Native Research Articles

Overcoming human exceptionalism: The role of ethical nature-culture relations in the developmental contexts of indigenous children.

Indigenous populations, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, First Nations, and other first peoples worldwide, have been largely overlooked in child development research. This commentary examines how Indigenous relationality intersects with developmental science, advocating for a shift from human exceptionalism to an interconnected relationality among people, land, and more-than-human beings. Drawing from diverse Indigenous knowledge and practices, The Six Pillars to Advance Indigenous Relationality among Children provides frameworks for integrating Indigenous worldviews emphasizing interconnected responsibilities and sustainability. Embracing Indigenous relationality-grounded in respect and reciprocity-dismantles inequitable systems, enhances socioecological well-being, and supports healthy Indigenous child development, fostering responsible relationships with the land and ensuring a sustainable future for generations.

The impact of gastroesophageal reflux disease on the quality of life of children and adolescents in the Republic of Tyva

Aim of the study was to investigate quality of life indicators in children and adolescents with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the Mongoloid and Caucasian populations of the Republic of Tyva. Material and Methods. Schoolchildren aged 7–18 years of the indigenous (25 Mongoloids – Tuvans with GERD and 354 practically healthy) and newcomers population Republic of Tyva (5 Caucasians with GERD and 158 practically healthy) were examined using a cross-sectional method. Gastroenterological complaints and demographic information were recorded. To assess the quality of life of children, adapted Russian parent (CHQ-PF28) and child (CHQ-PF45) versions of the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) were used. The questionnaire allows you to assess various areas of a child’s life. Results and discussion. A decrease in the quality of life was established in schoolchildren of both ethnic populations in the presence of GERD on a number of scales as assessed by the children themselves and their parents. However, unlike parents, children’s assessments tended to decrease in the “family cohesion” section (p = 0.068), which, to a certain extent, may reflect the presence of intrafamily problems that can have a traumatic effect on the child. According to parents’ assessments, in schoolchildren with GERD in the Caucasian population, the decrease in indicators concerned only the “physical activity” scale (p = 0.039). In the Tuvan population, more extensive deviations were noted ‒ in sections “general health assessment” (p = 0.041), “physical activity” (p = 0.024), “changes in health status” (p = 0.006), “pain/ discomfort” (p = 0.037). According to the assessment of children, Caucasians with GERD did not show a decrease in indicators, and Tuvans with GERD had fewer deviations on the scales than, according to their parents. Conclusions. Tyva schoolchildren with GERD showed a decrease in quality of life indicators, which was more pronounced among Mongoloids - Tuvans, and there were differences in its assessment by the children themselves and their parents.

Food systems in protracted crises: examining indigenous food sovereignty amid de-development in Kashmir.

How do protracted crises shape indigenous food systems, and what are their ramifications for food and nutritional security? Building on decolonial and interdisciplinary research approaches, this paper assesses the consequences of militarised violence for Kashmir's food system. We document the impact of settler-colonialism and conflict-induced agrarian changes on delocalisation of diets. The protracted nature of the crises has two key implications for changes in dietary patterns. First, land control over common land dispossesses the local population and hinders food production. Second, disenfranchisement from (agricultural) land has led to increased reliance on markets that are flooded by imported foods as local production declines. The paper argues that the state plays an important role in food system changes by destroying local patterns of food production and consumption. Slow violence and agrarian de-development serve as tools to de-develop the local food system. Indigenous food cultures form part of everyday resistance and resilience that are operationalised as mitigation and adaptation strategies to address food insecurity.

Sustainability of Oral History: A Case of SRK Pulo at Kampung Semarang

History is data regarding historical instances of human activity. This study anticipates the cultural memory around the primary school, SRK Pulo, which was relocated while retaining its previous name. One of the ancient Malay settlements along the Sarawak riverbank in Kuching is called Kampung Pulo. Questions are being asked about the SRK Pulo, its origin and other related histories to acknowledge. Further study, especially oral history inquiries, might help clear up any lingering questions regarding a historical truth or knowledge gap. For the benefit of future research, the cultural memory of intangible cultures needs to be preserved and documented through oral history research. To highlight historical local stories as the major focus in a qualitative manner, this study utilised Husserlism in Transcendental Phenomenology (TPh). The positive takeaways from oral history investigations into the genesis of SRK Pulo could serve as a guideline for the younger generation to respect and learn from the past to establish evocative living in the future. The sustainability of indigenous peoples in preserving their sociocultural ways of life and oral traditions depends on this study.

Diálogo Inicial

This study investigates the application of the Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics (CARE) principles to the indigenous health data collected by the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI) in Brazil. Initially, the context of indigenous health policies in the country is discussed, highlighting the importance of integrating the Unified Health System (SUS) with indigenous policy to promote access to health for all. The research focuses on the need to align SESAI's data with the CARE principles, aiming to promote transparency and data availability for scientific research. Using a quantitative approach with exploratory aspects, the methodology included a bibliographic and documentary analysis to understand the CARE principles and propose strategies for aligning SESAI's data. The results indicate a growing interest in the topic, although there are gaps in data availability and in recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples over their data. The study initiated data processing, prioritizing the CARE principles, with the data made available in a geolocated tool. It concludes that the CARE Principles should guide future data collection and processing, supporting transparency and access to indigenous health data within the context of open government.

The Ecological Modernization Paradigm applied to fiduciary donations to traditional peoples organizations in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome

This article aims to understand the modus operandi used by the Center for Alternative Agriculture in Northern Minas Gerais (CAA), an non-governmental organization of traditional peoples from the northern region of the state of Minas Gerais, in the course of the implementing the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples, Quilombolas and Traditional Communities of the Brazilian Cerrado Biome (DGM Brazil Project). Based on an empirical study carried out while I was an employee of a non-governmental organization, I propose a differentiated theoretical-methodological format for interdisciplinary research, combining professional experience, documentary analysis and bibliographic review. The article is concerned with linking this experience to other economic and political contexts, with emphasis on the recent dynamics of management and implementation of fiduciary donations by non-governmental organizations in Latin America. It supports the hypothesis that these experiences reproduce the Ecological Modernization Paradigm, based in the belief in efficiency as a means of achieving sustainable development.

Gut heavy metal and antibiotic resistome of humans living in the high Arctic.

Contaminants, such as heavy metals (HMs), accumulate in the Arctic environment and the food web. The diet of the Indigenous Peoples of North Greenland includes locally sourced foods that are central to their nutritional, cultural, and societal health but these foods also contain high concentrations of heavy metals. While bacteria play an essential role in the metabolism of xenobiotics, there are limited studies on the impact of heavy metals on the human gut microbiome, and it is so far unknown if and how Arctic environmental contaminants impact the gut microbes of humans living in and off the Arctic environment. Using a multiomics approach including amplicon, metagenome, and metatranscriptome sequencing, we identified and assembled a near-complete (NC) genome of a mercury-resistant bacterial strain from the human gut microbiome, which expressed genes known to reduce mercury toxicity. At the overall ecological level studied through α- and β-diversity, there was no significant effect of heavy metals on the gut microbiota. Through the assembly of a high number of NC metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of human gut microbes, we observed an almost complete overlap between heavy metal-resistant strains and antibiotic-resistant strains in which resistance genes were all located on the same genetic elements.

Biotic Deterioration and Homogenization: Why It Matters

AbstractGlobally, locally, and regionally, there are different patterns of biotic diversity and community composition reflecting past evolutionary history shaped by differences in niches, productivity, climate, and other ambient factors, as well as migration barriers. Historically, humans have impacted and eroded these biotic patterns, notably by the impact of agriculture in a wide sense, but to an increasing extent also by logging, overharvesting, spreading of species, urbanization, and climate change. Besides causing (in most cases) a declining diversity, it also implies a biotic homogenization where ecosystem communities become spatially more similar, often by replacement of locally adopted specialist species with more widespread generalist species. Besides discussing these drivers of biotic degradation and homogenization, I also discuss why and how it matters both from a biocentric and anthropocentric point of view, how biotic and cultural homogenization are integrated via agricultural impacts, loss of habitats that also are home to indigenous people as well as by travel, trade, and consumption. In fact, the global cultural homogenization towards western consumerism is the overarching cause of biotic homogenization, biodiversity loss as well as climate change. Finally, solutions are discussed. There are local and regional means to counteract biotic losses and homogenization by retaining and restoring landscape elements, yet globally these trends can only be countered through systemic societal changes.

