Indigenous, Indigenous Peoples

Working Definition:

Oona Paredes writes, in regard to Moro and Lumad peoples in the Southern Philippines, “The term ‘indigenous’ can be applied literally to both Moro and Lumad peoples in that all other inhabitants—those who are neither Moro nor Lumad—are descended from settlers who arrived over the past century, with a majority of them arriving even more recently in the 1960s and 1970s. In other words, the Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao do have clear and verifiable claims to precedence and autochthony—encompassing all of written and remembered history.” Though not specific to Moro or Lumad peoples, the term “indigenous” in the Philippines has specific legal, historical, and cultural significance, as Paredes demonstrates. Nevertheless, the term “indigenous” has, at times, been misappropriated to describe people from the archipelago, in general.

Related Terms:

Suggestions for Further Reading:

Oona Paredes, “Preserving ‘Tradition’: The Business of Indigeneity in the Modern Philippine Context,” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 50, No. 1 (February 2019): 86-106.