There are around 476 million Indigenous people across 90+ countries — roughly 6% of the world's population, but holding thousands of distinct cultures & languages. In Australia, before 1788 there were hundreds of nations and ~250 languages.
Indigenous peoples live on every inhabited continent — from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, to First Nations & Inuit in the Arctic, Amazonian & Andean peoples, the Sámi of Scandinavia, and Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Often their territories are in remote or biodiverse regions — Indigenous peoples steward a large share of the world's remaining biodiversity. For endorsed maps, see AIATSIS.
From the 1400s, European colonisation dispossessed Indigenous peoples of land, disrupted cultures & languages, and caused huge population loss through violence & introduced disease.
Yet Indigenous peoples have shown enormous resilience — maintaining culture, and increasingly winning recognition: in Australia, native title (following Mabo v Queensland (No 2) 1992 & the Native Title Act 1993) recognises ongoing connection to Country where it can be established.
First Nations, Métis & Inuit peoples across Canada hold homelands from forests to the Arctic, and are reasserting rights, language & caring for Country.
Te Awa Tupua — in 2017 Aotearoa New Zealand granted the Whanganui River legal personhood, recognising the Māori understanding of the river as a living ancestor.
Indigenous knowledge — fire management, seasonal calendars & sustainable practices — is increasingly valued for biodiversity & bushfire mitigation.
Note what “Country” means and why it matters, in the words of First Nations people.
Indigenous land & fire-management practices are increasingly recognised for caring for Country. How can traditional knowledge and modern science work together to manage land sustainably?
"Describe the spatial pattern of the world’s Indigenous peoples and explain how connection to Country and colonisation have shaped it." (~600 words)