects, wildlife sanctuaries, mines, industries, etc. They are forcefully evicted from their ancestral land and the abode of the various spirits they worship using repressive measures and often without proper compensation. They are simply ignored, silenced and despised, all in the name of development, so that the indigenous people’s right and their existence are completely ignored and the indigenous people who are already powerless and exploited are further reduced to powerlessness and bondage. Being thus improvised and disposed, people flee in large numbers to the cities to eke out their existence around slums and shanties in abject poverty and misery. Since the dominant societies do not listen top their cries and do not recognize them with human rights and dignity, some indigenous people have gone taken up armed struggle. Governments, instead of recognizing these movements as a justice issue, try to suppress the movement by military power. In the process, many villages were burnt down to ashes, not only once, but three to four times and many innocent people have been killed. Churches were used sacrilegiously as concentration camps. Worshipers were beaten up or tortured to death and add to this, women were raped even on the pulpit of worship. Such human right violations go on and on in many places in Asia and elsewhere. Many people continue in tears, pain, fear, and suffering. All that people can do is to weep silently within their hearts. Indigenous people continue to experience such misery, pain, and humiliation all over the world. We hear cries of indigenous people in Aotearoa, New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Fiji and many other places (Longchar, 2007). Indigenous peoples have been demanding justice from the international community for many years. They have organized locally, nationally, and regionally and are active in the international diplomatic arena, seeking respect for their cultures and ways of life and full participation in the decisions that affect them. There are twelve indigenous peoples’ organizations have consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) these are: Four Directions Council, Grand Council of the Cress (Quebec), Indian Council of South America, Indian Law Resource Center, Indigenous World Association, International Indian Treaty Council, International Organization of Indigenous Resources Development, Inuit Circumpolar Conference, National Aboriginal and Islander Legal Services Secretariat, National Indian Youth Council, Nordic Saami Council and World Council of Indigenous Peoples (www.creativespirits.info). Among the issues that concern indigenous peoples’ land and resources, human rights, internal colonization, self-government, self development, environment, discrimination, health, education, language, cultural survival, intellectual property rights, and social and economic conditions. Indigenous peoples see themselves as the legitimate claimants to their territories and natural resources, and consider control over local economy, social planning, land use and taxation essential to their existence. Thus they are seeking greater degrees of autonomy and self-rule. The lives of the 50 million indigenous people who inhabit the world’s tropical rainforests are threatened by deforestation; they also have a vital role to play in environmental protection. For centuries, they have engaged in sustainable management and land-use in the areas in which they live. The annual market value of drugs derived from medical plants discovered, developed and passed from generation to generation by indigenous peoples exceeds 43 billion dollars. Drug companies tap into this indigenous knowledge basis but rarely share the profits with indigenous peoples. Thus indigenous peoples are attempting to gain protection for their intellectual property. Within the ecumenical movement, issues of justice, peace and integrity of creation have recently been interlinked with issues. Caring for life is ecclesial, ecumenical, ecological and eschatological task which belongs to all of us together. Land is sacred, life is sacred. Land does not belong to the Indigenous Peoples; rather, they belong to the land. Macliing Dulag, the Cordillera Chico River Dam resister who was murdered by armed men in his house during the Marcos regime in the Philippines, once said: “Such arrogance to speak of owning the land, when you shall be owned by it. How can you own that which will outline you? Only the race owns the land because only the race lives forever (www.creativespirits.info).

Research and arranged by: Ronilo Megs and Randy Remps