Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples are people who belong to ethnic groups native to a location that is dominated by colonists and settlers from other places or those settlers' descendants. The word "indigenous" comes from a Latin word meaning "born in a country." Indigenous peoples often have distinctive cultures and languages. They may also have physical appearances that distinguish them from settlers. Indigenous peoples today are the remaining caretakers of traditional ways of life and knowledge of local ecological conditions. They suffer unusually high levels of poverty and disenfranchisement. Many nations and international organizations have recognized these problems and are attempting to improve the status and legal treatment of the world's indigenous peoples.

The United Nations has not adopted an official definition of...