Indigenous Stakeholders Research Articles

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.

Factors affecting the integration of cultural values into evaluation: Indigenous perspectives

Background: The debates about embedding cultural evaluative values into evaluation activities have been more dominant among indigenous evaluators in recent years. African indigenous evaluators now hold the view that the continent’s mainstream evaluation theories, studies, and practices are profoundly founded in Euro-American ideals and tend to exclude Afrocentric evaluation philosophies.Objectives: This article discusses some of the obstacles in the integration of indigenous evaluation values into contemporary evaluation theories and methods in Ghana and Africa at large. It describes how Afrocentric ideas, values, norms, relational patterns, and other cultural realities are rooted in evaluation methods, theories, and practices that are often neglected.Method: Using a qualitative strategy of inquiry grounded in multiple case studies and an indigenously responsive evaluation approach, this article identified and analysed several challenges associated with cultural integration in the evaluation. Several research themes were discussed, including indigenous relational networks, indigenous stakeholders’ participation, indigenous information gathering, feedback mechanisms, and the challenges of integrating cultural values into evaluation activities. This article drew from empirical, existing, and documentary data.Results: This article identified five challenges associated with cultural integration in evaluation activities including indigenous cultural guilt, power dependency, globalisation and localisation, post-colonial legacies, revenue, and urbanisation. This article highlighted that indigenous evaluative values stem from social interactions and relational networks, influenced by exogenous and endogenous factors.Conclusion: This article concludes that there are several ethical and notional challenges that arise while attempting to incorporate indigenous evaluation values and other socio-cultural philosophies into evaluation theories, methods, and practices.Contribution: To generate effective and efficient evaluation measurements and outcomes, a synergy between Afrocentric and Euro-American evaluation methodologies, conceptions, and practices would broaden evaluation processes and activities while also deepening the discourse on ‘Made in Africa’ evaluation.

A World Fit for the Next Seven Generations: Upholding Indigenous Rights for the Foundation of a Sustainable Future

Using the ‘Next Seven Generations’ as a conceptual framework, this article highlights Indigenous perspectives on sustainability and intergenerational responsibility in response to the A World Fit for Children declaration report. Through an analysis of Indigenous children's rights, the article emphasizes the importance of recognizing Indigenous land sovereignty in fostering a sustainable future for all children. Additionally, the disparate impacts of climate change on Indigenous children, lands, and resources will be explored with proposed mitigation strategies. The authors argue that upholding Indigenous rights can lead to improved outcomes in protecting the earth for children and stress the benefits of a rights-informed approach. Challenges and opportunities in implementing recommendations from child rights frameworks are explored, advocating for collaboration between Indigenous communities and stakeholders. In conclusion, sustained efforts are urged to create a world fit for the next seven generations of children by adopting a rights-informed approach to environmental protection. Keywords: Indigenous Childhoods, Children’s Rights, Environmental Protection, Sustainability

Climate change and mental health of Indigenous peoples living in their territory: a concept mapping study.

The alarming increase in annual deforestation rates has had devastating consequences in climate change, and it is affecting Indigenous people, who depend entirely on the land for survival and has also weakened the rainforest's crucial role in stabilizing the global climate. Recognizing and respecting Indigenous people's needs and social, economic, and historical conditions influence health and healthcare. This study aimed to conduct online concept mapping workshops with university students to identify perceived important and feasible actions for improving the mental health of Indigenous people living in their territory in association with climate change. Concept mapping, 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 improve the mental health of Indigenous peoples in their territory during climate change crises, it is necessary to…." University students organized 42 unique statements in 6 clusters that cover a wide range of topics: family support, 0.68 (SD 0.19); respect and understanding, 0.37 (SD 0.08); improvement actions, 0.52 (SD 0.07); public policies in favor of Indigenous people's mental health, 0.24 (0.09); health actions, 0.15 (SD 0.08); Indigenous training in health and its importance in improving mental health 0.32 (SD 0.07). These clusters range from community initiatives, public policies, health actions, and strengthening professional services in Indigenous communities. These all provide numerous concrete ideas for developing interventions designed to address mental health challenges associated with climate change.

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.

