Are the Tibetans Indigenous?
Exploring the Issue of Indigeneity in Tibet
A talk by Professor Tsering Shakya
Hosted by
Indigenous Asia Initiative, Department of Asian Studies
(To join this talk, please email Dr. Sunil Bhatt at sunil.bhatt@ubc.ca for more information and the Zoom link)
Prof Tsering Shakya will explore the critical issue of the position of the Tibetans in contemporary China, where the Tibetans are a “minority” group in the modern Chinese’s nation-state. What does it mean to be a minority? When does a group of people become a minority? Is the term “indigenous” an asserted or claimed identity or something conferred by others? When does a group become a minority or indigenous? These questions will be discussed in the context of Tibet.
Tsering Shakya is Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Department of Asian Studies at UBC. He is the author of The Dragon in the Land of Snow, A History of Tibet Since 1947. His research interests focus on Himalayan regions and Sino-Indian Relations.
