About Indigenous Day
The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of the World's Indigenous People is observed on August 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of the world’s Indigenous population. Also known as World Tribal Day, this event also recognises the achievements and contributions that Indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection.
In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples should be observed on August 9th each year. The date was chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva in 1982.
The day is needed, as across the world, indigenous peoples are often among the poorest ethnic groups in society. According to the UN, indigenous people make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population but account for 15 per cent of the poorest.
They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
World Tribal Day is observed in order to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population, acknowledging the achievements and contributions that indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection.
According to reports, there are over 100 uncontacted tribes in the world. Some live less than 100km from Machu Picchu, Peru’s biggest tourist attraction.
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