The "Nibutani Declaration" and "An
Appeal to the Japanese Government" were adopted
by the Indigenous People Summit in Ainu Mosir 2008. Both
documents are available at:
http://www.ainumosir2008.com/en/news.html
Ainu, First People of Japan Video on YouTube
This video was produced by Dr. Joseph
The
Smithsonian Institute Ainu Exhibit
Excerpt: "This exhibit
is the first to celebrate both the contemporary expression of
Ainu ethnicity and the experiences of the Ainu past."
The Ainu Museum
Excerpt: "The Ainu Museum, popularly known as 'Porotokotan'
was established in 1976 as the Shiraoi Foundation for the
Preservation
of Ainu Culture. This cultural education facility aims to carry
out comprehensive educational promotion projects, such as the
transmission, preservation, research and study of Ainu culture.
In 1984, the Ainu Folk Museum was added to this facility to
exhibit both tangible and intangible Ainu cultural assets and
to perform academic research and study. In 1990, the facility
was reopened under the auspices of The Ainu Museum Foundation."
The Foundation for Research and Promotion
of the Ainu Culture (English link)
Excerpt: "The basic idea of our Foundation is to contribute
to the realization of a society in which the ethnic pride of
the Ainu is respected and to further the development of diverse
national cultures through the preservation and promotion of
the Ainu language and traditional culture and to disseminate
knowledge on Ainu traditions to the nation."
Ainu People Today - 7 Years after the Culture
Promotion Law
by Yoichi Tanaka, published in 2004
Excerpt: " While the Culture Promotion Law protects the Ainu
language and culture, the Ainu people still struggle for a recognition
as an indigenous people. The government has only recognized the
Ainu people as an ethnic minority in the 1991 report to the UN
Human Rights Committee."
Online University - The Ainu People
Excerpt: " The term Ainu generally refers to the fair-skinned long-haired hunter-gather and fishing people indigenous to Hokkaido. Ainu people are generally shorter than Japanese people with lighter skin and shorter limbs. Unlike Mongolians, the Ainu have wavy hair and horizontal eyes much like Caucasians. Due to ethnic mixing and the ethnic issues in Japan, there is confusion over the size of the Ainu population. Some believe it to be 200,000 while others suggest that the population is closer to 25,000. It is difficult to know since many Ainu do not disclose their heritage out of fear of discrimination."
