Indigenous Practices Research Articles

“Stories are in our bones!” From mispon to Ācimowin: A conversation with Janine Windolph, in memory of Trudy Stewart

As we talk-write this essay-conversation, we combine our positionality as Atikamekw and Woodland Cree storyteller (Janine Windolph) and settler Canadian (Sheila Petty), our expertise in screen media production, curation and research, and our dedication to linguistic, cultural, and representational sovereignty in Indigenous art and knowledge production. In Indigenous research practices and approaches to curatorial research and methods, it is important to begin by introducing ourselves. Through this “conversational method of Indigenous inquiry” (Christian 43), we intend to probe the history of two Indigenous focused film festivals in Saskatchewan—mispon (2006–2018) and Ācimowin (2024–)—and discover how they embrace a methodology of story work, hospitality, and story-gifting to build cultural and representational sovereignty into their curatorial practices and presentation. In concert with this, we will also discuss Janine Windolph’s films, showcased at both festivals, Trudy Stewart’s films and screen work, and

Indigenous agroecological knowledge and practices for climate change adaptation in the forest-savanna transition zone at Batchenga in the Centre Region of Cameroon

This study investigates the crucial role of the local community's agroecological knowledge in enhancing resilience and adaptability amidst changing climatic conditions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, researchers combined quantitative household questionnaires with qualitative interviews and focus groups. Through meticulous analysis of this diverse data, key themes emerged, facilitated by coding and indexing. Leveraging Excel’s pivot table function, they aggregated and computed monthly averages from daily temperature and rainfall data. Additionally, the logit model revealed factors influencing farmers’ perceptions of climate change. Among the sampled population, most were male (68.89%) and actively engaged in agriculture (82.22%). Most participants belonged to farmers’ organizations (55.56%) and managed an average farm size of 3.6 hectares. Gender played a significant role, with an inverse correlation between gender and the first perception factor (F1) (r = − 0.68). Conversely, household size was positively associated with F1 (r = 0.75). Community membership also impacted perception (p < 0.05), emphasizing context-specific approaches. In Cameroon’s Batchenga subdivision, indigenous communities possess a wealth of agroecological knowledge passed down through generations. Their finely tuned farming practices account for local conditions, including seasonal variations, specific soil types, and available resources, enhancing agricultural system resilience in the face of climate change. The Batchenga community has also developed sustainable resource management strategies, such as crop diversification, agroforestry, and local seed preservation. Collaboration among Indigenous communities, researchers, and decision-makers is crucial to integrating this Indigenous knowledge into climate change adaptation policies effectively.

Decolonizing Peace in Africa: Why African Traditions Hold a Key to Sustainable Peace?

Overview: The study on decolonizing peace highlights the critical role of African traditions in fostering peace by emphasizing indigenous approaches to conflict resolution, community cohesion, and restorative justice. Body of Knowledge: This study emphasizes the importance of embracing indigenous traditions and cultural practices as foundational elements for fostering sustainable peace in Africa. African traditions, rooted in communal values, restorative justice, and consensus-building, offer sustainable alternatives to Western-centric peace building models, which often overlook the continent's unique social, historical, and cultural contexts. Methods: The study was conducted in Lusaka district, the capital city of Zambia. The sample consisted 50 research participants. A purposive sampling technique was used to select key informants such as traditional chiefs, peace practitioners, academicians, and policymakers. Moreover, snowball sampling helped identify additional participants such as church leaders with relevant insights. The data collection process involved conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups discussions (FGDs).The data collected were analyzed using study themes and content analysis. Results: The findings revealed that that African traditions, such as Ubuntu and communal consensus-building, foster inclusivity and a shared sense of responsibility, enabling communities to address conflicts collaboratively and restore relationships. Additionally, African peace building frameworks, rooted in collective decision-making, respect for elders, and culturally ingrained reconciliation practices, offer sustainable alternatives to Western-centric models that often overlook local contexts. Recommendation: Schools, universities, and civil society organizations should promote the communal values to cultivate a generation that prioritizes dialogue, cooperation, and collective well-being over adversarial approaches to conflict resolution.

