Lecture Guide: Indigenous Movements Against Oppression PDF

Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Lecture Guide Indigenous M...

Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Lecture Guide Indigenous Movements against Oppression What is oppression? Oppression means prolonged cruelty or unjust treatment or control to a certain individual, groups or nationality. In this case, IP has always been on the oppressed side since majority of the world look down to them as a lower-class individual in the community. Why are they a target of oppression? They are often marginalized and face discrimination in countries’ legal systems, leaving them even more vulnerable to violence and abuse. They are always left behind since majority of the IP (indigenous people) wanted to nurture their way of life. (meaning they wanted to remain the same without bowing down to globalization) Peaceful efforts by Indigenous Peoples to maintain their cultural identity or exercise control over their traditional lands, which are often rich in resources and biodiversity, have led to accusations of treason or terrorism. (They are just trying to protect their land) Discrimination is the reason why Indigenous peoples make up 15% of the world’s extreme poor. Globally, they also suffer higher rates of landlessness, malnutrition and internal displacement than other groups. And with all this, Capitalists takes advantages of them despite the constitutional guarantee and a special law for their protection. Their lands are converted to cities, subdivisions and commercial use. While having majority of their tribe members without formal education, they are always taken advantages legally and illegally. Types of Oppression IP Face 1. Violence - Violence is probably the most obvious and visible form of oppression, and all forms of sexual violence and hate crimes are prevalent examples. 2. Economic deprivation and impoverishment - All ethnic groups deal with violence against women, and poverty increases the likelihood of violence. It also includes cheap labor that employer’s eye for the IP.  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited Some are poaching them to be recruited as an underpaid worker with more than the prescribed working hours per week permits. Since some of the IP wanted jobs, some of them explore NCR or the other metro cities for jobs. Resulting into an unfair system where they work cheap for the employers. 3. Cultural Imperialism - Cultural Imperialism involves taking the dominating group culture and establishing it as a norm that all Others should abide by. As colonization was inflicted upon us, the assertion of cultural imperialism in conjunction with colonization laid the foundation for assimilation and cultural genocide. 4. Exploitation – This is the most common of them all. a. Land Exploitation – loss of land. A common scenario where the IP where booted out from their lands for commercial purposes. Our country has already an existing law about this but still, our Indigenous people still lose the long fights. b. Human Trafficking – Slave trade was already a taboo from all over the globe. However, modern day human trafficking still exists due to the fact that people take advantage on our IP and sad to say some are being sold/transferred to places with a promise of a stable job or work. c. Environmental and economic exploitation - Another type of exploitation on the natural resources on the land. When abundant natural resources were found on Indigenous reservations and after the treaty making era, some capitalists seek to gain direct access and control over the remaining Indigenous natural resources 5. Marginalization - Marginalization is a process of exclusion, the act of relegating or confining a group of people to a lower social standing. Marginalization is in some ways worse than exploitation because society has decided that it cannot or will not use these people even for labor. In the Philippines, Education, Social class and Economic status is a key factor in marginalization. Again, IP has been looked down by society for the longest of time. Hence, they are marginalized by the majority.  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited 6. Powerlessness and Silence - The powerless are ruled by the dominating class and are to take orders from them. Oppressed Indigenous Peoples become so powerless that they do not even talk about their oppression, the oppressed are silenced, and they have no voice and no will. Media plays a huge role on this. There are times were some of their struggles was shared in the national media but almost every time, it is not. It makes them feel devalued that it comes to the point that they become their own oppressors. New threats of globalization The global ascendancy of neo-liberal economics and the entrenchment of corporate power in international and national affairs have deepened inequalities between and within nations and largely undermined efforts toward sustainable development. The benefits of these policies frequently fail to reach the indigenous peoples of the world, who acutely feel their costs, such as environmental degradation and loss of traditional lands and territories. Infrastructure and IP Infrastructure has become symbols of modern development in the twentieth century, and recently have also epitomized the unequal economic, social and environmental impacts of “unsustainable development”. The construction of Infrastructure had disproportionately impacted indigenous peoples and their future. It also targets their lands disproportionately. They have suffered from loss of lands and livelihood, cultural losses, fragmentation of political institutions, breakdown of identity and human rights abuses. Some Compensation and reparations are tardy and inadequate. Participatory mechanisms are typically weak, with no negotiations or prior informed consent. Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas A growing number of indigenous peoples are today living in urban areas. This is the result of, among other things, the deterioration in and dispossession of lands, the forced evictions, and the lack of local employment opportunities that many indigenous people experience. Many of these people live in informal settlements and slums that often occupy territories susceptible to inundations, erosion, land- and mudslides, or are located in the vicinity of garbage dumps and polluting factories. Most slums and informal settlements are severely overcrowded, insecure and unsanitary, and without any urban infrastructure such as potable water, electricity, proper sanitation or garbage collection  Republic of the Philippines Laguna State Polytechnic University Province of Laguna ISO 9001:2015 Certified Level I Institutionally Accredited It is common in many cities to see increasing numbers of indigenous workers and beggars. Indigenous women and children in particular are affected by these conditions, as they are also often the victims of discrimination and physical abuse. Indigenous peoples in urban areas often become an almost invisible population because of the abstract and non-geographically clustered nature of the community, and because of the continued existence of stereotypes regarding indigenous peoples Indigenous People today Yet, indigenous peoples continue to suffer discrimination, marginalization, extreme poverty and conflict. Some are being dispossessed of their traditional lands as their livelihoods are being undermined. Meanwhile, their belief systems, cultures, languages and ways of life continue to be threatened, sometimes even by extinction. Increasingly, governments are recognizing these threats, and matching such recognition with action. From land claims settlements and constitutional amendments to important symbolic actions such as apologies for past treatment of indigenous peoples, governments around the world are making important steps towards addressing indigenous peoples’ concerns.