Asia Pacific | FOCUS Sep 22, 2020
China uproots ethnic minority villages in anti-poverty fight
by Sam Mcneil
The moves have fueled complaints that the government is trying to erase cultures.
Asia Pacific Sep 7, 2020
Indigenous artifacts found on the seabed do not enjoy the same protection as the wrecks of ships or aircraft.
National / Crime & Legal Aug 17, 2020
Ainu group's fishing lawsuit is first to seek confirmation of indigenous rights
A group representing the ethnic minority in northern Japan is seeking an exemption from a ban on the commercial fishing of salmon in rivers.
National Jul 12, 2020
The 8,600-square-meter museum, a park and a memorial make up the complex named Upopoy, which means "singing in a large group" in the Ainu language.
National / History Jun 22, 2020
Ainu still battling poverty and barriers to education, representative says
Poverty and insufficient education remain major problems for many Ainu people, the leader of a group for the Japanese indigenous people has said, calling for stronger assistance. Tadashi Kato, executive director of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido, made the remark in a recent interview ahead ...
World Jun 20, 2020
Canada probes claims doctors bet on Indigenous alcohol intake
Canadian authorities are probing claims that doctors and nurses placed bets on the blood alcohol level of Indigenous patients who sought emergency treatment at a British Columbia hospital. Hospital staff would try to guess the blood alcohol level of patients they thought were Indigenous, said ...
National Jun 3, 2020
'AINU' trademark application criticized by Japan's indigenous people
An application by an individual in China to register a trademark using the name of Japan's indigenous Ainu people has been criticized for being an attempt to profit off their culture. Documents disclosed by the Japan Patent Office showed Wednesday that an application was lodged ...
World May 20, 2020
British supermarkets threaten Brazil boycott over Amazon land law
Leading British supermarket chains have warned Brazil they may be forced to boycott its goods if lawmakers in the South American country pass a bill that would "encourage further land grabbing" in the Amazon. In an open letter to Brazilian senators and deputies, the companies ...
World / Science & Health May 17, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has hit 38 indigenous groups in Brazil, raising fears for populations that have a history of being decimated by outside diseases, the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples' Association (APIB) said Friday. "The virus is reaching indigenous territories across Brazil with frightening speed," the association ...
World Apr 11, 2020
Boy from isolated Amazon tribe dies of COVID-19, raising fears of devastating outbreak
A Yanomami indigenous boy has died after contracting the coronavirus, authorities in Brazil said Friday, raising fears for the Amazon tribe, which is known for its vulnerability to disease. The 15-year-old boy, the first Yanomami to be diagnosed with the virus, was hospitalized a week ...
World Mar 27, 2020
South America's indigenous people lock down as coronavirus takes hold
For decades, indigenous groups from Colombia to Brazil have been fighting the threat to their lives posed by oil exploration, deforestation and illegal logging. Now the battle is against the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Indigenous tribes are locking down and closing off their reserves to visitors as ...
Asia Pacific / Social Issues Feb 28, 2020
Tattooed headhunters of northern Myanmar tribes ready to be last of their kind
by Richard Sargent
Ngon Pok remembers his father and grandfather returning triumphantly to his tribal village in Myanmar's far north with a human head — and the agony of the tattoo he was given to celebrate their victory. He is a proud member of the Lainong, one of ...