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From http://www.angel-invest.us/en/events/indigenousday/index.shtml

The focus of this year’s International Day will be Celebrating Indigenous Film Making, which ties in with the theme of the 2010 session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, "development with culture and identity."

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People (9 August) was first pronounced by the General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 – 2004).

In 2004, the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade, from 2005 – 2015, with the theme of “A Decade for Action and Dignity.”

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Canadian Commission for UNESCO PRESS RELEASE

August 9th ‐ International Day of Indigenous Peoples

Ottawa, August 05, 2010. The United Nations General Assembly has declared August 9 the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. This Day, which is celebrated each year around the world, raises awareness of indigenous peoples' cultures in all their diversity. It also is an opportunity to consider the present‐day challenges these peoples face.

It is estimated that there are 370 million indigenous people living in more than 70 countries in all regions of the world. There are at least 5,000 distinct groups of indigenous peoples worldwide, adding to the planet's cultural diversity.

Indigenous languages make up more than 4,000 of the approximately 6,700 languages that exist today. Most of these indigenous languages are considered endangered and at serious risk of being replaced by dominant languages by the end of the 21 st century.

In Canada, according to Statistics Canada’s 2006 Census data, the number of people identifying themselves as Aboriginal, that is to say as First Nations, Métis or Inuit, was 1,172,790. According to this agency's forecasts, the number will reach 1.4 million by 2017.

As well, according to the 2006 Census, more than 60 indigenous languages are spoken by members of the First Nations in Canada. These can be grouped as part of the Algonquin, Athapaskan, Sioux, Salish, Tsimshian, Wakashan and Iroquois language families, as along with the Haida, Kutenai and Tlingit language families.

The year 2010, has been declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity and the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures. In this spirit, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO invites everybody to join together to both act and reflect, on this important international Day. It also reaffirms the importance of traditional knowledge, cultures and lifestyles, with regard to sustainable development and the management of the environment.

The Canadian Commission for UNESCO operates under the aegis of the Canada Council for the Arts. Its role is to act as a forum for governments and civil society, and to mobilize the participation of Canadian organizations and committed individuals in UNESCO’s mandated areas: education, natural and social sciences, culture and communication and information. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the only member of the United Nations System to have National Commissions performing this role in each of its Member States.

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Contact: Mathias Bizimana
Program Officer, Culture and World Heritage
Canadian Commission for UNESCO
613‐566‐4414 or 1‐800‐263‐5588, ext. 5547

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Indigenous Peoples’ Issues More Prominent than Ever on Global Agenda, But Some Statistics Alarming, Says Secretary-General in Message for International Day 

6 August 2010
Secretary-General
SG/SM/13049
HR/5027
OBV/899

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, in New York, 9 August:

The world’s indigenous peoples have preserved a vast amount of humanity’s cultural history. Indigenous peoples speak a majority of the world’s languages, and have inherited and passed on a wealth of knowledge, artistic forms and religious and cultural traditions. On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we reaffirm our commitment to their well-being.

The landmark United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, lays out a framework for Governments to use in strengthening relationships with indigenous peoples and protecting their human rights. Since then, we have seen more Governments working to redress social and economic injustices, through legislation and other means, and indigenous peoples’ issues have become more prominent on the international agenda than ever before.

But we must do even more. Indigenous peoples still experience racism, poor health and disproportionate poverty. In many societies, their languages, religions and cultural traditions are stigmatized and shunned. The first-ever United Nations report on the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in January 2010 set out some alarming statistics. In some countries, indigenous peoples are 600 times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the general population. In others, an indigenous child can expect to die 20 years before his or her non-indigenous compatriots.

The theme of this year’s Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is indigenous filmmakers, who give us windows into their communities, cultures and history. Their work connects us to belief systems and philosophies; it captures both the daily life and the spirit of indigenous communities. As we celebrate these contributions, I call on Governments and civil society to fulfil their commitment to advancing the status of indigenous peoples everywhere.