Indigenous Self-determination Research Articles

You Can Sit with Us, but under Our Terms: The Recognition of Indigenous Self-Determination by Nation-States throughout the Abya Yala

In this paper I discuss Indigenous self-determination in our continent (the Abya Yala and Turtle Island) and how most nation-states address this issue from a standpoint of “you can sit with us, but under our terms.” This position preaches the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in society, but only under the western liberal standard of assimilation, characteristic of neoliberal and neocolonial capitalism. I argue that Indigenous self-determination, based in Indigenous, decolonial and Marxist thought, includes two elements: the right to effectively exercise autonomy in their communities, and the right to participate in decision-making in the nation-state. I then demonstrate that less than a third of the countries in the continent formally recognize Indigenous self-determination in their Constitutions, and that most nation-states with formal recognition only include one of the two elements of Indigenous self-determination, with almost no existing mechanisms in place allowing Indigenous groups to effectively exercise it.

Ngā Kaupapa Wawata me Uara: a narrative review exploring Tiriti o Waitangi-centred population health programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand

Globally, Indigenous Peoples experience widespread health inequities. Treaties provide a potential framework to uphold Indigenous rights and progress health equity. Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi) established the relationship between Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand), and the British Crown. Grounded in Kaupapa Māori theory, this literature review used an Indigeneity-Grounded Analysis (IGA) policy lens to identify four characteristics of Tiriti-centred population health programmes: whanaungatanga (relationships), pro-equity actions, Te Ao Māori (Māori worldviews), and accountability. Although the evidence-base is emergent, a rights-based approach identifies the centrality of Indigenous self-determination, structural and system transformation, and freedom from discrimination. Indigenous knowledge provides the foundation for treaty-centered policy supportive of Indigenous rights and health equity.

Assessing Compliance with Indigenous Self-Determination Standards: A Comparative Analysis of Chile, Colombia, and Mexico

Recent advancements have been observed in the global legal framework, particularly in the recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights, among which the right to self-determination stands out. This right encompasses the ability to define their political status and to pursue economic, social, and cultural development autonomously. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has identified six criteria to evaluate adherence to these rights. This study aims to assess the progress made by Chile, Colombia, and Mexico in meeting these criteria. Employing a non-experimental, cross-sectional, and exploratory research design, the study utilized a questionnaire based on a Likert scale to gather data from residents of Indigenous communities within the three countries under consideration to measure the perception that these individuals have regarding the compliance with the six standards of the IACHR, and specific questions have been designed based on the content of each standard. Once the degree of self-determination is understood, a multivariate analysis technique (Principal Component Analysis) will be used to compare the level of progress by country. The data collection instruments were applied in 2023 (September/November), with the results processed and the final report drafted in early 2024. Findings suggest that the criterion most adequately met is that of cultural identity and non-discrimination, whereas the criterion pertaining to the right to prior, free, and informed consultation and consent is the least fulfilled. Through principal component analysis, it was noted that Colombia exhibits a higher level of compliance with the right to self-determination, followed by Mexico, with Chile demonstrating a divergence and lagging in progress. The study concludes that a significant challenge for these countries lies in continuing efforts to effectively meet these standards and ensure the right to self-determination for Indigenous and tribal peoples.

Searching for Justice: Indigenous Self-Determination over the Landfill Search as a Matter of Justice for MMIWG2S

“Search the Landfill” is an Indigenous-led movement for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) which originated through Indigenous resistance to police racism in Winnipeg, Canada. The movement calls upon all levels of government to support and execute the search of the Prairie Green Landfill, just north of the City of Winnipeg, to recover the bodies of at least two of four First Nations women who were murdered in early 2022 at the hands of a white male serial killer. Through an analysis of the news articles, press releases, and reports, this paper explores the way in which Indigenous leaders resisted and rewrote the discourses that surrounded the search. By at once condemning the Winnipeg Police Service’s refusal to search the landfill and rejecting police authority and control over the decision-making process, Indigenous women who became the leaders of this movement crafted the space to articulate for themselves how and why the search must be done as a matter of Indigenous rights. This paper explores how Indigenous leadership offers glimpses of what a decolonizing approach to justice may look like in cases of MMIWG2S and which, in turn, invites further opportunities to problematize, subvert, and move beyond the Western legal norms and traditions.

Self-government, Social Change, and Conflict in Oxchuc, Chiapas: The Long Road of Internal War in an Indigenous Mexican Municipality

During the 2015 post-electoral conflict in the municipality of Oxchuc, Chiapas, came the demand for the election of municipal authorities through its own internal regulatory system. After going through several phases, proponents of change in electoral proceedings obtained legal recognition for Indigenous self-government. This achievement led to an interlude in the long history of political conflict and social change in the municipality. In this article we examine the contemporary history, processes, and recent political developments in the municipality of Oxchuc, which led to institutional recognition of this municipality’s self-government.

The global implementation of UNDRIP: a thematic review

ABSTRACT Following almost 25 years of work, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007. UNDRIP has been widely recognised as an authoritative statement of human rights norms concerning Indigenous peoples around the world. However, meaningful implementation of UNDRIP has been slow. To better understand the pace and challenges facing implementation, we identify and analyze four key recurring themes that emerge from the growing literature on this topic. This includes (1) Indigenous self-determination versus state autonomy as a driver of potential conflict; (2) the meaning of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the context of UNDRIP; (3) the nexus between land, culture, and self-determination; and (4) Western/Global North influence over non-Western/Global South state implementation of UNDRIP. We examine several specific examples from across the globe to reveal the continuities and discontinuities across these four themes. The article concludes by offering ideas on how the limits of the present study and wider literature on UNDRIP might be rectified. That is, by incorporating a greater number of Indigenous perspectives on UNDRIP and adding more studies of governance and implementation challenges encountered in countries located in the Global South.

Who addresses pollution? Relationships among actors and grant money for waste management efforts in remote Alaskan communities

This study discusses waste-related issues in remote Alaskan villages, focusing on the relationships between the support providers, such as government officials and nonprofits, and the indigenous people, from the perspective of self-determination. With the increasing volume and variety of waste generated by recent lifestyle changes, health and environmental issues have become growing concerns. Each village is responsible for waste management and operating a disposal site. However, challenges exist regarding the current waste management regime, highlighting the importance of grant-funded initiatives and support from non-profit organizations. Based on interviews with supporters and observations of the negotiation process between supporters and indigenous people, this study analyzes the grants and collaborative efforts in Alaska. Through grants and collaborative initiatives, the assimilation of indigenous people into mainstream society is inevitable, although efforts to respect indigenous self-determination and communication are ongoing and serve as a framework for bridging the gap between the waste regime and status quo. However, two unsolved issues remain: the “support-in-waiting” dilemma, and the issues arising from the social, economic, and geographical diversity among settlements. The balance between respect for self-determination in environmental governance and provision of support extending beyond equality of opportunity will be the key to future relationships.

Decolonizing decolonization projects: neoliberalism, Indigenous services, and Indigenous strategic change in Taiwan and Canada

ABSTRACT This article argues that though decolonization is an ongoing struggle globally, neoliberalism blunts the impacts of state and institutional decolonization projects. Drawing on the literature and three examples, the article explores the unintended consequences of decolonizing efforts in human services and universities, specifically how they reinforce neoliberalism and perpetuate aspects of ongoing colonialism. The analysis shows that adherence to managerial metrics and logics erases important aspects of decolonization such as Indigenous self-determination, sovereignty, and cultural safety. The article identifies five elements that should be present if decolonization is to be advanced decisively and shows that in each example, neoliberalism is foregrounded rather than the sovereignty of Indigenous people. We conclude that the examples analysed are a form of neoliberal colonialism rather than colonialism’s undoing.

