Samburu women in traditional clothing — Samburu women in kenya (via wikimedia commons)

There are approximately 370 million Indigenous people throughout the world. Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants or settlers of any given region (in contrast to those who later settled or colonized the area). The movement to secure rights for Indigenous peoples can be seen as part of a larger process of decolonization.

The following documents illustrate the continuing importance of working to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous communities around the world – many of which continue to be marginalized within larger society.

Primary Source Documents

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Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989

The UN’s International Labor Organization adopted the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention in 1989. This document was created to protect and promote the cultural, political, and economic rights of indigenous and tribal persons. Importantly, it also protects tribal peoples’ right to own and use the land they live on and to contribute to the decision-making process regarding projects that take place on these lands.

Unlike the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (adopted in 2007), the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention is a legally-binding document. As of 2018, the convention has only been ratified by 23 states. Read document >

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, combating an historic legacy of violence and injustice inflicted on tribal and indigenous populations around the world.

Although it is not legally-binding, this document is the world's most comprehensive instrument for the protection of indigenous rights, which include: rights of self-determination, cultural rights, health rights, protection of sub-groups such as children and the elderly, and land rights. It states that indigenous peoples have the right to enjoy all rights as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all other international human rights law. Read document >