The New City Megaproject's Issues: Network Discourse Analysis of the Development of the Pros and Cons of the Archipelago's Determination and Capital Development (IKN)

President Jokowi signed Law Number 3/2022 on February 15, 2022, which declared Nusantara as the name of the new capital city, which is known in Indonesia by its abbreviation, IKN (Ibu Kota Nusantara). Since the passage of the law, both supporters and opponents of the decision have raised their voices in public places. IKN will replace Jakarta, which has existed as the capital of Indonesia since 1945. In the midst of concerns and issues regarding democratic regression, oligarchic dominance, the displacement of indigenous peoples, the COVID-19 pandemic, and forecasts of a global recession, these pro and con voices are becoming more and more abrasive. The paper attempts to discuss the debate between proponents and opponents of IKN's determination and development. Discourse can be interpreted in this context as a set of concepts or ideas that are communicated by actors in order to influence public policy. The research mixes discourse analysis (qualitative content) with social networking techniques by applying the discourse network method (DNA) analysis. The idea of discourse coalition adds depth to the DNA approach by mapping every discourse that emerges about an issue (what), as well as the players who express the discourse (who) related to the issues and actors who are pro and contra to the IKN.

Exploring Belief Systems in Kinship Fostering Practice in Igbo Indigenous Communities of Southeast Nigeria

ABSTRACTKinship fostering in Igbo indigenous communities is an enduring alternative child care practice that promotes collective responsibility for child care in a family environment. The practice is believed to be fundamental for family and community continuity. Weakening extended family ties and a lack of social work support services in this care arrangement have cast doubt on the continual viability of this alternative child care practice This is an exploratory study using grounded theory. In‐depth interviews with six community leaders and six senior public social welfare officers provided insight on belief systems promoting kinship fostering in Igbo indigenous communities. Findings were thematically analysed to show continuity of lineage, preservation of family name and challenges associated with kinship fostering. Belief systems on kinship fostering provides insights on how children are viewed in Igbo culture, which can help policymakers design intervention programme that are culturally relevant in child‐care formation in Nigeria given challenges in kinship fostering. The study promotes indigenous knowledge that is vital for social work education and practice in Nigeria. Further study suggests exploring the belief of foster children and their experiences in kinship fostering.

Funerary Rites and Christianization Issues of the Indigenous Population in the Taz Arctic

Funerary Rites and Christianization Issues of the Indigenous Population in the Taz Arctic

Perceptions Toward Using Artificial Intelligence and Technology for Asthma Attack Risk Prediction: Qualitative Exploration of Māori Views.

Asthma is a significant global health issue, impacting over 500,000 individuals in New Zealand and disproportionately affecting Māori communities in New Zealand, who experience worse asthma symptoms and attacks. Digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models, are increasingly popular for asthma risk prediction. However, these AI models may underrepresent minority ethnic groups and introduce bias, potentially exacerbating disparities. This study aimed to explore the views and perceptions that Māori have toward using AI and ML technologies for asthma self-management, identify key considerations for developing asthma attack risk prediction models, and ensure Māori are represented in ML models without worsening existing health inequities. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 Māori participants with asthma, 3 male and 17 female, aged 18-76 years. All the interviews were conducted one-on-one, except for 1 interview, which was conducted with 2 participants. Altogether, 10 web-based interviews were conducted, while the rest were kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face). A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the themes. Further, sentiment analysis was carried out to identify the sentiments using a pretrained Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers model. We identified four key themes: (1) concerns about AI use, (2) interest in using technology to support asthma, (3) desired characteristics of AI-based systems, and (4) experience with asthma management and opportunities for technology to improve care. AI was relatively unfamiliar to many participants, and some of them expressed concerns about whether AI technology could be trusted, kanohi ki te kanohi interaction, and inadequate knowledge of AI and technology. These concerns are exacerbated by the Māori experience of colonization. Most of the participants were interested in using technology to support their asthma management, and we gained insights into user preferences regarding computer-based health care applications. Participants discussed their experiences, highlighting problems with health care quality and limited access to resources. They also mentioned the factors that trigger their asthma control level. The exploration revealed that there is a need for greater information about AI and technology for Māori communities and a need to address trust issues relating to the use of technology. Expectations in relation to computer-based applications for health purposes were expressed. The research outcomes will inform future investigations on AI and technology to enhance the health of people with asthma, in particular those designed for Indigenous populations in New Zealand.

