Indigenous Perspectives Conference opens in Bristol

Explorer Benedict Allen opened a conference in Bristol on indigenous people of the world.

The city's first Indigenous Perspectives Conference took place at the Pierian Centre in Portland Square, St Paul's.

It brought together representatives of indigenous cultures from around the globe, along with campaigners and academics.

Around 40 people turned up to the event, and took part in six different seminars on a range of subjects including eco-tourism and genocide.

The conference covered a range of cultures including the Jumma of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the Mapuche of Chile and the Kawesqar peoples of Tierra del Fuego.

Mr Allen, who produced a number of books and television programmes on remote cultures, launched the one-day event yesterday.

The day coincided with Columbus Day, the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, the second anniversary of the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 40th year of Survival International, a human rights organisation campaigning for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples.