Indigenous people are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the land and natural resources where they live, occupy, or from which they have been displaced. The land and natural resources on which they depend are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being. They often subscribe to their customary leaders and organisations for representation that is distinct or separate from those of the mainstream society or culture.

The World Bank adds that many indigenous people still maintain a language distinct from the official language or languages of the country or region in which they reside; however, many have also lost their languages or are on the precipice of extinction due to eviction from their land and/or relocation to other territories. Did you know that there are an estimated 476 million indigenous people in the world living across 90 countries? They make up less than 6 per cent of the world’s population but account for at least 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures. Unfortunately, at least 40 per cent of the 7,000 languages used worldwide are at some level of endangerment. Indigenous languages are particularly vulnerable because many of them are not taught at school or used in the public sphere.

The United Nations (UN) states that indigenous people are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous people from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9 annually to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.

Despite their right to autonomy, as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, indigenous people in voluntary isolation and initial contact face unique challenges often overlooked by the surrounding world. Developments for agriculture, mining, tourism, and natural resources in their territories are resulting in the deforestation of swathes of indigenous people’s forests, disrupting their way of life and destroying the natural environment that they have protected for generations. For indigenous people living in voluntary isolation and initial contact, one of the most serious threats from external contact is the exposure to diseases. Due to their isolation, they do not have the immunological defences to relatively common diseases. As such, forced contact with the outside world can lead to devastating consequences, and can destroy whole societies. The focus for this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was ‘Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact’.

Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact are the best protectors of the forest. Where their collective rights to lands and territories are protected, the forests thrive, alongside their societies. The protection of indigenous peoples rights are crucial to the protection of our planet, especially as it relates to cultural and linguistic diversity.

The United Nations adds that indigenous Peoples have sought recognition of their identities, their way of life, and their right to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources for years. Yet throughout history their rights have been violated. Indigenous people today are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international community now recognises that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

Indigenous people in the Caribbean are the descendants of many people who have helped to shape our history and culture. The indigenous groups such as the Tainos, Kalinago, and Mayans have added to the rich and vibrant culture of Caribbean societies. The original inhabitants of Jamaica were the Taínos, an Arawak-speaking people who began arriving on Hispaniola by canoe from Belize and the Yucatan peninsula. In 1493 Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the so-called New World landed on a small island in the Caribbean now known as Dominica where he met a local people that called themselves Kalinago. The community itself, however, managed to survive.

For indigenous people of the Caribbean what followed that first contact with Europeans would be nearly 500 years of resistance to colonial subjugation, genocide, and enslavement. In 1903 the Kalinago gained tribal sovereignty. Like so many Indigenous groups across the globe, the Kalinago are confronting the constant threats of a changing climate and record-breaking heat waves.

In indigenous communities, men and women have different gender roles and responsibilities, and for that reason they also often have different needs, desires, and interests. Traditionally, indigenous women were generally respected by indigenous men and had equal access to and control over collective land and natural resources. Nowadays indigenous women experience multiple forms of discrimination; often lack access to education, health care and ancestral lands; face disproportionately high rates of poverty; and are subjected to violence, such as domestic violence and sexual abuse, including in the contexts of trafficking and armed conflict.

Without a doubt, governments need to redouble their efforts to ensure that indigenous people have access to the same services as the wider society.

Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and/or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer 0r waykam@yahoo.com.