Becoming visible: Indigenous peoples believe that to prosper they have to regain control over their lands and resources and to do that they must first win widespread recognition that they are entitled to special rights. (Indigenous People--Self-Determination). From: Canada and the World Backgrounder | Date: May 1, 2002 | COPYRIGHT 2002 Canada & the World. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

For centuries, Indigenous peoples have suffered at the hands of dominant European cultures. Many have lost their lands, their languages, their faiths, and their identities. More than a few Indigenous peoples have vanished altogether--being swallowed up by Western culture or simply dying out.

Change has come slowly, but reached a high point in 1992. That's when Indigenous peoples from around the world gathered in the town of Kari-Oca outside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at ...