Abuses against indigenous people are structural and universal – it occurs globally in a myriad of physiologically ways; surveillance is not a distinctive concern to natives and pales in comparison to abuses they already face

There are more than 5,000 different Indigenous Peoples around the world comprising 476 million people – around 6.2% of the global population. They are spread across more than 90 countries in every region and speak more than 4,000 languages.   Although their customs and cultures may differ, Indigenous Peoples experience the same harsh realities the world over. Their human rights are routinely violated by state authorities, and they face high levels of marginalization and discrimination.   Indigenous Peoples face eviction from the ancestral lands they have inhabited for generations, as well as restricted access to education, health care and housing. Indigenous human rights defenders are intimidated, attacked, and sometimes even killed, often with the support of the state.  Indigenous people are more likely to live in extreme poverty and suffer higher rates of landlessness, malnutrition and internal displacement than other groups. They often rank highest for prison inmates, illiteracy and unemployment, while their life expectancy is up to 20 years lower compared to non-Indigenous people.  What does it mean to be Indigenous? Indigenous Peoples can be identified according to certain characteristics: Most importantly, they self-identify as Indigenous Peoples. They share an ancestral link with those who inhabited a country or region before they were colonized or before other peoples became dominant. They have a strong link to particular territories and the surrounding natural resources. They have distinct social, economic or political systems, which they are resolved to maintain and reproduce. They have a distinct language, culture and beliefs. They are politically and socially marginalized. How can we use inclusive language when talking about indigenous peoples? The term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ is used in documents including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is because, under international human rights law, the word ‘peoples’ carries important legal significance when asserting the right to self-determination. The UN now uses the capitalized ‘Indigenous Peoples’ in response to demands from Indigenous representatives. It’s intended to act as a recognition of their status as peoples in international law and the right to self-determination. Other terms such as ‘communities’, ‘groups’ and ‘minorities’ are often used interchangeably with ‘Indigenous Peoples’. However, these alternatives must be used cautiously. State authorities may use alternative terms to deliberately deny or undermine the right to self-determination that the term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ confers. Alternative terms should only be used if the people in question use the term themselves. Aboriginal, First Nation, Native American or Adivasi may be the preferred umbrella terms used in some regions or contexts. When referring to a specific Indigenous People, it is most often best to use the name of that people. How are Indigenous Peoples’ human rights violated? Encroaching on their right to self-determination Although some Indigenous Peoples are self-governing, many are denied the right to freely choose their own government or political systems. This is despite the fact that Indigenous Peoples were governing themselves freely for thousands of years prior to the arrival of colonizers from the 15th century onwards. These rights fall under the umbrella term self-determination – a binding right in international law which refers to peoples freely determining their political status and pursuing their economic, social and cultural development. It is embedded in legal instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, designed to address the impact of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples. Forced assimilation During the 19th and 20th centuries, Canada removed Indigenous children from their families and placed them in federally funded boarding schools, with the intent of assimilating them into broader Canadian society. At these “Indian Residential Schools”, they were not allowed to speak their languages or express their cultural heritage and iden tities. As a result, “Aboriginal people were expected to have ceased to exist as a distinct people with their own governments, cultures, and identities”. An estimated 150,000 First Nations children suffered abuse in these schools.  Indigenous children in Australia were also forced to assimilate into white culture and were placed in institutions where they suffered abuse and neglect. These children are known as the “Stolen Generations”.  Trespassing on their right to cultural lands Indigenous Peoples’ land ownership rights are also widely abused.   Under international law, states cannot relocate Indigenous Peoples without their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and without offering them adequate compensation. However, Indigenous Peoples’ lands – home to over 80% of our planet’s biodiversity and often rich in natural resources, such as oil, gas, and minerals – are routinely appropriated, sold, leased or simply plundered and polluted by governments and private companies. Indigenous land defenders face violence and even murder when they seek to protect their lands.  Many Indigenous Peoples have been uprooted from their land due to discriminatory policies or armed conflict. They are regularly cut off from resources and traditions that are vital to their identity, wellbeing and survival. Situations like this force them to flee their homes and move to towns and cities, or face greater marginalization, poverty, disease, violence and even extinction as a People.    Blocking access to healthcare and other public services Discrimination impacts Indigenous Peoples’ everyday life, restricting their rights to health care, education and housing.  Healthcare for Indigenous women From India to Peru, Indigenous women have higher rates of maternal mortality, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases and are more likely to suffer violence.  Indigenous women are less likely to have access to healthcare facilities when pregnant because of discrimination and mistreatment; and so, they are more likely to die giving birth. For example, in Panama and Russia, Indigenous women are about six times more likely to die in childbirth than women from the non-Indigenous population. The birth rate for Amerindian adolescent girls is twice that of the general Guyanese population. In Kenya, Maasai women are twice as likely to have had no antenatal care, and in Namibia, San women are ten times more likely to give birth without skilled attendance.  Public health services Their marginalization also means that Indigenous Peoples are at greater risk during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of access to health care and public information, as well as essential services including sanitation and clean water, means that Indigenous Peoples were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.  The effects were exacerbated by the failure of many states failed to properly consult with Indigenous Peoples when developing COVID-19 response plans. This meant that policies were not tailored to their specific needs. For example, public health information was often not provided in Indigenous languages.   Indigenous people are also more likely to get diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.  Education An education gap between Indigenous children and their peers persists on a worldwide scale. Education systems often fail to cater to the particular needs of Indigenous Peoples, with obstacles including a lack teachers who speak Indigenous languages. This is compounded by Indigenous Peoples’ lower levels of access to computers and the internet – the so-called ‘digital divide’.  Case Study: Covid 19 Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Indigenous Peoples had less access to education than non-Indigenous individuals because of long-term and systematic discrimination.   The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated these disparities. Indigenous children have less access to computers and the internet, meaning they were cut off from educational opportunities when the pandemic hit.   The pandemic magnified the impact of this ‘digital divide’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students even further, as schools closed their doors and turned to online learning. Many Indigenous children, especially in rural areas, lacked access to the devices and internet connection to access virtual classes. Further issues included high internet costs, low or non-existent reliable network or speed, and regular power cuts.  These impacts could have been avoided if governments accounted for the needs of Indigenous students in their Covid-19 response plans. In most countries, Indigenous Peoples were not included in the development of these plans. This failure to consult with marginalized people resulted in Indigenous Peoples being denied some of their most fundamental rights, including education and healthcare.    Although school closures have ended, the pandemic’s impacts on Indigenous children continue in the form of learning loss and dropouts.