Click to watch the recording of the Indigenous Peoples' Day Event 2024, which feature's JMP's Meg Hermes as host and Alisa Hunt-Lowery as a speaker.
SAS has a multidimensional culture that blends our different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives from employees worldwide. In recent years, we have deepened our conversations about the varying dimensions of diversity, including gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, abilities, experience, and more, but we have expanded our education as well. This month, we are celebrating and learning about indigenous people worldwide.
Global support and recognition
In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples shall be observed on Aug. 9 to raise awareness and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population. This annual observance spotlights indigenous peoples’ rights and celebrates their contributions and achievements that continue to enrich our society and the world. The date commemorates the initial meeting in 1982 of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted in 2007, is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples, establishing a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.
Indigenous Peoples' Day is a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated across the United States on the second Monday in October and is an official city and state holiday in many locations.
Indigenous communities make our world stronger
An estimated 476 million indigenous people worldwide are spread across 90 countries – they’re also referred to as First Nations, First Peoples, Aboriginal people, or Native – making up less than 5% of the world’s population. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They maintain social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous communities from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.
For decades, indigenous peoples have sought acknowledgment of their identities, lifestyles, and their right to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources. Yet, throughout history, their rights have been infringed, making them some of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations today. The international community now recognizes the necessity of special measures to protect their rights and preserve their distinct traditions, norms, languages, and way of life.
Supporting indigenous people at SAS and beyond
While the population of indigenous employees at SAS is small, it is significant. Around the world, we take strides to engage, recruit, and develop indigenous people through community and professional outreach initiatives, such as the North Carolina Native American Youth Organization and partnering with Tribal Colleges. This year, SAS Canada will have the day off to observe National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, honoring the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities.
Watch party for the World Indigenous Day event
In August, colleagues from SAS and JMP came together for a virtual event to learn about different indigenous communities worldwide. You can watch the recording here.
Here are some additional things you can do to gain awareness of and support indigenous people at SAS:
2023 SAS Native American Heritage Month celebration2023 SAS Native American Heritage Month celebration
We want to hear from you! If you want to get involved in future initiatives or events supporting indigenous people, contact diversity@sas.com.
