Indigenous Self-determination Research Articles

Introduction to the Special Issue: Indigenous Self-determination in Health System Reforms

Across Canada, First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and communities live in rural, remote, Northern and reserve places, as well as urban places, and experience health inequities when compared with non-Indigenous peoples. These inequities are founded by pervasive colonial ideologies, policies, systems, and practices, many of which persist today resulting in multiple disparities in health as well as social, political, and economic areas (Adelson 2005; Allan and Smylie 2015). In Canada, the federal government’s role in the provision of health services is primarily through the limited public health and prevention services offered by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB), now Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). Services are offered to status (registered) First Nations living on-reserve and to Inuit living in their traditional territories. They provide non-insured health benefits (NIHB) such as prescription drugs, dental, and vision coverage to all status/registered First Nations and Inuit, regardless of where they live; however, non-insured health benefits are not offered to Métis or non-status First Nations. As a result of historical legislative vagueness, and the multiplicity of authorities that has resulted, the First Nations, Inuit and Métis legislation and health policy framework is very complex, which itself results in a great deal of diversity in health service provision across provinces and territories. The framework fails to adequately address the health care needs of the Métis or First Nations and Inuit people who are either not registered or not living on reserve or in their traditional territory (Lavoie and Gervais 2012). [continued in PDF / HTML]

The problem of culturalizing indigenous self-determination: Sámi cultural autonomy in Finland

ABSTRACT This article examines the culturalization of Sámi self-determination in Finland. Employing a structural injustice analysis, it argues that the prevailing framework of Sámi cultural autonomy acts as a significant barrier to the effective realisation and practice of the right to Indigenous self-determination. The article traces the trajectory of constructing and limiting Sámi rights in the sphere of language and culture while failing to pass comprehensive legislation addressing land rights, central to operationalising Indigenous self-determination and exercising self-government. It considers the ways in which enacting Sámi self-government is framed in the current Finnish legislation as consultation and analyses how the government has in recent years failed to meet its own legislative duties in this regard. The article underscores the essential link between the right to self-determination, Indigenous land rights, and the tangible practice of political self-government, shedding light on the difference between political and cultural autonomy.

Ethnofederalism and Indigenous self-determination in Northern Canada and the Russian Federation

ABSTRACT This article explores the impacts of ethnofederalism on the efforts of Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Russian Federation to self-determine in regional contexts that are politically dominated by ethnic groups who constitute national minorities. We compare the evolution of Indigenous governance institutions in Quebec and Sakha (Yakutia), asking whether Indigenous peoples in these jurisdictions have benefitted from the efforts of the titular nationalities (the Quebecois and Sakha) to enhance their own autonomy within their respective federations. We consider whether these constituent units’ governments, as representatives of larger ethnic minorities who have struggled to assert autonomy within a federal system, are more sympathetic to the territorial and political aspirations of smaller Indigenous groups. The article contributes to a dearth of scholarship comparing the efforts of Indigenous peoples in Canada and Russia to achieve greater self-determination. We conclude that while the Inuit of Nunavik in northern Quebec have made significant progress in realizing autonomy, they have been constrained by the political environment in the province. Indigenous peoples in Sakha (Yakutia) have made less progress in terms of securing political autonomy but have benefitted from an alliance with the Sakha in the face of centralizing tendencies at the federal level.

Design and implementation of the Our Health Counts (OHC) methodology for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM) health assessment and response in urban and related homelands.

Methods for enumeration and population-based health assessment for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM) living in Canadian cities are underdeveloped, with resultant gaps in essential demographic, health, and health service access information. Our Health Counts (OHC) was designed to engage FNIM peoples in urban centres in "by community, for community" population health assessment and response. The OHC methodology was designed to advance Indigenous self-determination and FNIM data sovereignty in urban contexts through deliberate application of Indigenous principles and linked implementation strategies. Three interwoven principles (good relationships are foundational; research as gift exchange; and research as a vehicle for Indigenous community resurgence) provide the framework for linked implementation strategies which include actively building and maintaining relationships; meaningful Indigenous community guidance, leadership, and participation in all aspects of the project; transparent and equitable sharing of project resources and benefits; and technical innovations, including respondent-driven sampling, customized comprehensive health assessment surveys, and linkage to ICES data holdings to generate measures of health service use. OHC has succeeded across six urban areas in Ontario to advance Indigenous data sovereignty and health assessment capacity; recruit and engage large population-representative cohorts of FNIM living in urban and related homelands; customize comprehensive health surveys and data linkages; generate previously unavailable population-based FNIM demographic, health, and social information; and translate results into enhanced policy, programming, and practice. The OHC methodology has been demonstrated as effective, culturally relevant, and scalable across diverse Ontario cities.

Contesting colonial beachheads: Settler colonial (in)security professionals and Indigenous peoples’ energy infrastructure

In April 2020, the British Columbia Utilities Commission released the Final Report of its Indigenous Utilities Regulation Inquiry. The Inquiry was tasked with determining the regulatory environment for Indigenous utility providers across the Canadian province. We analyse the Inquiry as a colonial encounter between Indigenous nations and the settler state, arguing that technical bodies like the Commission represent a sort of security professional working to depoliticize the reproduction of settler sovereignty, highlighting the operations of non-traditional security professionals in settler colonial contexts. Through the Inquiry, security comes through providing certainty for existing energy infrastructure and institutions as ‘colonial beachheads’, legitimizing the settler colonial political-economic order. However, the Inquiry also demonstrates that such processes offer opportunities for Indigenous nations to contest that order. Indeed, Indigenous nations used the Inquiry to both contest the legitimization of settler sovereignty and accumulation, and press for the capacity to build their own infrastructure and institutions, thereby enacting their decision-making authority. We explore this tension in the context of the contemporary reconciliation discourse, finding the Inquiry’s final recommendations represent an attempt to reify settler sovereignty, while also deepening settler insecurity through the possibilities opened for greater Indigenous self-determination.

Meaningful Positioning

Indigenous women and birthing parents in Canada disproportionately face mistreatment in their maternal healthcare experiences due to systemic anti-Indigenous racism, ongoing harmful impacts of settler colonialism, and power differentials inherent in many healthcare relationships. Indigenous midwives and doulas are important leaders in resisting these conditions and reclaiming traditional Indigenous birth knowledge and practices. Ultimately, they work to uphold Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty. Grounded in an understanding of historical and current challenges regarding Indigenous maternal health, this qualitative study explored how best to situate oneself as a settler researcher and maternal health practitioner to support Indigenous maternal health in a culturally safe, anti-racist manner. In this article, key insights are shared from semi-structured interviews conducted with five prominent Indigenous scholars, midwives and community leaders. These consultants emphasized the central importance of intentional relationships in advancing the reclamation of traditional birth practices and providing culturally safe care, along with the indispensability of Indigenous midwives and doulas in these processes. Consultants also stressed the critical need for increased numbers of, and accessibility to, Indigenous practitioners in communities across the country. Settler practitioners are urged to understand the historical and contemporary impacts of settler colonialism, and the significance of building culturally safe, anti-racist relationships with their Indigenous colleagues and clients.

To Approve or not to Approve? A Comparative Analysis of State-Company-Indigenous Community Interactions in Mining in Canada and Sweden.

This Special Section explores the interplay between Indigenous peoples, industry, and the state in five proposed and active mining projects in Canada and Sweden. The overall aim is to identify factors shaping the quality of Indigenous community-industry-state interactions in mining and mine development. An ambition underlying the research is to develop knowledge to help manage mining related land-use conflicts in Sweden by drawing on Canadian comparisons and experience. This paper synthesizes the comparative research that has been conducted across jurisdictions in three Canadian provinces and Sweden. It focuses on the interplay between the properties of the governance system, the quality of interaction and governance outcomes. We combine institutional and interactive governance theory and use the concept of governability to assess how and why specific outcomes, such as mutually beneficial interaction, collaboration, or opposition, occurred. The analysis suggests there are measures that can be taken by the Swedish Government to improve the governability of mining related issues, by developing alternative, and more effective, avenues to recognize, and protect, Sámi rights and culture, to broaden the scope and increase the legitimacy and transparency of the EIAs, to raise the quality of interaction and consultation, and to develop tools to actively stimulate and support collaboration and partnerships on equal terms. Generally, we argue that Indigenous community responses to mining must be understood within a larger framework of Indigenous self-determination, in particular the communities' own assessments of their opportunities to achieve their long-term objectives using alternative governing modes and types of interactions.

