Pilot Lecture: Thinking About Indigenous Cultures of the World

Course Overview

Course No. 90058

From a Western perspective, the question of who is indigenous can seem imponderable. Get a foundation in what it means to claim indigenous identity.

Explore what it means to claim indigenous identity in the 21st century, as you look at indigenous peoples and cultures from around the world. This lecture examines:

• The definition and global distribution of indigenous peoples
• Unique languages and cultural heritages
• Challenges of indigenous identity in modern times
• Indigenous communities across six continents

Video Lecture

01: Thinking About Indigenous Cultures of the World (33 min)

Indigenous peoples are members of communities that have languages and cultural heritages unique to themselves and who inhabit all six livable continents—from polar extremes to tropical latitudes. With this eye-opening lecture, Patricia A. McAnany, Kenan Eminent Professor of Anthropology, introduces you to what groups of people are indigenous and what it means to claim indigenous identity in the 21st century.