| Scope | Indigenous peoples globally |
| Challenges | Persist, but indigenous peoples are more empowered to chart their own futures |
| Current Status | Maintain greater control over traditional lands and able to incorporate modernity on their own terms |
| Cultural Influence | Indigenous cultures, languages, and political systems remain more influential globally |
| Impacts of Colonialism | Less severe disruption and displacement than in our world |
Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants of the lands they occupy, as opposed to groups that have migrated or been introduced from elsewhere. They encompass a vast diversity of cultures, languages, histories, and political situations across the world. While indigenous groups have faced many common challenges, their experiences in this timeline have varied significantly depending on their interactions with colonial powers and ability to adapt to modern changes.
The impacts of European colonialism on indigenous populations were generally less severe in this timeline compared to our world. While many groups did experience displacement, land loss, and cultural disruption, violent conflicts and genocides were less common. Indigenous societies were often able to negotiate terms of coexistence and maintain a degree of autonomy within colonial frameworks.
Some indigenous nations, such as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in North America, the Inca Empire in South America, and the Maori in New Zealand, were even able to modernize and industrialize on their own terms, incorporating Western technologies and influences while preserving core cultural practices and political structures. This gave them greater resilience against assimilation.
Elsewhere, indigenous groups were able to adapt traditional lifestyles to changing circumstances. The Aboriginal Australians and Sami of Scandinavia, for example, maintained semi-nomadic reindeer herding economies well into the modern era. And the Quechua and Aymara peoples of the Andes continued to practice sophisticated Andean agriculture alongside participation in regional trade.
Due to the relatively less disruptive experience of colonialism, indigenous cultures, languages, and belief systems have remained much more prevalent and influential worldwide in this timeline. Many indigenous groups were able to maintain the use of their native tongues, which are now recognized as official or co-official languages in numerous countries.
Indigenous spiritualities, such as shamanism, animism, and ancestor veneration, continue to be widely practiced alongside or incorporated into major world religions. Traditional ecological knowledge about sustainable resource management, biodiversity, and climate adaptation remains highly valued.
In the political sphere, indigenous self-governance and sovereignty have become more widely accepted. Several nation-states, like New Caledonia, Greenland, and the Federated States of Micronesia, have formal provisions for indigenous autonomy or federalist structures. Indigenous leaders and activists also have a greater voice in international organizations like the United Nations.
Despite these positive trends, indigenous peoples continue to face a range of modern challenges. Many struggle with economic marginalization, lack of access to quality education and healthcare, and environmental threats to their traditional lands. Assimilation pressures, particularly on younger generations, remain an issue in some contexts.
Politically, indigenous rights are still not fully guaranteed in all countries, and jurisdictional conflicts over land, resources, and governance frequently arise. Balancing traditional lifeways with participation in the global economy and modern institutions is an ongoing negotiation for many groups.
Nonetheless, the relative resilience of indigenous societies in this timeline has allowed them to maintain a much more prominent role in shaping the modern world. Their diverse cultures, languages, and knowledge systems are now widely recognized as crucial to humanity's shared heritage and future.
