Aboriginal/Indigenous Peoples

 

Why learn about indigenous peoples in Canada and Asia?

Because there are indigenous people within Asia who are very similar to the indigenous people living in the boundaries of Canada and the United States.

Aboriginal and Indigenous people have played and continue to play an instrumental role in the development of the history, culture and image of the countries in which they live.

Aboriginal people: the indigenous people living within the borders of Canada. They are the Native, Metis and Inuit peoples.· Some Aboriginal reservations in Canada resemble villages of Indigenous people in the Asia Pacific region. For example,there are reservations in Canada and villages in the Asian Pacific region where housing conditions are below standard. In these areas poor sanitation and a lack of running water are common. In other instances where overcrowding is a problem the demand for limited resources can cause conflict within the community.

Some Aboriginal Websites:
Native Web: http://web.maxwell.syr.edu/nativeweb/index.html
Aboriginal Youth Network: http://www.ayn.ca/
Department of Indian and Northern Affairs: http://www.inac.gc.ca/
Aboriginal Super Information Highway: http://alpha.remcan.ca/abinfohwy/
National Association of Friendship Centers: http://www.nafc-aboriginal.com/

Indigenous people: the original inhabitants of any continent or island, whose claims are immemorial.

Did you know that, an issue shared by the Indigenous people of Canada, United States and those of the Asia Pacific region is the exploitation or dispossession of their land by Governments or Industries and the failure to settle land claims.

Similar to the ancestors of the Indigenous people living within Canada and the United States, the Ainu are a semi-nomadic hunting tribe who continue to practice various methods of farming. However, loss of their land is not only threatening their lifestyle but having a negative impact on their language and culture.

Like Aboriginal youth today, it is the responsibility of young Ainu to protect and assure the restoration and survival of their traditional language and customs. Of the 10 dialects thought to have been spoken by the Ainu, only a few have been recognised, while several others are at the point of being lost forever.

Like the Yao of southern China, whose children are taught at a young age that it is disgraceful to lie or steal, many Indigenous tribes also believe that to lie or steal is a wrongdoing. Similarly, to the Penan of Malaysia, sihun , or the "failure to share" is considered improper behaviour. As are most hunting and gathering peoples, the Penan are dependent on the gifts of the land and forest for their livelihood, therefore individual generosity is critical to the society as a means of protection from the uncertainties of their lifestyle.