A decolonial perspective on Indigenous infant and early childhood mental health: Reclaiming Indigenous ways for the next seven generations.

Indigenous lifeways, perspectives, and ways of knowing in the field of infant and early childhood mental health are underrepresented, especially given the inequitable and unjust prevalence of removal and separation of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children from their families and communities by the child welfare system in the United States. Strengthening the infant and early childhood mental health field requires uncovering and addressing the ways in which colonization has intentionally attempted to disrupt and destroy Indigenous family relationships, especially bonds with young children, both historically and perpetuated into the present day. The current article reviews the historical context of Indian child removal as a result of colonization, cultural revitalization efforts, and decolonial frameworks that inform culturally grounded intervention strategies advancing the field of infant and early childhood mental health. Decolonization is highlighted as integral for the reclamation of Indigenous caregiving practices. Community-based and Indigenous-led initiatives such as the Indian Child Welfare Act, Tribal home visiting, and breastfeeding programming are highlighted as diverse strengths-based approaches, informed by Indigenous scholarship to ensure the health and well-being of our future generations.

Connecting place and nature-based traditional and spiritual practices among American Indian and First Nation youth.

Connecting place and nature-based traditional and spiritual practices among American Indian and First Nation youth.

“We are born mentors … It’s in our DNA”: Exploring Indigenous Australian kinship mentoring practices

ABSTRACT Through an Indigenist research theoretical lens, this paper explores Indigenous Australian mentee and mentor epistemological and ontological accounts of kinship mentoring. In this article, kinship mentoring refers to the culturally mediated experiential, custodial, and communitarian-based mentoring that participants describe as innate to Indigenous ways of being, knowing, doing, and nurturing kin. While participants explain how kinship mentoring practices have been culturally ingrained in Indigenous communities for generations, our review of scholarship shows that this approach to mentorship is relatively absent from broader mentoring literature. By centring Indigenous scholarship focussed on mob experiences in mentorship, nurturance, and participant insights, this paper explores the intentional nature of Indigenous approaches to kinship mentoring, wherein lessons and knowledge are deliberately imparted through experientially honed internal schemas. This study recognises that kinship mentoring approaches are vital to Indigenous Australian cultural continuity and aspirational achievement and provides recommendations for preserving and perpetuating sovereign mentoring practices.

Systemic inequities and sources of resilience: challenges faced by Indigenous women living with HIV during COVID-19 in the Canadian prairies

ABSTRACT This study explored the challenges faced by, and resilience of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women living with HIV in Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a decolonizing, community-based research approach, guided by a Community Guiding Circle (CGC), interviews were conducted with 45 Indigenous women living with HIV. Participants were recruited via community outreach, peer networks, and social media. Data collection and analysis utilized Indigenous storywork and inductive thematic analysis. The study revealed significant barriers related to housing instability, childcare, and access to healthcare, all exacerbated by systemic inequities rooted in colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism. Despite these challenges, Indigenous cultural practices, ceremonies, community support, and family ties emerged as crucial sources of resilience, though often disrupted during the pandemic. The findings underscore the urgent need for culturally safe, women-centered care models that integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices. For health and social care practitioners, this research emphasizes the importance of advocating for systemic change to address the unique needs of Indigenous women living with HIV and calls for the development and implementation of culturally safe health and social care tailored to their unique needs and resilience.

Unsettling Dominant Narratives in Knowledge Production Through Decolonial Resilience: The Zimbabwean Case

Despite common knowledge that higher education in Zimbabwe has erased indigenous knowledge production and is grappling with the legacy of colonialism, like much of Africa, very few studies, if any, have reflected on and discussed how lecturers can dismantle the coloniality of knowledge production through decolonial resilience. This conceptual article uses the case of Zimbabwe and deploys the decolonial lens to interrogate how higher education lecturers can decolonise knowledge production and navigate the trajectory of injustices and systematic inequalities to validate African thought systems. Using documents and extant literature from the public domain, the article responds to two questions that underpin this study: how have colonial legacies shaped knowledge production in higher education in Zimbabwe, and how can lecturers unsettle the dominant narratives on the production of knowledge through decolonial resilience? Despite existing evidence, findings replicate that Western dominance has superseded indigenous knowledge production and cultural practices, and lecturers have not firmly renounced colonial adversity to validate the African knowledge production system. The study argues for decentring African perspectives and experiences in knowledge production to prioritise cultural relevance and epistemic justice. Given these findings, the study recommends employing decolonial resilience to transform higher education and promote knowledge recovery. By exploring how higher education lecturers, as agents, can turn a new leaf in knowledge production, the study contributes to a broader conversation on the decolonisation of knowledge production in higher education in Zimbabwe and beyond.

