Bonaire’s indigenous people are vanishing in their own country, Calls for global support

KRALENDIJK--On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the Bonaire Human Rights Organization is issuing an urgent plea to the world: the Indigenous people of Bonaire are disappearing in their own homeland, and without international action, their culture, rights, and identity may be lost forever.

Once comprising more than 80 percent of Bonaire’s population before 2010, Indigenous Bonaireans now make up less than 30 percent of their own ancestral island. This dramatic demographic collapse reflects more than displacement, it signals systemic marginalization, cultural suppression, and the dismantling of a people’s right to exist.

“Our identity, our language, and our rights are under direct threat,” the organization stated. “Bonaire’s current political status strips us of the protections that international law provides for non-self-governing territories. We call on the international community to support our urgent effort to relist Bonaire on the United Nations’ List of Non-Self-Governing Territories, a vital step to prevent political erasure and cultural extinction.”

Under direct Dutch governance, the organization says, Bonaire’s Indigenous people face ongoing colonial domination, systemic neglect, and the deliberate erosion of cultural foundations. Papiamento — the island’s native language and a pillar of its cultural identity, is being pushed aside in the education system, accelerating the loss of Indigenous heritage and undermining the community’s sense of self.

The Bonaire Human Rights Organization is calling on governments, human rights defenders, and global citizens to take a stand. “This is a critical moment to demand decolonization, self-determination, and international oversight. Stand with us. Help us protect the people of Bonaire before it is too late.”

As the United Nations marks this day to honor Indigenous peoples and confront historical injustices, Bonaire’s original people are demanding recognition, dignity, and the right to shape their own future on their ancestral land. "Raise your voice. "Stand with Bonaire. Its future depends on it."

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, often called International Indigenous Day, is observed every year on August 9.

It was established by the United Nations in 1994 to raise awareness of the rights, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples worldwide, as well as the challenges they face. The date marks the anniversary of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982.

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