Tanzania: Country Technical Note on Indigenous Peoples Issues

The United Republic of Tanzania (URT) has a multi-ethnic population with more than 125 different ethnic communities. Four of these—the Hadzabe, the Akie, the Maasai and the Barabaig—identify themselves as indigenous peoples.

The concept of indigenous peoples is not acknowledged in Tanzania but the government "recognizes the vulnerability of some of the marginalized communities".

In early 2012, a Draft Indigenous Peoples Policy Framework was issued by the government‘s Social Action Fund (TASAF). This document specifically mentions the Hadzabe and the Barabaig, and adds that "the determination of which ethnic groups in Tanzania are recognized as Indigenous Peoples is still in process".