The present volume contains the papers that came out of a con­ference on "The Question of Indigenous Peoples in Africa" jointly organised by The International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and the Centre for Development Research (CDR) in Co­penhagen. It is not the intention that the papers contained in this volume provide an exhaustive tour of indigenous groups of people in Africa or of all problems encountered by them. The papers represent a first attempt to mark out a path along which to tread when seeking to come to grips with the situation of African minority populations that perceive of themselves as indigenous. The aim of the conference was to open up to debate of the question of whether we are justified in applying the concept of "indigenous peoples" in Africa.