"When People Reach Out that is When They're Desperate": Understanding Informal and Formal Help-Seeking Practices for Gambling among Aboriginal Peoples in the Northern Territory, Australia.

This study provides an in-depth qualitative exploration of Aboriginal peoples' experiences with seeking help for gambling-related issues in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Through semi-structured interviews with 29 participants, including regular and occasional gamblers as well as those affected by others' gambling, the research highlights key barriers to seeking formal help. These barriers included the normalisation of gambling within Aboriginal communities, denial of gambling problems, feelings of shame, privacy concerns, and a lack of trust in mainstream services. Additionally, past negative experiences with services, fear of judgment, and logistical challenges, such as long waiting times and transportation difficulties in remote areas, contributed to the low uptake of professional services. Instead, informal support from family and friends was occasionally sought, reflecting the collectivist nature of Aboriginal cultures. Participants also reported employing self-help strategies and offered practical suggestions for minimising gambling harm. This research underscores the complexity of gambling behaviours within Aboriginal communities and the cultural, social, and systemic factors that deter access to formal support services. It calls for the integration of Indigenous knowledge and practices into gambling prevention and intervention programs, which may improve the relevance and effectiveness of these strategies. By addressing both cultural norms and access barriers, such targeted approaches may reduce the need for reactive interventions and better support the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people affected by gambling in the NT. To improve relevant policies and practices, we also consider these findings to contribute to the broader Indigenous-specific gambling prevention evidence-base contexts nationally and globally.

Dharmagita and Character Education: An Ethnographic Perspective on Literary Traditions among Ubud Youth

This ethnographic study examines the influence of Dharmagita, a traditional Balinese literary form, on character education among youth in Ubud. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and analysis of Dharmagita texts, engaging 30 Balinese youths aged 15-21. The study employs semiotic analysis to decode the symbolic representations within the texts and psychoanalytic theory to explore their impact on the psychological development of moral values. The findings highlight Dharmagita’s role in embedding values such as care, fairness, honesty, forgiveness, cooperation, responsibility, and community awareness into the fabric of youth education. Integrating these values into everyday life through literary traditions provides a dual benefit: moral development and cultural continuity. Additionally, the study notes Dharmagita's entertaining elements enhance its receptivity among youth, suggesting its potential as an accessible tool for moral instruction. Limitations regarding the diverse interpretations of Dharmagita and its applicability across different educational settings are discussed. This research contributes to the dialogue on culturally responsive pedagogy, offering Dharmagita as a model for integrating indigenous literary practices into character education frameworks.

Biodiversity and ethnobotanical significance of vascular plants in the ecological trail and reservation site of indigenous trees (ECOTRIS), Ifugao Province, Philippines

This study examines the macrofloral diversity and ethnobotanical significance of the Ecological Trail and Reservation Site of Indigenous Trees (ECOTRIS) in Ifugao Province, Philippines. The site is compartmentalized into four distinct land-use areas: an arboretum of native trees, a bamboo plantation, a fern grove, and a grassland with patches of trees. Biodiversity assessments were conducted across three plots established near the water tributaries, revealing the highest diversity index in the midstream plot, attributed to its dense canopy structure. Biodiversity indices using the Shannon index showed that the sampling plot near the stream had the highest value (3.02). In contrast, sampling sites near the marginal land and bamboo plantation had values of 2.56 and 2.78, respectively. Similarity indices indicated that Plot 1 had the highest similarity attributed to the high presence of pioneering species dominating the canopy, while Plot 3 exhibited lower species. Species Importance Value (SIV) analysis highlighted the pioneering species, particularly Melanolepis multiglandulosa Merr. dominated the sampling area. The study documented 22 edible plant species and 35 ethnobotanically significant trees, underscoring local floras’ cultural and medicinal value. This research emphasizes the ecological and cultural importance of preserving indigenous species and highlights the need for sustainable management practices to mitigate human-induced disturbances in the region. The findings underscore the potential of ECOTRIS as a field gene bank, advocating for sustainable management and the integration of indigenous conservation practices to enhance its ecological value and heritage.

