Indigenous Peoples of the World

The Ibans are a branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo. In Malaysia, most Ibans are located in Sarawak, a small portion in Sabah and some in west Malaysia. They were formerly known during the colonial period by the British as Sea Dayaks. Ibans were renowned for practising headhunting and tribal/territorial expansion. In ancient times the Ibans were a strong and successful warring tribe in Borneo. They speak the Iban language. Today, the days of headhunting and piracy have been replaced with the modern era of globalization and technology. However, many Ibans have retained their heritage and continue to live in traditional houses, longhouses called rumah panjai or rumah panjang. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Iban People

Iban

The Ifugao are wet-rice agriculturalists occupying the mountainous area of northern Luzon, Philippines. Known to the Spanish conquistadores and missionaries as the Ygolote, (Igolot, or Igorrote) and to Americans as the Igorot, the Ifugao inhabit the most rugged and mountainous part of the country. In the Philippines and around the world, the Ifugao are best known for the Banaue Rice Terraces, which were carved into the mountains of Ifugao at least 2,000 years ago. Aside from their rice terraces, the Ifugaos are known for their literary traditions of the "hudhud" and the "alim." The term "Ifugao" is derived from "ipugo" which means earth people or mortals or humans, as distinguished from spirits and deities. It also means "from the hill," as "pugo" means hill. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Ifugao People

Ifugao

The Ikpeng are a Carib-speaking tribe located near the Upper Xingu River. They have a population of 459 (2010), up from a low of 50 in 1969. The Ikpeng came from the region of the feeder streams of the Xingu in the beginning of the 20th Century, when they lived in a state of war with their upper Xinguan neighbors. Contact with the non-indigenous world was even more recent, at the beginning of the 1960s, and had disastrous consequences for their population, which was reduced to less than half as a result of diseases and killings. They were then transferred to the borders of the Xingu Indian Park and "pacified." Today they maintain relations of alliance with the other villages of the Park, but nevertheless their society is quite distinct from the others. They don't wage war any longer, although war is still at the center of their worldview, not only as a motive for death but also for the replacement of the dead through the incorporation of the enemy into the group, thus also being responsible for the reproduction of social life. You can learn more about the Ikpeng at socioambiental.org

Ikpeng

The Inga people are an indigenous ethnic group from the Southwest region of Colombia. They speak a dialect of Quechua known as Inga Kichwa. Almost all Inga people are bilingual in Inga and Spanish, which has caused fear that the Inga language might be an endangered language.

Inga

The Ingarikó inhabit the area surrounding Mount Roraima, the dominant landmark on the triple border between Brazil, Guiana and Venezuela, and, above all, the stump of the mythological tree of life, which was chopped down at the beginning of time. Occupying the highest portion of the Raposa Serra do Sol Indigenous Territory, they remained free of the various forms of recruiting indigenous labour that affected neighbouring peoples to the south for centuries. Contacts with their relatives in Guiana are today, as in the past, fairly frequent. Also known as the Akawaio and the Kapon, the Ingarikó live in seven different villages along rivers and creeks with the highest demographic concentration on the upper Cotingo river and on the Ponari. As of 2007, the Ingarikó numbered around 1,170 people. Excerpted from http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/povo/ingariko/1861

Ingariko

The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan, which comprises most of what non-First Nations Canadians refer to as northeastern Quebec and Labrador. Their population in 2003 includes about 18,000 people, of which 15,000 live in Quebec. Their ancestors were known to have lived on these lands as hunter-gatherers for several thousand years, living in tents made of animal skins. Their subsistence activities were historically centred on hunting and trapping caribou, moose, deer and small game. Some coastal clans also practised agriculture, fished, and managed maple sugarbush. Their language, Innu-aimun or Montagnais, is spoken throughout Nitassinan, with certain dialect differences. Innu-aimun is related to the language spoken by the Cree of the James Bay region of Quebec and Ontario. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Innu People

Innu

The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada (Northwest Territories, Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut, Nunatukavut), Denmark (Greenland), Russia (Siberia) and the United States (Alaska). Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language. An Inuk is an Inuit person. The Inuit language is grouped under Eskimo-Aleut languages. The Inuit live throughout most of the Canadian Arctic and subarctic: in the territory of Nunavut ("our land"); the northern third of Quebec, in an area called Nunavik ("place to live"); the coastal region of Labrador, in areas called Nunatsiavut ("our beautiful land") and Nunatukavut ("Our Ancient Land"); in various parts of the Northwest Territories, mainly on the coast of the Arctic Ocean and formerly in the Yukon. Collectively these areas are known as Inuit Nunangat. In the US, Alaskan Inupiat live on the North Slope of Alaska and Siberian Coast, Little Diomede Island and Big Diomede Island. Greenland's Kalaallit are citizens of Denmark. In Alaska, the term Eskimo is commonly used, because it includes both Yupik and Inupiat, while Inuit is not accepted as a collective term or even specifically used for Inupiat (who technically are Inuit). No universal replacement term for Eskimo, inclusive of all Inuit and Yupik people, is accepted across the geographical area inhabited by the Inuit and Yupik peoples. In Canada and Greenland, the Natives prefer the word Inuit. As they consider "Eskimo" pejorative, it has fallen out of favour. In Canada, the Constitution Act of 1982, sections 25 and 35 recognised the Inuit as a distinctive group of Canadian aboriginals, who are neither First Nations nor Métis. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Inuit People

Inuit

The Iñupiat (plural) or Iñupiaq (singular) and Iñupiak (dual) (from iñuk 'person' - and -piaq 'real', i.e., 'real people') or Inupik are the people of Alaska's Northwest Arctic and North Slope boroughs and the Bering Straits region. Barrow, the northernmost city in the United States, is in the Inupiat region. Their language is known as Iñupiaq. Inupiat people continue to rely heavily on subsistence hunting and fishing, including whaling. The capture of a whale benefits each member of a community, as the animal is butchered and its meat and blubber allocated according to a traditional formula. Even city-dwelling relatives thousands of miles away are entitled to a share of each whale killed by the hunters of their ancestral village. Maktak, which is the skin and blubber of Bowhead and other whales, is rich in vitamins A and C and contributes to good health in a population with limited access to fruits and vegetables. Inupiat people have grown more concerned in recent years that climate change is threatening their traditional lifestyle. The warming trend in the Arctic affects the Inupiaq lifestyle in numerous ways, for example: thinning sea ice makes it more difficult to harvest Bowhead Whales, seals, walrus, and other traditional foods; warmer winters make travel more dangerous and less predictable; later-forming sea ice contributes to increased flooding and erosion along the coast, directly imperiling many coastal villages. The Inuit Circumpolar Council, a group representing indigenous peoples of the Arctic, has made the case that climate change represents a threat to their human rights. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Inupiat People

Inupiat

The Jarawa are a small society of hunter-gatherers who live on the isolated Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal. Their present population is estimated at between 250-350 people. Before the 19th century, the Jarawa homelands were located in the southeast part of South Andaman Island and nearby islets. With the establishment of the initial British settlement, these are suspected to have been largely depopulated by disease shortly after 1789. The Great Andamanese Peoples were similarly decimated by disease, alcoholism and alleged British government-sponsored destruction,leaving open the western areas which the Jarawa gradually made their new homeland. Prior to their initiating contact with settled populations in 1997, theJarawa vigorously maintained their independence and distance from external groups, actively discouraging most incursions and attempts at contact. Since 1998, they have been in increasing contact with the outside world and have increasingly been the choosers of such contact. All contact, especially with tourists, remains extremely dangerous to the Jarawa due to the risk of disease. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Jarawa People You can learn more about the Jarawa at http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/jarawa

Jarawa

Jumma is a collective term for Indigenous Peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. For more than 30 years, the Jummas have experienced a near-continous wave of murder, torture, rape, land theft and displacement at the hands of the Bangladesh military and settlers wishing to occupy Jumma lands. Though their current population is estimated at between 1 million to 1.5 million people, Jumma's are now almost completely outnumbered by settlers. In 1997, Jumma leaders and the Bangladesh government signed the "CHT Peace Accord" which provided basic protections for the Indigenous population, including safe repatriation of indigenous refugees, regional autonomy, the withdrawal of military camps, and the return of illegally occupied lands. Unfortunately, to date, the government has failed to implement most of the provisions outlined in the Accord. You can learn more about the Jumma at http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/jummas

Jumma

The Yudjá, also called the Juruna, Juruhuna, Yuruna, Juruûna, Geruna, and Yudya, are an indigenous people who live in the states of Mato Grosso and Pará, Brazil. They have a population of 362 (2006), up from a low of 52 in 1916 (2,000 in 1842; 200 in 1884; 150 in 1896). "The Juruna, once the most important tribe of the Xingu, suffered the entire onslaught of the advance of rubber tappers. Especially the people from Coronel Tancredo Martins Jorge, at the mouth of the Rio Fresco, committed every sort of crime, from murder on down, against the poor Peoples, until they revolted and fled, headed by their Chief Máma, to the other side of the border of Mato Grosso, where they settled down on an island above the Martius Falls. "Later, the Yudjá made peace with the rubber tapper Major Constantino Viana, of Pedra Seca, for whom they worked as crew members on his boats in 1916, going downriver to Altamira, when 22 of the Yudjá died within a few days. When the survivors returned with this news, the elderly Máma once again fled with the others upriver." (source: socioambiental.org) The Juruna today are in a much more stable position; but that may soon change. Juruna lands are facing destruction at the hands of the Belo Monte dam.

Juruna

The Jingpho (Jinghpaw) or Kachin Peoples largely inhabit the northern Myanmar (Burma) region. They are also one of 56 Indigenous Peoples officially recognized by the People's Republic of China and they are closely related to the people in India known as the Singpho. In British Colonial Burma, Jingpho or Kachins were categorized by the Census as separate "races" or "tribes" according to the language, including Kachin (Jingpho), Gauri, Maru, Lashi, Szi, Maingtha, Hpon, Nung and Lisu. Other officials, missionaries and the local administration recognized them as a single ethnic group. The early independence period Burmese government recognized Kachin as an overarching category. The current Myanmar government again views the Kachin as a "major national ethnic race" comprising the Kachin, Trone, Dalaung, Jinghpaw, Gauri, Hkahku, Duleng, Maru (Lawgore), Rawang, Lashi (La Chit), Atsi and Lisu as distinct ethnic groups.

Kachin

The Kadar are a fairly small society in southern India, residing along the hilly border between Cochin in the state of Kerala and Coimbatore in the state of Tamil Nādu. Kadar live in the forests and do not practice agriculture. They are, however, specialized collectors of honey, wax, sago, cardamom, ginger, and umbrella sticks. The Kadar are also pretty well known for being exceptionally honest and non-violent people; at least in the past. Increased contact with modern civilization has had a demoralizing effect on the Kadar.

Kadar

The Kaiabi (Kayabi, Kajabi, Kayaby, Caiabi, Cajabi) are an indigenous people inhabiting the northern Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, more precisely in the Xingu Indigenous Park and the Apiaká-Kayabi Reservation south of Pará. The Kaiabi speak the language of the Tupi-Guarani family. They have a population of 1,619 (in 2006). The Kaiabi have vigorously resisted the invasion of their lands by rubber companies since the end of the 19th Century. After the 1950s, the region of the Arinos, Peixes and Teles Pires rivers was divided up into glebes that became ranches and the Kaiabi were divided into three groups. Most moved to the Xingu Indian Park, where they are outstanding for their practice of a strong and diversified agriculture, their art which is characterized by complex graphic designs inspired by their mythology, and by their active participation in the indigenous movement organized in defense of the interests of the ethnic groups of the Park. You can learn more about the Kaiabi at socioambiental.org

