Differences Between Indegenship & Citizenship

To hold political office, more than just citizenship is needed in some nations.

In any given government, citizens typically enjoy the broadest spectrum of national rights. The term "citizen" typically refers to any person who owes allegiance to a sovereign state and thereby receives certain protections within that state. But, in some nations, those who can also claim indigeneship receive even more rights. Indigeneship means a person is indigenous to the area and shares an ancestral link to the land. In some nations, those with indigeneship get preferential treatment over other citizens, including the exclusive right to run for office and to participate in certain ceremonies.

Indigeneship

Problems can occur for those claiming indigeneship when defining what an ancestral connection means, and a spiritual link to an area is usually not enough. Many nations define this connection based on records of lineage. For example, a person with proof that his grandparents lived in an area is considered indigenous in some nations. Again, indigeneship sometimes offers citizenship plus additional privileges. In Nigeria, only those with indigeneship can run for political office or participate in religious ceremonies in this nation.

Citizenship

Citizenship, on the other hand, simply means a person has been afforded legal status and certain rights. No connection to the area or land is required, and those born outside of the country can often apply to become citizens. Some nations even allow people to become dual-citizens, where they are considered legal citizens of more than one nation. This dual-status is impossible with indigeneship.

Similar Systems

While many nations do not consider indigeneship when it comes to the full scope of a citizen's rights, some nations do consider a limited form of indigeneship. For example, in the United States, a person does not need to prove that his ancestors were indigenous to the United States to run for the country's highest office, the presidency. However, a person must be a natural-born citizen. This means he must have been born within the United States, or that one or both of his parents must have been citizens for a certain period of time at his birth in order to qualify. Many other nations have a similar system of requirements in place.

Contemporary Controversy

Nigeria is one of the few nations that has had recent controversy regarding indigeneship status. Local and state governments within the nation require a person be indigenous to a particular area before he can run for office in that locality. This has caused problems because some Nigerians want to promote the idea of a unified nation, rather than a coalition of separate and distinct indigenous groups. Others argue that, if a person or her parents lived in an area before Nigeria attained independence in 1960, then she should be considered indigenous. Still others believe that a more far-reaching ancestral link must be proven.

References

• The Journal of Pan African Studies: Indigeneship and Citizenship in Nigeria: Myth and Reality; Abimbola O Adesoji, Ph.D.; March 2009
• Next: Representatives Consider Bill on Indigeneship Representatives Considering Bill on Indigeneship; Festus Owete
• Gamji.com: Indigeneship, Citizenship and the Lost Nigerianship: An Unpopular Essay; Joseph Dangme Rinyom
• Cornell University: Article II of the U.S. Constitution