Native Research Articles

Calling racism by its name: forms of violence in the articulation or omission of racism in Ecuador

ABSTRACT In Ecuador, the ideology of mestizaje has resulted in the denial or minimization of racism against Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. This denial coexists, however, with the consciousness of racialized difference. If racism is most of the time minimized and naturalized, in this paper I propose that we need to consider the circumstances that may generate awareness of racism and a public speaking up against it. Comparing two cases involving Afro-descendant and Indigenous people in conflict with external actors, I analyze the role that different forms of violence play in the public articulation of racism. I contend that violent physical conflict may result in breaking the silence on state racism, while diffuse or slow forms of violence may result in the backgrounding of explicit denunciations of racism.

From quilombo to comic: exploring new frontiers in graphic narratives about ancestry

ABSTRACT This study explores the intersection between graphic narratives and the representation of Quilombola and Indigenous ancestral cultures in Brazil, through the analysis of the graphic novel Urubu-Rei (King Vulture). Employing the traditional technique of woodcut, this work highlights the singularity of the graphic novel in preserving and celebrating Brazilian cultural traditions. At the same time, it discusses how the work transcends the conventional boundaries of comics, acting as an educational tool and promoting intercultural dialogue. The analysis is based on a comprehensive bibliographic review and a critical-dialectical approach that reveals the complexities of representing ancestral worldviews in a contemporary visual language. The study also examines the challenges faced in translating cultural traditions into graphic narratives, addressing issues of authenticity, simplification, and ethical responsibility. Finally, the article proposes future directions for research and practice, emphasizing the potential of graphic narratives as vehicles for education, cultural appreciation, and the inclusion of marginalized voices. Urubu-Rei thus marks a milestone in the exploration of new frontiers in graphic narratives, promoting a deep reflection on identity, miscegenation, and cultural belonging.

Health-related quality of life assessment in health economic analyses involving type 2 diabetes.

Incorporating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures into health economic analyses can help to provide evidence to inform decisions about how to improve patient outcomes in the most cost-effective manner. The aim of this narrative review was to assess which HRQoL instruments have been used in economic evaluations of type 2 diabetes management including in Indigenous communities. MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid) and Cochrane were searched from inception to June 2022. Studies included patients with type 2 diabetes; economic evaluations, derived scores from direct questioning of individuals; and were in English. Records were assessed for bias using the JBI critical appraisal tools. A total of 3737 records were identified, with 22 publications meeting the criteria for inclusion. Across those 22 articles, nine HRQoL instruments had been utilised. Generic tools were most frequently used to measure HRQoL, including EQ-5D (-3 L and -5 L) (n = 10, 38%); SF-12 (n = 5, 19%); and SF-36 (n = 4, 15%). Two tools addressing the specific stressors faced by people with type 2 diabetes were utilised: Problem Areas In Diabetes tool (n = 1, 4%) and Diabetes Distress Scale (n = 1, 4%). Two publications reported whether the study population included Indigenous peoples. A wide range of HRQoL instruments are used in economic evaluations of type 2 diabetes management, with the most frequent being varying forms of the EQ-5D. Few economic evaluations noted whether Indigenous peoples were featured in the study population. More research into HRQoL in people living with type 2 diabetes is urgently needed to improve evidence on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions.

Combating climate change through sustainable cattle ranching in the global south: The role of societal corporatism.

The contours of the collective action necessary to limit climate change remain difficult to discern. In this context, societal corporatist political processes, fueled by crisis narratives, have shown some promise as political devices for mobilizing people. Corporatist processes have, historically, brought political competitors like employers and labor unions together to negotiate compacts that have advanced collective goods during times of crisis. In response to the climate crisis in the Global South, affluent donor groups, state officials, some farmers, and indigenous peoples have begun to assemble corporatist-like coalitions to pursue climate stabilization. A comparative case study of efforts to promote sustainable cattle ranching through the spread of silvopastoral landscapes in Colombia and Ecuador illustrates this political dynamic, its shortcomings, and its accomplishments.