Supporting Inuit food sovereignty through collaborative research of an at-risk caribou herd

IntroductionClimate change is increasing vulnerability to food insecurity and biodiversity loss for many Indigenous Peoples globally. For Inuit, food sovereignty is one expression of Indigenous self-determination, and it includes the right of all Inuit to define their own conservation policies. Caribou conservation is particularly pertinent because of the central role caribou play in Inuit food systems. The “Dolphin and Union” (DU) caribou herd is a critical component of Inuit food systems in the Canadian Arctic and has declined by 89% in 2020 (3,815) from the peak measured by aerial survey in 1997 (34,558).MethodsOur first objective was to identify insights about this herd from and with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (knowledge). Using thematic analysis, we created a collective account on the DU caribou herd through a research partnership among Indigenous knowledge keepers, government, and academia. Our second objective was to put our findings into the broader literature on the DU caribou herd and connect isolated data on their abundance and distribution.ResultsWe found understanding Inuit knowledge of caribou meant situating harvesters’ knowledge within their family history, harvesting methods, conservation ethics, and in relation to other harvesters. Through this framework, we conceptualized Inuit-described metrics of caribou status, resulting in three sub-themes of caribou trends over time – their abundance, distribution, and health, − and ending with conservation concerns and potential actions. The synthesized data indicated that the overall population size increased since ~1990s and then decreased after ~2000s alongside a range contraction. Our results add value to co-management literature by (1) articulating Inuit-described metrics of a population decline that inform continued monitoring and incorporation of these metrics into management planning and (2) synthesizing data from various studies on the DU caribou herd abundance and distribution that assists management to make informed conservation decisions based on Inuit and Western knowledge.DiscussionResults from this research contribute to understanding the six dimensions of environmental health, i.e., availability, stability, accessibility, health and wellness, Inuit culture, and decision-making power and management relating to caribou. The results contribute information that is used by to support environmental health, i.e., knowledge systems, policy, and co-management relating to caribou. Thus, this collaborative research study supports the expression of Inuit food sovereignty through caribou conservation.

University indigenous students' perspectives on climate change and survival of indigenous peoples in Brazil: a concept mapping study.

This study aimed to identify what indigenous university students in Brazil perceived to be important and feasible actions to protect the survival of indigenous peoples from climate change-related impacts. Concept mapping, which is a participatory mixed methodology, was conducted virtually with 20 indigenous students at two universities in Brazil. A focus prompt was developed from consultations with indigenous stakeholders and read "To protect the survival of the Indigenous Peoples from climate change, it is necessary to…". Students brainstormed 46 statements, which they then sorted into clusters based on conceptual similarity. They rated each statement for importance and feasibility. Quantitative multivariate analyses of clusters and ratings were conducted to produce multiple visual maps of perceived actionable priorities. These analyses used the Group Wisdom TM software. Students agreed on 8 clusters that reflect the factors that influence the survival of indigenous peoples-preservation of lands 0.16 (SD 0.13), protection of demarcated lands 0.31 (SD 0.10), indigenous health and wellbeing 0.35 (SD 0.14), ancestral customs 0.46 (SD 0.04), global and national actions 0.61 (SD 0.13), indigenous rights 0.64 (SD 0.23), collective living 0.71 (SD 0.21), and respect 0.75 (SD 0.14). The most actionable priorities are related to the respect for their lands and customs, educational initiatives in schools about the importance of indigenous peoples to society, guarantees for basic health rights, and culturally appropriate provision of care, with specific mention of mental healthcare. The findings aligned closely with the concept of indigenous self-determination, which is rooted in autonomy and respect for cultural diversity, and the right to make decisions that impact their lives, land, and resources.

