Indigenous Peoples of the World: An Introduction to Their Past, Present, and Future

James S. Frideres is associate dean (research) in the Faculty of Social
Sciences, University of Calgary, and author of A World of Communities:
Participatory Research.

This book analyzes in broad strokes the impact of a unilaterally imposed
industrial capitalism on indigenous peoples of the world. As the global
economy continues to influence previously isolated parts of the world,
indigenous peoples are being forced to redefine their life paradigms and
philosophies. Goehring begins by providing a definition of indigenous
peoples throughout the world, providing several maps that identify their
residence, land use, and population. Chapter 2 focuses on the
traditional threats of the past (e.g., disease, warfare, and loss of
land) on indigenous peoples and their way of life. Although indigenous
peoples were able to adapt to most of these changes, the modern
industrial world economy is grounded in an “ecosphere that has erased
all bounds of time and space.” Whether or not indigenous peoples will
be able to develop a power base that will allow them to mediate the
influences of the global capitalist economy remains to be seen.