9 August 2011, 06:00 a.m.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on 9 August every year.

Theme 2011: "Indigenous Designs: Celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own Future"

The theme for the 17^th International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is "Indigenous Designs: Celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own Future." It highlights the need for preservation and revitalization of indigenous cultures, including their art and intellectual property. It is also a reminder that there is a story and a personal experience behind every piece of cloth, textile or artwork from an indigenous individual or community.  

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlights in his message the fact that indigenous peoples face a number of challenges in trying to maintain their identity, traditions and customs. Their cultural contributions are often exploited and commercialised with little or no recognition. The UN Secretary-General tasks the international community to “work harder to recognize and strengthen their right to control their intellectual property, and help them to protect, develop and be compensated fairly for the cultural heritage and traditional knowledge that is ultimately of benefit to us all.” 

Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, reminds us in her statement that “many of the estimated 370 million indigenous peoples around the world have lost, or are under imminent threat of losing, their ancestral lands, territories and natural resources because of unfair and unjust exploitation for the sake of development.”

Background

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples  was declared in 1994 by the United Nations to mark the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) in 1982. This day offers the international community an opportunity to reiterate the principles of respect for human rights protected in the Charter and to find solutions to improve the plight of indigenous people.

Who are the Indigenous Peoples of Africa?

According to the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC), indigenous groups in Africa are those who have been making a living by hunting and gathering and living migratory nomadic lifestyles. These different peoples represent the backbone of Africa's traditional knowledge of nature and sustainable development in remote rural areas.

Well-known groups include the:

• Bushmen of the Kalahari/Namibia

• Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania

• Meru of Kenya

• Pygmy of Central and Western Africa

• Tuareg of the Sahel

• Zulu of South Africa

For a more extensive list, please see People of Africa website.