WHAT OR WHO IS INDIGENOUS? WORKING ON A WORKING DEFINITION

The difference in what I thought about indigenous people was a more rudimentary definition. Before this class started I explained this class to some friends as a class about people that live in the woods still. After reading the Resource Kit I see I was right and wrong. There is a lot more to being considered indigenous than just where you live. As stated by Resource Kit on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, indigenous people identify themselves as indigenous people, they form non-dominant sectors of society and maintain their own distinct social, economic, and political system (Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues/DSPD/DESA, 2008).

There is a world wild accepted definition for indigenous people. I believe when you define something that can change over time people can start to legally find ways to say indigenous people no longer fit the definition and it’s okay to take over their land for example. Fiona Watson wrote a column in The Guardian about how indigenous people of Brazil were having their rights violated. Fiona Watson states the Guarani lose leaders and shamans to gunfire because ranchers are shooting them while they are trying to get their land back (Watson, 2013, para. 6).

The anthropological perspective that suits me the best is “scientist” with a little bit of “reformer”. One way you can define yourself is by learning about other cultures, same when you’re trying to grow it’s good to learn from other cultures. I currently live in Japan and have grown as an American by merging Japanese culture with my own. One example is in Okinawa, Japan it is normal for the children to stay in the house after 18 or until marriage. I first heard this was thought that’s just not right they need to get their grown butt out of their parent’s house, but now I appreciate it. People here have a chance to save more money while they are working, stay close to family, and are there to help around the house. In the end, learning about other cultures with open your mind to ideas that were once taboo or something that you might have never thought of.

References

Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues/DSPD/DESA. (2008). Resource kit on indigenous peoples’ issues. New York, NY: United Nations. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/resource_kit_indigenous_2008.pdf

Watson, F. (2013, May 29). Brazil’s treatment of its indigenous people violates their rights. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/29/brazil- indigenous-people-violates-rights

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

The term indigenous has gained a considerable amount of attention within the past decade. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted in 2007 to work alongside the Indigenous to resolve global issues including working to identify the term indigenous. People are increasingly self-identifying as indigenous—declaring themselves a part of an indigenous society. However, establishing a definition is a complex task that must account for numerous meanings. In this Discussion, you consider your current understanding of the term indigenous and provide a definition of indigenous peoples, along with examining the difficulties of establishing a general definition.

TO PREPARE FOR DISCUSSION:

• Review pages 7–9 of the United Nations Resource Kit on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues article in the Learning Resources.
• Review the Anthropological Perspectives Checklist provided in the Learning Resources. Consider the five perspectives and how they impact the study of other cultures.
• Review the article, “Who Are Indigenous Peoples?” located in this week’s Resources.
• Think about your current understanding of the term indigenous.
• Identify any challenges in crafting a comprehensive definition or characterization of indigenous peoples.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post one paragraph in which you define indigenous peoples based on your current understanding. In a second paragraph, examine the potential problems in defining indigenous peoples. Consider the five anthropological perspectives and analyze the role you might choose if you were studying another culture: reformer, critic, scientist, humanist, or cosmopolite. Which perspective would you chose? Explain your reasoning for this selection.

Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week’s Learning Resources, or something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced.

^{"Place your order now for a similar assignment and have exceptional work written by our team of experts, guaranteeing you A results."}