Indigenization

Indigenization refers to the process of reclaiming cultural space for indigenous peoples. This helps indigenous peoples, who are commonly marginalized, express their culture and address their unique perspectives with less fear of public backlash from the dominant culture. In many cases, indigenization is closely tied to the concept of decolonization, which refers to undoing the cultural suppression carried out by colonial forces against indigenous peoples.

Through expressing their culture in a coordinated manner, indigenous peoples are able to increase the validity and gravity with which indigenous issues are viewed by the general population. This may result in better treatment for indigenous peoples, more priority given to indigenous issues, and long-term increases in indigenous rights.

One common tactic for indigenization is inclusion of indigenous issues in government-sponsored schools. In the past, public school systems were used to suppress indigenous culture. However, through educating children about indigenous history and cultures, they may help create a generation that is more aware of the struggles faced by indigenous peoples. This may result in better societal treatment of future generations of indigenous peoples.

Background

The term “indigenous peoples” refers to distinct social and cultural groups across much of the world. These groups have firm ancestral ties to the land of a given area. In some places, indigenous peoples continue to occupy the land to which they hold ancestral ties. In others, external forces have caused indigenous peoples to move to another region. In most cases, indigenous peoples did not willingly move from their ancestral lands and were instead forced to move by other population groups.

Indigenous peoples commonly face challenges that are not shared by other population groups. For example, though indigenous peoples make up roughly five percent of the global population, they make up roughly fifteen percent of the global extreme poor. Similarly, indigenous peoples often struggle to take advantage of the criminal justice system, receive access to government benefits, secure access to higher education, or take positions in governmental systems.

Though indigenous peoples have ancestral claims to specific geographic areas, they often lack legal or culturally recognized claims to those areas. In many cases, indigenous peoples were pushed from their ancestral lands by a different group that acted as colonizers. If they do inhabit their ancestral lands, they may no longer be the dominant population group in the region. These factors sometimes bring indigenous peoples into conflict with other population demographics. Though some governments have returned land to the ownership or stewardship of organized groups of indigenous peoples, the land offered is only a fraction of the land that many groups of indigenous peoples claim is rightfully theirs.

Over the past several decades, many indigenous peoples have made great strides toward recognition of their rights. They have achieved notable success at the United Nations. Indigenous voices are heard at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and their rights were ratified by many nations through the American Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2016.

Overview

Indigenization is the process of naturalizing indigenous cultures, interactions, and processes in the culture and government of a specific institution or region. It is closely tied to the concept of decolonization, in which indigenous groups actively fight against the present-day impact of colonial cultures on indigenous society. Decolonization involves reclaiming ancestral lands, claiming seats in local and national governments, and ensuring that indigenous beliefs and culture are present in the daily life of ancestral regions. It also involves ensuring that indigenous history, languages, and arts are preserved for future generations.

In the past, colonial groups have actively worked to force indigenous peoples to abandon their cultures. For example, Native American indigenous peoples were sometimes forced to attend specialized schools in which the practicing of their historic cultures was entirely forbidden. These actions were performed to force indigenous peoples to assimilate into the European-American colonial culture of the region. Through indigenization, modern indigenous peoples fight against this practice and its legacy.

Indigenization is commonly carried out by indigenous activist groups working to establish their cultures as part of the status-quo. These groups work to create opportunities for indigenous culture to be expressed in daily life, allowing more indigenous peoples to outwardly express their cultural identity without fear of backlash or discrimination. They also work to secure the recognized validity of indigenous worldviews and perspectives in the eyes of the dominant culture. Because indigenous peoples make up such a small percentage of the global population, it may be impossible for them to become the dominant cultural group of a larger country. However, through outwardly expressing their culture in a coordinated manner, indigenous peoples are able to ensure that they occupy a greater percentage of the cultural expression of their areas.

One common place for indigenization techniques is in local schools. Though past school systems were used as a method for the suppression of indigenous cultures, many modern indigenous peoples believe that schools could work to preserve indigenous culture. Through teaching children about indigenous beliefs, perspectives, and histories, schools can help reinforce indigenous culture in the minds of indigenous youths. Similarly, they can expose non-indigenous children to indigenous cultures from a young age, helping to raise a generation of non-indigenous people who are knowledgeable about and considerate towards indigenous issues.

In many cases, successfully carrying out indigenization is a process that requires cooperation between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous peoples. For example, indigenous peoples working to use local schools for indigenization will require the cooperation of local school districts that may be run by non-indigenous peoples. They may also require the cooperation of local governments or secure funding from activist groups and non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations.

Bibliography

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“Indigenization Is Indigenous.” Gazette, 12 Feb. 2019, gazette.mun.ca/campus-and-community/indigenization-is-indigenous/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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“Indigenous Peoples.” The World Bank, 2021, www.worldbank.org/en/topic/indigenouspeoples#1. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

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“What Is Indigenization.” IGI Global, 2021, www.igi-global.com/dictionary/learning-from-place/62137. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.

“What Is Indigenization?” Selwyn, 2021, www.selwyn.ca/about/indigenization-process/what-is-indigenization#. Accessed 17 Jan. 2021.