Indigenous Origin Research Articles

Succouring an Ixtabai: Zee Edgell’s Deployment of Belizean Folklore in The Festival of San Joaquin (1997)

While folklore is often used in Belizean literature, it is generally treated there in one of two ways: infantilized as ghost story - told expressly for fascinating children - or in novel retellings - for the preservation of tradition. The Festival of San Joaquin, by celebrated Belizean author Zee Edgell, treats her recurring thematic and social concerns while deploying folkloric figures as an organizing motif in a novel way for Belizean literature; she offers a reworking of folklore that aspires toward recuperative ‘active myth.’ Exploration of her work might reveal it as amenable to an indigenous archetypal criticism, but such a criticism can only contribute to efforts at decolonization should it interrogate its own problematic adoption of folkloric figures whose indigenous origins have been obscured in the post-colonial era.

Searching for Paumanok: A Study of Library of Congress Authorities and Classifications for Indigenous Long Island, New York

Long Island is a case in point of the United States settler state landscape co-opting Indigenous peoples and places for naming geographies, beaches, and spaces. Despite ubiquity, the historic Indigenous origins and contexts have been largely obscured and overwritten. This study assesses the availability and accuracy of terms for organizing, classifying, and describing works by and about Indigenous Long Island. It reveals a lack of representation in catalog records and suggests remediation through establishing subjects and names with accurate, culturally relevant terms. A symbolic form of land acknowledgment, this practice of accountability fosters commemoration, reclamation, and reparation processes.

ІНДИГЕННА ОСВІТА: МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ДОСВІД ПІДГОТОВКИ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ ДО РОБОТИ З КОРІННИМИ НАРОДАМИ

The global challenges faced by social workers in multicultural practice are revealed. Social work with indigenous peoples (indigenous social work), which requires professional historical and cultural, anthropological, ethnopolitical and ethnopsychological knowledge, has become especially relevant. In these conditions, the international experience of training specialists to work in an indigenous environment offers the introduction into the educational process at all levels of subjects of history and culture of indigenous peoples, language training of teachers, benefits for admission to universities of indigenous origin. Key words: professional education of social workers, social work, multicultural environment, ethnically sensitive social work, social work with indigenous peoples.

Comercialización de cultivos y productos agroecológicos como aporte al sostenimiento de las unidades domésticas. El caso del grupo “Mujeres Cosechando”, México

La agricultura ha sido importante para el sustento de diversas poblaciones. La demanda de alimentos ha ido al alza y, con ello, los sistemas agrícolas han sufrido modificaciones, pasando de producciones de pequeña a gran escala. Múltiples problemáticas apuntan a la insostenibilidad generada por dichos cambios. El objetivo del artículo es analizar la pertinencia de la agroecología para vincular la producción con la comercialización y así aportar al sustento familiar. El estudio de caso es un grupo de mujeres rurales de origen indígena con dos décadas de trabajo continuo. La aproximación se basó en el trabajo etnográfico, mediante la entrevista semiestructurada y la observación participante. Los resultados indican que el grupo de mujeres ha combinado los conocimientos tradicionales adquiridos en sus unidades domésticas, con los provenientes de actores externos a su comunidad, generando un modelo de agricultura sostenible. Las implicaciones del artículo relacionan la producción y el comercio de productos agroecológicos, donde el papel de las instituciones intermediarias es fundamental. El valor del escrito reside en presentar un caso de estudio exitoso en el manejo sostenible de recursos agroalimenticios. Las conclusiones muestran que los principios agroecológicos posibilitan el sostenimiento del propio agroecosistema, favorecen vínculos sociales y contribuyen al sustento familiar.