Global Geographies of Weather Modification in an Era of Climate Change

As climate change impacts intensify, interest in the practice of cloud seeding to induce precipitation and otherwise modify the weather is on the rise around the world. It is also increasingly associated in the public imagination with solar radiation management, a highly controversial form of geoengineering that works at much larger spatial scales. Despite the importance of weather modification in the context of global heating, it has attracted little attention from geographers in recent decades. With its interdisciplinary and holistic approach, geography offers powerful analytical tools for understanding the practice of cloud seeding and the controversies it has created. I propose a few ways to think geographically about weather modification, including the hydrosocial cycle, the framing of the nonhuman world as resource, culture–nature binaries, the need to take indigenous world-making practices seriously, and volumetric geopolitics. I compare weather modification in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and China, showing that their practices and rationales are shaped quite differently by political economic, institutional, and sociocultural contexts. Nevertheless, across these interconnected national contexts the promises, uncertainties, and problems of cloud seeding are similarly entangled with the effects of global heating.

A systematic literature review on adaptation strategies towards climate change impacts among Indigenous fishers

ABSTRACT Indigenous fishers are known for their traditional fishing methods and high reliance on ecosystem stability. Climate change poses a formidable challenge to their way of life. Climate change adaptation refers to an adjustment in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli. Studies are being conducted worldwide on how Indigenous peoples are responding to climate change impacts. The main aim of this study was to develop a systematic literature review (SLR) on how Indigenous fishers adapt to these impacts. RepOrting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES) were used to guide the present SLR and formulate research questions based on the mnemonic “population, interest, and context” (PICo). From a search in 4 primary databases, 115 potential articles were found and 21 were analyzed. Four studies were conducted in the United States, and others were conducted in Asian, Northern American, and African regions. Five main themes were elaborated: Indigenous knowledge of weather prediction; Indigenous practices; livelihood diversification; technology and infrastructure-based adaptation strategies; and collective action and collaboration. Senior fishers actively used Indigenous knowledge and practices, but the younger generation preferred to use technology (e.g., GPS, satellite data, snowmobiles) in their fishing operations. To sustain their livelihood, some Indigenous fishers rely on alternative jobs (non-fisheries related), use multiple fishing techniques, or catch marine species. The review suggests the need to integrate Indigenous opinions, experiences, and knowledge into climate change-related policy, active involvement of Indigenous fishers in habitat restoration, use of technology, and diversification of livelihood, to combat climate change impacts among Indigenous fishers.

Indigenous Knowledge and Practices of the Tigray People: How Do Teachers and Students Perceive Its Integration in Science and Mathematics Education?

Indigenous Knowledge and Practices of the Tigray People: How Do Teachers and Students Perceive Its Integration in Science and Mathematics Education?

Indigenous bahar management practice for improving quality of pomegranate under hot arid climate of Thar Desert

Indigenous bahar management practice for improving quality of pomegranate under hot arid climate of Thar Desert

Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia

Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia

The Effect of Indigenous Health Education on Health-Seeking Behaviours of the Mbororo Communities in Mezam Division North West Region of Cameroon

The objective of this study was to investigate how indigenous health education affects the health-seeking behaviours of the Mbororos in their communities in Mezam Division. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design using an explanatory sequential mixed method. Quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire, while focus group discussions and interview guides were used to collect qualitative data. Questionnaires were filled by 500 Mbororos, selected using a simple random sampling technique, while 36 Mbororo leaders and elders and 3 healthcare providers were purposefully selected, making a total of 539 respondents. The data were analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for Windows, where descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were obtained. Equally, SPSS was also used for regression analysis and tested the effects between the independent and dependent variables. The qualitative data were analysed using the thematic analysis method. The findings showed that indigenous health education practices had a positive effect on health-seeking behaviours towards traditional therapy but were statistically insignificant (p=0.354). From another perspective, the qualitative data, which complemented the findings, showed that indigenous health education had an effect on health-seeking behaviours towards traditional therapy among the Mbororos. The study supports the view that the Mbororo communities in Mezam Division and beyond should develop a more broad-mindedness for conventional medicine and rush for appropriate diagnosis and treatment before complementing traditional treatment. Integration of modern and traditional medicine is recommended. In addition, the healthcare providers should be accommodating and culturally competent and apply a culturally congruent approach to treatment.

