(De)marginalization of indigenous people: a historical analysis of the Ainu of Japan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/e-rei.vi11.5330Keywords:
Ainu, Indigenous peoples, Marginalization, Demarginalization, MulticulturalismAbstract
In recent times, the Ainu minority population of Japan has seen a concerted effort by the Japanese government to promote their culture and heritage. This comes after centuries of marginalization in which the Ainu faced assimilation and oppression that silenced their native identity and contributed to the erasure of their culture. Since 2008 however, there has been a growing awareness of these issues which has culminated in increasing government support for the Ainu people in the form of new legislation and cultural promotion initiatives. These initiatives have helped revitalize the Ainu culture and led to increased recognition of its historical significance in Japan and abroad.
This article explores how the Ainu were marginalized in Japanese society, how they fought for their recognition as Indigenous people, and the effect of these efforts on their culture. Thus, the first section presents a timeline of the marginalization of the Ainu people, the second section details the trajectory of the Japanese government’s efforts to demarginalize the Ainu and finally, a reflection on the cultural significance of demarginalization is offered.
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