Indigenous People

Indigenous people makes up a significant portion of the total global population. According to “FirstPeoples.Org”, there are about 5,000 different tribes that total around 400 million people in more than 90 countries. This translates to approximately 6% of the human population. This group of people also live among 20% of the earth’s total land mass, which accounts for approximately 80% of the remaining biodiversity. Thus, the indigenous population may not be nearly as technologically advanced as people in more industrialized areas, but they do provide positive benefits in helping preserve the health of a planet that has experienced so many negative changes (i.e. rising sea level, shrinkage in the mass of ice sheets, an increase in ocean acidification, and glacial retreat). It’s no secret that the industrial revolution is believed to have led to these changes in the earth’s normal functions.

According to the International World Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), there are 600 indigenous groups that account for about 40 million of Latin America’s population. Majority of them are believed to live in Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, and Ecuador. Over time, this population has gradually gained a presence in politics. In the early 1990s, for example, Columbia formed the ASI (Indigenous Social Alliance). Soon after, the Movement Toward Socialization (MAS) and the Pachakutik Movement of Plurinational Unity (formed by the Ecuadorian National Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities) were established. The Pachakutik Movement represents “…unions, leftist intellectuals, and citizens dissatisfied with corruption, polarization, and [the immobilizing] of Ecuadorian politics” while the ASI represents “…rural and urban popular movements and demobilized guerrillas.” The Movement Toward Socialization is believed to have combined representation for “…peasant movements…” with that of “…leftist intellectuals, and the urban middle class.” The formation of these political parties has produced many electoral victories and the desire to delve deeper into the study of indigenous political culture. These groups have provided a positive impact during a time where general support for democracy has decreased, all while being a symbol of genuine, national culture and identity (Cott, 389).