Navigating Indigenous Data Sovereignty: A Decolonizing Approach to Understanding Opioid Use Amongst First Nations in Manitoba

First Nations (FN) and Indigenous Peoples around the world face significant challenges in navigating the complexities of Western research systems, particularly in the context of data sovereignty and research about their people and communities; the same can be said for Western researchers navigating Indigenous research space. We examine the intersection of Western research and FN data to explore opioid use amongst FN in Manitoba and highlight the ethical imperative of utilizing decolonizing frameworks when working with Indigenous data. Indigenous researchers led a retrospective cohort study linking the Manitoba FN research file to population-level data held at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We centred Indigenous voices, knowledge, protocols, and contextually informed interpretation and fostered meaningful partnerships with academic researchers to ensure we utilized robust statistical methods while prioritizing community-driven questions, needs, and aspirations. Study period from 2015 to 2019 and included all Manitobans eligible for Manitoba Health Services. We found downward trends in opioid-related use, dispensation, hospitalization, and mortality rates for both FN and all other Manitobans (AOM), but a significant gap was found between FN and AOM for most indicators. Indigenous governance, ownership, engagement, collaboration, reciprocity, and respect for cultural and intellectual property rights are key concepts in ethical research practices that prioritize Indigenous self-determination and data sovereignty. We underscore the transformative potential of Indigenous-led research and use of decolonizing frameworks in fostering community empowerment to address opioid use in First Nation communities. We upheld the rights of Indigenous peoples to govern their data and undertake their own research.

Land-based resistance: Enacting Indigenous self-determination and kai sovereignty

This article outlines the role of land relations in the advancement of food sovereignty in the settler colonial context of Aotearoa New Zealand by exploring how land-based anti-colonial resistance movements, including the recent #ProtectIhumātao campaign, can inform food system transformation. First, this article draws on theories of Indigenous food sovereignty, land sovereignty, and critical property theory to argue that in settler colonial contexts, food sovereignty movements must take a critical approach to questions of the state and sovereignty, property relations, and Indigenous struggles for territorial authority and self-determination. Drawing on land-based resistance movements which have included food production as a method of reclamation, this article further proposes a need to understand food sovereignty in the Aotearoa context as firmly grounded in Māori land sovereignty and territorial authority. Finally, this article explores how the struggle to protect Ihumātao ruptured the seemingly settled nature of property relations and state sovereignty, opening space for the articulation of new modes of land governance and new constitutional arrangements more conducive to Māori aspirations for land management and stewardship—including food sovereignty.

Indigenous Public History: Cherbourg’s Marching Girls

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in the co-creation of public histories involving Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous researchers. We focus on our work with the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg in southeast Queensland and our work with women Elders to research and tell the story of the Cherbourg Marching Girls, teams of young women who represented their community in competitive and exhibition marching from 1957 to 1962. This multi-faceted project led to the publication of a book – Marching with a Mission: Cherbourg’s Marching Girls (2022). We reflect on the ways that we strove throughout the project to adhere to ethical protocols, moral obligations, and Indigenous research methodologies. The lens for this analysis is the Research Ethics Framework published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in 2020. This framework is based on four interwoven principles that emphasize responsibilities on researchers and projects to help ensure the ethical integrity of Indigenous research and outcomes: Indigenous self-determination, Indigenous leadership, Impact and value, and Sustainability and accountability. We conclude that the Research Ethics Framework provides important guidelines to help non-Indigenous scholars privilege Indigenous community ways of being, doing and knowing in collaborating about their sporting pasts.

Planetary media: Decolonizing the space industry through Indigenous ownership

The colonial relationship between Indigenous people and people of European origin has been characterized by conflicts, economic exclusions, and epistemological discriminations as well as the mutual sharing of knowledge, practices, and technologies. In many cases, the industrial development of space technologies such as telescopes and rocket test sites has continued the exploitative nature of colonialism. This article, however, offers a different story and concept of Indigenous decolonization that is not antagonistic but complementary to the space industry and Western liberalism more generally. The case is Space Enterprises, a company and Earth station owned by the Center for Appropriate Technologies in Alice Springs, Northern Territories, Australia and conceived by its Aboriginal owners, workers, and board of directors as representing a beneficial integration of their Indigenous self-determination and the space industry. This essay offers synthetic decolonization as an example of this integration with Western liberalism. Understanding the flows between the Indigenous-owned Earth station and satellites, as well as the connections between Indigenous and Western liberal planetary imaginaries, requires a theory of mediation. Towards that goal, planetary media is offered as a way of conceptualizing the flows of information between local Indigenous and planetary spaces and imaginaries. This essay argues that another decolonization is possible, one based on mediation between Indigenous and Western liberal systems of thought.

