Representatives of the growing activist group, The Advocacy for Arkanian Racial Protection (AARP), held a press conference today on the planet Arkania. Gathered at a settlement known as the Legacy Colony, they announced a new phase of their mission, calling on all major galactic governments to recognize Arkanians as a unique species.

"It seems that each year, exploration by conglomerates and governments uncover uncharted star systems which are home to species yet unknown, but they all continue to ignore the full diversity of civilized life in the galaxy they already know," declared a spokesperson for the group. "Arkanians have been a part of this galaxy from the beginning, and have led the march into the future of science and discovery. Now we are kept invisible, thought of as negligible, and we announce today that we will be dismissed and ignored no longer. We call upon all governments in this galaxy to recognize the Arkanian species and grant them the protections that all other species enjoy."

Despite many claiming to belong to the Arkanian species or to have Arkanian ancestry, the name does not appear in any formal galactic document or government databank. Many dismiss the so-called Arkanians as merely the descendants of human pioneers who colonized their homeworld of Arkania in the distant past. The AARP claims that the lack of galactic recognition has irrevocably hurt the Arkanian people. Their numbers go unknown and any violence targeting Arkanians goes either unreported or miscategorized. Due to the Arkanians' small relative size when compared to other humanoid species, any diseases or medical issues that could affect the species' survivability would remain practically invisible.

"Simply put, the galaxy cannot respect what it will not see," the AARP said. "So here we are. You see us now. We are not going to go away."

Thousands have taken to the streets on the Arkanian homeworld to ensure their voice is heard. Protesters spurred on by the work of the AARP have come together to share a singular voice in the "Recognize Arkania" movement.

The rocky planet Arkania is claimed as the Arkanian homeworld and is home to currently just over 1.2 million sentients--the population of a modest city closer to the galactic core. Its current government, Mandalore, supports the welfare of its citizens, and the people of Arkania are grateful to have the Mandalorians at their side during this time. The location of the press conference, Legacy Colony is a small, semi-permanent settlement located in the frigid, snowy plains of Arkania. It is the product of an agreement between Mandalore and House Arkoh, a house of the Trade Federation dedicated to the revival and propagation of Arkanian culture. Today the Legacy Colony may just be a small gathering of prefabricated buildings and small homes populated by Arkanian-offshoots, but House Arkoh hopes it will one day be a prime example of the revivification of a species who many in the galaxy believe to be either long extinct or altogether non-existent.

*Broadcast on behalf of Advocacy for Arkanian Racial Protection