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New Zealand and its Indigenous People

Maori New Zealand Tourism By Beau Prichard

Indigenous peoples are people, communities, and nations who claim a historical continuity and cultural affinity with societies endemic to their original territories that developed prior to exposure to the larger connected civilization associated with Western culture. These societies therefore consider themselves distinct from societies of the majority cultures.

Preserving Culture Attributes

Based on history they are formed and still currently form the minority/non-dominant sectors within majority-culture societies and are intentioned towards preserving, reviving, and enhancing the efficacy, cohesion, and uniqueness of their traditional social values and customary ties along with a conscientious effort to transmit this knowledge to future generations.

This forms the basis of contemporary campaigns for reclamation of their own representational sovereignty and continued existence and recognition as peoples who desire to live according to their own cultural attributes, social systems and structures of law.

Indigenous People are Extremely Poor Rural People

Indigenous peoples make up one third of the world’s 900 million extremely poor rural people. Any effort to eradicate poverty must therefore address the special needs of these minority ethnic groups. For a host of political and historical reasons, indigenous peoples tend to suffer from neglect and discrimination. Many have been pushed onto the least fertile and most fragile lands. In these isolated and harsh environments, many indigenous peoples find it difficult to grow enough food to eat, earn a living, receive an education and learn new skills, receive medical care, and do what is necessary to improve their lives while preserving their cultural identity. Living far from centers of commerce and power, they may also find it hard to influence the policies, laws and institutions that would improve their circumstances and shape their futures.

New Zealand Indigenous People Criticized

Recently in the news New Zealand has been criticized by the International Community for its poor treatment of its Indigenous Maori People. Under international law, the right of self-determination is addressed in Article 1 of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This ‘common Article 1′ right of self-determination is understood in international law, under certain circumstances, to include the right to secession and full independence. We cannot deny that some indigenous peoples in the world might qualify for this common Article 1 of self-determination.

New Zealand Indigenous Express Genuine Fear

In the statement New Zealand has exposed their own fears regarding the very legitimacy of their occupation of certain Indigenous territories. Because of these rights might apply to Indigenous peoples that are the reason why they sought limitations for such. Perhaps it is time that true democracy be explored and these countries listen to the Indigenous peoples’ point of view which has, without exception, opposed their position. That should tell them something. That should tell us all something.

The main issue here is their culture will be lost if modern governments do not help to protect it. In both North America and Australia, aboriginal populations are dwindling. They have that much of a right but that is not only what is owed to them.

September 2, 2010 - Posted by John Villager | Travel | Article 1 of self-determination, Australia, Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Indigenous peoples, International Covenant on Economic, New Zealand, North America, Social and Cultural Rights