Indigenous Cultural Practices Research Articles

Forest restoration and fuels reduction work: Different pathways for achieving success in the Sierra Nevada.

Fire suppression and past selective logging of large trees have fundamentally changed frequent-fire-adapted forests in California. The culmination of these changes produced forests that are vulnerable to catastrophic change by wildfire, drought, and bark beetles, with climate change exacerbating this vulnerability. Management options available to address this problem include mechanical treatments (Mech), prescribed fire (Fire), or combinations of these treatments (Mech + Fire). We quantify changes in forest structure and composition, fuel accumulation, modeled fire behavior, intertree competition, and economics from a 20-year forest restoration study in the northern Sierra Nevada. All three active treatments (Fire, Mech, Mech + Fire) produced forest conditions that were much more resistant to wildfire than the untreated control. The treatments that included prescribed fire (Fire, Mech + Fire) produced the lowest surface and duff fuel loads and the lowest modeled wildfire hazards. Mech produced low fire hazards beginning 7 years after the initial treatment and Mech + Fire had lower tree growth than controls. The only treatment that produced intertree competition somewhat similar to historical California mixed-conifer forests was Mech + Fire, indicating that stands under this treatment would likely be more resilient to enhanced forest stressors. While Fire reduced modeled wildfire hazard and reintroduced a fundamental ecosystem process, it was done at a net cost to the landowner. Using Mech that included mastication and restoration thinning resulted in positive revenues and was also relatively strong as an investment in reducing modeled wildfire hazard. The Mech + Fire treatment represents a compromise between the desire to sustain financial feasibility and the desire to reintroduce fire. One key component to long-term forest conservation will be continued treatments to maintain or improve the conditions from forest restoration. Many Indigenous people speak of "active stewardship" as one of the key principles in land management and this aligns well with the need for increased restoration in western US forests. If we do not use the knowledge from 20+ years of forest research and the much longer tradition of Indigenous cultural practices and knowledge, frequent-fire forests will continue to be degraded and lost.

Ghintang Ghisi Dance of Bhaktapur: A Cultural Tourism Product

Bhaktapur is a world-renowned cultural tourism destination of Nepal that offers to tourists wonderful experience and encounter with tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Due to the high classes wonderful and alluring heritage every year large numbers of tourists have been paying their visit. From the cultural tourism perspective colorful jatras, heart-breathing music and dances are also recognized as the renowned sources of attraction. Bhaktapur has already established its fame as a destination of cultural capital that annually celebrates different festivals with performing music and dances on the special auspicious occasion. Rest of them, Ghintang Ghisi dance is also a renowned and an indigenous cultural identity and practice as well as an important tourism product of the destination. It is danced with holding sticks on the occasion of the Gaijatra festival in the month of Bhadra. Although this dance is still unexposed and explored as a significant cultural tourism product in the field of academia it is identified as its research gaps. It is needed to conduct research to recognize this dance as a prominent tourism product. Therefore, to address the research problems and gaps this paper has been prepared. It is based on primary and secondary data whereas qualitative approach, descriptive, analytical and exploratory research designs have been applied in this study. The required data and information have been collected during the field conducted in 2019 and 2022 by consulting with two key informants.

Application of Mangrove Tourism Eco-edu Technology Based on Local Malay Cultural Wisdom in Women Tourism Management Groups

Rupat Island, located in the Bengkalis Regency of Riau Province, is a designated region for the purpose of tourism development. Particularly, the North Rupat District of the island holds significance in this regard. In the process of managing tourist destinations for mangrove ecosystems and beaches in Tanjung Medang Village, the Rupat Molek Tourism Management Women's Group (KPPW) has been actively involved. However, KPPW Rupat Molek has encountered several challenges in effectively managing this tourist destination. These challenges include the limited dissemination of information about the tourist destination on online tourism promotion platforms and inadequate management of various business aspects, such as lodging accommodations, limited culinary options, and insufficient tourist game facilities. The objective of this activity is to provide education to KPPW (Kampung Pantai Penyabong Wawasan) through the implementation of Eco-edu Mangrove Tourism technology, which is rooted on the indigenous knowledge and cultural practices of the local Malay community. The methodology employed encompasses several stages, namely the preparatory phase, the production of tourism promotional materials phase, the training and technical support phase, and the monitoring and evaluation phase. The outcomes of this endeavor encompass tourism advertising materials, which manifest as websites, social media platforms, and publications that serve as introductions to mangrove tourism. The evaluation results indicated that the participants' reception of the training material was quite favorable, as they demonstrated a clear comprehension of the material delivered by the presenters. It is anticipated that this undertaking would enhance the economic conditions of the nearby neighborhood.

Barcoding and traditional health practitioner perspectives are informative to monitor and conserve frogs and reptiles traded for traditional medicine in urban South Africa.

Previous literature suggests that Indigenous cultural practices, specifically traditional medicine, are commonplace among urban communities contrary to the general conception that such practices are restricted to rural societies. We reviewed previous literature for records of herptiles (frog and reptile species) sold by traditional health practitioners in urban South Africa, then used visual confirmation surveys, DNA barcoding and folk taxonomy to identify the herptile species that were on sale. Additionally, we interviewed 11 IsiZulu and SePedi speaking traditional health practitioners to document details of the collection and pricing of herptile specimens along with the practitioners' views of current conservation measures for traditional medicine markets. The 34 herptile species recorded in previous literature on traditional medicine markets included endangered and non-native species. Spectrophotometry measurements of the DNA we extracted from the tissue of herptiles used in traditional medicine were an unreliable predictor of whether those extractions would be suitable for further experimental work. From our initial set of 111 tissue samples, 81 sequencing reactions were successful and 55 of those sequences had species-level matches to COI reference sequences on the NCBI GenBank and/or BOLD databases. Molecular identification revealed that traditional health practitioners correctly labelled 77% of the samples that we successfully identified with DNA barcoding in this study. Our mixed methodology approach is useful for conservation planning as it updates knowledge of animal use in Indigenous remedies and can accurately identify species of high conservation priority. Furthermore, this study highlights the possibility of collaborative conservation planning with traditional health practitioners.

Decolonising access for Performing Arts Training at Makerere University: The Legacy of Rose Mbowa

ABSTRACT Access and relevance have been central in the pursuit of a university education responsive to the development agenda of post-colonial Uganda. In Makerere University, the drive involved critical engagement with hegemonic constraints predicated by an interplay of historical drivers, many of them rooted in colonialism. This paper explores initiatives in Uganda and Africa towards the decolonisation of universities in Africa to centre the African/indigenous context and epistemic bases, enable access to education, provide curriculum responsiveness and ensure pedagogical relevance as imperatives in decolonisation and national (re)construction. Performing arts education was faced with limitations specific to its context of limited academic value owing to a hegemonic hierarchization that devalued scholarship and practice informed by indigenous epistemic bases and cultural practice. This article uses reports, interviews and archival materials to explore the role of Rose Mbowa, a drama teacher and practitioner at Makerere University, in decolonising the matriculation window to increase access for Performing Arts training and enabling university-community collaborative pedagogical contexts to empower learners and the community.

Ideals of counseling practice: Therapeutic insights from an Indigenous first nations-controlled treatment program.

Indigenous Canadians suffer disproportionately from mental health concerns tied to histories of colonization, including exposure to Indian Residential Schools. Previous research has indicated that preferred therapies for Indigenous populations fuse traditional cultural practices with mainstream treatment. The present study comprised 32 interviews conducted with Indigenous administrators, staff, and clients at a reserve-based addiction treatment center to identify community-driven and practical therapeutic solutions for remedying histories of coercive colonial assimilation. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that counselors tailored therapy through cultural preferences, including the use of nonverbal expression, culturally appropriate guidance, and alternative delivery formats. Additionally, they augmented mainstream therapeutic activities with Indigenous practices, including the integration of Indigenous concepts, traditional practices, and ceremonial activities. Collectively, this integration of familiar counseling approaches and Indigenous cultural practices in response to community priorities resulted in an innovative instance of therapeutic fusion that may be instructive for cultural adaptation efforts in mental health treatment for Indigenous populations and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Diarrheal disease and associations with water access and sanitation in Indigenous Shawi children along the Armanayacu River basin in Peru.

Diarrheal disease, particularly in children under 5 years old, remains a global health challenge due to its high prevalence and chronic health consequences. Public health interventions that reduce diarrheal disease risk include improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. Although Peru achieved the 2015 Millennium Development Goal (MDG) indicators for water access, less progress was achieved on sanitation. Furthermore, many Indigenous Peoples were overlooked in the MDG indicators, resulting in a prioritization of Indigenous Peoples in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of childhood diarrhea, characterize access to water and sanitation, and determine the association of childhood diarrhea with water access and sanitation indicators in 10 Shawi Indigenous communities along the Armanayacu River in the Peruvian Amazon. A cross-sectional survey (n=82) that captured data on diarrheal disease, sociodemographic variables, and water and sanitation exposures was conducted in 10 Shawi communities. Nutritional status of children under 5 was also assessed via physical examination. Descriptive and comparative statistics were conducted. A small proportion (n=7; 8.54%) of participating children reported an episode of diarrhea in the previous month. Almost half (46.30%) of participating children had stunting, wasting, or both. Although not statistically significant, children living in households that used latrines were 4.29 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-18.19) more likely to report an episode of diarrhea than children living in households that practiced open defecation. Although not statistically significant, children living in households that used water treatment methods were 4.25 times (95%CI 0.54-33.71) more likely to report an episode of diarrhea than children living in households that did not. The prevalence of childhood diarrhea was lower for Shawi than for other Amazon areas. The higher prevalence of childhood diarrhea in households that used latrines and water treatments warrants further investigation into local risk and protective factors. These Shawi communities scored low for the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme indicators for water and sanitation, indicating that they should be prioritized in future water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives. Research will be required to understand and incorporate local Indigenous values and cultural practices into water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives to maximize intervention uptake and effectiveness.

Indigenous corporate responsibility and financial performance

ABSTRACT The impact of Corporate Social Responsibility with respect to Indigenous (CSRI) initiatives and issues on financial performance was studied using several CSRI metrics, both innovated (where necessary) and pre-existing (where possible). We find that CSRI initiatives based on dollar expenditures and firm website scores are positively associated with financial performance while increase to reputation risk has a negative impact. We also find that a CSRI score can only be moderated by an overall ESG score that is substantially stronger than the CSRI metric. In a world that increasingly emphasizes the importance of ‘truth and reconciliation’ with its Indigenous populations while meeting environmental resource needs, we must seek a path that recognizes and respects Indigenous rights and cultural practices. Providing well developed, consistently measured and acceptable CSRI metrics and assessing their impact on firm financial performance is a crucial step in this reconciliation process. This paper makes important contributions to that goal.

Indigenous Linguistic and Cultural Practices as Mediated Resources to Fight Against the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case of a Zhuang-Centered Border Town in China

Previous studies on multilingual crisis communication seem to center on developed countries or cosmopolitan cities. Our knowledge about how linguistic minorities get access to health-related information in peripheral regions remains under-explored in the existing scholarship. Given that China’s border towns are peripherally located and inhabited multilingual and multicultural populations, it is of significance to understand how linguistic minorities overcome their communication barriers in times of crisis. Adopting Emergency Language Services (ELS) (Li, Rao, Zhang, & Li, 2020) as a theoretical framework, this study makes a six-month ethnographic study with Zhuang people on how they mobilize their linguistic and cultural resources to get access to health-related information during the Covid-19 pandemic. Multiple types of data were collected from six Zhuang people of diverse backgrounds in age, gender, education and language through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, field notes and online interactions. Findings demonstrate that traditional Zhuang folk arts including Zhuang Tianqin Plucked Instrument, Zhuang Folk Songs, and Zhuang Clappers constitute important resources to facilitate indigenous Zhuang people’s understanding of public health information. The study also finds that Zhuang people have actively participated in fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic together with the local government by the revitalization of Zhuang language and cultural practices. This study can shed lights on including the indigenous linguistic and cultural resources as legitimate construct to participate in crisis communication and response to local and government policies.

Early Responses to Crown Modification of California Black Oak Sprouts Initiated by High-Severity Wildfire

Abstract Hardwoods resprouting after wildfire or cutting develop as multistemmed clumps that gradually self-thin over time. There is increasing interest in thinning of sprouting species to accelerate the formation of tree characteristics important to indigenous cultural practices and wildlife such as large-diameter stems, large branches, broad crowns, and acorn production. We compared responses to three thinning treatments applied to black oak (Quercus kelloggii) resprouting after high-severity wildfire throughout northern California, USA. Basal area increment of the dominant stem was greatest after only one stem was retained, intermediate after three stems were retained, and lowest within unthinned oaks. Unwanted resprouting in response to the thinning was minimized by retaining three stems. Acorn production tended to increase as time elapsed since the fire (i.e., larger, older sprouts) but varied among sites and was noted as early as six years after fire at one site. More study is needed to test for the effects of thinning timing and intensity on the acceleration of acorn production as well as stem, branch, and crown size development over time.

Revitalising Indigenous cultural fire practice: benefits and partnerships

Indigenous cultural fire practitioners proactively revitalise their stewardship/custodianship of their traditional territories to generate diverse social, cultural, economic, self-determination, and ecological benefits. Government, researchers, and natural resource managers can overcome ongoing colonial legacies by enabling Indigenous leadership, providing ongoing investment and removing imposed barriers that restrict cultural fire practices.

Tūrou Hawaiki: Morning karakia and waiata as culturally responsive pedagogy

This article presents the findings of a qualitative case study on voluntary participation in morning karakia (incantation, prayer) and waiata (song) sessions, led by a group of teacher educators. This study is informed by a selective review of literature from three relevant sources: the impact of music therapy practices, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the normalisation of te reo Māori (Māori language) and tikanga Māori (Māori protocols and customs). This approach to the literature review was necessary given the paucity of research on the impact of indigenous cultural practices such as karakia and waiata in mainstream cultural contexts. Through thematic analysis of a survey questionnaire (N = 65) and semi-structured interviews (n = 9), findings showed that participants experienced an improved sense of wellbeing, an increased feeling of whanaungatanga (relationships and belonging) and greater confidence in engaging with Māori culture. This study could be considered a catalyst for additional research into the practice of daily karakia and waiata in educational or professional contexts to better understand the long-term effects on wellbeing and on cultural competence and confidence.

The Feast of the Nazarene of Caguach: Religious Identity, Geography, and Community in the Archipelago of Chiloé

Abstract Every 30 August in the archipelago of Chiloé, the small island of Caguach welcomes hundreds of pilgrim seafarers who participate in the feast of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. The life-size figure of Christ carrying the cross is the most important cult image of Chiloé, and its worship can be seen as a transcultural product of the contact between Europeans and the Indigenous population since colonial times. In order to understand the emergence and dynamics of the feast as well as its significance for Chiloé’s religious identity, this article makes use of an ethnohistorical approach that connects Indigenous cultural practices with the structural characteristics and material culture of the Jesuit circular mission and the narrative roots of the feast. In this regard, two aspects are highlighted as particularly significant: first, the social structures based on the principles of collectivity and reciprocity that both shaped Indigenous and Catholic practices, especially concerning the intimate relationship between the local population and the images involved in the cult; and second, the importance of the natural space and its elements, such as water, mountains, or rain, which in Indigenous mythology and religion represented powerful entities with which people interacted continuously. These transcultural practices came into conflict with the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Catholic reform policies that aimed to “civilize” the local veneration of saints.

Heritage and Original Peoples in Argentina: Learning from Indigenous Voices

ABSTRACT Heritage has been widely discussed in Latin America in general, and in Argentina in particular, in the last two decades. There have been debates about heritage within academic circles, especially in the social sciences and humanities, it has been a concern of state public administration, linked to tourism development, and it is frequently mentioned in the media. Furthermore, heritage has become an arena of dispute and struggle of subordinate groups who are in the process of regaining their identities and cultural ways, achieving social visibility, and making their voices heard. This paper explores the relationship between heritage and Original Peoples in Argentina from the indigenous point of view. Throughout this article, readers will find different indigenous voices explaining what they consider Indigenous Peoples’ main patrimony, what type of relations they establish with it, and how heritage is involved in their current projects, claims, and struggles, especially over their ancestral territories. As shown in this paper, Indigenous Peoples in Argentina seek to recover their heritage to re-establish the order and balance of the territorial forces and to demonstrate their pre-existence: that is, that they were in certain places before the formation of the modern nation-state and, therefore, that they have rights over these lands. In addition, claims and disputes over heritage are favoring the re-emergence and strengthening of indigenous spirituality and cultural practices.

The Impact of Climate Change on Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Practices

The effects of climate change on human societies are widespread, especially for indigenous populations who depend on ecosystems and natural resources for their survival and cultural traditions. In this paper, the effect of climate change on indigenous knowledge and cultural practices is examined, with particular attention paid to how shifting climatic conditions and other environmental factors are influencing accumulated ecological wisdom and indigenous cultural practices. The study highlights the varied ways that climate change is affecting indigenous peoples by utilizing ethnographic data from numerous indigenous communities around the world. The study highlights the ways that indigenous tribes are adapting to climate change, including by changing their traditional beliefs and behaviors. Additionally, it looks at the difficulties indigenous peoples experience as a result of climate change, such as biodiversity loss, the deterioration of cultural legacy, and the danger to their social and economic well-being. The study also investigates how themes of social justice and human rights, such as the right to self-determination and the preservation of cultural legacy, intersect with the impact of climate change on indigenous knowledge and practices. According to the study, there are both advantages and disadvantages to how climate change will affect indigenous knowledge and traditional traditions. One the one hand, indigenous peoples are becoming more innovative and creative as a result of climate change, adjusting to the changing environment and creating fresh approaches to resource management and conservation. The resilience of indigenous people is also being weakened by climate change, endangering their cultural legacy and social well-being. Overall, this work highlights the urgent need for greater research into how climate change is affecting indigenous knowledge and cultural practices, as well as for practices and policies that promote indigenous communities' ability for adaptation and protect their cultural heritage and human rights.

Humanizing mathematics education: quantitative and arithmetic argumentation of indigenous cultural practices

Humanizing mathematics education: quantitative and arithmetic argumentation of indigenous cultural practices

'I keep forgetting them': Lacrosse, indigenous women and girls and reconciliation in Canada.

In Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its list of Calls to Action (CTA) in 2015, and five Calls were directly related to reconciliation and sport. Within these five sport-related CTA, there was no specific reference to gender. Lacrosse, as an Indigenous cultural practice that has been culturally appropriated by white settlers, is a complex site to investigate how the TRC's CTA is (or are not) being implemented and the ways in which these efforts are gendered. In this paper, we examined how staff at Canadian lacrosse organizations address the CTA and Indigenous women's and girls' participation in lacrosse. Through the use of Indigenous feminist theory, feminist methodologies informed by the tenets of Indigenous methodologies, semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis, our findings demonstrate that Indigenous women and girls are commonly overlooked, and gender is typically an afterthought within the implementation of sport-related CTA by lacrosse organizing bodies in Canada - if they are implemented at all. As a result, we argue that there is a need to make gender a central organizing principle when lacrosse organizations within Canada implement the TRC's CTA.

Indigenous and Black Confraternities in Colonial Latin America: Negotiating Status through Religious Practices

Indigenous and Black Confraternities in Colonial Latin America: Negotiating Status through Religious Practices

Resilient Matriarchs

‘Rising Matriarchs: Honouring kinship, resilience and resurgence in an Indigenous adaptation of Euripides’ Trojan Women, written by Sabina Sweta Sen-Podstawska with Floyd Favel, offers an exploration of an Indigenous adaptation of Euripides’ Trojan Women through Floyd Favel’s Native Performance Culture (NPC), an Indigenous theatre method. The Greek story of the plight of the dispossessed and disempowered women of Troy is adapted to follow the realities and aftermaths of invasion of Indigenous nations and Indigenous women’s bodies in Canada. The article presents how the NPC method’s incorporation of Indigenous cultural practices, storytelling, vocal patterns, Plains Indigenous Sign Language (PISL) and sitting positions inside Indigenous structures leads to a re-storying of invasion and its aftermaths. In this process, the original Greek story is transformed to give hope and empower by reconnecting with the stories of the matriarchs and their place in the communities. The authors discuss how by performing this re-storying, the adaptation intervenes and dismantles the colonial and patriarchal power structures of oppression and at the same time offers resurgence and renewal at this unpredictable time by bringing into the centre the stories of women’s resistance and resilience. Drawing from the Indigenous concept of relationality and kinship, this article explores how the performance of ancestral matriarchal stories and lived experiences lead to personal and embodied stories and acts of transformation and offers healing from the impacts of colonization, irrational patriarchal forces and intergenerational trauma. Ultimately, this theatrical project becomes part of a larger movement of decolonization, resurgence and renewal that rises out of the ruptures caused by the colonial invasion.

Loneliness among Chilean indigenous women: Family, community, and socio-cultural integration as protective factors

This study examined the incidence of loneliness among Chilean indigenous older adult women (106 Aymara and 180 Mapuche) and how family, community and socio-cultural integration are associated with lower levels of loneliness. A cross-sectional study involving 800 older adults living in a rural context in Chile, of whom 35.8% were indigenous women. The De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS-6) were used to assess loneliness and a questionnaire about the maintenance of certain indigenous cultural practices was created. The descriptive findings indicate more loneliness among Mapuche women. Moreover, hierarchical regression models confirmed that women who did not live alone, who participated in social groups and who maintained cultural practices reported lower levels of loneliness, with notable transmission of indigenous knowledge to their children. While, taking part in the indigenous New Year, leading or organizing a ceremony and receiving attention with a health cultural agent were associated with more loneliness. These seemingly contradictory findings are discussed and may be explained by religious changes in indigenous communities; however, this study would confirm that social integration in different dimensions is a protective factor against loneliness.