The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted in 2007, by the UN General Assembly to recognize the unjust treatment people around the world have faced and to encourage global action to right those wrongs.

Today is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It is a day to celebrate, but 10 years after the UN's Declaration, not only have things not improved, but they’ve gotten worse, according to a joint statement from the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.   

Indigenous peoples still have to deal with racism and discrimination, and they have unequal access to basic services. Indigenous peoples have a lower life expectancy and they face a higher level of poverty, the statement said.

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Indigenous women are particularly hard hit when it comes to racism, and they are often excluded from making decisions and endure violence. Indigenous peoples are also forced into conflict over land rights.

“We need to acknowledge the vast challenges that remain. In too many cases, indigenous peoples are now facing even greater struggles and rights violations than they did 10 years ago,” the statement said.

Even in countries where there are laws surrounding indigenous rights, the UN Declaration has not fully been put into practice, according to the statement.

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“It is high time to recognize and strengthen indigenous peoples’ own forms of governance and representation, in order to establish constructive dialogue and engagement with international and national authorities, public officials and the private sector,” the statement continued.

In order to help spread the word, Twitter has partnered with the UN to introduce a special emoji for the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Twitter has long been known as a way to reach audiences and create awareness, and together the UN and Twitter hope to do just that.

"Twitter helps people see every side. Empowering indigenous peoples to share their unique cultures and perspectives in a global conversation using #WeAreIndigenous and #IndigenousDay is consistent with that mission," said Colin Crowell, Global Vice President of Public Policy and Philanthropy of Twitter, in a statement. "Marking the 10th anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in partnership with the UN with Tweets will help amplify awareness about the important goals of the Declaration.”

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There is much to learn about Indigenous culture, and many places to find information. With the #WeAreIndigenous hashtag trending right now, there’s some especially interesting info available at a glance.

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Join the Twittersphere and celebrate the Indigenous Peoples around the world today — or, better yet, every day.

TopicsUnited NationsIndigenousIndigenous RightsInternational Day of the World’s Indigenous PeoplesIndigenous art

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10 Enlightening #WeAreIndigenous Tweets That Will Remind the World to Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Today

By Jackie Marchildon