Indigenous Communities Worldwide Research Articles

Traditional Knowledge Systems: Cross-Culturally Exploring The Medical Anthropology of Diet Wellness

Traditional Knowledge Systems (TKS) in Indigenous communities worldwide shape lifestyle and eating habits, with a focus on the thermostatic properties of food and balance in the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda are examples of TKS that emphasize individualized diets based on factors such as age, season, and constitution. In Indigenous communities, cultural beliefs about food during pregnancy influence dietary choices. Villagers in South India consider pregnancy a "hot" condition and restrict the consumption of "hot" foods to prevent excessive heat in the body. Additionally, climate change impacts food security in Indigenous communities, affecting the nutritional status of pregnant women. In Uganda, the Batwa community experienced a loss of traditional food sources due to eviction from their lands, exacerbating food insecurity during pregnancy. Climate change also affects food accessibility and the gender disparities in agriculture contribute to food insecurity. Furthermore, gender differences play a role in the relationship between interpersonal stress and shape and weight concerns, with girls showing stronger correlations in these areas. In this review, we uncover the intricacies associated with creating a diet and emphasize the wide range of cultural influences that shape these choices on an individual and communal scale.

Haudenosaunee Culture and Identity: Promoting Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on Indigenous communities worldwide. However, communities continued in various ways to preserve cultural connections and practice land and family-based activities central to health and well-being. This study was a collaborative effort between a university, a community agency, and a Haudenosaunee community to explore how culture and identity promoted mental health during the pandemic. A cultural program, Firekeepers, was delivered to promote and maintain connections and wellness. Semi-structured interviews with 19 community member participants focused on how knowing about your culture and identity helps you be mentally healthy. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and six themes were identified. Results add to the growing literature on the health restoring and affirming effects of culturally based belonging and participation in Indigenous cultural communities.

Local fishers’ knowledge on the ecology, economic importance, and threats faced by populations of African snakehead fish, Parachanna obscura, within Côte d'Ivoire freshwater ecosystems

AbstractTraditionally, population sizes, ecology, and threats to species and their habitats have been obtained by empirical scientific studies. However, the knowledge of local and indigenous communities worldwide has been acknowledged as an extremely rich and underused source of information on how the environment, biodiversity, and local conditions are changing over time. In this view, the objective of the study was to investigate local fishers’ knowledge of local names, habitats, uses, market price, change in population abundance, and threats faced by the snakehead fish (Parachanna obscura) in Ivorian freshwaters. The study was conducted using face‐to‐face interviews and a structured questionnaire with 381 fishers during the period from October 2020 to February 2021. The results show that this fish species is strongly appreciated for the good taste of its flesh, with market prices varying between 1.5 and 3€ on average. All respondents confirmed that the species is not yet produced in aquaculture and mentioned their willingness to support its introduction into aquaculture. Several local names of P. obscura fish were recorded, with ‘Sounôgô‐djêguê’ (used in 36% of fishers’ ethnic groups), ‘Pino’ (21%), and ‘Édjoué‐bile’ (21%) being the most popular names used in Ivorian fishers’ communities. All respondents agreed that P. obscura is a potamodromous fish species living preferably in wetlands, rivers, lakes, and streams. A significant decrease in the abundance of this fish was observed by 71% of fishers, perceived mainly due to overfishing, deforestation around watersheds, habitat destruction/modification, obnoxious fishing practices, pesticide use in farms close to watersheds, and climate change, especially lack of rainfall. The study clearly demonstrated the importance of local ecological knowledge of fishers in identifying threats to fish populations, habitat types used by the species, and other relevant information; therefore, this ecological knowledge has to be integrated into biomonitoring and conservation policy of aquatic biodiversity. The information obtained from this study is also helpful for future studies on the management and cultivation of this species.

Seeking Sweetness: A Systematic Scoping Review of Factors Influencing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Remote Indigenous Communities Worldwide

It is well-established that remote Indigenous communities have higher rates of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption than non-Indigenous counterparts, which results in higher rates of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, and kidney disease. The aetiology leading to this behaviour remains understudied and overlooked. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to understand the underpinning factors that contribute to SSB consumption in remote Indigenous communities. Studies were identified through five databases (n = 2529) and grey literature searching (n = 54). Following the PRISMA guidelines, each paper was assessed for eligibility, which left 34 studies for inclusion in the review. Within these papers, 37 different factors were found to influence SSB consumption in remote Indigenous communities. These were organised according to the Determinants of Nutrition and Eating (DONE) framework. SSB consumption was found to influence intake through each main level of the framework; individual (n = 9), interpersonal (n = 18), environmental (n = 9), and policy (n = 3). Preference was identified to be the most common factor to influence intake (n = 19), followed by health literacy (n = 15) and community availability (n = 12). Despite this, interventions to reduce SSB intake have never targeted this factor. This paper highlights the importance of a multi-level whole-of-system approach and suggests that an individual’s taste/preference should shape the direction of future research and intervention in this area.

Prevalence and risk factors for self-reported asthma among sámi in Sweden: a cross-sectional study

Objective Literature about asthma among Indigenous communities worldwide is scarce. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of self-reported asthma and to identify the risk factors associated with it among the Sámi population in Sweden. Methods A population-based health study (SámiHET) was conducted among the Sámi population aged 18–84 years in 2021. The asthma outcome was self-reported. Potential risk factors included sociodemographic, socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral and psychosomatic factors. Frequencies and percentages of the independent variables and the outcome were calculated. Then, the magnitude of the association between the independent variables and asthma was summarized with the prevalence ratio (PR) using the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for inferential purposes. Results Overall, 20.6% of participants reported having asthma and 13.9% suffering from asthma with symptoms. Women (PR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01–1.42), those living in the Västerbotten region (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11–1.63) and those suffering financial strain (PR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07–1.69) had a higher risk of self-reported asthma. Among the psychosomatic factors, self-reported allergy (PR: 6.45; 95% CI: 5.11–8.17), overweight (PR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.19–1.78) and obesity (PR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.41–2.17) were statistically significant associated to asthma symptoms. Conclusion A higher prevalence of asthma was found among the Sámi in Sweden compared to the average Swedish population. The associated risk factors were similar to those described in the literature. To understand the reason behind the higher prevalence of asthma among Sámi, more asthma-specific research, including register data, is needed.

Two-Eyed Seeing Application in Research Analysis: An Integrative Review

Background Research approaches used to understand Indigenous people in Canada have predominately used Western approaches and have not reflected Indigenous ways of knowing, protocols, or worldviews. The landscape of research involving Indigenous people is changing with a growing number of Indigenous scholars reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous knowledge. Two-Eyed Seeing provides a framework whereby conscious and deliberate conversations and research approaches are determined prior to and throughout the research process by the research team to guide a balance of each knowledge. However, Two-Eyed Seeing approaches or methods used during data analysis within the literature remains sparse necessitating this integrative review. Purpose To review the literature where Two-Eyed Seeing has been applied and to identify the approaches or methods used during data analysis and discuss the implications for research with Indigenous communities worldwide. Methods The five-stage approach outlined by Whittemore and Knafl (2005) was used to guide this integrative review. Results A total of 321 articles were reviewed from four databases, yielding 32 articles. Conclusions This integrative review is novel in that it is the first review known to specifically explore the use and application of a Two-Eyed Seeing framework during data analysis. Five main themes are presented including (1) Indigenous community member involvement with analysis, (2) Co-Learning during data analysis, (3) Visual or symbolic conceptualizations to guide analysis, (4) Statement acknowledging Indigenous knowledge during data analysis, and (5) Sharing of Traditional stories to guide data analysis. Additionally, five Two-Eyed Seeing approaches less commonly used during data analysis are provided.

Risk perception, adaptation, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Alaska Natives

Indigenous communities worldwide are at higher risk of negative pandemic outcomes, and communities Indigenous to the Arctic are disproportionately affected compared to national majorities. Despite this, their experiences have scarcely been investigated qualitatively and from their own perspectives. We collected and analyzed 22 structured interviews in three Southeast Alaska island communities (Sitka, Hoonah, and Kake) to learn about their perceptions of and experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were analyzed with thematic qualitative analysis in Dedoose. Four primary categories were identified within which to discuss risk and resilience in Southeast Alaska: (1) risk perception, (2) socioeconomic impacts, (3) reactions to public health guidelines, and (4) coping. Primary findings indicate that Southeast Alaska Native communities display considerable resilience and adaptive flexibility despite the significant adversity imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Alaska Native people use historical and traditional knowledge to culturally ground adaptive behaviors to cope with the threat of COVID-19. Interviewees expressed that adaptive, community-centered, and non-individualistic behaviors strongly tied to Native culture minimized the negative epidemiological impacts of the pandemic. Future research can more deeply explore the root causes of the need for adaptiveness and resilience, such as histories of colonialism and marginalization, to emergency situations in Indigenous communities.

THE EFFECTS OF OUR CHANGING CLIMATE ON THE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES GLOBALLY: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The effects of climate change are disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities across the globe. According to a United Nations report, “Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship with, the environment and its resources. Climate change exacerbates the difficulties already faced by Indigenous communities including political and economic marginalization, loss of land, its resources, human rights violations, discrimination, and unemployment.” (https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/climate-change.html) However, Indigenous communities worldwide release much less carbon into the atmosphere than more industrialized communities.

Implementing Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Insights from Legislative Reform in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACTAchieving data sovereignty is a critical concern for Indigenous communities worldwide and should be considered essential for an information‐resilient society. Māori‐led initiatives in Aotearoa New Zealand have successfully raised awareness of the issues concerned and led to considerable progress being made towards implementing Māori data sovereignty principles in the public sector. The process of updating the statute requiring the collection and use of official data and statistics has provided the opportunity to embed those principles in legislation. Analysis of the submissions made on the draft Data and Statistics Bill provides a unique window on very different perspectives with regard to Indigenous data sovereignty and how it should be realised. Findings show a range of views expressed by key stakeholders, provide insight that will be relevant for Indigenous data sovereignty initiatives in other countries, and raise awareness of issues that deserve attention from the information science community.

Indigenous language revitalization using TEK-nology: how can traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and technology support intergenerational language transmission?

ABSTRACT Indigenous communities worldwide face threats to their linguistic and epistemic heritage with the unabated spread of dominant colonial languages and global monocultures, such as English and the neoliberal, imperialistic worldview. There is considerable strain on the relatively few Elders and speakers of Indigenous languages to maintain cultures and languages decimated by centuries of colonialism. One shared and common goal for Indigenous language revitalization initiatives is to reinvigorate intergenerational language transmission in the home, the community and beyond in as many ways as possible. How can technology support this nuanced process and existing initiatives? Following an Indigenous research paradigm, this article explores an immersive, community-led Indigenous language acquisition approach – TEK-nology (traditional ecological knowledge [TEK] and technology) – to support Anishinaabemowin language revitalization and reclamation (ALRR) in the Canadian context. The TEK-nology pilot project identifies (1) the impacts of centring Indigenous worldviews in technology, language learning and teaching; (2) how we can develop and co-create technology-enabled, culturally and environmentally responsive pedagogies and (3) the important implications of decolonizing language education for Indigenous and majority languages. The TEK-nology pilot project demonstrates how community-led, relational technology and immersive Indigenous language acquisition can support ALRR and foster more equitable multicultural and multilingual education practice and policy.

The Role of Language in Structuring Social Networks Following Market Integration in a Yucatec Maya Population.

Language is the human universal mode of communication, and is dynamic and constantly in flux accommodating user needs as individuals interface with a changing world. However, we know surprisingly little about how language responds to market integration, a pressing force affecting indigenous communities worldwide today. While models of culture change often emphasize the replacement of one language, trait, or phenomenon with another following socioeconomic transitions, we present a more nuanced framework. We use demographic, economic, linguistic, and social network data from a rural Maya community that spans a 27-year period and the transition to market integration. By adopting this multivariate approach for the acquisition and use of languages, we find that while the number of bilingual speakers has significantly increased over time, bilingualism appears stable rather than transitionary. We provide evidence that when indigenous and majority languages provide complementary social and economic payoffs, both can be maintained. Our results predict the circumstances under which indigenous language use may be sustained or at risk. More broadly, the results point to the evolutionary dynamics that shaped the current distribution of the world’s linguistic diversity.

Documentation of traditional alcoholic beverages and their indigenous utilization pattern by Kinnaura tribes of Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya

Traditional alcoholic beverages are part and parcel of indigenous communities worldwide since ancient ages. These beverages are very common and popular among the indigenous communities residing in rural and tribal areas of India. In view of this, The present study has been conducted to document the traditional alcoholic beverages and their indigenous uses by Kinnaura tribes of Himachal Pradesh. Kinnaura, the tribal communities of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh are famous for their own unique traditions, culture, history and lifestyle. The usage of local alcoholic beverages especially Angoori, Moori, Rashi, Brandi, Shudang, Chhang and Zanashang are quite common among Kinnaura tribes. These are important part of their customary rituals, festivals, diet and health since time immemorial and prepared by the tribal communities in every village across the Kinnauar district for their own use by following indigenous methods using fruits, grains and bulbs of 15 locally available species. The information on collection time, processing and production was gathered through interviews. Production of these traditional beverages are limited to household level and the methods involved for their preparation are almost similar all across the Kinnaur district. These indigenous practices are also being followed by the present generations through the knowledge gained from their elders. Legal permission for mass production, branding and popularization of traditional beverages and adoption as livelihood option has been suggested.

Microbial Communities of Cladonia Lichens and Their Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Potentially Encoding Natural Products.

Lichens have been widely used in traditional medicine, especially by indigenous communities worldwide. However, their slow growth and difficulties in the isolation of lichen symbionts and associated microbes have hindered the pharmaceutical utilisation of lichen-produced compounds. Advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques now permit detailed investigations of the complex microbial communities formed by fungi, green algae, cyanobacteria, and other bacteria within the lichen thalli. Here, we used amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, and in silico metabolomics together with compound extractions to study reindeer lichens collected from Southern Finland. Our aim was to evaluate the potential of Cladonia species as sources of novel natural products. We compared the predicted biosynthetic pathways of lichen compounds from isolated genome-sequenced lichen fungi and our environmental samples. Potential biosynthetic genes could then be further used to produce secondary metabolites in more tractable hosts. Furthermore, we detected multiple compounds by metabolite analyses, which revealed connections between the identified biosynthetic gene clusters and their products. Taken together, our results contribute to metagenomic data studies from complex lichen-symbiotic communities and provide valuable new information for use in further biochemical and pharmacological studies.

Health Promotion Strategies to Address Gambling-Related Harm in Indigenous Communities: A Review of Reviews

The evolution of commercial gambling and its expansion into digital arenas has increased opportunities for people all over the world—including Indigenous people—to gamble. While there is considerable evidence for the suitability of a health promotion approach to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous communities worldwide, the evidence-base does not extend to the field of gambling research. A systematic review of reviews was conducted to identify relevant reviews in crossover areas of interest: interventions to address gambling-related harm in Indigenous populations and/or health promotion interventions on related health or behavioural outcomes. The quality of reviews was critically assessed—13 fit the inclusion criteria. Principal themes were characterised as being either related to ‘cultural,’ ‘structural,’ or ‘methodological’ factors. Findings indicate that an appropriate model of health promotion to address Indigenous gambling would necessarily involve careful consideration of all three elements. Applying a health promotion approach to the context of Indigenous gambling harms is increasingly relevant considering recent conceptual shifts in key areas, but there is currently limited evidence to guide the implementation and evaluation of such strategies. This review highlights what published evidence is available to strengthen future research in this area.

Present status of distribution, utilization and commercialization of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. - a socio economically potential species in Arunachal Pradesh, India

The utilization of wild plants for livelihood and income generation is a traditional practice adopted by various indigenous communities worldwide. Zanthoxylum armatum DC. is one of the most preferred species harvested from wild and used extensively by the local indigenous communities in the northeastern part of India as well as in the neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal. This species has been widely used by the local tribes as a spice in flavouring various foodstuffs and also for the treatment of numerous health ailments. We studied the distribution, population, ethnobotanical uses and marketing potentials of Zanthoxylum armatum in 12 districts of Arunachal Pradesh during 2018-2019. The study revealed its occurrence in the subtropical and temperate forest of the state with maximum population in forest edges and open forests around agricultural lands of West Kameng and Lower Subansiri districts. The analysis of the population in Shergaon area revealed its good representation with 1.04 /m2 density contributing 0.051 m2/ha. basal cover and 20.011 IVI. Even after its various uses, no cultivation of the species was practised by the local people. The dried fruits that are marketed @Rs. 800-1200/kg in the state are entirely collected from the wild. As the population of the species is limited in most of the area and the supply of fruits is only from the wild, extensive plantation and management practices will serve both the conservation as well the economic gain to the local communities.

Food Diversity and Indigenous Food Systems to Combat Diet-Linked Chronic Diseases.

ABSTRACTImproving food and nutritional diversity based on the diversity of traditional plant-based foods is an important dietary strategy to address the challenges of rapidly emerging diet- and lifestyle-linked noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) of indigenous communities worldwide. Restoration of native ecosystems, revival of traditional food crop cultivation, and revival of traditional knowledge of food preparation, processing, and preservation are important steps to build dietary support strategies against an NCD epidemic of contemporary indigenous communities. Recent studies have indicated that many traditional plant-based foods of Native Americans provide a rich source of human health–relevant bioactive compounds with diverse health benefits. Based on this rationale of health benefits of traditional plant-based foods, the objective of this review is to present a state-of-the-art comprehensive framework for ecologically and culturally relevant sustainable strategies to restore and integrate the traditional plant food diversity of Native Americans to address the NCD challenges of indigenous and wider nonindigenous communities worldwide.

Moving and Enhancing System Change

All Indigenous peoples across the globe have experienced multiple historical colonial aggression and assaults. In Canada and the USA for example, education was used as a tool of oppression for Indigenous peoples through residential school. Child welfare, health and health care, and forced land relocation are also sites of intensive and invasive harms. Health services continue to be a site of systemic and personal oppression for Indigenous peoples across Canada and the world (Reading 2013). For many years, Indigenous peoples have faced discrimination and racism when accessing biomedical health care. Implementation of colonization in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, have been well documented to adversely influence aspects of health in many Indigenous communities worldwide and linked to high rates of mental health, education, and employment challenges (see Loppie & Wein, 2009; Mowbray, 2007; Paradies, Harris, & Anderson, 2008); these traumas are rooted attempts in cultural extermination and deep-set pains in regard to identity and well-being (Stout & Downey, 2006; Thurston & Mashford-Pringle, 2015).

Proximate determinants of tuberculosis in Indigenous peoples worldwide: a systematic review.

Indigenous peoples worldwide carry a disproportionate tuberculosis burden. There is an increasing awareness of the effect of social determinants and proximate determinants such as alcohol use, overcrowding, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, substance misuse, HIV, food insecurity and malnutrition, and smoking on the burden of tuberculosis. We aimed to understand the potential contribution of such determinants to tuberculosis in Indigenous peoples and to document steps taken to address them. We did a systematic review using seven databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, BIOSIS Previews, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library). We identified English language articles published from Jan 1, 1980, to Dec 20, 2017, reporting the prevalence of proximate determinants of tuberculosis and preventive programmes targeting these determinants in Indigenous communities worldwide. We included any randomised controlled trials, controlled studies, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, case reports, and qualitative research. Exclusion criteria were articles in languages other than English, full text not available, population was not Indigenous, focused exclusively on children or older people, and studies that focused on pharmacological interventions. Of 34 255 articles identified, 475 were eligible for inclusion. Most studies confirmed a higher prevalence of proximate determinants in Indigenous communities than in the general population. Diabetes was more frequent in Indigenous communities within high-income countries versus in low-income countries. The prevalence of alcohol use was generally similar to that among non-Indigenous groups, although patterns of drinking often differed. Smoking prevalence and smokeless tobacco consumption were commonly higher in Indigenous groups than in non-Indigenous groups. Food insecurity was highly prevalent in most Indigenous communities evaluated. Substance use was more frequent in Indigenous inhabitants of high-income countries than of low-income countries, with wide variation across Indigenous communities. The literature pertaining to HIV, crowding, and housing conditions among Indigenous peoples was too scant to draw firm conclusions. Preventive programmes that are culturally appropriate targeting these determinants appear feasible, although their effectiveness is largely unproven. Indigenous peoples were generally reported to have a higher prevalence of several proximate determinants of tuberculosis than non-Indigenous peoples, with wide variation across Indigenous communities. These findings emphasise the need for community-led, culturally appropriate strategies to address smoking, food insecurity, and diabetes in Indigenous populations as important public health goals in their own right, and also to reduce the burden of tuberculosis. Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

From the Editor

From the Editor

Global systematic review of Indigenous community-led legal interventions to control alcohol

ObjectivesThe national and subnational governments of most developed nations have adopted cost-effective regulatory and legislative controls over alcohol supply and consumption with great success. However, there has been a lack...