About Nicaragua: Autonomy for Indigenous Peoples

An Introduction to Nicaragua’s Indigenous Peoples

With this website, I plan to focus on Nicaragua’s autonomous regions: the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RAAN) and the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RAAS). Composed of primarily indigenous peoples and individuals of African descent, these two regions are self-governing, enjoying a degree of freedom from the national government. However, since their establishment in 1984, more freedom has failed to translate into more prosperity–the indigenous peoples of the RAAN and the RAAS currently suffer from high poverty rates, extreme hunger, heightened illiteracy, and minimal health care.

With my individual research project and my final group project, I aim to investigate the implications of autonomy for the indigenous peoples in RAAN and RAAS. Within “About Nicaragua,” I will first provide context for the rights of indigenous peoples under international law. I will follow that with a discussion of the different indigenous peoples–the Miskitu, Mayagna, and Rama–of the RAAN and RAAS.

Then, for my final project, I will explain why the Caribbean Coast was broken down into autonomous regions and what benefits it was intended to enjoy from the semi-separation. In conclusion, I will summarize the current state of Nicaraguan autonomous regions (and the indigenous peoples that reside therein) from both an economic and a Human Development and Capabilities Approach (HDCA) perspective.

Photo by MapOpenSource.com

Featured Image: Chortega Artistry by Kristy Mulcrone