Indigeneity Discourse within Kurdish Political Movement

Abstract

This research looks at the indigenous, aspect of the Kurds and how indigenousness is expressed within the Kurdish political movement that has been paid limited attention. While discussions surrounding the concepts of indigeneity and ethnicity remain important within academia, David S. Trigger and Cameo Dalley (2007, p. 47) state that “critical definitions argue for a clear differentiation between indigeneity and either race or ethnicity, with a specific category of indigenous peoples deserving of distinctive rights and interests”. Therefore, as this research addresses the differences between these two notions, it will be making a significant contribution on the indigenousness of Kurds that have been either widely seen as ethnic minority in the Middle East or their existence have been denied. I aim to draw scholarly attention to indigeneity discourse to address, in particular, the self-determination claim that is considered the most debated claim of indigenous peoples as self-determination, which is in the Kurdish context, one of the key demand of the Kurdish struggle is also defined as ‘democratic autonomy/democratic confederalism that was recognised by the United Nations in 2007 as one of the key rights of Indigenous Peoples.