The Origins and Application of the “Core of Indianness” in Indigenous Labour Relations

This article examines the history of, and legal precedent set by, Four B Manufacturing v. United Garment Workers of America, a 1980 Supreme Court of Canada case involving an Indigenous-owned manufacturing firm that resisted the efforts of its Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers to form a union on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, a reserve in southeastern Ontario. The employer, Four B, contested the jurisdiction of the Ontario Labour Relations Board and argued, unsuccessfully, that as an “Indian enterprise,” its own operations were a matter of federal jurisdiction. We return to the case of Four B for three interrelated reasons. First, we argue that Four B remains relevant because of the ways that the political economy of settler-colonial Canada continues to structure Indigenous enterprises, labour, and employment as ongoing sites of tension. Second, as the inaugural case dealing with the “core of Indianness” – a contested legal concept used by the courts to determine federal jurisdiction over Indigenous labour – this case both set the legal precedent and shaped the subsequent political terrain of Indigenous labour relations. Third, the issues addressed in Four B contextualize recent jurisdictional struggles over Indigenous enterprises, labour, and employment in what we term the “Indigenous public sector” – namely, health care, social services, and First Nations government administration. The article reviews the case history of Four B, setting this against the backdrop of deindustrialization in southeastern Ontario during the period, before tracing how the case influenced the juridical and political landscape of Indigenous labour relations. We close by considering the potential tensions between Indigenous self-determination and the exercise of collective bargaining rights by Indigenous workers.

Unsettling the Conversation on Trans Rights

Abstract This article argues that trans rights are trapped within settler frameworks of gender and rights, therefore making them incompatible with and in opposition to Indigenous lifeways. Starting with the premise that engagement with the settler state is not benign, the authors argue that trans rights-based organizing diverts and thwarts the potential for solidarity work with Indigenous struggles for freedom and is inherently limited in its potential to secure Indigenous futurity. The authors hope that trans studies and collective struggles organized around gender embrace anti-colonial and anti-racist praxis to result in tangible and discursive outcomes to bolster Indigenous cultural continuity and land-based connections. The authors use this article to call for a collective movement toward gender self-determination that is sensitive and reflexive of settler colonialism and produces tangible decolonial actions that will benefit the lives of Indigenous Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people and align with movements for Indigenous self-determination. Queer and trans settlers are urged to begin a process of accountability and to engage a decolonial praxis to support Indigenous decolonization in all its forms—fighting for land claims, defending water and land rights, and supporting the resurgence of Indigenous erotics and gender formations. To be truly decolonial we suggest that trans political organizing moves beyond the settler framework of rights and toward Indigenous solidarity in politics, practices, and shared struggles, foregrounding anti-colonial, anti-racist, and pro-Indigenous values.

Nascent activism in times of disillusionment: struggles between Indigenous self-determination and state co-optation in plurinational Bolivia

The restructuring of the Bolivian state as plurinational raised high hopes for Indigenous self-determination. In practice, however, attempts by the governing political party to co-opt Indigenous representation have compromised the autonomy and diversity of Indigenous peoples. This article investigates the emergence, forms, and rationale of nascent Indigenous activism in times of disillusionment in the plurinational state of Bolivia, where the politics of the governing left regime are becoming more centralized and the threats related to the rise of the ultra-right wing have become pronounced. The methodology is based on interviews conducted in the city of La Paz among Indigenous activists, scholars, and state officials. By scrutinizing nascent activism and the challenges to it posed by state co-optation and right-wing racism, as well as histories of contested Indigenous identities, the article sheds light on the complex and nuanced relationships between progressive politics and indigeneity, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous self-determination.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, national values, and Indigenous self-determination: Australian perspectives

Australia endorsed the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. In 2017, its Senate established a committee to satisfy itself of the goals’ benefits, opportunities, and costs to the country. Although beyond its terms of reference, the committee also found that the goals were consistent with ill-defined national values. This article uses the committee’s report as a framework for assessing the relationship between normative political values and the practical scope that exists for Indigenous self-determination. While prevailing political values mean that such scope is limited, it is also true that when the sustainable development goals are interpreted with reference to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, further possibilities for meaningful independent political influence may be developed. These include the proposal to entrench a First Nations’ Voice to Parliament, which this article presents as reflecting a value of inclusion that is substantively different from the values that the Senate inquiry identified and endorsed.

