Muwekma House Sem Final
The Indigenous Peoples of Japan
Before Kawena mentioned the indigenous people of Japan, I did not realize that there were minority indigenous groups in Japan. I instantly wanted to know more. I wondered about potential differences between Japan and the U.S. in the relations between the majority (or colonizing) groups and the indigenous groups. I wondered if there was a less clear phenotypic (racial/ethnic) difference between the indigenous and majority groups in Japan because their places of origin were not so distant as the European colonizers were from the Americas. I wondered, if there were less clear phenotypic differences between colonized and colonizer, would that change how the groups relate to each other? This essay shares what I learned about the two indigenous groups in Japan, the Ainu and the Ryukyu.
The Ryukyu, also called Okinawans, live in the Southwestern archipelago of Japanese islands. Before 1879, when the Meiji government invaded militarily, they had an independent government. They have a distinct language, culture and religious traditions, although elements are shared with Japan and China due to proximity. After the Ryukyuan land was annexed by the Meiji government, the Ryukyuans lost their traditional forms of governance and control over their land. The government of the Japanese majority group (the Yamato, viewed as “ethnic Japanese”) worked to assimilate the Ryukyuans, banning the Ryukyuan language. Now, Ryukyuans are discriminated against - for example landlords may not rent to Ryukyuans. But, the Ryukyuans are not officially recognized as an indigenous or minority group. Additionally, they don’t have control over their land, much of which is occupied by U.S. military bases whose leases are continually renewed by the Japanese government. While the Japanese government generally doesn’t recognize the Ryukyuan language and culture as distinct, there have been private efforts to promote appreciation of Ryukyuan language and culture.
The Ainu live on the northern islands of Japan. Their language is unrelated to any other language. They appear ethnically different from Yamato Japanese people and have a distinct culture. Like many other indigenous groups around the world, the Ainu experienced land invasion and a decline in population due to disease and mistreatment from the settlers from Japan. During the Meiji period, the Ainu lost the right to their land when governance was taken over by the Japanese government. The population on the Ainu islands exploded as over a million Japanese moved in, prompted by the Japanese government giving out land grants. The government aggressively coerced assimilation, banning cultural practices including traditional hunting and fishing, and use of the Ainu language. The Ainu were encouraged to switch to agriculture, like the Japanese settlers. But, all of the best land had been occupied by Japanese settlers and the Ainu experienced economic and social marginalization. In 1997, the first law was passed to promote and protect Ainu culture and traditions. In 2008, the Japanese government finally officially recognized the Ainu as an indigenous people group.
The Ryukyu and Ainu peoples are distinct linguistically, culturally and traditionally from the majority ethnic Japanese. While both Ryukyu and Ainu people experience discrimination and occupation of their lands, only the Ainu have been officially recognized as an indigenous group. I hypothesize that this could be influenced by the fact that there is more pronounced ethnic and linguistic difference between the Ainu and the “ethnic Japanese” than there is between the Ryukyu and the “ethnic Japanese.” Another hypothesis as to why the Ryukyu have not been officially recognized as an indigenous group is that their land is occupied by U.S. military bases and that recognition of them as an indigenous group could bring more pressure on the Japanese government to yield control of some of that land. The Ryukyu and the Ainu of Japan experience similar colonial oppression and erasure to that experienced by many indigenous groups around the world, but, there are increasing efforts to recognize and appreciate their distinct languages, cultures, and histories.
Sources:
http://minorityrights.org/minorities/ainu/
http://minorityrights.org/minorities/ryukyuans-okinawans/
The Indigenous Peoples of Japan
Before Kawena mentioned the indigenous people of Japan, I did not realize that there were minority indigenous groups in Japan. I instantly wanted to know more. I wondered about potential differences between Japan and the U.S. in the relations between the majority (or colonizing) groups and the indigenous groups. I wondered if there was a less clear phenotypic (racial/ethnic) difference between the indigenous and majority groups in Japan because their places of origin were not so distant as the European colonizers were from the Americas. I wondered, if there were less clear phenotypic differences between colonized and colonizer, would that change how the groups relate to each other? This essay shares what I learned about the two indigenous groups in Japan, the Ainu and the Ryukyu.
The Ryukyu, also called Okinawans, live in the Southwestern archipelago of Japanese islands. Before 1879, when the Meiji government invaded militarily, they had an independent government. They have a distinct language, culture and religious traditions, although elements are shared with Japan and China due to proximity. After the Ryukyuan land was annexed by the Meiji government, the Ryukyuans lost their traditional forms of governance and control over their land. The government of the Japanese majority group (the Yamato, viewed as “ethnic Japanese”) worked to assimilate the Ryukyuans, banning the Ryukyuan language. Now, Ryukyuans are discriminated against - for example landlords may not rent to Ryukyuans. But, the Ryukyuans are not officially recognized as an indigenous or minority group. Additionally, they don’t have control over their land, much of which is occupied by U.S. military bases whose leases are continually renewed by the Japanese government. While the Japanese government generally doesn’t recognize the Ryukyuan language and culture as distinct, there have been private efforts to promote appreciation of Ryukyuan language and culture.
The Ainu live on the northern islands of Japan. Their language is unrelated to any other language. They appear ethnically different from Yamato Japanese people and have a distinct culture. Like many other indigenous groups around the world, the Ainu experienced land invasion and a decline in population due to disease and mistreatment from the settlers from Japan. During the Meiji period, the Ainu lost the right to their land when governance was taken over by the Japanese government. The population on the Ainu islands exploded as over a million Japanese moved in, prompted by the Japanese government giving out land grants. The government aggressively coerced assimilation, banning cultural practices including traditional hunting and fishing, and use of the Ainu language. The Ainu were encouraged to switch to agriculture, like the Japanese settlers. But, all of the best land had been occupied by Japanese settlers and the Ainu experienced economic and social marginalization. In 1997, the first law was passed to promote and protect Ainu culture and traditions. In 2008, the Japanese government finally officially recognized the Ainu as an indigenous people group.
The Ryukyu and Ainu peoples are distinct linguistically, culturally and traditionally from the majority ethnic Japanese. While both Ryukyu and Ainu people experience discrimination and occupation of their lands, only the Ainu have been officially recognized as an indigenous group. I hypothesize that this could be influenced by the fact that there is more pronounced ethnic and linguistic difference between the Ainu and the “ethnic Japanese” than there is between the Ryukyu and the “ethnic Japanese.” Another hypothesis as to why the Ryukyu have not been officially recognized as an indigenous group is that their land is occupied by U.S. military bases and that recognition of them as an indigenous group could bring more pressure on the Japanese government to yield control of some of that land. The Ryukyu and the Ainu of Japan experience similar colonial oppression and erasure to that experienced by many indigenous groups around the world, but, there are increasing efforts to recognize and appreciate their distinct languages, cultures, and histories.
Sources:
http://minorityrights.org/minorities/ainu/
http://minorityrights.org/minorities/ryukyuans-okinawans/
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