1.
indigenous people, native inhabitants
People who originally inhabited a land before colonization or settlement by others. The standard modern term used in academic, political, and news contexts.
先住民の文化を学ぶ。
Learn about indigenous culture.
先住民の権利を守ることが重要だ。
It is important to protect the rights of indigenous people.
オーストラリアの先住民は独自の言語と伝統を持っている。
Australia's indigenous people have their own languages and traditions.
The currently preferred neutral term for indigenous peoples. In Japanese context, the アイヌ are recognized as 先住民族 of Japan.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 先住民の権利 (indigenous rights)
- 先住民文化 (indigenous culture)
- 先住民族 (indigenous peoples — the ～族 variant emphasizes ethnic group identity)
DISTINCTIONS:
- 先住民: indigenous people (neutral, modern term)
- 原住民: aborigines, natives (older term, now considered potentially offensive)
- 土着: native to a place (adjective-like, describes things rooted in a locale)