Why Education Guatemala is a perfect example of a very common situation. 80 percent of the population is indigenous, yet they are discriminated against as if they were the minority. Latinos and foreign companies own all the best land, all the businesses, and they make the laws. Most indigenous people don't vote and few of the ones that do truly understand the issues and know the candidates that they elect. If indigenous children of today receive an education, and learn the laws of the country governing them they will be able to vote intelligently, change legislation and be able to improve the quality of life for their family and village.
Education is the key to the protection of human rights and preservation of cultural heritage.
In a perfect world, yes o f course they are. The problem is that there are very few tribes left today that live in total, undisturbed isolation. Missionaries have converted most. Miners, oil interests, loggers, poachers and ranchers exploit many others. Rainforests are the last remaining untapped resources and everyone is pushing in deeper and deeper.