Japan recognises indigenous people (AFP, Fri Jun 6, 2008)

Japan on Friday for the first time recognised the Ainu as an indigenous people, pledging to support the traditionally nature-worshipping community that has endured centuries of discrimination.

It is a landmark step for Japan, which has prided itself on being ethnically homogeneous but where the Ainu have sharply lower incomes and educational levels.

Japan Parliament unanimously approved a resolution recognising the Ainu and calling for "immediate" support to the community. The move is primarily symbolic, although it will likely open the way for economic aid.

"We have turned a significant new page in Ainu history which we have never seen before," senior Ainu activist Tokuhei Akibe told a news conference next to the parliament building.

This is wonderful, but still just a first step forward," said Akibe, wearing a traditional embroidered Ainu gown. "We bear a serious responsibility to make this meaningful." The resolution comes ahead of next month's summit of the Group of Eight rich nations on the northern island of Hokkaido, home to most of Japan's estimated 70,000 Ainu. The resolution recognises for the first time that the Ainu "are an indigenous people with a distinct language, religion and culture."

"If our country wants to lead the international community, it is crucial for us that all indigenous people retain their honour and dignity and hand down their culture and pride to later generations," the resolution said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said the government would respect the parliamentary resolution, but stopped short of declaring concrete support for the Ainu.

"Our government solemnly accepts the historical fact that the Ainu people were discriminated against and suffered poverty in the process of our country's modernisation," the government's chief spokesman told parliament.

Fairer-skinned and more hirsute than most Japanese, the Ainu traditionally observed an animist faith with a belief that God exists in every creation, respecting trees, hills, lakes, rivers and animals -- particularly bears.

The Ainu, who lived by hunting and fishing, formed their society around the 13th century mainly in Hokkaido but also the Kuril and Sakhalin islands, which are now ruled by Russia, and parts of Japan's main island of Honshu.

Ethnic Japanese gradually settled Hokkaido and in 1899 enacted the Hokkaido Former Aborigines Act, under which the Ainu were forced to give up their land, language and traditions and shift from hunting to farming.

The act was repealed only in 1997 and replaced by legislation calling for "respect for the dignity of the Ainu people."

But that law stopped short of recognising the Ainu as indigenous or, as some activists have demanded, setting up autonomous areas along the lines of Native American reservations in the United States.

Takashi Sasagawa, a senior lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said that many people "had wrong ideas" about the Ainu.

"Today's historic, courageous decision is significant in reversing those wrong ideas," he said.
Ainu remain among Japan's poorest people, with only 17 percent graduating from university, just half the national average, according to a survey by a community association.

Japan, particularly since World War II, has prided itself on being ethnically uniform and has rejected large-scale immigration despite a falling birth rate.

"We have finally seen the light," said Tadashi Kato, the head of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido.

"We hope to create a society where we can live with pride as indigenous people."
The United Nations last year adopted a non-binding declaration upholding the human, land and resources rights of the world's 370 million indigenous people, including the Ainu.

Japan voted for the UN declaration but stressed it would not accept any moves by indigenous people for independence or property compensation. #####

That's good to hear that Japan government recognises Ainu (アイヌ, áinu) or Utari (ウタリ, meaning "comrade" in Ainu) as an indigenous people of Japan. We joined an evening performance of Ainu during our Hokkaido visiting in Lake A-Kan.

Inside the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan (Native Village), they performed Ainu ancient dancing. (designated as national important intangible cultural asset) Therefore, if you get a chance to visit Lake Akan, please join with them and Ainu culture can be seen at this point. You can see lots of original craft works, produced by various shops there.

Here are the original statement from Japan Parliament. Please review it as followings.

アイヌ民族：先住民決議　アイヌ決議（全文）　／北海道 6月7日11時1分配信 毎日新聞

参院本会議で６日採択された「アイヌ民族を先住民族とすることを求める決議」の全文は次の通り。

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昨年９月、国連において「先住民族の権利に関する国際連合宣言」が、我が国も賛成する中で採択された。これはアイヌ民族の長年の悲願を映したものであり、同時に、その趣旨を体して具体的な行動をとることが、国連人権条約監視機関から我が国に求められている。　我が国が近代化する過程において、多数のアイヌの人々が、法的には等しく国民でありながらも差別され、貧窮を余儀なくされたという歴史的事実を、私たちは厳粛に受け止めなければならない。　全ての先住民族が、名誉と尊厳を保持し、その文化と誇りを次世代に継承していくことは、国際社会の潮流であり、また、こうした国際的な価値観を共有することは、我が国が２１世紀の国際社会をリードしていくためにも不可欠である。　特に本年７月に、環境サミットとも言われるＧ８サミットが、自然との共生を根幹とするアイヌ民族先住の地、北海道で開催されることは、誠に意義深い。　政府は、これを機に次の施策を早急に講じるべきである。　１　政府は、「先住民族の権利に関する国際連合宣言」を踏まえ、アイヌの人々を日本列島北部周辺、とりわけ北海道に先住し、独自の言語、宗教や文化の独自性を有する先住民族として認めること。　２　政府は、「先住民族の権利に関する国際連合宣言」が採択されたことを機に、同宣言における関連条項を参照しつつ、高いレベルで有識者の意見を聞きながら、これまでのアイヌ政策をさらに推進し、総合的な施策の確立に取り組むこと。　

右決議する。＝一部地域報

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　◇「名誉と尊厳、次世代に継承」－－官房長官談話　町村信孝官房長官は国会決議を受け談話を発表した。要旨は次の通り。　差別され、貧窮を余儀なくされたアイヌが多数に上ったという歴史的事実について、政府として改めて厳粛に受け止めたい。　政府としても、アイヌの人々が日本列島北部周辺、とりわけ北海道に先住し、独自の言語、宗教や文化の独自性を有する先住民族であるという認識のもとに、これまでのアイヌ政策をさらに推進し、総合的な施策の確立に取り組む。　官邸に有識者の意見を伺う「有識者懇談会」を設置することを検討する。その中で、アイヌの話を伺いつつ、国の実情を踏まえ検討を進める。　アイヌが民族としての名誉と尊厳を保持し、次世代に継承していくことは、多様な価値観が共生し、活力ある社会を形成する「共生社会」を実現することにも資するとの確信のもと、アイヌ政策の推進に取り組む。

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◇アイヌの法的権利を求める動き

８４年　５月　道ウタリ協会の総会で、新法案をまとめる

８６年　９月　中曽根康弘元首相が「単一民族国家」発言

８８年　３月　知事の私的諮問機関「ウタリ問題懇話会」が新法の必要性を答申

８９年１２月　政府が関係省庁による「アイヌ新法問題検討委員会」を設置

９５年　３月　官房長官の私的諮問機関「ウタリ対策のあり方に関する有識者懇談会」を設置

９６年　４月　同有識者懇が「アイヌの先住性」を認める報告書を提出

９７年　３月　札幌地裁が二風谷ダム訴訟の判決で「アイヌを先住民族」と認定

　　　　５月　アイヌ文化振興法成立。旧土人保護法は廃止

　　　　５月　衆参内閣委員会で付帯決議０７年　９月　国連総会で「先住民族の権利宣言」を採択

６月７日朝刊