International Day of Indigenous People
- Category
Art and culture
- Published
12th Aug, 2022
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Context
August 9 is celebrated as International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.
2022 theme: “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”.
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About
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples:
- In 1982, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 9 August as International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
- To commemorating the day of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, held in Geneva in 1982.
Who are Indigenous people?
- As defined by the United Nations, Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment.
- They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live.
- Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.
International Decades of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
- The United Nations General Assembly established two International Decades of the World’s Indigenous Peoples:
- the first 1995 – 2004 (resolution 48/163)
- the second 2005 – 2014 (resolution 59/174)
- with the goal of strengthening international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous peoples in important areas such as human rights and the environment.
- The year 2022 marks the beginning of a new decade for the indigenous community: the celebration of the Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022 – 2032, following the celebration of 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
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Indigenous People in India
- Indigenous people in India are also called as Scheduled Tribes.
- Scheduled Tribes are said to be the earliest inhabitants on the Indian sub-continent.
- They are considered to be socially and economically least advanced.
- Gonds, with a population of 4 million are found in the central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh, are one of the most dominant tribes in India.
- Bhills of Western India, Santhals from the Eastern India, and the Andamanese from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are some of the dominant tribes in India.
Indigenous People of Banswara villages:
- The region’s semi-arid and mixed-miscellaneous forests are home to a large population of tribals from the Bhil and Damor communities.
- Flora: Trees like Anogeissus pendula (Dhok), Terminalia arjuna (Arjun), Albizia lebbeck (Saras), Dalbergia paniculata (Palash), etc. make up the forests in the region.
- The primary source of living is agriculture. On small land holdings, the villagers grow maize, wheat and vegetables like okra, ridged gourd, bottle gourd, tomato, etc.
- The women in the region play a key role in promoting a sustainable, integrated farming system.
- Dietary Habits: The communities most commonly consume food grains like kodra (Paspalum scrobiculatum), bati (foxtail millet), kang, (barnyard millet), cheena (proso millet), hama, hamli and gujro (little millet), along with local vegetables.
- The minor millets are rich in fibre and iron and improves their immunity.

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