Culture

Articles 11-13 

11)  Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and develop their culture.

Culture includes: language, clothing, food, religion, life style… Indigenous peoples have unique cultures. Culture is a like a living thing that changes and grows over time. The processes of colonization affected Indigenous peoples in different ways. Many communities almost lost their culture in the process. There continues to be pressure to assimilate from governments and popular culture. Indigenous peoples walk in two worlds: that of the dominant culture and their own culture. Understanding yourself as an Indigenous person is empowering, not having that empowerment can leave people lost. Such is the case for Indigenous youth in Australia; they have the highest suicide rate in the world. Culture is life seeks to change that by connecting youth to their cultural identity. The Ways, from the USA, shows different communities and individuals working to encourage their traditional culture. Some communities, like this one in Mexico, struggle to keep youth interested in traditional culture.

 

12) Indigenous peoples have the right to practice their unique religion.

Indigenous peoples have diverse religious beliefs. Some only practice their traditional religion, some practice a mix of their traditional religion and a dominant religion such as Buddhism or Christianity. Some have converted completely to a dominant religion. You can change your religion and still be an Indigenous person. Take a look at this website of the Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage in Canada. It is a mix of Indigenous religion and Catholic faith.

13) Indigenous peoples have the right to use and share their history.

The history of Indigenous peoples is often left out in histories of nations. This video is about the Mapuche people of Argentina and one women working to restore the cultural identity of her people and using media to share their brutal history with Argentina government.

Reflection and Activities 

1) Consider an element of culture from your area such as a traditional cooking style? How much can this be changed before it is not longer your culture?

2) What religions do Indigenous peoples in your area practice? When and how were these religions introduced?

3) Why are Indigenous peoples histories often left out of the national history of a country? How do these histories effect the emotions of the dominant population?