Senapati, August 9: The Naga Women’s Union (NWU) organised the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples under the theme “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights and Shaping the Future” at SM Sha Hall, Senapati. The event was sponsored by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP).
NWU President Priscilla Thiumai, in her welcome note, stated that the Nagas are indigenous people who were not colonised by conquest or conquer. Although the gathering may have been small, the NWU President termed it important, with different dignitaries from Naga CSOs present. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) states that people should respect land rights, territorial rights, natural resources, and cultural rights. However, the women leader lamented that the word indigenous is not found in the Constitution of India, even though India is a signatory. Instead, the words Tribal and Adivasi are used, which do not encompass the real meaning of indigenous. Many have claimed to be indigenous when they do not fulfil the criteria. The Nagas were not under any Union government and were not admitted to any nation. The NWU President proposed to observe the day with a mega programme in the coming year, in the presence of many people, to show solidarity with the world’s indigenous peoples while marking the day.
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General Secretary of the United Naga Council (UNC) Vareiyo Shatsang, in his address, stated that the World Indigenous Day is celebrated to glorify the cultures, resilience, and invaluable rights of indigenous people. He said one must honour the struggles of ancestors who tirelessly fought to preserve cultural heritage, identity, land, history, and languages. Shatsang said people now face AI challenges, which represent a new frontier in this changing world. He questioned whether AI will serve people or exploit them. The UNC General Secretary stated that indigenous peoples have fought to protect their land, customs, culture, history, identity, and languages. He said AI must be shaped to respect rights, preserve cultures, and benefit communities. He reminded that people need AI that listens to their voices, learns from their wisdom, and amplifies their stories. Shatsang said AI learns from existing patterns and data, which may contain errors, biases, or outdated information. However, he urged harnessing the power of AI to revitalise languages, document people’s history, and connect the youth. With confidence, the UNC General Secretary said that together, people can defend their rights and shape a future where AI serves humanity in its diversity, ensuring it is a tool for empowerment, not exploitation.
He also stressed the extinction of indigenous languages, stating that the imposition of colonial languages and the spread of global languages like English have significantly contributed to their decline. He informed that an indigenous language disappears every two weeks, which is alarming, and that approximately 6,000 indigenous languages are spoken worldwide, but around half are considered endangered. He also highlighted how the language of one Tangkhul village has become extinct.
Makan Zebulun, Social & Cultural Secretary of ANSAM, in his greetings, stated that the present generation lives in a century where the world is so competitive, with nations striving to prove their existence and uniqueness to the world. He said the Nagas are fortunate to live in their own land, with unique history, land, and people that define their identity, inherited from their ancestors since time immemorial. He said the Nagas are indigenous to the Naga soil wherever they inhabit, urging them to continue living as free people in harmony and peace as one people, one nation, and a Naga without borders.
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Resource person Chingya Luithui, Member of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), spoke on the theme during the programme, stating that indigenous people are the original inhabitants of a particular region or country, with a distinct cultural, social, and economic identity deeply connected to their ancestral lands. He noted that August 9 is declared as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He urged indigenous people to protect their rights, land, and people, and called on Naga women to document Naga cultural and traditional attire.
A panel discussion followed later in the programme, with Nepuni Piku, Chairperson of Morung for Indigenous Affairs and Justpeace, and Joyson Mazamo, Convenor of the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights–South, as panelists.
A PowerPoint presentation on indigenous women was also delivered by Hejeilungle, President of Zeme Pui Baudi, during the programme.