What\u2019s in a name? Revisiting medicinal and religious plants at an Amazonian market

BackgroundIn spite of an increasing number of ethnobotanical market surveys in the past decades, few studies compare changes in plant species trade over time. The open-air market Ver-o-Peso (VOP) in Belém, located near the mouth of the Amazon River in the state of Pará, Brazil, is known for its wide variety of medicinal plants. A survey of VOP was published in 1984, but it remains unknown to what extent its botanical composition changed over 34 years. Furthermore, in northern Brazil, little attention has been given to the origins of the vernacular names of these plants. Our aim is to give an up-to-date overview of the VOP medicinal plant market, concentrating on changes in species composition and vernacular names over time.MethodsWe collected medicinal plants and vernacular names at VOP in August 2018. We identified most plants at the Museo Paraense Emilio Goeldi Herbarium, where we also deposited vouchers and specimen labels. We compared our species composition data to the 1984 inventory by Van den Berg. Furthermore, we investigated the etymologies of the vernacular plant names.ResultsWe recorded 155 plant specimens and 165 corresponding vernacular names, and collected 146 specimens from the medicinal and ritual stalls of VOP reporting 86 species formerly not recorded at this market. Vernacular names had mostly Portuguese roots, followed by Tupi and African ones. We found 30 species also documented in 1984, and vernacular names that overlapped between both surveys were used for the same botanical species or genus, indicating that vernacular names have changed little in the past decades. Lastly, we found 26 more introduced species sold at VOP compared to 1984.ConclusionsForest degradation and deforestation, prevalence of diseases, and methodological factors may play a role in the differences we found in our survey compared to 1984. Of the plants that did overlap between the two surveys, vernacular names of these plants were hardly different. Lastly, the lingual origins of the vernacular names in our survey and the origins of the plant species reflect the history of the intricate syncretism of medicinal plant practices of indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and European origins in Belém.

Placenames of indigenous origin in Acre-Brazil

Toponymy, a discipline that studies place names, is one of the branches of Onomastics: science responsible for the study of proper names. This study aims to trace a profile of toponyms of indigenous origin in the rural area of Acre, analyzing toponymic motivations related to fauna, flora and hydrography in Acrean geographic features. This corpus – collected in the maps provided by IBGE, with a scale of 1: 250,000 and 1:1,000,000 – was based on the theoretical-methodological proposal by Dick (1990, 1992), especially regarding the taxonomic model, composed of 27 taxa, subdivided into physical and cultural categories, and as to the catalogue and storage of toponymic database (DICK, 2004). The results revealed that, out of 392 toponyms, 74% are names linked to physical and geographic characteristics, 20% concerning cultural factors and 6% were unclassified. The research showed that toponymic motivation is mainly based on flora, fauna and hydrography predominantly from Tupi language origin.

A Systematic Literature Review of the Potential Therapeutic Effects of Ayahuasca Tea Prepared From the Use of Banisteriopsis Caapi and Psychotria Viridis

Ayahuasca is a drink of indigenous origin made as a decoction obtained from medicinal plants found mainly in Acre, state of Brazil, which are the leaves of Psychtoria viridis, popularly known as “chacrona” in Brazil, and the stem of Banisteriopsis caapi, commonly known as mariri or jagube. The decoction is used in religious practices for the therapy of diseases that affect the human being, such as psychological disorders, neurological, parasitic and bacterial infections. Considering the existing bioactive compounds and the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, this study aims to carry out a literature review of scientific articles (PubMed, Scielo and LILACS) in order to gather knowledge within 30 years of study about the therapeutic potentials of ayahuasca. In the current literature, the studies focus on the area of neuropsychology, dealing with ayahuasca as a form of therapy for neurological and neuromotor disorders. In addition, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant actions have already been reported. However, new studies are still needed in these areas in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ayahuasca and its component plant species, in order to use it as an alternative therapy, especially in the population from which the traditional knowledge about this beverage came from.

Horror, Transgression, and Power: The “Demonic Numinous” in the Tantra-Influenced Literatures and Visual Arts of Java and Bali

This article discusses the theme of the “demonic numinous” and its association with horror, transgression, and power in the Tantra-influenced literatures and visual arts of Java and Bali from the premodern to the modern period. Emphasizing continuities, it surveys the instantiations of those motifs in artistic and textual vestiges from Central Java (ca. 8th–10th century CE), East Java (ca. 11th–15th century CE, with an aperçu on 1960s’ New Order Indonesia), and premodern and contemporary Bali. The material presented in the article is discussed and contextualized in the light of a comparative analysis of analogous motifs attested in the literatures and arts of the Indian subcontinent and Tibet. Arguing that literary and artistic religio-cultural motifs associated with fierce or demonic deities in Java and Bali can be traced back to specific “hard-core” Śaiva and Buddhist tantric traditions permeated by a “charnel ground culture”, the article re-evaluates previous interpretations stressing the indigenous origin and local character of these motifs. In the conclusion, it tentatively proposes that the pervasiveness, resilience, and significance of the “demonic numinous complex” in the Javanese and Balinese imaginaries could be explained as a cross-fertilisation and convergence between Indic and non-Indic elements.