Experiences of Indigenous Patients Receiving Dialysis: Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

Indigenous People suffer a high burden of kidney disease. Those receiving maintenance dialysis have worse outcomes compared with similarly treated non-Indigenous patients. We characterized the experiences of Indigenous patients receiving dialysis in British-colonized countries to gain insights into which aspects of kidney care may benefit from improvement. A systematic review of published qualitative interview studies. Indigenous Peoples aged 18 years and over, receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis in British-colonized countries. Search terms for Indigenous Peoples, dialysis, and qualitative research were entered into Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL and searched from inception to January 5,2023. Characteristics of each study were extracted into Microsoft Excel for quality assessment. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. The analysis included 28 studies involving 471 participants from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. We identified four themes: centrality of family and culture (continuing dialysis for family, gaining autonomy through shared involvement, balancing primary responsibility to care for family); marginalization due to structural and social inequities (falling through gaps in primary care intensifying shock, discriminated against and judged by specialists, alienated and fearful of hospitals, overwhelmed by travel, financial and regimental burdens); vulnerability in accessing health care (need for culturally responsive care, lack of language interpreters, without agency in decision-making, comorbidities compounding complexity of self-management); and distress from separation from community (disenfranchisement and sorrow when away for dialysis, inability to perpetuate cultural continuity, seeking a kidney transplant). We only included articles published in English. Indigenous patients receiving dialysis experience inequities in health care that compound existing accessibility issues caused by colonization. Improving the accessibility and cultural responsiveness of dialysis and kidney transplant services in collaboration with Indigenous stakeholders holds promise to enhance the experience of Indigenous patients receiving dialysis. Worldwide Indigenous populations suffer a high incidence of chronic disease leading to lower life expectancy, particularly for kidney disease, an insidious condition requiring long-term dialysis treatment. By listening to Indigenous dialysis patients' stories, we hoped to understand how to improve their experience. We gathered 28 qualitative research studies from four countries reporting Indigenous adults' experiences of dialysis. They described lacking awareness of kidney disease, poor access to health services, systemic racism, inadequate cultural safety, and being dislocated from family, community, and culture. These findings indicate that respectful collaboration with Indigenous Peoples to craft and implement policy changes holds promise to improve prevention, integrate culturally responsive health care practices, and provide better access to local dialysis services and opportunities for kidney transplants.

Considerations for Designing Indigenous Coach Education

This study used a participatory action research approach to explore the criteria for collaboratively designing culturally relevant Indigenous coach education with Indigenous sport stakeholders from Nova Scotia, Canada. Fourteen Mi’kmaw sport stakeholders, including six coaches (three men and three women), seven administrators (five men and two women), and one Elder (man), participated in the study through methods including online semistructured interviews, unstructured interviews, and focus group discussions to explore their perspectives of how to develop culturally relevant Indigenous coach education. The findings suggest the purpose of designing culturally relevant Indigenous coach education is to enhance cultural pride and support Indigenous coach development. Participants believed these objectives could be fulfilled by addressing topics such as Mi’kmaq culture and history, as well as colonialism. The preferred methods of delivering content included facilitating experiences, storytelling, and mentoring. The findings are interpreted relative to the Calls to Action advanced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, as well as the existing literature on Indigenous coaching and learning. Finally, the Mi’kmaq framework of two-eyed seeing is used to advocate for the bridging of Indigenous and Western perspectives, as a means of decolonizing coach education.

Impact on stakeholders of a cultural adaptation of a social and emotional well-being intervention in an Aboriginal community.

Australian Indigenous people conceptualise health broadly as situated within a social and emotional well-being (SEWB) framework. A consultation process with an Aboriginal community revealed that the fundamental principles of the population wide, community-based Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion Campaign were consistent with Aboriginal people's understanding of SEWB and that a cultural adaptation of the Campaign would be welcomed in the community. The purpose of this paper is to present key stakeholders' feedback on the Campaign adaptation. Two years after implementation of the Campaign, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of n = 18 Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders to identify ongoing issues in the community and assess their reactions to the Campaign implementation and perceptions of the effects of the Campaign on the community. The two primary factors influencing stakeholder acceptance of the Campaign in the community were (i) the nature of the consultation process that clearly acknowledged that it was for the community to decide whether or not to adopt the Campaign and (ii) the ability of the Aboriginal Project Manager to gain the trust of the community, bring stakeholders together and illustrate the Act-Belong-Commit principles in her actions in the community. Stakeholders reported observing social and emotional well-being benefits for individuals, their families and the whole community. Overall, the results suggest that the Act-Belong-Commit mental health promotion Campaign can be successfully culturally adapted as a community-based, social and emotional well-being Campaign in Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities. SO WHAT?: The Act-Belong-Commit cultural adaptation in Roebourne provides an evidence-based best practice model for the development of culturally appropriate mental health promotion campaigns in Indigenous communities around Australia.

