Native Culture Research Articles

Influence of pH and temperature on the performance and microbial community during the production of medium-chain carboxylic acids using winery effluents as substrate.

Winery effluents containing high ethanol concentrations and diverse organic matter are ideal substrates for producing medium-chain carboxylic acids via fermentation and chain elongation. However, the process needs to be better understood. This study presents novel insights into the bioconversion mechanisms of medium-chain carboxylic acids by correlating fermentation and chain elongation kinetic profiles with the study of microbial communities at different pH (5 to 7) conditions and temperatures (30 to 40°C). It was found that high productivities of MCCA were obtained using a native culture and winery effluents as a natural substrate. Minor pH variations significantly affected the metabolic pathway of the microorganisms for MCCA production. The maximal productivities of hexanoic (715mg/L/d) and octanoic (350mg/L/d) acids were found at pH 6 and 35°C. Results evidence that the presence of Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Negativicutespromotes the high productions of MCCA. The formation of heptanoic acid was favor when Mogibacterium and Burkholderia were present.

Kitkińike of recognition: In the direction of bibliographies as cultural landscapes

AbstractThis project explores bibliographies as cultural landscapes. Taking the Nez Perce term kitkińike (in the direction of) as a gesture that offers new theoretical grounds for considering the categorical power of bibliographies, I argue that bibliographies are more than just sources cited at the end of a publication. A dynamic and interactive interface performatively animates an existing list of texts about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history with anticolonial purpose, so countering the thinking that Indigenous, Black and Queer authors are objects to be studied rather than academics to be cited. The exegesis defines a bibliography and its many manifestations and provides background on how this project came to being, giving credit to the people and institutions working to combat the erasure of Black, Queer, Indigenous and minority voices. The written piece argues that we need to move in the direction of (kitkińike) including a variety of voices in our citations while the web interface allows for the physical exploration of these concepts. Together, the paired research outcomes invite a novel journey across the cultural landscapes of bibliographic productions.

Navigating Identity Negotiation and Cultural Adaptation in 'American Fever': A Critical Discourse Study

The current study aims to analyze the discursive construction and representation of the processes of cultural adaptation and identity negotiation among Pakistani students in America in Dur e Aziz Amna's novel American Fever (2022). The study utilizes Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity and mimicry (1994) to unveil students' strategies during their stay in America. Fairclough’s three-dimensional model (1992) was also employed to examine linguistic choices underpinning power and resisting strategies used by the protagonist to establish her position in society. The findings indicate that Pakistani students adapt to American norms, contrasting their native culture. Power dynamics play a significant role in identity negotiation, as Islamophobia and the Pakistani identity of the students affect their power position in American society. The author has used evocative language, metaphors, intertextual references, and code-switching to render the complexities of cultural adaptation and manifest her resistance to prevailing ideologies, including Islamophobia and gender norms.

Learning Javanese Krama to Cultivate Children's Polite Attitudes

Javanese is a language commonly used in Javanese ethnic communities. Javanese is one of the regional languages ​​used in daily life by Javanese people for communication between people. Manners are not something that can be learned quickly. Etiquette takes a long time to master, especially when it comes to children's language literacy. Developing language politeness must start from an early age. The emphasis on teaching children is necessary to teach children the norms of politeness of their native culture. Local wisdom is considered to have great value because it is an idea that lives in people's minds and its values ​​are also used as a guide in actions, words and deeds. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive research type and aims to find out whether learning Javanese at school can foster a sense of politeness in children from an early age. This research uses observation and interview methods. The results of this research are that children learn Javanese which can improve their manners. In this research, some children already have the manners that we want to examine, but there are also children whose manners have not yet developed. Children's learning about politeness is not only obtained through school, but parents also contribute to the growth of politeness values. From the results of this research, it is hoped that teachers and parents can provide more learning to children regarding politeness norms.

Divinizing Nature for Sustainable Global Growth: The Indian Perspective

The recent catastrophic climate conditions and the spate of wildfires, floods, cyclones, etc. on an unparalleled scale sweeping most parts of the globe has sent mankind in a tizzy. Despite numerous summits and conferences of world leaders and the action plans continue to make headlines even though the real effect on the ground seems suspect. Faultlines flagged include the seemingly unsustainable global market economy, high-level consumerism, widespread deforestation, emissions from ever-burgeoning number of automobiles and fossil-fuel fed industries, use of chemicals, building of big dams, etc. While all this is true, the real change has to come about in human attitude to nature. From the urge to exploit nature, it has to be of an interdependence based on respect for the natural elements and creatures because these maintain balance and provide congenial environment for life. My paper analyses the situation and concludes that for this to happen, we need to involve heart and soul as much as the mind. Our native cultures existing since ages and finding expression in ancient as also contemporary literatures provide an answer to tackle the fearsome scenario facing us, and this is to treat nature not just as a living being, but rather a divine being.

Assembling Collections: Isabella Parry and the Distribution of Aboriginal Material Culture at the Port Stephens Australian Agricultural Company Settlement, 1830–1834

This article revisits a suite of Worimi objects in the British Museum whose collection is attributed to Sir Edward Parry, Australian Agricultural Company commissioner from 1830–1834, and brings into view the oft-overlooked diaries and letters of his wife, Lady Isabella Parry. By foregrounding Lady Parry as the primary distributor of material, I shed light on her circulation of objects from Port Stephens to her family estate in Cheshire. Finding herself isolated in an unfamiliar environment, Parry wrote letters and assembled collections in an attempt to exert control over her surroundings and reassert connections to England. While Parry never achieved a sense of belonging within the colony, her material legacy illustrates the importance of collecting and gift-giving to imperial women’s identity formation. Her archive speaks to the value ascribed to colonial material culture within British families, generating knowledge about some of the many Aboriginal objects housed in museums throughout Britain.

ELF and Transcultural Communicative Practices in Multilingual and Multicultural Settings: A Theoretical Appraisal of Recent Advances

Transcultural communicative practices (TCPs) have become increasingly important in English language pedagogy owing to the growing number of multilingual and multicultural settings. In this study, I theoretically appraise these practices and place them in the context of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and transcultural communication in the English language classroom. Drawing on Takkula et al.’s (2008) claim that all people are products of their native culture and mother tongue from the moment of birth, the paper argues that language students must be educated to overcome their culture-bound assumptions and beliefs and acquire the necessary skills for transcultural exchanges and that to this end, ELF is a valuable transcultural communication tool. The benefits and challenges of such practices are also discussed. The benefits for students include increased cultural sensitivity, improved communication skills, and enhanced critical thinking, whereas the challenges include language barriers, cultural differences, and class time constraints. The study concludes with hints for English language teachers and practitioners to effectively implement TCPs in classrooms to promote transcultural understanding and communication among students.

‘We love sharing your land’: Children’s understandings of Acknowledgement to Country practices and Aboriginal knowledges in early learning centres

This paper explores children’s understandings of Acknowledgement to Country practices and Aboriginal knowledges. Guided by the relational lenses of respect, responsibility and reciprocity, we conducted focus groups with children across five Australian early education centres. We found that Acknowledgement practices were evident through recitation of their Acknowledgement to Country, engaging with artefacts, and/or discussion of artworks. Secondly, children demonstrated emerging understandings about place names, the symbolic use of flags for places and people, and Australian plants and animals. Thirdly, Aboriginal cultures as living cultures were evident in temporal discussions about people and culture. Finally, imaginative play implied efforts to make sense of Aboriginal concepts and language. Across the study, children were active in experimenting with ideas in their own meaning making. Acknowledgement to Country was not a moment in the day; rather, it was embedded throughout the day through routines, storytelling, play and creative activities, all designed to foster learning.

Translating islamic religious expressions: Problems and strategies

This study is an attempt to investigate the problems that face the translator when translating Islamic religious expressions from Arabic into English. It also explicates the strategies that the translators used in dealing with such problems. The study is descriptive, comparative and evaluative and focuses on how Islamic expressions drawn from the Islamic Arabic book Bidāyat al-Hidāyahare translated by two different translators namely Muhammad Abul Quasem (1979) and Mashhad Al-Allaf (2010). Since the explored religious expressions are deeply rooted in their native culture and constitute a main part of the Arabic-Islamic identity, the findings of the study show that such expressions, in many cases, do not have equivalents in the target language and culture, and translating them into English is very problematic and pose a great challenge to the translator. The findings also reveal that meaning losses and distortions are the result of a host of reasons among which are the sensitivity and peculiarity of the religious expressions and the huge differences between Arabic and English.

Hybridity and Cultural Duality in E.M Forster’s Character Dr. Aziz: A Post-Colonial Analysis

The study examines the impact of British influence on Indian culture and its people, leading to a dualism in their personalities, as conceptualized by Homi K. Bhabha's notion of hybridity. The analysis of Forster’s novel and the character of Dr. Aziz using Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity and ambivalence reveals that British culture poses a significant threat to the native culture, eroding the ancient histories of Indian cultures in the younger native generation. This qualitative research, based on the findings of this study, also opens up a new dimension for researchers in the same field or those interested in hybridity, or A Passage to India. This research is qualitative in nature, and the data was collected from the novel A Passage to India. The research also identifies that Dr. Aziz appears to be influenced by the English lifestyle and attempts to emulate English behavior on multiple occasions, seeking friendship with English people and even organizing and leading a trip for them to demonstrate his honor and responsibility. However, after facing accusations, he refrains from accepting the friendship of the English until they cease to rule India, displaying dual and hybrid behavior. The study also uncovers the influence of the English language and cultural values on Indians. Considering that Forster wrote the novel A Passage to India during his visits to India, it is evident that he witnessed the scenario during the British Raj, lending credibility and trustworthiness to the events described in the novel. This provides a satisfying validation of the research results.

Supporting the Journey Home: The Process of Co-designing an Education Program to Strengthen Palliative Care Capacity in First Nations Communities

In Ontario, Canada, several training programs have been created to improve home-based palliative care in First Nations communities, though they primarily focus on meeting needs at end-of-life. Therefore, education focused on incorporating an early palliative care approach for community health-related workers is necessary. To address this gap, we tested the CAPACITI curriculum with 12 health care providers working in First Nations communities across Ontario, 11 of which were members of a First Nations community, and engaged them in a collaborative process to co-design an education program that they felt was representative of First Nations values and culture. The co-designers were trained as nurses (n=8), personal support workers (n=2), a social worker (n=1), and a physician (n=1). We met with them for 12 weekly one hour sessions. They completed a workbook of questions and recommendations to tailor the education to a First Nations community context. We incorporated these recommendations into the new education by reviewing existing material, making notes of suggested changes, and adding new content. We redesigned the education according to several themes: incorporating culture, recognizing First Nations health care workers and knowledge, and approaching education wholistically. The resulting program, Supporting the Journey Home: Growing the Community Bundle to Care for those with Serious Illness, gives First Nations health care providers practical resources to operationalize an early palliative care approach with community members. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the co-design process of an existing palliative care education program with First Nations health care providers.

Khanty urban women in the second half of the 20th — early 21st century: continuity of ethnocul-tural traditions, a view from the “inside”

Ethnicity is a dynamic category based on ethnic background. Most clearly it is expressed in the traditional environment, natural for the preservation of cultural traditions, which is associated with ancestral places, rural areas. In recent years, the number of representatives of indigenous peoples of the North living in the cities of Yugra has increased significantly. The main force of national intelligentsia is concentrated in the city of Khanty-Mansiysk, public institutions have been created there that became a part of the modern ethnic culture of the Ob Ugrians. The most representative part of this community are women, they clearly show their creative nature. The purpose of this work is to capture the features of the expression of ethnicity among Khanty women of different generations living in urban conditions, to trace its changes and continuity using the example of resi-dents of Khanty-Mansiysk. To assess this topic, a “look from the inside” is characteristic, the author places herself in the center of the study, as she belongs to this community. The stories of famous Khanty women who were born in the 1930s in a traditional environment but became citizens, as well as stories of their daughters and granddaughters born in the city, serve as a “refe-rence”. The author concludes on the natural “blurring” of ethnic identity in city environment. This is a natural process caused by the environment itself, as well as by metisation of urban residents. The process of assimilation of ethnic cultures in urban condi-tions is faster. The “true” representatives of traditional culture in urban environment are those born in rural areas. The first gen-eration of urban women (“mothers”) keeps in touch with the traditional environment, usually speaks their native language and appears as representatives of ethnic culture. The second generation (“daughters”) takes a marginal position in relation to their native culture and the urbanized environment, they are able to perceive their native culture, but at a different level; they rather carry a universal identity. Representatives of the third generation (“granddaughters”), as a rule, are not speakers of their native language and bearers of the culture, and their ethnic identity is expressed in preserving the memory of their ancestors.

Prostitution in the shadow of life-long sexual abuse: Arab women’s retrospective experiences

ABSTRACT The present study uses the life-course and intersectionality perspectives to explore the meaning that aging Arab women attribute to their lived experiences of life-long sexual abuse in the shadow of engaging in prostitution. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the narratives of 10 older Arab women in Israel who were engaged in prostitution. Four themes emerged: experiencing childhood in the shadow of sexual abuse, becoming a prostitute, being entrapped in prostitution, and settling accounts with the native culture. Women aging in prostitution experience a harsh reality of abuse and loss. The present study points to multiple channels of abuse throughout the life course, from childhood until old age.

Cultural singularity: informing white practitioners who serve non-white clientele

Social work practitioners confront formidable challenges from non-white clientele. These challenges require theoretical constructs to improve services, which include: (1) cultural singularity; (2) double consciousness; (3) the dual perspective; (4) the bleaching syndrome; and (5) honorary white people. Cultural singularity pertains to white practitioners whose native culture is standard. Double consciousness pertains to dual cultures. The dual perspective is a social work account of double consciousness. The bleaching syndrome is manifested in the honorary white person. In order to enhance assimilation and reduce singularity, social workers must acknowledge non-white cultural traditions that have assets, capacities, and strengths that should be valued. Subsequently, the integrity and prestige of social work will be sustained.

INTERCULTURAL ASPECT: DIDACTIC AND METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING A SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article deals with the didactic and methodological principles of teaching a second foreign language in general secondary education institutions in the light of the intercultural aspect. The professional literature on the problem of organizing the educational process of teaching a foreign language and culture in general and German as a second foreign language in particular is analyzed. Attention is focused on the principles of learning as a regulator of thinking and speaking processes of understanding and generating foreign language information. The importance of adherence to the principles and their advantages in the formation of skills and abilities of foreign language communicative competence is presented. The author singles out the principle of visibility, the observance of which involves and interconnects other principles, for example: scientificity, feasibility, creativity and individualization. The rules that can dominate in the development of the educational process of teaching a second foreign language are formulated, where visibility as a didactic principle is internalized in the methodological principle of communicative approach. Examples in German of the implementation of the principle of communicativeness, in particular the principle of real authentic communication, are given. Three aspects for achieving communicative goals with the characteristics of the culture of speech are distinguished. The requirements for compiling teaching and learning materials, which are also an integral component of the educational process of teaching a second foreign language, are specified. The author describes the principle of taking into account the native language and culture, when students learn to realize the culture of the peoples of the language being taught. A comparison of linguistic features in German and Ukrainian socio-cultures is presented. The factor of the phenomenon of culture, which is thematized to students in the educational process through the prism of a foreign language and comparing the facts of the cultural experience of the peoples whose language is studied with the experience of the people whose heritage is the Ukrainian language, is highlighted.

Two-Way Learning: A Model for Decolonising Feminist Leadership and Advocacy

“Two-way learning” has come to be conceptualised as a collaboration between Indigenous and Western knowledges, which redresses historical power imbalances to create a culture of meaningful collaboration. The Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group provides a case study in which the principle of two-learning drives Indigenist feminist leadership and work to prevent violence against women. The Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group consists of Aboriginal women working to end family violence and bring visibility to their experiences. The group works in Australia’s Northern Territory, which has some of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. These women have applied the concept of two-way learning to their primary prevention projects: “Girls Can Boys Can” and “Old Ways are Strong”. The “Girls Can Boys Can” project created gender-equitable and anti-racist messaging and resources for early years educators. “Old Ways are Strong” developed animations to challenge the pervasive idea that violence against women is a part of traditional Aboriginal cultures. Both projects aimed to increase strengths-based representations of Aboriginal people. Both projects were evaluated which indicated that they were having some success in shifting attitudes and beliefs which drive violence against women. In this article, we will present the work of the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group to prevent violence against women and will argue that “two-way learning” is an important principle to strengthen feminist movements.

"Our Hair, Our Strength, Our Identity": Native American reflections and what dermatologists can learn.