Hypothetical mechanisms driving physical activity levels in ethnic minority groups living in Europe: a systematically identified evidence-based conceptual systems model

BackgroundIn Europe, physical activity levels tend to be lower in ethnic minority groups than the general population. Interventions and policies based on research examining isolated determinants of physical activity have had limited success in increasing physical activity levels. This study used systems dynamics theory and the capability approach theoretical framework to develop a conceptual model of how individual characteristics, institutional and physical environments and the migration context may interact to promote or hinder physical activity in ethnic minority groups living in Europe.MethodsA systematic update of Langøien et al.’s 2017 review of the determinants of physical activity in ethnic minority groups living in Europe was conducted. Our target population included individuals of all ages who reported a familial migration background from any low- and middle-income countries or belonging to minority indigenous population in Europe. Outcomes pertaining to non-work related physical activity of light, moderate or vigorous intensity performed in any setting were included. Included studies provided an evidence base from which to derive the causal loop diagrams comprising our conceptual model. Sub-system causal loop diagrams were interpreted in co-author review sessions to explicate non-linear system mechanisms, such as reinforcing and balancing feedback loops.ResultsForty-one studies were identified, of which the majority was qualitative. The conceptual model consisted of 4 causal loop diagrams relating to psychosocial constructs; sociocultural constructs; health and health communication and social and material resources, in interaction with environmental/migration context. Four hypothetical mechanisms were identified, e.g. hypothesizing that participation in organised activities leads to increased self-efficacy, thereby enabling further participation.ConclusionsThis study contributes an evidence-based conceptual systems model which elucidates how low levels of physical activity in ethnic minority groups in Europe could be supported by reinforcing and balancing mechanisms involving factors relating to physical and institutional environments, migration context and individuals. A pluralistic approach to literature review, integrating complexity methods such as CLDs into more conventional systematic literature review, supports novel insights into how factors could interact to support persistently low levels of activity, moving beyond the identification of potential relationships between isolated factors to indicating the ways in which these relationships are sustained and could be modified by intervention or policy.

Scientists and scientific journals should adhere to ethical standards for the use and reporting of data from Indigenous people.

Internationally, governments and scientists are bound by legal and treaty rights when working with Indigenous nations. These rights include the right of Indigenous people to control the conduct of science with Indigenous nations. Unfortunately, in some cases, individual scientists and scientific teams working with biological and genetic data collected from Indigenous people have not respected these international rights. Here, we argue that the scientific community should understand and acknowledge the historical harms experienced by Indigenous people under the veil of scientific progress (truth) and implement existing standards for ethical conduct of research and sovereign control of data collected within Indigenous communities (reconciliation). Specifically, we outline the rationale for why scientists, scientific journals and research integrity and institutional review boards/ethics committees should adopt, and be held accountable for upholding, current international standards of Indigenous data sovereignty and ethical use of Indigenous biological samples.

Talking across worlds: The ontological turn and communication in natural resource co-management with Indigenous communities

The ontological turn in critical social theory provokes emerging calls for new approaches to natural resource management where Indigenous perspectives, worldview, knowledges, and values are prioritized in the stewardship of Indigenous lands. Yet, scant literature focuses on the ontological implications for communication within environmental decision-making, where Habermas’ communicative action theory, with its norms of privileging argumentation, formality, expertise, institutional authority, rationality, and language, continues to shape spaces of public participation since the communicative turn in the 1990s. Growing calls for participatory decision-making, as well as the mounting failures of scientific management approaches espoused by conventional natural resource management, have fuelled the rise of co-management since the 1980s. The emerging emphasis in co-management approaches on community collaboration and meaningful communication was strengthened with the emergence of adaptive co-management and adaptive governance in the early 2000s. Yet, the ontological turn unveils communicative tensions which continue to persist, rooted in ontological difference and onto-epistemic violence. Rethinking communication under the ontological turn in co-management with Indigenous communities, this paper reviews the literature and further proposes the idea of ethical equivocation as a communicative tool and starting point toward learning to talk across worlds.

Lullabies and Universality: An Ethnographic Review

Lullabies are commonly described as a universal musical genre among humans and a likely source of insights into the origins of music. This study explores the validity of these claims through a critical analysis of the ethnographic literature, starting with a literature review based on the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample. Lullabies emerged as a “near universal” when defined broadly as any type of singing used to soothe children, but neither as a “near universal” nor a “statistical universal” when defined strictly as a specific category of infant-directed songs. As Indigenous Peoples from America presented more societies with few or no lullabies than other regions did, a second review focused on this area was conducted, highlighting three cases: (1) the absence of lullabies among certain Native American communities, (2) the historical diffusion of repertoires in the Circumpolar North, and (3) cross-cultural convergences and entanglements between musical genres on the Pacific Northwest Coast (complemented with corresponding examples from Polynesia). In conclusion, while the act of singing to soothe children is a near universal, it also presents significant cross-cultural variability. Perspectives for future research are discussed.

Un-learning and re-learning:

In this reflexive piece, the authors consider the unexpected lessons learned while undertaking a collaborative research project with their home institution’s Indigenous Learning Centre on urban berry foraging. The faculty member questions the ethics of settlers undertaking this work, even if in collaboration with an Indigenous community, alongside the promises of this work to critical food studies. The practice of urban foraging is understood as a wider metaphor for Indigenous worldview, and for different ways of being and relating. The student’s reflections weave together themes of learning outside the classroom, with family and community, and the holistic aspects of doing research.

Rooting firm responsibility in social-ecological systems through ancient Nahua thought: rethinking the logic model in the global reporting initiative

Purpose The logic models at the center of leading environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting programs, such as the global reporting initiative, impose a dualistic relationship between organizations and social-ecological systems. Coupled with the lack of a real-world alternative, their dualistic approach results in widespread systems thinking-based reducibility errors in business responsibility. To help develop a nondualistic alternative, this study aims to present the idea of neltilistli or “rootedness,” as developed by the ancient Nahua indigenous peoples of Central Mexico. From the perspective of the Nahua, rootedness involves a holistic relationship with one’s body, community and the creative force called “teotl.” Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on the past to speculatively theorize an imagined future using the method of prospective theorizing to draw on a historical social context that is largely missing from current management scholarship. In doing so, the authors engage in a process of imagining a radically different future reality. Findings Integrating a rootedness approach into ESG reporting, particularly in terms of stakeholder relations, enriches it both spatially and temporally. This approach allows researchers and practitioners to replace dualistic thinking with a more holistic approach. Originality/value This paper complements the dualistic assumptions behind ESG reporting programs with a holistic approach based on the rootedness concept of ancient Nahua thought.

A review of food asset maps in Canada

Food asset mapping is gaining prominence in Canada as an important planning tool for the evaluation of local food systems. In addition to being used by planners to identify opportunities for improved food security, food asset maps are also valuable references for sourcing food locally, particularly by people experiencing food insecurity. Seventy-three food asset maps were reviewed and categorized based on the types of food assets included as well as design characteristics. Built environment assets such as grocery stores and food banks were included in most maps, as were agriculture-based natural food assets like farms, community gardens, and orchards. However, representations of Indigenous-focussed food assets and natural food assets that are not agriculture-based, such as forests, water bodies, and foraging areas, were generally lacking. The lack of representation of Indigenous perspectives on what is considered a food asset reinforces the values of a settler-colonial food system in food asset maps. The methods for food asset mapping therefore need to be changed from current quantitative practices that largely rely on secondary data sources led by governments and non-profit organizations to collaborative approaches that centre the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and other equity deserving groups.

Prevalence of Lassa Fever Infections in Ondo State, Nigeria

Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases have been of immense threat to public health in this 21st century. Among these diseases are COVID-19, Lassa fever, monkeypox, yellow fever, ebola, chicken pox disease and many others. Out of all the above mentioned diseases, Lassa fever is the most recurrent and trending infectious disease in Nigeria which affects many states. It is of great concern that Ondo State is one of the major epicentres of the virus. The objective was to examine the incidence of Lassa fever in Ondo State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design using a purposive sampling technique was used to collect data. Findings revealed that in 2018, Ondo State accounted for 25% of total Lassa fever incidence cases in Nigeria, which suggests that Ondo State was one of the major epicentres of the virus in 2018. As of March 19, 2022, the figure rose to 28% of total Lassa fever incidence. This implies that Ondo State was also the major epicentre of the virus as of March 19, 2022. Furthermore, in the 42nd week of 2022, the predominant age group of the patients affected by Lassa fever in Ondo State was 21–30 years. There has been a significant increase in the number of suspected and confirmed cases as compared with 2021. The factors contributing to the reemergence of LF epidemics in Nigeria are nosocomial transmission, travel and migration, the public health system, socio-cultural factors, conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, health education of indigenous people at the community levels (especially residents of Owo and Ose Local Government Areas) about LF causes, preventive measures and avoidance of cultural practices that could predispose them to Lassa fever infection should be given priority. Also, case management capacity and contact tracing must also be strengthened through the establishment of well-equipped and dedicated treatment/referral centers in the epicentre. Training and re-training of clinical care teams should also be given priority.

The process of neolithization and consequent changes in the region of Istanbul

During the last few decades, our knowledge of processes leading to the establishment of food-producing communities in regions peripheral or exterior to that of the core areas of primary neolithization has increased considerably, making it possible to better understand the interaction of migrant farmers with local indigenous communities and how they adapted to environmental conditions that were much different from the places they came from. The paper will limit its focus to discussing the process of neolithization in the region around Istanbul, where the emigrant farmers merged with the Mesolithic community of the Ağaçlɩ culture and developed a new socio-economic model forming the Fikirtepe culture.

How indigenous spiritual beliefs shape health-related consumption rituals: shipibo health rituals to tackle covid-19

Purpose In marketing and consumer research, the study of Indigenous ideas and rituals remains limited. The authors present an Indigenous-informed study of consumption rituals co-produced with members of the Shipibo–Konibo Indigenous group of the Peruvian Amazon. Specifically, the authors worked with the Comando Matico, a group of Shipibos from Pucallpa, Peru. This study aims to investigate how Indigenous spiritual beliefs shape health-related consumption rituals by focusing on the experience of the Shipibos and their response to COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the principles of Indigenous research, the authors co-produced this study with the Comando Matico. The authors collaboratively discussed the research project’s design, analysed and interpreted data and co-authored this study with members of the Comando Matico. This study uses discourse analyses. The corpus of discourse is speech and text produced by the Comando Matico in webinars and online interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full and active participation of the Comando Matico informed the discourse analysis by ensuring Indigenous knowledge, and worldviews were infused throughout the process. Findings The authors foreground how Indigenous spiritual beliefs act as a force that imbues the knowledge and practice of health, wellbeing and illness, and this process shapes the performance of rituals. In Indigenous contexts, multiple spirits coexist with consumers, who adhere to specific rituals to respond to and relate to these spirits. Indigenous consumption rituals involve the participation of non-human beings (called rao, ibo, yoshin and chaikoni by the Shipibos) and this aspect challenges the traditional notion of rituals and ritual elements in marketing. Originality/value The authors demonstrate how Indigenous spiritual beliefs shape consumption rituals in the context of health and draw attention to how the acknowledgement of alternative ontologies and epistemologies can help address dominant hierarchies of knowledge in marketing theory.

Ghãtu: Femininity and Indigenous Aesthetics

Ghãtu is a cultural capital that explores the esteem of femininity and Indigenous aesthetics. Despite its aesthetic value, the main theme is sati custom, the over-exploitation of females. This tribal festival does not only belong to Gurung or Magar. Its horizon is up to Tamang, Dura, Darai, Baram and Aryal Kshetri in central and mid-western Nepal. All of them observe with almost similar methods and rituals. Except for Aryal Kshetri, other Indigenous groups claim that it is their hereditical cultural activity. The slow-motion meditative trance dance and melodious verses of songs represent the aesthetic beauty of Nepali folk music and folklore. The study concerns why ethnic groups adopted Ghãtu and the significance of implications of this cultural activity. The ethnic groups adopted it for its zeal for music. The study's implication is to internalize this folk dance as a source of social integration, human relations, teamwork, music and folk literature, and a goldmine of cultural studies research works. Now, Ghãtu is a common cultural capital and a central stone of indigenous aesthetics and cultural studies. This study aims to project how this cultural activity represents a common cultural heritage like the Chhath festival. The findings of the study show that maintaining integral human relations is impossible until or unless society respects femininity and cultural values. So, culture, language, rites and rituals, and dresses are common, if the mass accepts it. Gender discrimination is another focal point, and there has not been research on how Ghãtu has been the archive and cultural heritage. The study employs document analysis and feminist theories.

The support and influence of the family on the career decisions of Young Orang Asli in Selangor

The government's development agenda is applied to all communities, especially indigenous populations, in the fields of education and the economy. In order to achieve and preserve the living well-being of indigenous communities, a development programme is provided that includes the provision of high-quality human resources, such as youths, who can improve their families' standard of living. It encompasses not just economic activities but also elements of family, education, and social development. In addition, this article aims to identify the influence and support of families such as parents in helping young natives make decisions to choose a job that can improve the well-being of the community and their families, especially in economic terms. This study is quantitative and has a survey-style design. A survey instrument that was given to 281 indigenous teens in the state of Selangor at random was used to collect the survey data. Research has shown that the majority of indigenous teens' decisions to work are influenced by and dependent on their families, particularly their parents. A contributing component to the results was the motivation to support their families' economic growth. This study suggests that, despite their poor economic and educational standards, indigenous societies have strong family relationships. Young indigenous use their family bonds as a source of motivation while making decisions about their work.

Comparison of population genetic structure of Pinus mugo Turra forest stands in the Giant Mountains by analysis of nSSR molecular marker data

Abstract Pinus mugo (dwarf mountain pine) communities in the protected area of Krkonoše National Park are extremely valuable. After extensive deforestation during the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, P. mugo recovered naturally in some parts of the Giant Mountains, and in some places imported seeds were likely used for reforestation. To distinguish between native and possibly introduced local P. mugo populations, genetic variations between 12 populations from the Czech Sudeten part of the Giant Mountains and between the two populations from the Tatra Mountains were analysed using 12 nuclear microsatellite markers (nuclear simple sequence repeats). Based on the simple sequence repeat data, 146 alleles were found, and Shannon’s information index, number of private alleles, and expected heterozygosity (HE) of populations averaged 1.12, 0.16, and 0.53, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that most of the variation was detected within populations. Low levels of genetic differentiation were also observed (average FST = 0.023). The population structure was examined by Bayesian clustering. The results of STRUCTURE analysis confirmed that the introduced populations were different from the autochthonous populations. Some of the introduced Czech Sudeten populations had similar genetic structure as the more distant native populations from the Tatra Mountains. Our results provide important genetic information for the reconstruction of natural communities in the Giant Mountains.

СТОМАТОЛОГИЧЕСКОЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В ПРИАРКТИЧЕСКИХ СТРАНАХ

The structures of dental education in near-Arctic countries and regions at all levels are considered and the place of the pedagogical component is increased in them. It was noted that the actively functioning structures of additional vocational education (DPO) in 8 countries of the Arctic Council (Denmark, Iceland, Canada, Norway, the Russian Federation, the USA, Finland, Sweden) determine the dynamics of the assimilation by practicing dentists and maxillofacial surgeons of the use of the latest high-tech technologies, and in recent decades also a complex of humanities, primarily psychology and sociology. This increases the role of the pedagogical component in the system of their professional training of dentists and maxillofacial surgeons; the experience of organizing training processes in this direction is also in demand by the structures of domestic dental education. Its parameters are characterized taking into account the specifics of the Arctic zone, including ensuring the health of teeth and oral cavity of representatives of small indigenous peoples; problems of staffing of dentists and maxillofacial surgeons and improvement of their qualification level are analyzed. Due to the coordination of educational and research activities, the postgraduate education system is characterized by the transfer of the latest skills and techniques in dental education.

Credibility and the Social Function of Property: A Saga of Mega-Dams, Eviction, and Privatization, as Told by Displaced Communities in Malaysia

Globally, the forced displacement of socially vulnerable communities causes significant contestation, irrespective of whether that occurs for mega-projects or smaller infrastructural, agricultural, urban renewal, or property developments. Despite multilateral guidelines for “socially inclusive” development, it is difficult to avoid the marginalization of evicted, local communities. Grounded on the credibility thesis, this article provides a new, theoretical basis for understanding the “social function of property” and how this may be used as a criterion to assess whether development-induced and resettlement projects should be given the go-ahead. Methodologically, this article employs the FAT (Formal, Actual, and Targeted) Institutional Framework to unpack the social function of property. To this end, it analyzes the acquisition and privatization of the common property of Indigenous Peoples to construct the Malaysian Bakun Hydroelectric Project, purportedly Asia’s second-largest dam. The FAT analysis ascertains the following three conditions on which basis projects should be halted: (1) the property of the evicted communities fulfills a critical role in providing social welfare; (2) the said function is disregarded by the expropriating agency; (3) the power divides between the expropriator and expropriated prevent meaningful participation by the latter. This study demonstrates that the social function of property can be effectively measured and validates the FAT Framework as a viable tool to analyze development-induced projects (and policies), with particular reference to expropriation, privatization, and formalization.

Predictors of Supportive Care Needs During Serious Illness: Cross-sectional Analysis of Reservation-Based Informal Caregivers.

Native Americans (Indigenous Americans) have high rates of serious illness in the United States. Informal caregivers are heavily relied on in caring for patients in low-resource settings. The needs of caregivers residing on reservations are sorely underreported. Therefore, our objective was to examine relationships between facilitators (communal mastery, cultural identity, and spirituality) and barriers (depression, anxiety, stress, and burden) with supportive care needs among adult informal caregivers in 1 reservation-based community. A cross-sectional survey was distributed in July and August 2022 as part of a larger multimethod, community-based participatory research study. We used descriptive statistics and linear regression models to examine relationships against the primary outcome, the Supportive Care Needs Assessment Tool for Indigenous People. Overall, 127 participants were included; most were female (n = 92, 72.4%), were between 30 and 49 years (n = 57, 44.9%), and had 6 months or less of caregiving experience (n = 41, 32.5%). Higher depression, anxiety, stress, and burden were significantly associated with higher Supportive Care Needs Assessment Tool for Indigenous People scores. Overall, mental health is a significant barrier that may indicate greater supportive care needs among informal caregivers, although further work is needed to differentiate symptoms and their impact on caregiving from a cultural perspective.