The Identification of Indigenous Peoples

According to the international labour organization, there are about 5,000 different indigenous or tribal peoples living in seventy countries. The total world population is estimated at about 300 million indigenous peoples. all definitions of the concept of "indigenous" regard self-identification as a fundamental criterion for determining the groups to which the term indigenous should be applied. within the un family, the international labour organization (ILO Convention 169) defines indigenous and tribal people as follows: tribal people in independent countries whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the national community, and whose status is regulated wholly or partially by their own customs or traditions or by special laws or regulations;

Use the simple definition:
Indigenous peoples are self-identifiable as a people, wholly or partially self-governed, and live within a larger nation.

Local Communities are not Equivalent to Indigenous Community

Local communities may be, but are not necessarily the same as indigenous communities. If a community is populated by people who are self-identifiable, wholly or partially self-governed, and who live within a larger nation, then that community is also an indigenous community. Most local communities are not in this category. Local communities often have a fund of knowledge and expertise that is extremely valuable in project planning and implementation. Local people have specific special interests in the impacts that the project might have on them. Local communities have a sense of self identity that is an important aspect to be preserved. For these and many other reasons, it is important to ensure that local communities are intimately involved as stakeholders in project development when that project has a direct or indirect effect on them.