ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. This book focuses on the ability of Indigenous peoples’ cultures, languages and identities to survive in the twenty-first century. It contributes to a number of motivating factors, one of which stems from portrayals by non-Indigenous people suggesting that, within modern times, many Indigenous cultures are contrived and simply do not exist. A second factor is the notion that many Indigenous people use the idea of their culture as a type of political tool to procure special treatment. The attitude that has emerged from this perspective is of Indigenous peoples as ‘special’ citizens getting special treatment within their respective countries. Another factor stems from a movement to classify Indigenous peoples as merely representing another minority group, within their ancestral countries, to be lumped together with other ethnic minority groups who are not Indigenous to the country in which they live.