International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
Written by Library in Library Blog on August 8, 2022
Celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
August 9th is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which celebrates Indigenous peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It was created by the United Nations General Assembly and marks the day of the first meeting in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
The theme this year is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”.
Indigenous women are the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge. They have an integral collective and community role as carers of natural resources and keepers of scientific knowledge. Many indigenous women are also taking the lead in the defense of indigenous peoples’ lands and territories and advocating for indigenous peoples’ collective rights worldwide.
However, despite the crucial role indigenous women play in their communities as breadwinners, caretakers, knowledge keepers, leaders and human rights defenders, they often suffer from intersecting levels of discrimination on the basis of gender, class, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
(United Nations, 2022)
For more information about this year’s theme, check out the United Nations website.
The library has created a research guide if you would like to learn more about the Indigenous peoples of Canada and their history, as well as topics relevant to them in the past and present. This guide includes books, eBooks, videos, and more that you can access from AC Library!
Learn More
Kanopy – An AC film database with a number films on Indigenous peoples. Many of the films can be found on the subject list, under “Indigenous Studies”.
Native Land – A digital map of Indigenous territories all over the world.
First Nations Profiles – A searchable database of first nations, tribal counsels, and reserves.
Endangered Languages – An online resource for samples and research on endangered languages.
