“We are a living people. We are not a culture only. It is no use if only our culture is preserved. We would like to recover our rights as human beings.“

AinuAinu - PR
Written By Blog Post Author

Koichi Kaizawa (koych keye-zah-wah)

culture preservationist

IMAGE SOURCE: Patrick Cox. “The World.” PRI.org. | TEXT SOURCE: "Inheriting Ainu Ethnicity" in Circumpolar Ethnicity and Identity. National Museum of Ethnology. 2004.

IMAGE SOURCE: Patrick Cox. “The World.” PRI.org. | TEXT SOURCE: "Inheriting Ainu Ethnicity" in Circumpolar Ethnicity and Identity. National Museum of Ethnology. 2004.

QUOTE CONTEXT: “We also want young Ainu people who have not yet been born to have pride in their ethnicity and we want them to learn how to co-exist with other Japanese people.”

QUOTE QUESTION: What rights do your People need to preserve?

IMAGE CONTEXT: “Ainu activist Koichi Kaizawa and his wife Miwako outside their home in Nibutani, Japan.”

IMAGE QUESTION: With whom do you stand to assert the human rights of your People?

MEDIA LITERACY CONTEXT: The quote is from an academic publication. The photo is from an international radio podcast website.

MEDIA LITERACY QUESTION: What are the preferred media  channels for sharing the experience of your People?

LEARN ABOUT THE AINU: https://www.ainu-assn.or.jp/english/ainupeople.html

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“Ainu culture isn’t limited to language or ceremonies or dance. It is Ainu life itself. Whatever happens every day within the household is Ainu culture.”
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“I saw fathers and mothers at their gatherings saying their prayers…singing and dancing full of joy all night. At those moments, they could confirm their identity as Ainu.”