Māmā Aroha App: digital health solutions for sustaining Indigenous breastfeeding practices

This article explores the development and impact of the Māmā Aroha App, a digital health solution designed to support and sustain Indigenous breastfeeding practices among Māori communities in New Zealand. Māori women have encountered significant barriers to breastfeeding, including a loss of traditional knowledge, culturally ineffective maternity services, and inadequate professional support, compounded by healthcare’s limited representation of Indigenous perspectives. Launched on August 2, 2021, the Māmā Aroha App consolidates crucial breastfeeding information and principles into a visually engaging and user-friendly format for health professionals, mothers, and their whānau (extended families). By digitizing traditional knowledge, the app makes this information more accessible and ensures that its interface honours Māori cultural and holistic values. This article provides an evaluation of the app’s development process, emphasizing the necessity of community engagement and tailored design to address the specific needs of Māori mothers and their whānau. The findings highlight the significant potential of culturally adapted digital health solutions and the importance of continuous collaboration to maintain their effectiveness.

Religious Complexity in Postcolonial South Africa: Contending with the Indigenous

The history of religions during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries has been closely tied to the classification of Indigenous religions. However, recent scholarship in the field of religion has increasingly drawn on the work of subaltern and postcolonial historiography as a way of disrupting the European canon and dislodging Indigenous and non-western ways of knowing and being from the tyranny of the classical taxonomies of religion. Recent approaches to religious diversity have been challenged for reproducing imperial hierarchies of religion—assuming an accommodationist approach to Indigenous religions while also rendering invisible the internal diversity, fluidity, and adaptive orientations within Indigenous religions. In this paper, I contend that in the postcolonial context, Indigenous religions uncouple themselves from traditional taxonomies of religion, and, in particular, I propose religious complexity as a suitable framework and approach for accounting, contending with, and reporting on religious change in postcolonial South Africa. I explore questions about how to account for, ‘classify’, or ‘measure’ change related to everyday African Indigenous religious efforts and practices in the aftermath of and in response to colonialism, where conventional ideas about religious authority and affinity are displaced by Indigenous practices that can variously be described as simultaneously vital, viral, or feral.

Exploring the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of five indigenous Kenyan plants used in traditional medicine

Defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as indigenous knowledge and practices used for maintaining health and treating illnesses, traditional medicine (TM) represents a rich reservoir of ancient healing practices rooted in cultural traditions and accumulated wisdom over centuries. Five indigenous Kenyan plant species traditionally used in African TM, named Afzelia quanzensis, Azadirachta indica, Gigasiphon macrosiphon, Grewia bicolor, and Lannea schweinfurthii, represent a valuable resource in healing practices, yet their chemical composition and bioactivity remain understudied. To depict a primary bio-chemical characterization of these plants, their antioxidant and antimicrobial features have been evaluated by the use of methods validated in this context. G. bicolor, and G. macrosiphon were found to have great potential as sources of bioactive metabolites, such as chlorophyll a (1456.29 µg/ g DW; 1104.33 µg/ g DW), chlorophyll b (712.48 µg/ g DW; 443.31 µg/ g DW), and carotenoids (369.71 µg/ g DW; 300 µg/ g DW) as well as phenols (31.78 mg GAE/g DW; 27.54 GAE/g DW), and exhibiting high antioxidant activity, according to TEAC, DPPH and FRAP assays. Additionally, L. schweinfurthii and G. macrosiphon demonstrated antimicrobial activity against the Gram-negative bacteria E. coli, as well as against Gram-positive ones, S. aureus and B. subtilis.