The cucapáh indigenous group struggle against green colonialism: self-determination & fishing rights

The Cucapáh Indigenous group has lived for 1000 years on the Colorado River Delta area. In Baja California, México, several Cucapáh families are fishermen and women. In this paper I argue two main points: 1 The Cucapáh currently suffer from processes of green colonialism, typical of the dominant neocolonial capitalist system. 2 The struggle for their fishing rights in the Colorado river is their struggle for Indigenous self-determination, which is also intertwined with their struggle for the respect of their communal land possession. This research bases in a qualitative methodology using a grounded theory, composed of in-depth interviews, and participant observation, in the Cucapáh communities of El Mayor Cucapáh, Ejido el Indiviso, and Ejido Cucapáh Mestizo, in Baja California, México, as well as archival research in Mexicali, Baja California, México.

(Re)affirming sovereignty, self-determination, and democratic rights: An analysis of evolving jurisprudence concerning indigenous peoples under international law

This research article delves into the formidable obstacles and struggles that indigenous people encounter as they strive for their rights within the framework of international law. Its broad objective is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the rights indigenous communities demand in contrast to the rights available to them at the international level. The paper focuses on three fundamental rights actively sought by indigenous peoples: indigenous sovereignty, right to self-determination, and democratic rights. To commence, the paper undertakes a thorough examination of the concept of sovereignty and its pertinence to indigenous communities. It analyzes the nature and extent of indigenous sovereignty, considering how the ongoing debate on sovereignty influences the calls for indigenous self-governance. Additionally, it critically evaluates the associated rights that are intrinsically linked to indigenous sovereignty. Following this, the paper explores the notion of self-determination and investigates the interpretations and aspirations of indigenous peoples with regard to this right. It also scrutinizes the right to self-determination within the specific context of indigenous communities. Subsequently, the paper delves into the democratic rights of indigenous peoples as prescribed under international law. It emphasizes the challenges and prospects involved in ensuring democratic participation and representation for indigenous communities. By comprehensively exploring these crucial facets, the authors aim to provide valuable insights into the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in asserting their sovereignty, self-determination, and democratic rights. Moreover, the research also endeavours to contribute to the existing discourse on indigenous rights, shedding light on the evolving nature of international law and its feasibility to address the concerns and aspirations of indigenous communities.

Theorizing a way out of reformist reforms: Gladue reports and penal abolition

One of the central concerns of abolitionists is not falling into the trap of implementing reforms in the criminal punishment system that maintains hegemonic, oppressive power structures. The challenge is determining which reforms lead toward abolition and which are reformist reforms, entrenching the status quo. This critical, narrative study analyzed a reform in Canada, Section 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code (e.g., Gladue), intended to remediate systemic anti-Indigenous racism at sentencing by requiring judges to consider all alternatives to incarceration when sentencing Indigenous peoples. Yet despite the reform in place, Indigenous incarceration rates continue to rise precipitously in Canada. How is it that the Canadian state, even when claiming “remediation,” keeps producing the same—oppressive—result toward Indigenous peoples? Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with judges from the Ontario Court of Justice ( n = 12) and Gladue report writers ( n = 9) about the utility of Gladue reports. The findings indicate that Gladue is mostly a reformist reform. The article theorizes that a way out of the reformist reform of Gladue, toward abolition, is through honoring Indigenous self-determination and providing reparations in support of Indigenous-led justice.

