Indigenous peoples: issues of definition

Abstract

The progress that has been made by 'indigenous peoples' in international forums has been aided by the political perception that this category of claimants is limited and in some respects unique, and that such claims can properly and safely be treated as a special case. Although the imprecision of the category and the expanding array of groups involved in the 'indigenous peoples movement' could eventually threaten this perception and provoke more sustained demands for precision, such a transformation has not yet occurred.