Indigenous peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that have collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy, or from which they have been displaced. They are the earliest known inhabitants of an area and their descendants, and they have retained unique languages, knowledge systems, beliefs, and distinct characteristics that are different from those of other segments of the national populations.
Indigenous peoples are often known as First Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, or Native Peoples, and they may have specific terms in different countries, such as Adivasis in India or Janajatis in Nepal. They have a special relationship with the land on which they have lived for generations and possess crucial knowledge about how to manage natural resources sustainably. Losing their land means a loss of identity, and they often lack formal recognition over their lands, territories, and natural resources.
It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries, representing about 5% of the worlds population. Despite their relatively small population size, they account for about 19% of the extreme poor globally and often face discrimination, higher rates of poverty, landlessness, malnutrition, and internal displacement. Indigenous peoples rights have been increasingly recognized through international instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other global institutional mechanisms.
In summary, indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment, and they have sought recognition of their identities, way of life, and their right to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources for years. They are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world, and their rights and distinct cultures need special measures to be protected and maintained.
