By Viser Sanyu
It is now widely established that there is a missing chapter in world history—the history of the indigenous people. History has been the study of the growth of nation states, of imperialism, colonialism, ‘civilization’, Marxism, and ideologies of all shades and colours. For the last two decades, however, the indigenous peoples all over the world are asserting their right of place in the world community and are becoming equal partners in shaping the future course of history. It is significant that the United Nations declared 1993 as the International Year of the Indigenous People, and further declared 1994-2004 as the International Decade of Indigenous People. This Decade could bean important landmark in the history of mankind.
But the study of indigenous history has not so far received the adequate attention of scholars, and this serious neglect cannot be attributed to them alone. One has to appreciate the equally serious lack of knowledge in handling the subject because of an unfamiliarity with the dynamics of a methodology geared to probe and understand this aspect.
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It is now widely established that there is a missing chapter in world history—the history of the indigenous people. History has been the study of the growth of nation states, of imperialism, colonialism, ‘civilization’, Marxism, and ideologies of all shades and colours. For the last two decades, however, the indigenous peoples all over the world are asserting their right of place in the world community and are becoming equal partners in shaping the future course of history. It is significant that the United Nations declared 1993 as the International Year of the Indigenous People, and further declared 1994-2004 as the International Decade of Indigenous People. This Decade could bean important landmark in the history of mankind.
But the study of indigenous history has not so far received the adequate attention of scholars, and this serious neglect cannot be attributed to them alone. One has to appreciate the equally serious lack of knowledge in handling the subject because of an unfamiliarity with the dynamics of a methodology geared to probe and understand this aspect.
Read full transcript: