Indigenous identity
Indigenousness is an identity constructed, shaped and lived in the
politicized context of contemporary colonialism. The communities,
clans, nations and tribes we call Indigenous peoples are just that:
Indigenous to the lands they inhabit, in contrast to and in contention
with the colonial societies and states that have spread out from Europe
and other centres of empire (Alfred & Corntassel, 2005, p. 597).
Individuals and communities link their Indigenous identity closely with
the country on which it emerged. Tradition (lore and law) and cultural mores
contribute to the identity of the group, and define the individual identity.
Environment, climate, resources and locality impact on lifestyle and cultural
responses to challenges. Successful occupation requires different responses to
environmental conditions such as cold, altitude or aridity, for example extremely
cold-climate cultures develop different social organisations to those in a
rainforest area. Geography contributes to cultural diversity as indigenous groups
retain links to land as the ‘Mother’ or ‘Life-giver’. Colonial cultures perceived
land as an economic asset/possession, a view which has spread globally