Kaiabi

The Kainai Nation (or Káínawa, or Blood Tribe) is a First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada with a population of 7,437 members in 2005, and had a population of 9,035 members as of 9 February 2008. They are part of the Niitsítapi (Blackfoot Confederacy of the Original People). Akáínaa translates directly to "Many Chief" (from aká - "many" and nínaa - "chief") while Káína translates directly to "Many Chief people." The common English name for the tribe is the "Blood tribe." At the time treaties such as Treaty 7 were signed, the Kainai were situated on the Oldman, Belly, and St. Mary rivers west of Lethbridge, Alberta. The Kainai reserve Blood 148 is currently the largest in Canada with 3,852 inhabitants on 1,414.03km² and is located approximately 200 kilometres south of Calgary. In 1960, the Kainai and their sacred Sun Dance were featured in the National Film Board of Canada documentary Circle of the Sun. Tribal leaders had been concerned that the Sun Dance might be dying out, and had permitted filming as a visual record. Excerpted from Wikipedia's article on the Kainai Nation

Kainai

Guarani-Kaiowá are an indigenous people of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. They inhabit Nhande Ru Marangatu, an area of tropical rainforest that was declared a reservation in October 2004. They are one of the three Guaraní sub-groups (the others being Ñandeva and M'bya). It is estimated that more than 30,000 Guarani live in Brazil; and 40,000 in Paraguay, where the Guarani language is now considered to be an official language alonside Spanish. The Guarani sub-groups have different customs and ways of social and political organisation, but all share the same religion which places great importance to the land. The Guaraní believe that all living things, including plants, animals, and water, have protective spirits. The Guarani also have a "secret" and a "sacred" language which is only used by religious leaders. If you would like to learn more about the Guarani-Kaiowá, visit http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/povo/guarani-kaiowa/553

Kaiowa

The Kalanguya Indigenous people are a distinct sub-group of the Ifugao, wet-rice agriculturalists who live the mountainous area of northern Luzon, Philippines. The Kalanguya, who refer to themselves as Ikalahan or "people of the forest", have a population of about 34,000. In 1971, the Ikalahans became the first indigenous community in the Philippines to gain recognition for their traditional land stewardship practices. Today, the Ikalahans use those practices to manage some 57,000 hectares of forests. As noted in the 2009 Report from the Asia Summit on Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples, the Ikalahan "aroforestry management system" includes the use of gen-gen (organic fertilizers), day-og, pangomis (inter-cropping and fallow periods) and gaik (firelines). They also devised their own Forest Improvement Technology (FIT). They run a food processing unit where they sell harvested fruits from their production forests to generate cash for their basic needs. Community members are also encouraged and supported to continue organic farming methods. As well, they delineate the forests into different functions--in effect, deviding it into conservation forests, forests where people can get wood for building their houses and where they can gather non-timber forest products and there is another part which is segregated for environmental services which they are considering to use for carbon trading.

Kalanguya

The Kalapalo are one of the sixteen Brazilian indigenous tribes who inhabit the Xingu National Park in the Upper Xingu river region of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. They are also one of the four peoples speaking Cariban languages in the area. They have a population of 569 (in 2010). The Kalapalo are a generally peaceful group. The Kalapalo were the first Xingu tribe to be contacted by the Villas-Bôas brothers, in 1945. Before the arrival of the Villas Boas, the people had sporadic contact with the white man, so that the name Kalapalo was given to this group by white settlers in the late 19th century. The Cariban dialect of the Kalapalos shows that they have not always lived in the Upper Xingu. The Kalapalo speak a dialect of a language that belongs to the southern branch of the Guyana Carib language family and their closest linguistic relatives are Ye'kuana or Makiritare in southern Venezuela and Hixkaryana language, spoken in the Nhamundá area in Brazil and Guyana. Before the creation of the Xingu National Park in 1961, the Kalapalos lived at the confluence of the Tanguro and Kuluene, which are tributaries of the river Xingu. Since then, the Brazilian government has convinced them to settle near the Leonardo station, where medical treatment was made available. However, they frequently return to their former villages where they can grow cassava and cotton and where they can gather shellfish for art and craft-making purposes. The Kalapalos have a strict code of ethics established by them that distinguish them from other peoples inhabiting the Upper Xingu. They all collectively share their culture as their fishing. Any public quarrels and fights are a serious violation of their code and are punished. They refrain from hunting land animals for fur by simply eating aquatic animals including fish. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Kalapalo People

Kalapalo

The Kalapuya (also Calapooia, Calapuya, Calapooya, Kalapooia, or Kalapooya) are a part of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Indian Community of Oregon. In the late 18th century, the Kalapuya numbered about 3,000 and occupied the Willamette Valley of western Oregon. A smallpox epidemic in 1782-1783 wiped out roughly two thirds of Kalapuya, and between 1850 and 1853 large numbers were again taken by the disease. After being removed to reservation lands in 1854 and 1855, the Kalapuya dwindled to near extinction by the early 20th century. Today, the Kalapuya number no more than 100. Historically, the Kalapuya subsisted mainly as hunters of deer, elk, bear, and beaver and gatherers of nuts and berries, although they also fished with spears and traps. The Kalapuya consisted of nine tribes or subdivisions, each of which was further sub-divided into small villages led by chiefs.

Kalapuya

The Kamayurá are an indigenous tribe in the Amazonian Basin of Brazil. The name is also spelled Kamayura, and Kamaiurá in Portuguese; it means "a raised platform to keep meat, pots and pans." The Kamayurá language belongs to the Tupi–Guarani family. The Kamayurá live in the Upper Xingu region along with Kiabi, Yudja and Suya tribes. The ways of life of these four tribes are quite similar despite having different languages. Their villages are situated around Lake Ipavu, which is six kilometres from the Kuluene River. Much like other small indigenous cultures around the globe, the Kamayurá are struggling to adapt to the effects of deforestation and climate change. In 2002 the Kamaiura's population was roughly 355 people. As of 2010, there were about 544 Kamaiura. Their numbers have made a good recovery from the all-time low of 94 people recorded in 1954, the result of a measles epidemic. The Kamaiura are one of sixteen Peoples of the Xingu National Park in Brazil. Other Xingu Peoples include the Aweti, Ikpeng, Kalapalo, Kaiabi ,Kayapo, Kuikuro, Matipu, Mehinako, Nahukuá, Suyá, Trumai, Wauja, Yawalapiti and Yudjá. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Kamaiura People

Kamaiura

Kanak (formerly also Canaque) are the indigenous Melanesian inhabitants of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific. Kanak comprise about 44 percent of the total population of New Caledonia. The term "Kanak" is derived from kanaka maoli, a Hawaiian word that was once used indiscriminately by European explorers, traders and missionaries to refer to any non-European Pacific islander. Prior to European contact there was no unified state in New Caledonia, and no single self-appellation used to refer to its inhabitants. The Kanak, who call their island Kanaky, are primarily subsistence fishermen and farmers. After their struggle to claim political independence failed in the mid-1980s, the Kanak obtained French recognition of their cultural identity through the 1988 Matignon Accord. Since the mid-1990s, huge nickel mining industry projects haveve been undertaken by multinational companies such as Canadian INCO Ltd and Falconbridge, despite major opposition from the Kanak.

