August 9 was World Indigenous People’s Day in the same river of life
Aditha Dissanayake
“Although we are in different boats, you in your boat and we in our
canoe, we share the same river of life” said Chief Oren Lyons of
Onandaga voicing the thoughts of his tribe when he encountered the
“civilized brothers” of Mother Earth.
 His words are echoed by Dr. Praneeth Abeysundara at the Department of
Sociology, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, as the world celebrated
World Indigenous People’s day on August 9. “We are one” says Dr.
Abeysundara, “But it is sad to see that a great deal of injustice has
been meted out to some of our brethren, the indigenous peoples of the
world, in the name of Civilization.” The indigenous peoples be they
Veddas or Incas or Aborigines already marginalized by imperial and
colonial situations are now further threatened by climate changes.
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Who are the Indigenous people?
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The word
“indigenous” has many meanings. In every region of the world,
many different cultural groups live together and interact, but
not all of these groups are considered indigenous or inherent to
their particular geographic area. In fact, it is only in the
face of a collective or shared sense of identity that the term
indigenous peoples has been internationally recognized.
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is
celebrated on August 9 each year to recognize the first UN
Working Group on Indigenous Populations meeting in Geneva in
1982. On December 23, 1994, the UN General Assembly decided that
the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People should be
observed on August 9 annually during the International Decade of
the World’s Indigenous People.
In 2004 the assembly proclaimed the Second International Decade
of the World’s Indigenous People (2005-2014). The assembly also
decided to continue observing the International Day of
Indigenous People annually during the second decade. The
decade’s goal was to further strengthen international
cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous peoples in
areas such as culture, education, health, human rights, the
environment, and social and economic development.
In April 2000, the Commission on Human Rights adopted a
resolution to establish the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues that was endorsed by the Economic and Social Council. The
forum’s mandate is to discuss indigenous issues related to
culture, economic and social development, education, the
environment, health and human rights. |
Dr. Abeysundara says instead of merely celebrating the day as an
ivory tower academic discipline it is far better if all of us can take a
more applied, action oriented approach to solving the problems of these
true children of Mother Earth: ranging from finding them food and
medicine to preserving their habitat. “We should aim to bring light and
strength to their lives” he contends.
Living as they do in climates ranging from the Arctic cold to the
Amazon heat, and often claiming a deep connection with their lands and
natural environments, for many indigenous peoples, the natural world is
a valued source of food, health, spirituality and identity.
As Chief Seattle said in his famous letter to the President in
Washington, land is both a critical resource that sustains life and a
major cause of struggle and even death for indigenous people. “Every
part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle,
every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every
humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.
We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood
that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part
of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the
great eagle, these are our brothers.The rocky crests, the dew in the
meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same
family.”
In such a context, “It is essential to know and understand the deeply
spiritual special relationship between Indigenous peoples and their land
as basic to their existence as such and to all their beliefs, customs,
traditions and culture” says Dr. R.M.M Chandraratne, Senior Lecturer,
Dept. Of Archeology, University of Peradeniya. Their land is not a
commodity which can be acquired, but a material element to be enjoyed
freely. From an archeological point of view Dr. Chandraratne sees
indigenous peoples as an invaluable source when it comes to constructing
the lives of our prehistoric ancestors. “They are a direct link with our
past and plays a vital role in ethnographic studies, our present culture
and our history”.
To quote from the Culture Newsletter of UNESCO, “the voices of
Indigenous peoples, if we take the trouble to listen to them, convey
priceless messages to the world: their traditions, particularly ethical
and spiritual ones, coupled with their management of complex ecosystems
and their know-how, all play a vital role in the search for development
and peace. Safeguarding their cultures and acknowledging their rights
are of strategic importance for the future of humankind.”
And their voices are not as strong as they once used to be. Though,
according to statistics provided by UNESCO Indigenous populations in the
world number some 350 million individuals in more than 70 countries, who
represent more than 5000 languages and cultures, living on the fringes
of society and deprived of basic human rights, particularly cultural
rights, due to dispossession and displacement from their land they
suffer at the hands of the civilized.
With the aim of strengthening the rights of the indigenous people
and, supporting their aspirations the United Nations’ (UN) International
Day of the World’s Indigenous People is observed on August 9 each year.
The event promotes and protects the rights of the world’s indigenous
population as well as recognizes the achievements and contributions that
indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental
protection.
As people from different nations participated in observing the day to
spread the UN’s message on indigenous peoples it is hoped that the
Declaration of Sioux, Navajo, and Iroquois in 1978 will last till as
long as Mother Earth lives. “Our roots are deep in the lands where we
live. We have a great love for our country, for our birthplace is here.
The soil is rich from the bones of thousands of generations. Each of us
was created in these lands and it is our duty to take great care of
them, because from these lands will spring the future generations of our
peoples. We walk about with great respect, for the Earth is a very
Sacred Place.”
Let Chief Seattle have the last word. “This we know: the earth does
not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected
like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he
is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to
himself...We ARE all brothers after all”
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