Mapping pandemic responses in urban Indigenous Australia: Reflections on systems thinking and pandemic preparedness

ObjectivesWe investigate some of the strengths and challenges associated with Covid-19 responses in urban Indigenous communities in Brisbane, Australia. Our research reflects on the interconnected dynamics that impact health outcomes and mitigate or exacerbate the risk of Covid-19 spreading within urban Indigenous communities. MethodsThree systems thinking workshops were held in 2021 with Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders (N15/workshop) from State and Federal services, along with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. All worked in the urban Indigenous health sector. Stakeholders produced a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) incorporating the critical feedbacks determining the dynamics influencing health outcomes. The aim of the research was to help stakeholders’ build awareness of how the structure of the system influences health outcomes. ResultsStakeholders identified 6 key dynamics which have a negative or positive impact on mitigating risks of Covid-19 infection. By mapping these dynamics within a CLD, 7 intervention points were identified. ConclusionsSystems thinking provides a useful tool in identifying the complexities associated with navigating health challenges, but further research is needed to develop frameworks that work in conjunction with Indigenous Australian methodologies. Implications for public healthIndigenous voices and communities must lie central to health responses/policies for Indigenous peoples. When systems thinking is done by or in collaboration with stakeholders it provides a visual language that can help design public health policy. What can be ascertained is that their effectiveness is predicated on systems thinking’s integration with Indigenous methodologies that acknowledges Indigenous self-determination and challenges Eurocentric representations of health and Indigeneity.

Ungovernable Counter-Conduct: Ivan Illich’s Critique of Governmentality

Within Michel Foucault’s own conceptualization of governmentality, there is little room for something like ‘ungovernable life’. The latter seems to hint at a form of social conduct beyond power-relations, which would offend Foucault’s basic philosophical postulates. I argue that this identification between governmentality and power as such demonstrates a one-sided focus on the history of Western power-relations. By opposing Foucault’s genealogy of governmentality to Ivan Illich’s critical history of government, I delineate indigenous struggles against governmentalization as a form of ungovernable counter-conduct. Throughout his books from the 1970s to 1990s, Illich wrote a critical history of government surprisingly similar to Foucault’s, from the pastorate to modern political economy. However, rather than merely describing this history, Illich argued governmentalization alienated human beings from their autonomy. As a former missionary priest, he criticized the Church’s and modern governments’ attempts to subsume populations under a conduct of conducts. He advocated anticolonial resistance to subsumption under Western governmental regimes. In Illich’s appreciation of decolonized life, an ungovernable form of life can be discovered, which I defend with the example of Zapatismo and indigenous self-government through mandar obedeciendo.

Looking to the Future

This article explores the concept of Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS) in Canada, examining its barriers, resources, implementation, and policy implications. While not an exhaustive list of all IDS-related policies, the article focuses on key definitions, successful implementations, support programs and resources, and outdated policies that hinder IDS and Indigenous governance practices. Through a First Nations lens, the paper highlights the importance of Indigenous People's control over data and knowledge about their communities and lands. It discusses the challenges of implementing IDS within non-Indigenous organizations and communities, including financial constraints and the influence of colonial policies. The article also addresses the impact of IDS on Indigenous self-determination, emphasizing the need for government and educational institutions to support IDS practices. Additionally, it explores the First Nations' principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP) as an example of successful IDS implementations. The paper acknowledges the role of data sovereignty in reconciliation frameworks and highlights resources such as the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) that advocate for IDS and Indigenous self-governance. The conclusion emphasizes the ongoing need for support, collaboration, and the mobilization of UNDRIP and TRC frameworks to ensure the success of IDS and the amendment of colonial policies.

Role of Self-Determination in Health and Wellness: A qualitative study with Indigenous youth health leaders across Canada

This work centers the voices of Indigenous young people to explore how they are defining and enacting self-determination, and how these expressions of self-determination influence the wellness of these young people and their communities. Thematic analysis was used to analyze 15 interviews with Indigenous young people about how they understood wellness in the context of their community work. Interview transcripts were analyzed to understand how young people conceptualized and enacted self-determination and its relationship to wellness, and to identify underlying connections to Indigenous self-determination theory. Results indicate that Indigenous young people define and enact self-determination through traditional healing and embracing cultural wellness practices; through sharing lived experience and meeting people where they are at; and. through community inclusion and intuitive practice.  Implications for researchers, policymakers, and care providers who work with Indigenous young people are considered.