PENSARFAZER DANÇA DESDE UMA PERSPECTIVA CONTEMPORÂNEA E DECOLONIAL

Este artigo tem como objetivo propor pensarfazer processos de ensinoaprendizagem em dança desde uma perspectiva contemporânea decolonial. Foi possível identificar pontos de convergência entre estas perspectivas, já que ambas as correntes de pensamento compartilham pressupostos da concepção libertadora de educação, tais como dialogicidade, defesa da democracia, indissociabilidade entre teoria e prática; corpo mente; razão emoção; incentivo à autonomia dos educandos no seu processo de ensinoaprendizagem e respeito a pluralidade de ideias. A perspectiva decolonial de educação complementa a perspectiva contemporânea de ensino da dança ao fazer refletir sobre o eurocentrismo presente nos currículos dos cursos de dança, sobre a distribuição desigual de valor dada às produções de dança oriundas da Europa e EUA e às produções latino-americanas, especialmente as danças de matrizes afro-brasileiras e indígenas e ao defender uma educação intercultural. Nesse sentido, o pensarfazer processos de ensinoaprendizagem em dança desde uma perspectiva contemporânea e decolonial perpassa pela criação de um currículo de dança intercultural nos espaços formais de ensino, pelo incentivo à pesquisa de pedagogias decoloniais de dança e ao intercâmbio cultural entre as redes de dança latino-americanas.
 Palavras-chave: dança; decolonial; ensinoaprendizagem; interculturalidade; pensarfazer

Geochemical and Mineralogical Evaluation of Black Shale and its Hydrocarbon Potentiality,Southwest Sinai, Egypt

The investigation of new energy sources become one of the world tasks in the last decades. Oil shale is one of the promising energy sources and widespread in many parts of Egypt. So, this work was conducted to investigate hydrocarbon potentiality, geochemistry and environmental impact of Magharet El Maiah Formation black shale, Southwest Sinai. This shale is of Carboniferous ageand composed mainly of kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite in a decreasing order with quartz and pyrite as non-clay minerals.They are deposited under oxic non-marine condition. Chemical analysis revealed that paleo-redox elements for the studied area were deposited under oxic environment and subjected to highly intensive chemical weathering.The calculated pollution indices indicated the mostly studied Black shale isn’t polluted. However, the studied black shale is enriched with some economic trace elements than the UCC and PAAS, especially Pb.All the studied samples are of indigenous origin. The organic richness of the studied samples ranges from fair to excellent total organic carbon content. The kerogen type is III; the organic matter reaches the overmature stage and can be generate dry gas.

Did Progresa Reduce Inequality of Opportunity for School Reenrollment?

AbstractThe school reenrollment probability conditional on a child’s circumstances (gender, indigenous origin, and family background) is our measure of a child’s school reenrollment opportunity. Fo...

Toponymy with indigenous influence in Belo Horizonte neighborhoods

Os estudos toponímicos na cidade de Belo Horizonte oferecem interessantes possibilidades de análise pelo fato de a capital mineira ter sido inicialmente planejada e construída em um curto período de tempo e, posteriormente, ter apresentado grande crescimento territorial e demográfico, desenvolvendo-se sob distintas influências e em diferentes momentos ao longo das décadas seguintes à sua fundação. No campo da toponímia, uma dessas influências é aquela de origem indígena. O presente trabalho propõe-se a contribuir para a compreensão da influência indígena na toponímia de Belo Horizonte, demonstrando, a partir de uma pesquisa linguística de caráter léxico-toponímico, a influência de línguas indígenas brasileiras na adoção dos nomes dos bairros belo-horizontinos. Foram analisados os nomes atuais de todos os 512 bairros da capital mineira, identificando aqueles que possuem alguma influência indígena em sua formação. Foram realizadas então análises morfológica e etimológica desses topônimos, que foram ainda classificados de acordo com a taxonomia toponímica, contribuindo assim para os estudos sobre a toponímia belo-horizontina e, de maneira mais geral, para a área de toponímia urbana de influência indígena no Brasil, fornecendo subsídios para que pesquisadores e a própria comunidade (re)contem as histórias dos primeiros habitantes dos bairros da capital mineira.

