Indigenous Peoples

Concept of Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples may be defined as: Non-European populations who resided in lands colonized by Europeans before the colonists arrived. There are some Indigenous Peoples who were never colonized, some who were colonized under non-European powers, and some European Indigenous Peoples (eg. the Sami).(1)

Definition of Indigenous Peoples

Within the context of international human rights, the following is a brief meaning of indigenous peoples: People who are original or natural inhabitants of a country. Native Americans, for example, are the indigenous peoples of the United States.See more related entries to Indigenous Peoples in this legal encyclopedia.

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See Also

• Human Rights

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Notes

1. From John H. Moore, ed., Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Vol. 2 (Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA/Thomson Gale 2008).