This article aims to provide an understanding of Indigenous Peoples land rights as human rights, focusing
on the lens of global human rights mechanisms. It begins by setting out the historical development of
the Indigenous Peoples movement for recognition and its relationship to land rights. The discussion
then outlines the concept of land rights from Indigenous Peoples’ perspective – namely, land rights as
a means of survival with culture, identity, and dignity. After presenting an interpretation of Indigenous
Peoples land rights as individual and collective rights, the article then explores the relevance of core
provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other UN mechanisms and
their connection to policy and practice at the domestic level. Finally, the argument addresses Indigenous
Peoples’ perspective on land and the interrelationship of political, legal, and policy formulations on
land rights and their impact on policy and practice.