Issues of health equity are rightfully in the national spotlight. Here we present a narrative piece on the sacred importance of hair and its ties to cultural identity among many Native communities in the United States. We introduce unique values ascribed to hair in some Native cultures, and include examples of how hair has played an important role in both abuse and generational trauma for many individuals and families. By sharing experiences, we hope to illuminate perspectives often underrepresented, and to enable more culturally humble, responsive, and informed dermatologic care.

A Western Pocahontas: Myth, Reality, and Memorialization for Spotted Tail’s Daughter, Mni-Akuwin

Abstract In March 1866, the Sicangu (Brulé) Lakota chief Spotted Tail brought the body of his seventeen- or eighteen-year-old daughter, Mni-Akuwin, to Fort Laramie. She had died somewhere in the Powder River country. Before she died, she had asked her father to bury her among the Whites at the fort. Her subsequent scaffold burial in the post cemetery was an unusual mix of military display, Christian rites, and Lakota traditions; and the events surrounding it became a dramatic episode in the story of Native-White relations and western settlement. Almost 140 years later she was memorialized at the fort, a National Park Service site, as a symbol of racial reconciliation. The story of Mni-Akuwin has been told and retold many times through the years, often as a romantic tragedy comparable to the story of early Jamestown and the much-celebrated Pocahontas. The two Native women had a surprising amount in common, including what we know and don’t know about them, what has been ascribed to their motives, and how they have been championed as defenders of European colonists and non-Native settlers. Indian princess mythology, with its insistence on innocence, purity, romantic purpose, and tragedy, has been vital to the persistence of this view—a perspective that has often put reconciliation in the service of White supremacy, dispossession, and rejection of Native culture. As the Mni-Akuwin story illustrates, reconciliation can be problematic.

Reconsidering Intercultural Component of Foreign Language Learning in the Result of Russia-Ukraine War (Ukrainian Perspective)

According to the generally accepted paradigm culture is considered an indispensable element of language learning process. Analysis of modern didactic materials and textbooks shows that target culture is presented in both explicit and implicit way. Authors insist that shaping students’ intercultural awareness cannot be limited to students’ exposure to another culture. Real intercultural approach also involves students’ ability to present their home country and culture. For this purpose it is essential to determine elements of students’ native culture which are to be incorporated in language learning process. Analysis of cultural patterns utilized in language learning proves that it offers a variety of everyday and touristic topics but omits the problems of wars and conflicts which are pertinent to many countries. The full-scale Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has challenged educators in Ukraine to reconsider approaches to cultural representations of home country. Authors claim that current war has significantly transformed the image of Ukraine as well as the global agenda, and showcase this with relevant examples. Due to these facts it has become impossible for students to present their home country through the prism of peaceful relations and omit the problem of war and its implications. For this purpose authors specified war-related topics which are relevant to national curriculum and can be potentially incorporated in the content of foreign language learning. In order to find out educators’ attitude towards incorporating war-related problems in national curriculum the authors have questioned over 300 teachers from various parts of Ukraine. The obtained data clearly shows that most educators support the idea of integrating war-related topics as they have a potential to showcase the problem of human values, inter-personal relations and cultural dimensions.

Bioremediation of Chlorate and Chromium in Soil Columns Using Contaminated Site Native Culture

AbstractChlorate and hexavalent chromium (chromate) are both widely used in different industries, and the improper waste management in the past left many sites with elevated concentrations in groundwater that pose potential risk to human and/or ecological health. Bioremediation is a sustainable management solution that can reduce both of these contaminants to less toxic species. In our earlier microcosms experiments, we have demonstrated that native microorganisms collected from a site contaminated with chlorate and chromate can lower the concentration of these chemicals in groundwater to acceptable regulatory levels provided sufficient electron donor, nitrogen, and phosphorous are provided. In this study, continuous flow column experiments were performed using soil from the site impacted by both chlorate and chromate in the Province of Manitoba (Canada) and synthetic groundwater amended with acetate, nitrogen, and phosphorous. The objective was to evaluate at a bench scale possibility of in‐situ groundwater treatment. Concentrations of chromate and chlorate measured in the columns' effluent water dropped by 86% and 96%, respectively. However, increased biomass and precipitation of trivalent chromium reduced the water flow rate in the columns, a concern for implementing this method as a long‐term in‐situ remediation solution.