Indigenous Childhoods

The term indigenous is often used to describe the original inhabitants of nations prior to Western colonization. Other common terms include Aboriginals (in Australia), First Nations peoples (in Canada), and Native Americans (in the United States) although many other terms exist. Indigenous peoples are located around the world in diverse locations such as Russia, Ghana, Kenya, New Zealand, Mexico, and India, to name but a few. Given the wide disparity in who indigenous people are, it is important at the outset to offer the caveat that great caution must be exercised in not only how the term is used (e.g., although many people in the United States may claim some degree of Native American heritage, it would be considered inappropriate to categorize them as indigenous ...