Kanak

The Mohawk (Kanienkehaka or Kanien’kehá:ka, meaning "People of the Flint") are one of the five founding Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Kanienkehaka inhabited part of what is now known as the Mohawk Valley in New York State. Traditional Mohawk homelands extended north to the St. Lawrence River, east to Mahican territory, west to Oneida territory and south to Lenape territory. Since the Kanienkehaka were located to the east of the other Haudenosaunee Nations, it was referred to as the "Keepers of the Eastern Door." They were responsible for guarding the Confederacy from threats from the east. Today the Kanienkehaka inhabit eight communities in what is now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada; and the state of New York in the United States. You can learn more about the Kanienkehaka at http://www.kahnawakelonghouse.com/index.php?mid=2

Kanienkehaka

The Kankaney (Kankana-ey) are an ethnic division of the Igorots , an indigenous people of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. Other Igorots include the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Isneg (or Apayao) and Kalinga.

Kankanaey

The Kankuamo are one of four indigenous peoples in the the Sierra Nevada region of Santa Marta, Columbia. With a population estimated at around 15,000 people, the Kankuamo are one of the few indigenous peoples to have almost no historical contact with outsiders due to their adopted survival strategy of isolation from the 'civilized' world. Today however, along with the Kogui, Arhuaco and Wiwa, the Kankuamo are subject to a process of cultural assimilation and is facing a substantial loss of its unique culture and identity. It is thought that at some point in the foreseeable future with this continuing trend the Kankuamo will eventually become extinct as a people (Fundacion Hemera, 2006). Like most of Colombia's Indigenous Peoples, the Kankuamo are highly spiritual and pay great reverence to the forces of nature. They are guided by the law of origin or ‘ley de origen' which they regard as being the traditional ancestral science of wisdom and knowledge which manages all that is material and spiritual. The adherence to this law is what guarantees the order and permanence of life, of the universe, and the Kankuamo as an indigenous people. The law of origin regulates the relationships between all living beings from the stones of the earth to humankind itself and tells them that Umunukunu or Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the sacred place given to the tribes of Iku, Kaggaba, Sanka y Kankuama. The orders received from the first fathers stated that from the Sierra they will be the guardians of the world with the responsibility to guard the permanence of all forms of life so that there will be continuing equilibrium and harmony between nature and humankind, being also that man is nature (OIK, Hoja de Cruz ,2006).

Kankuamo

The Karen or Kayin people (Karen: Pwa Ka Nyaw Po or Kanyaw) people live mostly in the hills bordering the eastern region and Irrawaddy delta ofn Burma (Myanmar), where they make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people. Due to political violence and instability, however, many Karens have sought asylum and refugee protection in Thailand. There are roughly 400,000 Karen in Thailand today. The Karen are often confused with the Red Karen (or Karenni). One subgroup of the Karenni, the Padaung tribe from the border region of Burma and Thailand, are best known for the neck rings worn by the women of this group of people. Karen legends refer to a 'river of running sand' which ancestors reputedly crossed. Many Karen think this refers to the Gobi Desert, although they have lived in Myanmar for centuries. The Karen constitute the biggest ethnic population in Myanmar after the Bamars and Shans. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Karen People

Karen

The Caritianas or Karitianas are an indigenous people of Brazil whose reservation is located in the western Amazon. They count 313 members, and the leader of their tribal association is Renato Caritiana. They subsist by farming, fishing and hunting, and have almost no contact with the outside world. Their tongue, the Karitiâna language, is a Tupi language of Brazil. In 2007, it was discovered that Western scientists, unbeknownst to the Brazilian agency, FUNAI, that regulates contact between the Caritianas, other tribes, and the outside world, had drawn blood and collected DNA samples, which were later distributed by a non-profit for a fee (it is not clear if this fee amounts to profits for the non-profit, or not). A response from Dr. Hilton Pereira da Silva who was accused of collecting DNA samples credibly suggests that the news story is faulty and irresponsible. Adapted from Wikipedia's article on the Karitiana People

Karitiana