First Peoples – Catholic Commission for Social Justice

An indigenous woman greets Pope Francis during a meeting with participants in the Indigenous Peoples' Forum of the International Fund for Agricultural Development February 15 at the Vatican.(CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano, handout) — An indigenous woman greets Pope Francis during a meeting with participants in the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum of the International Fund for Agricultural Development February 15 at the Vatican.(CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout)

By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI

“We must not ignore those who claim the status of First Peoples in this country as owners of this land before we came, they ask and say to us, very humbly — as we acknowledge those who came as Hindus, Muslims (and) Christians, as we acknowledge them every year with a holiday — to put aside one day, not every year, but just one day as the day of recognition of our First Peoples….We have heard you and we too will acknowledge you because we are all one people in T&T.” (Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, October 27, 2016)

On Wednesday, August 9, the world will observe the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, focusing on the tenth anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.