International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples takes place each year on 9 August to promote and protect the rights of the world’s Indigenous populations, as well as to recognise the achievements and contributions made by Indigenous people.
The United Nations General Assembly first set aside the commemoration on 23 December 1994 to mark the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which took place in Geneva in 1982. This day is an opportunity to honour the strength, resilience, dignity and pride of Indigenous Peoples around the world, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples has a different theme each year, with the 2022 theme being, “The role of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge”. Indigenous women are and have always been the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and they play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge.
Despite their critical role in their communities, Indigenous women often suffer from intersecting levels of discrimination – whether this is gender, class, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. The women are breadwinners, caretakers, knowledge keepers, human rights defenders and leaders in their culture, and they preserve as much of the traditional teachings and knowledge as possible.
There are existing initiatives designed to tackle this inequality but Indigenous women need to be able to reclaim their role as heroines. This is what the 2022 theme is all about.
2022 Virtual Commemoration
As part of the observance, the UN’s Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch will be bringing together Indigenous peoples’ organisations, UN agencies, Member States, civil society and the general public for a live webinar on Monday, 9 August (EST). You can join a virtual dialogue in which knowledge and experience will be shared about the transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge in fields such as climate change and the protection of natural resources.
For details on the webinar and to learn more about the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, visit the UN website – and don’t forget to let us know how you will be celebrating!
