Indigenous cultures, land rights and sovereignty

Indigenous cultures are associated with Indigenous peoples, marked by cultural differences from other groups in a state and a special relationship with traditional territory, though there is no generally accepted definition. These lessons help readers understand how Indigenous rights, land, and sovereignty relate to one another. They consider the themes of collective rights, stewardship, colonial law, and cultural practice.

2 articles, 1 video, 1 book

The reading path

1. Read
   

   indigenous cultures · Wikipedia · 60+ min read

   Since the late 20th century, some African peoples have sought recognition of their rights as distinct Indigenous peoples in national and international contexts. These communities often face conflict over traditional practices and land claims with governments, companies and surrounding dominant societies. Discovery doctrine is the idea that European powers could claim lands inhabited by Indigenous peoples through discovery and assert rights over their land and sovereignty. In 1823, the United States adopted a version of this doctrine as law in the US Supreme Court case Johnson v. McIntosh.

2. Read
   

   7 New York Exhibitions That Embody Indigenous Survivance · Hyperallergic

   Chitimacha/Choctaw artist Sarah Sense weaves photographs of significant landscapes printed on rice and bamboo paper with colonial documents about Native land dispossession, including maps and treaties. She manipulates these settler-driven documents, reuniting historic Indigenous art and stewardship practices with the environments integral to their formations.

3. Watch
   

   Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples, Briefly Explained · YouTube · 11 min watch

   Taiwan's Indigenous peoples were the island's first inhabitants, and they had early conflicts with Han Chinese settlers. Han Chinese settlement began about 400 years ago.

4. Book
   

   The Round House · Bookshop.org

   The Round House by Louise Erdrich tells of a boy seeking justice and understanding after a terrible crime transforms his family.

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