Adrift in the Andaman Sea: 
Law, Archipelagos and the Making of Maritime Sovereignty

Abstract This essay focuses on the long history of archipelagic formations in the Bay of Bengal as sites of legal experimentation. This history is often narrated beginning with convict transportation and the permanent occupation of the Andaman Islands as a British penal settlement in 1857 and the violent erasure of indigenous cultures that followed it. This essay focuses instead on the hundred years preceding it where the English East India Company experimented with abandoning jurisdiction over the lesser-known islands off the Bengal and Burma coasts and people who lived on them, despite being in the position of a territorial sovereign. These experimentations were recorded most eloquently in legal and administrative records about crime - which included, for example, how assault and “river dacoity” on the deltaic islands of the Sunderbans in lower Bengal were to be dealt with and how men convicted of murder on the islands off the Tenasserim coast in southern Burma were to be prosecuted. In each case, prompted by tensions between the Company and the British Crown, policing and prosecution were abandoned, but this escaped public attention as it took place on the empire’s maritime edges. Although jurisdictional claims were central to the expansionist aims of the British empire in the nineteenth century around the Indian Ocean, these instances offer an alternate account of sovereignty, one where assertions and abandonments were both critical to the making of empires.

La experiencia de vivir y enseñar en una escuela Indígena rural en el Desierto de Atacama: percepciones de profesores y de la comunidad Atacameña

This article explores the experiences of teachers working in schools located in Indigenous rural contexts in the Atacama Desert, in the north of Chile. Through Indigenous community members life stories and participating teachers, this study presents some of the main challenges teachers face when teaching in local schools, as well as the Indigenous community's perception about their children accessible education. Emerging categories from the interviews were coded and used to analyses the information, using a decolonising qualitative approach, informed by Indigenous Peoples' Rights.

Role of Economic Rights in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action: What is missing in the discussion

This paper examines the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA), adopted in 1993, as a pivotal document in the post-Cold War era that aimed to consolidate and reaffirm universal human rights principles. While the VDPA successfully highlighted the rights of marginalized groups such as women, children, indigenous people, and those with disabilities, it notably falls short in addressing economic rights. The paper argues that the VDPA’s lack of clear guidance on economic rights is a significant omission, especially given the economic upheavals of the 1990s, including high unemployment and the transition to market economies. Through an analysis of primary and secondary sources, the paper reveals that the VDPA’s failure to include detailed provisions for economic rights leaves a critical gap in the protection of individuals’ right to economic participation and well-being. The conclusion calls for a reorganization of human rights frameworks to include economic rights as essential for the realization of human dignity and equality.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of polysaccharides from Antrodia cinnamomea: A review.

Antrodia cinnamomea (Ac), also known as "Niu-Chang-Chih" in Chinese, is a valuable fungus that has been widely used as medicine and food among indigenous people in Taiwan. Ac is rich in polysaccharides (Ac-PS), making it a promising candidate for adjunctive therapy in cancer and inflammation conditions. There are two types of Ac-PS: general (non-sulfated) PS (Ac-GPS) and sulfated PS (Ac-SPS). This review highlights that both Ac-GPS and Ac-SPS possess immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Each type influences interleukin signaling pathways to exert its anti-inflammatory effects. Ac-GPS is particularly effective in alleviating inflammation in the brain and liver, while Ac-SPS shows its efficacy in macrophage models. Both Ac-GSP and Ac-SPS have demonstrated anti-cancer effects supported by in vitro and in vivo studies, primarily through inducing apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. They may also synergize with chemotherapy and exhibit anti-angiogenic properties. Notably, Ac-SPS appears to have superior anti-cancer efficacy, potentially due to its sulfate groups. Furthermore, Ac-SPS has been more extensively studied in terms of its mechanisms and effects on lung cancer compared with Ac-GPS, highlighting its significance in cancer research. In addition, Ac-SPS is often reported for its ability to activate macrophage-mediated responses. Clinically, Ac-GPS has been used as an adjunctive therapy for advanced lung cancer, as noted in recent reports. However, given the numerous studies emphasizing its anti-cancer mechanisms, Ac-SPS may exhibit greater efficacy, warranting further investigation. This review concludes that Ac-derived Ac-GPS or Ac-SPS have the potential to be developed into functional health supplements or adjunctive therapies, providing dual benefits of anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

Cooperative community wildfire response: Pathways to First Nations’ leadership and partnership in British Columbia, Canada

