Mind’s On – Ainu Article: Two Sides

1. Mind’s On – Ainu Article: Two Sides • Read the article “Japan’s Ainu Seek to Preserve Their Native Culture” • Using two different colours, highlight and discuss a) positive approaches to culture and b) challenges the Ainu face (past and present) • Discuss with an partner and as a class

3. Shared Issues

4. Land and Resources: • Regaining/protecting ancestral lands from development is a constant battle (Oka) • National governments are sometimes legally bound to protect those sites (treaties), many are not and choose to ignore tradition

5. Language and Culture: • More than 2000 languages have been lost since 1492 (Columbus) worldwide • There are 6000-7000 indigenous languages spoken today, but many close to extinction • Loss of language leads to loss of beliefs, values, traditions (Cultural Continuity)

6. Enduring Voices – Endangered Languages

7. Commonalities Among Cultures

8. Spirituality and the Land: • Connection to land and the natural world • View the land as part of their community • Daily activities and ceremonies reflect connection • “Our first relationship is to nature. You are part of nature, not the master of nature.” Mari Boine, Sámi (Norway)

9. Respect for Diversity: • Prior to contact, each indigenous group lived in a traditional territory • Although these sometimes overlapped, most groups respected differences (language, culture) • The idea of culture not necessarily bound by borders

10. Sense of Community: • Most cultures emphasize the welfare of the group over the individual (collective rights) • Shared resources and sustainable living are priorities for the collective