a piece of land, if you can keep it

[oportet]

If you follow all things Russia vs Ukraine, or Israel vs Palestine, or really like 90% of conflicts anywhere ever you've probably heard terms like 'original inhabitants' and concepts about rights to land used.

Do these things really exist though? Is there land that hasn't been killed for and overtaken (multiple times) throughout history? Is there a people who have always just been there - unconquered and unconquering in the same spot - ever since the aliens dropped us off or adam and eve or that salamander man crawled forth from the goo?

If yes, who?

Maybe the Inuit, pushed to the edges - assuming they didn't push anyone else off the edge once they were pushed there.

The Sentinelese? Could they unironically be the most peaceful people on earth? Sad.

If no - what are we even talking about? Is there an amount of time a people have to hold on to a land to obtain honorary original inhabitantship? Or is any use of 'original inhabitants' a form of historical revisionism (a little late I know)?

Comments

[asthfghl]

Didn't the Inuit displace the Dorset culture?

[oportet]

I thought they were different, but it looks like you're right. That has to be slightly more frustrating than being run off land in the middle of a continent.

[abomvubuso]

I guess unless you want to look at the cradle of humankind which is somewhere in East Africa, I'd say there are a few nations or ethnicities who seem to have always lived where they are now - after they settled their indigenous land, that is. Mongolians come to mind, although they did conquer quite a bit around, but they still live today where they originated from and haven't been conquered. Maybe some African nations such as Ethiopia would count too.