When the past meets the future: Latin American Indigenous futures, transitional justice and global energy governance

This article proposes a transitional energy justice framework to analyse a "green" transition and offers recommendations to transform the realities of the lives of Indigenous Peoples in Latin America. We share our perspectives as mestiza, Wapichan and Kichwa women through narratives. In the discussion, we compare previous research on environmental and energy justice to identify the ways in which global energy governance can implement fairer and more equitable projects in the future, such as respect for land tenure and more-than-human beings. Additionally, temporality and relationality act as tools for global energy governance institutions. Temporality in transitional energy justice has to do with healing historical violence across generations, whereas relationality means building respectful relationships with each involved Indigenous community. The article concludes by providing policy recommendations that emphasise strengthening local governance – deep engagement of state and non-state actors with each community – along with international policy-making to prevent energy-related negative externalities and legislation to facilitate Indigenous self-determination to build their futures.

Integrating Indigenous Knowledge in South African Geography Education Curricula for Social Justice and Decolonization

This paper analyzes the integration of indigenous knowledge into South African geography education as an intersection of social justice and decolonial imperatives. Historically, colonial education systems have marginalized indigenous epistemologies by privileging Western knowledge as universally superior. Integrating indigenous perspectives into curricula can counter this legacy by promoting cognitive justice and unsettling Eurocentric dominance. However, meaningful integration requires moving beyond superficial additions of indigenous elements within unchanged Western-centric curricula as this risks appropriating indigenous knowledge in disempowering ways. The paper argued that ethical integration necessitates recentring indigenous knowledge systems in their own right alongside Western frameworks to enact pluralistic, horizontal cognitive frameworks. A qualitative literature analysis identified key themes around recognizing indigenous epistemologies, dismantling enduring hierarchies, and developing responsible community-centred integration processes. While systemic constraints pose barriers, integrating indigenous perspectives into geography education holds the transformative potential to advance both social justice inclusion aims and decolonial decentralization agendas. This convergence provides opportunities to develop anti-oppressive curricula that empower marginalized knowledge and ontologies. However, realization requires extensive efforts to sustain reflexivity and enable indigenous self-determination over knowledge. Ultimately, the paper underscored that indigenous knowledge integration must move beyond tokenism towards fundamentally transforming education systems through ethical, empowering processes grounded in partnerships with indigenous communities. This is vital for nurturing students able to navigate the world through plural epistemologies and enacting both social justice and decolonial futures. Keywords: Indigenous Knowledge, Decoloniality, Social justice, Geography Education

The governance of the SAMINOR Study and integration of the CARE principles

ABSTRACT The SAMINOR Study represents a unique data collection on health and diseases among the multiethnic population – including the Sámi population in Norway – making it a case study for discussing Sámi research data governance in a health context. This article describes how Sámi interests and needs in the SAMINOR Study are governed by two steps of a research application review process consisting of the SAMINOR project board and the Sámi Expert Ethical Committee for Sámi Health Research. We explore how these two steps align with the CARE principles for Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics, which are global principles for Indigenous data governance and promote Indigenous data sovereignty. The CARE principles stress the importance of Indigenous self-determination and control, tangible benefits, ethical use, and the promotion of Indigenous values and equity. We found compliance between most of the main and sub- principles but observed the need to address reuse and data sharing more explicitly. The CARE principles do not consider ownership of research data, which for the SAMINOR study is outside of Sámi people's control, hence we question whether Indigenous data sovereignty is achieved for the SAMINOR data.

