Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples are populations that were native to their nation or region prior to colonial settlement. Typically they form a minority in post-colonial nations, and have distinct languages, traditions and cultures. However, the definition of “indigenous” varies, and is widely disputed.¹ Approximately 370 million people worldwide identify with one of 5,000 different indigenous people groups around the world.² Together, indigenous peoples account for nearly 5 percent of the global population.³ Seventy percent of the world’s indigenous peoples live in Asia. In Bolivia and Guatemala, indigenous populations make up over 50 percent of the national population.⁴ Indigenous people groups speak approximately 7,000 different languages.⁵ Of the world’s poorest populations, indigenous groups account for 15 percent of the most impoverished people in the world,⁶ and have a life expectancy nearly 20 years lower than that of non-indigenous peoples.⁷ Over a third of indigenous women report being sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime.⁸ Indigenous populations in the United States are comprised primarily of Alaska Natives and American Indians.⁹ There are 567 federally recognized tribal entities in the U.S., totaling in approximately 6.6 million people who identify as Native American or Alaska Native.¹⁰