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Language Culture and Curriculum
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: Eoghan Mac Aogain (St Patrick's College)


Volume: 11  Number: 3  Page: 272–296

Language and Education Rights for Indigenous Peoples
Stephen May

In recent and ongoing debates on democracy and representation, indigenous peoples have been at the forefront in arguing for recognition of their rights to greater self-determination within modern nation-states. These arguments are based on their particular status as indigenous peoples, historically colonised against their will. Much of the focus of indigenous claims to self-determination has been upon language and education. This paper explores the wider basis of indigenous claims in social and political theory, and within international law, and the controversial issues surrounding them. It examines these claims in particular relation to language and education and discusses, by way of example, the development of autonomous Maori language education initiatives in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

© Multilingual Matters 1998

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