先住民

• Reading: せんじゅうみん
• Romaji: senjūmin
• Kanji breakdown: 先 (sen/saki) — prior, before; 住 (jū/su) — to reside; 民 (min/tami) — people, folk
• Pronunciation: /seɴ.dʑɯː.miɴ/

Meaning

Indigenous people; native inhabitants; first peoples. The original inhabitants of a land before colonisation or displacement.

Used in international discourse and domestic contexts. In Japan, 先住民 most often refers to the Ainu people (アイヌ民族) of Hokkaido and the Ryukyuan people (琉球民族). Japan formally recognised the Ainu as indigenous in 2019. The term is also used for indigenous peoples worldwide. Related: 先住民族の権利に関する国連宣言 (UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples).

Examples

1. アイヌは北海道の先住民として法律で認められた。 The Ainu were legally recognised as the indigenous people of Hokkaido.
2. 先住民の文化と言語を保護する取り組みが各地で進んでいる。 Efforts to protect indigenous cultures and languages are advancing across various regions.
3. 土地開発が先住民の生活圏を侵食しているという報告が相次いだ。 Reports that land development is encroaching on indigenous peoples' living areas have been coming in one after another.

Usage Guide

Context: indigenous rights, history, anthropology, law

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 先住 (prior habitation) and 民 (people, folk). 先住 is itself a compound of 先 (before, prior) and 住 (to reside). The term entered modern Japanese as a translation of 'indigenous peoples' in the context of international human rights law.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal