The Student Room Group

Indigenous populations of certain areas of land?

In modern day Britain it is basically taboo to suggest, as a white British person, that there are any types of people in the UK who could be considered to be indigenous to this island.

It is obvious that from a purely biological point of view it is impossible for any area of land to actually have an indigenous people, everyone has come from somewhere else at some point.

However, when people say indigenous, unless they're entirely blinkered, they tend to mean indigenous in the sense that tribes of similar/related people have come to certain areas of land, and have formed the foundations of what today of the traditional nations. And that over the years, they have intermingled enough, communicate with each other in the same language and share similar cultures that in that sense they could be considered indigenous to the current nation that exists on this area of land.

However, talk like that as a white person is considered to be deeply racist/facist/nazi. However, very few people dare to question the Maori or Native American claim to to their land as being the indigenous peoples of it. For some reason, it is acceptable to say that these peoples are the native peoples of their lands without being racist, isolationist, xenophobic or facist. Yet to suggest that the rich, wealthy European nations have an indigenous people is considered deeply unacceptable talk.

The truth is, the Maori people of New Zealand are no more indigenous to the island(s) than white British people are to this island. Yet they are permitted to quite vocally claim such, with both government and public support.


Also, many people exclaim that asylum seekers *cough*economicmigrants*cough* should be permitted to come to the UK because after all, we are all ultimately immigrants, so why should that stop simply because we came here earlier than they did?

I don't want to get into an arguement about the ins and outs of immigration, I am talking primarily about the concept of indigenousness here, but I would say it is fair to say that an Afghan hiding in the back of a lorry coming over from Calais is less indigenous to this island than I am. And that is not racist, I am just stating facts.

Also, if the concept of indigenousness is so obsolete and insignificant, they surely does that not make coloniasation and empires fine and acceptable also? Who cares if the British forced their culture on the Indians, who cares if the Spanish forced their language and culture of the peoples of South America? After all we're all immigrants! There's no such thing as indigenous people, so why are South Americans complaining they're being forced to speak Spanish? There's no such thing as an indigenous culture! :rolleyes:
from a purely biological point of view it is impossible for any area of land to actually have an indigenous people, everyone has come from somewhere else at some point.


Errr... what? Everyone has come from somewhere else, and therefore no one has come from anywhere?
Can't be bothered to read the rest since after two lines you are already making absolutely no sense at all.
Reply 2
Potally_Tissed
Errr... what? Everyone has come from somewhere else, and therefore no one has come from anywhere?
Can't be bothered to read the rest since after two lines you are already making absolutely no sense at all.


Meh, I was making the assumption that 99.9% of the people on here would consider the "out of africa" theory as the truth about evolution. Sorry I didn't make that clearer.
Reply 3
I think we all know who's indigenous and who isn't It's not rocket science.
Reply 4
ak56
Also, if the concept of indigenousness is so obsolete and insignificant, they surely does that not make coloniasation and empires fine and acceptable also? Who cares if the British forced their culture on the Indians, who cares if the Spanish forced their language and culture of the peoples of South America? After all we're all immigrants! There's no such thing as indigenous people, so why are South Americans complaining they're being forced to speak Spanish? There's no such thing as an indigenous culture!
The objection to colonisation would be based on the idea that people have a right to local rule and self-determination. The problem with forcing other cultures on people is not the fact that other cultures are being forced; the problem is the forcing of other cultures (rather than the cultures being freely chosen, regardless of their origin).

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