Mexican State’s interpretation of indigenous self-determination in the age of democracy (1992-2022)

This article charts how Mexican authorities have interpreted and implemented indigenous peoples’ constitutional right to self-determination since it was first adopted in a 1992 constitutional reform. “Self determination” can mean many things, and the constitution gives stakeholders ample discretion to define and negotiate the content of this right. Most state legislatures initially passed “indigenous culture laws” starting in the late 1990s. The state of Oaxaca also amended its electoral procedure code to allow municipalities with a majority of indigenous residents to elect the members of their local governments through community assemblies (instead of the “political party system”). In the last five years, courts have further expanded electoral protections for indigenous communities by mandating that federal and state electoral Institutes implement quotas reserved for indigenous candidates in legislative elections. The application of indigenous self-determination has thus gone from being handled by state legislatures to being the province of federal electoral courts. The prevailing interpretation of self-determination has shifted from self-determination as self-government to it being understood as special legislative representation.

Indigenous self-determination in fisheries governance: implications from New Zealand and Atlantic Canada

Indigenous self-determination in fisheries governance: implications from New Zealand and Atlantic Canada

“How About Being Trustworthy Rather Than Asking Families to Trust?”: A Prerequisite for Child Protection Authorities Partnering with Indigenous Communities

Australia’s Indigenous children are 12 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be in out-of-home care, a rate that has been increasing. Since 2009, government policies have committed to keeping children safe in families through support, early intervention, and Indigenous self-determination. Action has not matched policy. Quantitative and qualitative survey data from third parties (n = 29 Indigenous and n = 358 non-Indigenous) are analysed with a view to understanding expectations and visions for reform. Third parties expressed distrust and resistance toward child protection authorities. Indigenous third parties more so. Achieving reform objectives depends on child protection authorities initiating relational repair with third parties through addressing ritualism, implementing policy and investing in genuine partnering. Indigenous third parties, in addition, identified institutional racism and cultural disrespect as obstacles to reform.

Nature Prescriptions and Indigenous Peoples: A Qualitative Inquiry in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

Nature prescription programs have become more common within healthcare settings. Despite the health benefits of being in nature, nature prescriptions within the context of Indigenous Peoples have received little attention. We therefore sought to answer the following question: What are circumpolar-based physicians' and Indigenous Elders' views on nature prescribing in the Northwest Territories, Canada? We carried out thirteen semi-structured interviews with physicians between May 2022 and March 2023, and one sharing circle with Indigenous Elders in February 2023. Separate reflexive thematic analysis was carried out to generate key themes through inductive coding of the data. The main themes identified from the physician interviews included the importance of cultural context; barriers with nature prescriptions in the region; and the potential for nature prescriptions in the North. Reflections shared by the Elders included the need for things to be done in the right way; the sentiment that the Land is not just an experience but a way of life; and the importance of traditional food as a connection with Nature. With expanding nature prescription programs, key considerations are needed when serving Indigenous communities. Further investigation is warranted to ensure that nature prescriptions are appropriate within a given context, are inclusive of supporting Land-based approaches to health and wellbeing, and are considered within the context of Indigenous self-determination.

Funding the pandemic response for Indigenous Peoples: an equity-based analysis of COVID-19 using a Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) Indigenous lens tool

ABSTRACT This study examines the allocation of COVID-19 funding for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States during the pandemic’s first wave. Indigenous communities, already facing health disparities, systemic discrimination, and historical forces of colonisation, found themselves further vulnerable to the virus. Analysing the funding policies of these countries, we employed a Health Equity Impact Assessment (HEIA) tool and an Indigenous Lens Tool supplement to evaluate potential impacts. Our results identify three major funding equity issues: unique health and service needs, socioeconomic disparities, and limited access to community and culturally safe health services. Despite efforts for equitable funding, a lack of meaningful consultation led to shortcomings, as seen in Canada’s state of emergency declaration and legal disputes in the United States. New Zealand stood out for integrating Māori perspectives, showcasing the importance of consultation. The study calls for a reconciliation-minded path, aligning with Truth and Reconciliation principles, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and evolving government support. The paper concludes that co-creating equitable funding policies grounded in Indigenous knowledge requires partnership, meaningful consultation, and organisational cultural humility. Even in emergencies, these measures ensure responsiveness and respect for Indigenous self-determination.