Safety and Security of Sexual-reproductive Health and Gender-based Violence among Rohingya Refugee Women in Bangladesh

Rohingya refugee women and girls are from a vulnerable society taking shelter in Bangladesh for humanitarian assistance following the serious human rights violations in Myanmar. They are facing a number of challenges such as insecurity, violence, very limited freedom of movement or ability to speak up and influence decisions in their communities. They are most vulnerable to exploitation due to inadequate basic living facilities in the camp causing them to be physically or sexually abused, forced prostitution and human trafficking. Gender-based violence, abandonment by their husbands in the camps, early marriage, teenage pregnancies including lack of safer pregnancy and childbirth are all important issues and challenges faced by them. Access to basic amenities and educational opportunities with special attention about sexual and reproductive health including issues such as gender equality, relationships and conflict management and adequate community health care can help the Rohingya women to overcome the situation. Actually, the word “Rohingya” derived from the people who exist in from the British rule of the medieval period in the current “Rakhine” state, formerly known as “Roshang” later turned into “Rohang” due to colloquial usage. Although officially Myanmar is not using the term “Rohingya” as this might potentially endorse their indigenous origin, an international involvement is obligatory to find a solution for sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 05 No. 02 April’21 Page: 163-170

Y-DNA genetic evidence reveals several different ancient origins in the Brahmin population.

The ancient geographical origins of Brahmins-a prominent ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent-have remained controversial for a long time. This study employed the AMOVA (analysis of molecular variance) test to evaluate genetic affinities of this group with thirty populations of Central Asia and Europe. A domestic comparison was performed with fifty non-Brahmin groups in India. The results showed that Brahmins had genetic affinities with several foreign populations and also shared their genetic heritage with several domestic non-Brahmin groups. The study identified the deep ancient origins of Brahmins by tracing their Y-chromosome haplogroups and genetic markers on the Y-DNA phylogenetic tree. It was confirmed that the progenitors of this group emerged from at least 12 different geographic regions of the world. The study concluded that about 83% of the Brahmins in the dataset belonged to four major haplogroups, of which two emerged from Central Asia, one from the Fertile Crescent, and one was of an indigenous Indian origin.

Prática como componente curricular na licenciatura em matemática: uma experiência de ensino-aprendizagem exploratória

Este artigo tem como objetivo contribuir para a discussão sobre a prática como componente curricular, na formação de futuros professores de matemática, por meio de atividades exploratórias desenvolvidas na disciplina de Prática de Ensino em Matemática, na Licenciatura em Matemática. Com o intuito de evidenciar o respeito e a valorização dos conceitos matemáticos informais construídos por diferentes grupos sociais, as atividades foram elaboradas envolvendo um jogo, de origem indígena. Este estudo é qualitativo, com a metodologia de Investigação Baseada em Design. Partindo do pressuposto que a matemática é uma produção social, gerada por necessidades práticas, espera-se que essa área de conhecimento possa auxiliar na tentativa de mudança de postura do educador enquanto responsável em propiciar uma aprendizagem significativa para seus futuros alunos. Além disso, acredita-se que as reflexões produzidas neste texto poderão contribuir para a formação de futuros professores de matemática, em especial no que diz respeito às formas de saber matemática que diferem de grupo para grupo, favorecendo a construção e reconstrução do conhecimento, a manutenção, a substituição e a modificação das formas de organizar o conhecimento, formando uma trajetória evolutiva do sujeito indagativo.

Social determinants for overweight and obesity in a highly marginalized population from Comitán, Chiapas, Mexico.

We assessed the prevalence of overweight and obesity and its association with some social determinants in a highly marginalized population in Mexico. Cross-sectional study conducted in Comitán, Chiapas, from 2010 to 2012, comprising 1 858 subjects aged ≥20 years. We evaluated proximal, intermediate, and structuralsocial determinants. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 37.9 and 16.5%, respectively. The probability of overweight and obesity was higher in participants with ≥primary school, self-reported non-indigenous origin, and medium level of marginalization compared with those with <primary school, self-reported indigenous origin, and high/very high level of marginalization. The pro-bability of overweight and obesity was higher in population with more favorable social conditions, which may be partially explained by changes in the traditional lifestyle with greater access to high energy foods and physical inactivity.

