Indigenous Peoples' Rights

March 1, 2012

Gr 7 Up-Marsico provides a broad overview of indigenous cultures from around the globe before delving into the common problems faced by many of them and outlining possible solutions, with a particular focus on the pros and cons of fair-trade initiatives. Obstacles addressed include inequitable political representation, abuse of indigenous people's rights to land and resources, poverty and unemployment, and lack of health care. The author focuses on a few well-known groups (Africa's Bushmen, Australia's Aborigines, Asia's Adivasis, and North America's Lakota) as representatives of larger trends in indigenous cultures. More information is found in sidebars, which appear on almost every page. They describe events such as the Trail of Tears; cultures not mentioned in the main text, such as the Maori; and significant people such as Mayan activist and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Rigoberta Menchu Tum. Each chapter includes three full-color photographs, often of people wearing traditional clothing or participating in cultural rituals. This book will give beginners a strong foundation in the subject, but even students who may be familiar with a few of the cultures discussed will gain a more comprehensive global perspective and acquire insight into the common predicaments faced by peoples who may seem quite different at first glance. Students writing reports on specific cultures, however, might find the book too general to meet their needs.-Kate Hewitt, Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ

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