The rights of Indigenous Peoples are a set of legal, cultural, and social protections that recognize their unique identities, histories, and contributions. These rights ensure they can live with dignity, preserve their traditions, govern their lands, and protect their communities from discrimination and violence.
Internationally, these rights are outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Still, many countries also have national laws that ensure protection—at least on paper.
Let’s break down these rights into the pillars that shape Indigenous identity and autonomy.
Land, Territories, and Natural Resources
If you talk to Indigenous communities anywhere in the world, land will always come up first. Land is not an asset in their worldview. It is identity, memory, and survival rolled into one. When elders pass knowledge to young people, they point to rivers, mountains, or forests that hold centuries of stories.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to own, control, and manage their ancestral domains. This includes forests, waters, minerals, hunting grounds, sacred spaces, and everything that sustains their way of life. In countries such as Canada, New Zealand, and Colombia, courts have recognized Indigenous land claims after years of struggle.
Still, the fight continues. Many communities deal with illegal mining, aggressive land grabbing, and large-scale development projects. You might remember the Standing Rock protests in the United States. Thousands gathered to protect the water source and sacred lands of the Sioux Tribe from an oil pipeline. Their fight sparked global conversations about Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice.
Land rights are not just legal issues. They shape mental health, cultural identity, and the ability of Indigenous families to sustain future generations.
Cultural and Linguistic Rights
Imagine losing your mother tongue. Imagine trying to explain a tradition to your child when the words have no modern equivalent. This is the reality Indigenous communities face. Language is woven into ceremonies, humor, songs, and the way elders teach values.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to preserve and develop their cultural heritage. They can continue their traditions, pass down oral stories, practice ceremonies, and maintain traditional knowledge about farming, healing, and survival.
Take the Māori language te reo in New Zealand, which once hovered on the brink of extinction. Community-led efforts revived it through schools, broadcasting, and support from national policy. Today, te reo echoes proudly in playgrounds and parliaments.
When a language is protected, an entire worldview survives.
Religious Rights
Indigenous spirituality does not fit neatly into modern religious categories. It is often tied to nature, ancestors, and rituals that have existed for thousands of years. Protecting their religious rights means protecting access to sacred places, ceremonial practices, and community gatherings.
Yet, many sacred sites have been destroyed by mining, construction, or even tourism. Some tribes in Arizona continue to fight to protect their sacred mountain from ski resort expansions that use artificial snow made from reclaimed wastewater.
Indigenous Peoples have the right to practice their spiritual beliefs without interference, discrimination, or destruction of their sacred spaces. These spaces are not tourist attractions; they are living temples.
Self-Governance and Justice Systems
Self-determination is central to Indigenous rights. Communities must have the freedom to govern themselves, manage their resources, make decisions for their people, and maintain justice systems aligned with their values.
Many Indigenous groups use restorative justice rather than punitive systems. These approaches focus on repairing relationships rather than punishing. Countries such as Norway and Australia have recognized Indigenous structures and integrated them into national frameworks, though challenges remain.
Self-governance strengthens identity, reduces conflict, and empowers communities to thrive without relying on external systems that often fail to understand their needs.
Life and Integrity
Indigenous communities face higher risks of violence, displacement, and human rights abuses. Protecting their right to life means ensuring they live without fear of attacks, exploitation, or forced removal from their land.
Environmental defenders—many of whom are Indigenous—face deadly threats. Global Witness recorded over 177 land and environmental defenders killed in 2022 alone. Most were from Indigenous communities trying to protect forests, water, and wildlife from powerful industries.
Their fight is not only for themselves. It is a defense of the world’s remaining ecosystems.
Protection and Violence
Indigenous women experience some of the highest rates of violence globally. In Canada, the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) has forced national inquiries and public demands for justice.
Indigenous communities also suffer from systemic neglect. Many lack access to police protection, fair investigations, or legal support.
International laws affirm their right to be protected from physical and psychological harm, discrimination, and exploitation. Governments must not only prosecute crimes but also address the structural inequalities that fuel these injustices.
How are Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Violated?
Even with strong legal frameworks, violations happen every day. Some are subtle; others are painfully visible.
Forced Assimilation
Some governments still push assimilation policies, even if they frame them as “development.” Schools may ignore Indigenous languages. Land titles might be replaced with systems that erase communal ownership.
The world remembers the tragedy of residential schools in Canada, where Indigenous children were taken from their families and punished for speaking their language. Survivors today still carry emotional scars and intergenerational trauma.
Forced assimilation strips people of their identity. It disconnects them from their ancestry, history, and self-worth.
Blocking Access to Healthcare and Other Public Services
Indigenous communities often live far from urban centers, where healthcare, education, and public services are concentrated. Some face discrimination when seeking medical treatment. Others walk miles for basic care.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Indigenous groups were hit hard due to limited healthcare access and a lack of government support. Some communities in the Amazon even set up local checkpoints to prevent outsiders from bringing in the virus.
Blocking access to essential services violates fundamental human rights and reflects more profound systemic inequalities.
What is the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act?
The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) is a landmark law in the Philippines that protects the rights of Indigenous peoples. Enacted in 1997, it recognizes the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) to their ancestral lands, cultural identity, self-governance, and social justice.
The Act recognizes ancestral domains as private, community-held property that cannot be sold or transferred. It also established the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), which oversees the protection and promotion of Indigenous rights nationwide.
IPRA is a powerful example of national legislation aligned with international human rights standards. While implementation remains challenging, the law provides Indigenous groups with substantial grounds to defend their lands and traditions.
Conclusion
Indigenous rights are not just legal checkboxes. They are living commitments to dignity, identity, and justice. When we ask What are the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? we are also asking how we can create a world that honors those who have long protected our planet.
If you’ve ever felt inspired by Indigenous cultures, now is a great moment to ask yourself:
How can I support their fight for recognition and equality?
Awareness is the first step. Action is the next.