Sojourner's Prayer

This piece uses meditation, mantra and sound to embody cycles of yearning for Home and recognition of the Way of my ancestors. As a being of African diaspora existing in a white society, there is a constant feeling of displacement; like we are sojourners. This poem speaks of the desire to be immersed in the beauty that is still present in the natural world by tending to my roots. Throughout the course of the piece, I conjure the inner knowingness of what it means to be a traveler with indigenous origins. Our nature, as nature is that of co-creation with our natural surroundings; understanding there is a time to arrive, and a time to depart. There is a time to water and a time uproot. This is the way of our ancestors. As they cared deeply for the earth, recognizing when to be immersed and when to let go. By the end of this poem, I rejoice in this knowing. The final line, "Grant me more, and transience" acknowledges that while I do live in this society at this time, I am a sojourner passing through, and I will seek and maintain the way of my ancestors during my stay.

Critical Family History and Cultural Evolution: A Call for Interdisciplinary Research to Determine What Works to Replace Anger with Compassion for Social Justice

I use critical family history to investigate: (a) my British/Scot ancestors who engaged in slavery and have a history of oppressive treatment of indigenous peoples, and (b) my Acadian and Mi’kmaq indigenous origins. My family’s conflicting history is embedded in historical hierarchies of conqueror and oppressed, as well as family dysfunction. From this history, I wonder how we can create greater positive change toward altruism and social justice? I provide literature based in cultural evolution that investigated the complex social and natural sciences that delineate our search to understand what is happening and what works to create more altruistic human behavior leading to greater social justice

Comparison of stress urinary incontinence between urban women and women of indigenous origin in the Brazilian Amazon.

This study compared two populations in the Brazilian Amazon, one comprising urban women and the other indigenous origin women from a riparian population, to assess the prevalence of and risk factors associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Following sample calculation, 120 indigenous and 260 urban women underwent evaluations including medical history, UI-oriented physical examination, pelvic organ prolapse, and functional assessment of the pelvic floor. Women with complaints of SUI underwent a urodynamic study and completed a quality of life questionnaire (King's Health Questionnaire). Univariate ORs were calculated, and multiple logistic regression models were then built using the stepwise backward method. The prevalence of SUI was similar in both groups (25.8% in indigenous origin women and 20.4% in the urban group (P > 0.05). The parity and number of spontaneous deliveries and home births were higher in the indigenous origin group. Multivariate analysis showed a decreased prevalence of SUI in patients with modified Oxford Scale scores ≥ 3. Women with homebirths had a 3.45-fold higher likelihood of having SUI than women with hospital deliveries (OR 3.45 -CI 1.78-6.70). Quality of life was worse in the domains of SUI impact, hindering daily and physical activities as well as jeopardizing personal and emotional relationships in urban women. No significant difference in SUI was observed between the groups, despite significantly higher risk factors for SUI in the indigenous origin group.

‘Amit, wake up’: indigenization, gender and Taiwanese pop star Chang Hui-mei’s music

ABSTRACT This article analyses the reinvention of the indigenous identity combined with gender critique in contemporary Taiwan. In particular, I focus on Chang Hui-mei, the most famous Taiwanese pop star with an indigenous origin. A Puyuma native, Chang released two experimental studio albums entitled with her indigenous name Amit in 2009 and 2015. One theme that these albums explore is gender politics, including feminist critique on heteropatriarchy and celebration of queer sexualities. Chang’s intervention in gender norms has made her an iconic figure in Taiwan’s LGBTQ activism. Such engagement allows her to re-establish a new indigenous identity that goes beyond the essentialist idea of being indigenous. Drawing on James Clifford’s theory of becoming indigenous in the twenty-first century, I offer close readings of Chang’s song lyrics, music videos and live performance. In these music products, Chang draws people’s attention to the subversive images of women and the affective intimacy between gay men and straight women. Her live performance has advocated the public display of queer affection, by which a queer utopia is constructed to facilitate queer communal bond. Chang revises the mainstream imagination of being indigenous that connotes ‘primitivism’, thus illuminating alternative ways to claim ethnic and gender subjectivity.