With the growing scale of wildfires, many First Nations are demanding a stronger role in wildfire response. Disproportionate impacts on Indigenous communities (including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) in Canada are motivating these demands: although approximately 5 % of the population identifies as Indigenous, about 42 % of wildfire evacuation events occur communities that are more than half Indigenous. In what is now known as British Columbia, Canada, new pathways for cooperative wildfire response between First Nations and provincial agencies are emerging. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 15 experts from First Nations communities and agencies, and a review of 42 documents on wildfire response, our research highlights the diverse existing capacities, priority opportunities, and processes required to enhance cooperative pathways. Within First Nations communities, existing capacities include local knowledge, firefighting experience, equipment, funding, relationships, and leadership – an overlooked but fundamental capacity. Priority opportunities include ways to build capacity within and beyond wildfire response, such as fully equipped response crews, full-time year-round wildfire management crews, Emergency Management Coordinators, First Nations Liaisons, and cross-trained wildland and structural crews. Translating existing capacities into priority opportunities requires an ongoing focus on cooperative processes, including relationship-building, respecting Rights and Title, streamlining funding, and enabling “cultural safety” to overcome racism. These cooperative pathways can help transform wildfire governance toward First Nations-led partnerships.

A participatory study of indoor environment quality in homes of children and youth in Kanehsatake First Nation

Indoor air quality is an important determinant for the health of children and youth, but the conditions within Indigenous communities are understudied. We collaborated with Kanehsatake First Nation in Quebec, Canada, to address this gap using a community-based participatory research approach. Levels of key indoor air indicators, including particulate matter (PM2.5), CO2, and relative humidity, were measured in 31 randomly selected households between June 2021 and January 2022. Questionnaires were administered remotely to collect information on housing conditions. Excessive humidity was common, with 52% of households having a relative humidity above 55%. The mean PM2.5 concentration was 21.0 (standard deviation 38.5) µg/m3, with higher mean levels observed in smoking compared to non-smoking households (36.1 µg/m3 and 10.1 µg/m3, respectively). The mean CO2 level in participating households was 881 ppm (standard deviation 256), with 30% (n = 9) of homes exceeding 1000 ppm. Flooding rates were high, with 55% of households reporting at least one past flood. One-third of houses were inadequately ventilated relative to occupancy, and over one-quarter reported needing major repairs. The results indicate the value and importance of characterizing the indoor environment in First Nations households and the viability of data collection through community-based participatory research in environmental health research.

THE SOCIOGENESIS OF RACISM AND ETHNIC-RACIAL RELATIONS IN SCHOOL: A CRITICAL VIEW

This study addresses the sociogenesis of racism in Brazil, examining its manifestation in the school environment and the challenges of developing pedagogical practices capable of mitigating this exclusionary culture and its violence. Based on a current, historical, and theoretical contextualization, the study seeks to investigate how racism manifests itself in education and what its consequences are in everyday school life, analyzing how prejudice, discrimination, and the devaluation of black and indigenous cultures and subjectivities impact students' learning processes. It is concluded that racism is prominent in Brazilian society and its consequences affect education, with impacts on school dropout rates, student performance, and social inclusion.

Girrimarring wiirrilgal bulany ngayanbading (bat nest-type fur sun-like): blending traditional knowledge and western science to create roosting habitat for the threatened golden-tipped bat Phoniscus papuensis

Context Despite being widely distributed along eastern Australia, the golden-tipped bat (Phoniscus papuensis) is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales (NSW). The 2019–2020 wildfires affected an estimated 40% of foraging and roosting habitat, causing further conservation concern. The species roosts in suspended birds’ nests located along watercourses in rainforest or wet sclerophyll forests. Habitat augmentation is a key recovery action for the species; however, effective techniques are unknown. Aims We integrated western scientific and Indigenous cultural knowledge and practice to deliver an artificial roosting structure for golden-tipped bats, and designed and implemented a collaborative model for habitat restoration, with genuine opportunity for cultural practice and two-way knowledge sharing. Methods In partnership, members of Indigenous groups, western scientific organisations and volunteers shared learnings about bats, culture and caring for Country. Weaving materials were collected from local forests, roosts were woven and hung in rainforest gullies and monitored using remote cameras and direct visual inspection. Key results Golden-tipped bats used woven roosts, suggesting that roosting-habitat augmentation could support recovery of the species. Strong partnerships were established between government conservation programs and local Indigenous communities, engaging younger generations in cultural practice and learning. Delivery models were demonstrated for further collaborative, two-way threatened species projects. Conclusions Golden-tipped bats will use woven structures for roosting. Integrating Indigenous knowledge into threatened species programs can deliver effective conservation outcomes for specialist and cryptic species. Implications Should further broadscale fire, or other impact causing loss of roosting structures occur, community, Indigenous groups or government agencies can utilise this model to implement effective conservation actions together.