AN ANALYTICAL REVIEW OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR VACCINATION IN NIGERIA

Once in a while in world health history, endemic and/or pandemic occurs, killing people in great numbers and drawing back the pace of world development especially the developing countries. The origin of this devastating health condition could be traced to the Antonine Plague also known as Plague of Galen, which occurred between 165 – 180AD in Rome, where up to five million people were believed to have been killed by either smallpox or measles. In the recent time, developing countries including Nigeria’s economy have been set backward by pandemics, the last of it is the COVID-19 pandemic, which was argued in this paper to have been intentionally manufactured in the lab for defined objectives. Africa is among the prime target destination, but unfortunately, it did not happen as planned. The paper therefore, seeks to understand what was behind the survival of Nigerians in the midst of the pandemic and the justification for the vaccination. The study adopted the phenomenological and exploratory designs and our arguments were hinged on the propositions of the Social Theory of pandemic. Data were from the primary and secondary sources and were analysed using content analysis. The study concluded that the uncommon spread and low death rate in Nigeria and Africa is as a result of our natural body defense and ecological factors. So, it was recommended that indigenous critical stakeholders in the health sector should be engaged to source for local vaccine while we put a stop to the administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine or make it a matter of choice based on the uncommon spread and reports of blood clot.

Abstract 140: The Incidence Of Stroke In Indigenous Populations Of Countries With A Very High Human Development Index: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Despite known socioeconomic and health disparities affecting Indigenous populations in developed countries, stroke incidence data are sparse. With Indigenous Advisory Board oversight, we undertook a systematic review to compare Indigenous with non-Indigenous stroke incidence rates in countries with a very high Human Development Index (HDI). Methods: We identified population-based stroke incidence studies published from 1990-2022 in Indigenous adult populations of developed countries using PubMed, EMBASE and Global Health databases, without language restriction. We excluded non-peer-reviewed sources, studies with <10 Indigenous people, or studies not covering a 35-64 year minimum age range. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts, and extracted data. We assessed quality using "ideal" criteria for population-based stroke incidence studies, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for risk of bias, and CONSIDER criteria for Indigenous research. Results: Among 13,041 publications, 24 studies (19 full text, 5 abstracts) from 7 countries met inclusion criteria. Compared with respective non-Indigenous populations (Fig 1), age-standardised incidence rates were greater in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (ratios ranging from 1.7-3.2), American Indians (1.2), Sámi of Sweden/Norway (1.08-2.14), and Singaporean Malay (1.7-1.9), with higher rate ratios at younger ages. Studies had substantial heterogeneity in design and risk of bias. Few investigators reported Indigenous stakeholder involvement. Conclusions: In countries with a very high HDI, available data suggest marked disparities in stroke incidence in Indigenous populations, although there are gaps in data availability and quality. Indigenous stakeholder involvement in studies is infrequently reported. A greater understanding of stroke incidence in these populations is imperative for informing effective societal responses.

Achieving Equity in Graduation Rates and Other Indicators of Success for Indigenous Learners in Canada

This research project was designed to attend to inequity for Indigenous students, communities, and knowledges in a northern British Columbian district. The aims of the article are to share the systemic and individual transformation for Indigenous learners and their families based on the strengths and barriers they perceive in the system. Presented here are the results of extensive engagement with students, parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and Indigenous communities that have led to novel practical approaches to governance, policy, programmatic design, and practice in a mainstream school district, resulting in improved school experiences for Indigenous learners. Through this research we illuminate the voices of Indigenous students and show how they guided the pursuit of equity in a Canadian school district. We examined the unconscious colonial agenda to understand how it emerges visibly and invisibly in a given context (Louie, 2020), while simultaneously creating distinct responses emerging from the teachings of Indigenous stakeholders and rights holders. Internal and external pressures on school districts often result in urgent demands for transformation, or at minimum, the urgent shift in perception of transformation (Daigle, 2019), but real and sustaining change cannot be rushed, borrowed, or created in isolation from the rest of the system.

