In 2009, UNESCO listed the Ryūkyūan language as endangered and warned that it would face extinction as early as 2050. For the most part, these assimilation policies have successfully curbed the Ryūkyūan Indigenous rights movement. This leaves Indigenous rights advocates in a difficult position, where they seemingly have to decide between self-determination through recognition and reduced regional security. U.S. military presence in OkinawaThere are 31 active U.S. military installations throughout Okinawa today — bases which have further hindered Ryūkyūan claims for Indigenous rights. Within Japan, Okinawa hosts 70 percent of the U.S. military bases.