2006年VOA标准英语-UN Indigenous Chief Urges Kenya To Protect Indi

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
11 December 2006

A senior U.N. official concerned with the plight¹ of indigenous² communities around the world is in Kenya to assess the situation of pastoralist, hunter-gatherer, and other indigenous communities in the East African nation. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

 
Maasai warriors³ in Selenkay Conservation Area, southern Kenya, (Jul 2005)
Among the most famous indigenous communities in Kenya is the Maasai, recognized by their red-and-blue-checkered robes, rows of bright beads⁴ worn around the necks of women, and many festivities that revolve⁵ around cattle.

Other equally distinctive⁶ people include the Pokot, Turkana, Borana, and Ogiek.

U.N. official Rodolfo Stavenhagen describes to VOA what he has witnessed since his arrival on December 4.

He said, "Indigenous peoples in Kenya face a number of problems of which the most important one appears to be the loss and degradation⁷ of their ancestral lands and their natural resources."

"Their territories - the ones that they occupied traditionally include a large number of important resources, such as forests, rangelands, water, fishing, and wildlife. Development policies at the national level have historically neglected the special needs of these communities," he continued.

 
Rodolfo Stavenhagen (May 2006)
Stavenhagen says many hunter-gatherers such as the Ogiek and pastoralists such as the Maasai have had their lands taken away from them largely through privatization of land and resources.

Indigenous people in Kenya, he says, are also much less likely to have access to education, water, political representation, and other resources.

The U.N. chief of indigenous issues says he is not yet in a position to make specific recommendations to the Kenyan government and others, since his Kenyan trip will end Thursday.

But he urges Kenyans to enshrine the rights of indigenous people in the country's next constitution, whenever that will take place.

Indigenous people are defined as those who have a long-standing attachment⁸ to specific land, have distinctive lifestyles that maintain their attachment to the land, and are largely excluded from mainstream⁹ culture and society.

1 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

4 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

5 revolve   

vi.(使)旋转；循环出现

参考例句：

• The planets revolve around the sun.行星绕着太阳运转。
• The wheels began to revolve slowly.车轮开始慢慢转动。

6 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

7 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

8 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

9 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。