Synopsis People who inhabited a land before it was conquered by colonial societies and who consider themselves distinct from the societies currently governing those territories are called indigenous peoples. They live in nearly all the countries on all the continents of the world and form a spectrum of humanity, ranging from traditional huntergatheres and subsistence farmers to legal scholars. Despite the extensive diversity in indigenous communities throughout the world, all indigenous peoples have one thing in common – they all share a history of injustice. Over the last several years, the international system – particularly as embodied in United Nations and other international institutions – has exhibited a renewed concerns of indigenous peoples. This book is an indepth study of the rights of indigenous peoples. It looks at the socioeconomic status, human rights situation and burning issues of indigenous peoples around the world. It also discusses the role of international laws and modern human rights programmes to protect the indigenous peoples’ aspirations to survive as distinct communities in control of their own destinies. This book will have a wide audience including anthropologists, sociologists, demographers, development studies specialists in addition to activists working in organizations dealing with the issues of indigenous peoples.