Understanding local ecosystem dynamics in three provinces of the lowlands of Nepal

Incidences of failure of sustainable ecosystem management policies, especially in the developing world are partly attributable due to a lack of political will and inadequate understanding of ecosystem dynamics (ED) at the local levels. In this study, we endeavor to comprehend the dynamics of two ecosystems – forest and agriculture – by employing a resource-friendly participatory approach based on stake-taking the experiences of indigenous and forest-dependent local stakeholders in three lowland provinces of Nepal and is guided by the theory of socio-ecological concept. An in-depth survey (n = 136) was conducted using semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interviews (n = 9), and focus group discussions (n = 4) for data generation, and generalized linear models were used to test whether understanding of ED is uniform across the socio-ecological landscape. We identified that various attributes of forests and agricultural ecosystems have altered substantially earlier than 30 years (hereafter, earlier decade) relative to the present (hereafter, later decade). Apart from the natural processes including anthropogenic and climatic factors, technological innovations played a significant role in altering ecosystems in the later decade. Understanding of ED among forest-dependent stakeholders significantly varied with respect to gender, occupation, age group, gender-based water fetching responsibility, and water-fetching duration, however, no significant correlation was observed with their level of education across the landscape. The studied ecosystem attributes significantly correlate with water regime changes, signifying that water-centric ecosystem management is crucial. The attributes that observed significant dynamics in the forest ecosystem include changes in forest cover, structure and species composition, the severity of invasive species, wildfires, water regimes, and abundance and behavioral changes in mammals and avifauna. The alteration of crop cultivation and harvesting season which results in a decrease in yield, increased use of chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides), an increase in fallow land, and the proliferation of hybrid variety cultivation in the later decade are significant disparities in the dynamics of the agriculture ecosystem. To withstand the accelerated ED, stakeholders adopt various strategies, however, these strategies are either obtained from unsustainable sources entail high costs and technology, or are detrimental to the ecosystems. In relation, we present specific examples of ecosystem attributes that have significantly experienced changes in the later decade compared to the earlier decades along with plausible future pathways for policy decisions sustaining and stewardship of dynamic ecosystems across the socio-ecological landscape.

Challenges in combining Indigenous and scientific knowledge in the Arctic

ABSTRACT A ‘co-production of knowledge' transdisciplinary approach connects different systems of knowledge that are in collaboration with each other. The transdisciplinarity presupposes bringing natural, social sciences, and Indigenous knowledge together. A growing body of literature on knowledge co-production and better control over research by Indigenous stakeholders contributes to a better collaboration of different knowledge holders. However, as power imbalance and issues of trust continue to persist, further analysis of case studies, where different knowledge holders collaborate, allow for a better understanding of how better long-term collaborations could be built. This reflection paper examines several observations and parts of interviews carried out during a recent ethnographic study on urban Indigenous identity preservation in Anchorage, Alaska in collaboration with the urban Yup’ik population. It may serve as an illustration of some challenges that might hinder the co-production of Indigenous knowledge and Western science. The observations examined in this paper may contribute to a further understanding of different approaches to learning of Arctic Indigenous and Western knowledge systems that are in need of further clarification to enable their better interaction for meeting current sustainability challenges.

The Customary Government System in Koto Tuo Baserah Kuantan Singingi

The objectives in this study are; to find out the customary government system and the role of customary devices in Koto Tuo Baserah Kuantan Singingi. This method of research is sociological. The leader in Koto Tuo is called Datuk Bisai or Datuk Penghulu with the title Datuk Godang. Meanwhile, the top tribal leaders in the village of Kuansing are called mamak soko. The are four tribes in Kuantan Singingi. They are Tigo Kampung entitled Jolak Samano, Limo Kampung titled Datuk Bandaro, Cermin titled Godang, and Melayu titled Datuk Paduko. In Koto Tuo regency is guided by 4 traditional stakeholders, namely: Penghulu (mamak soko / chieftain), Monti, Dubalang, and Malin, an Islamic religious figure. Then 3 Traditional Leaders in one tribe have representatives, each tribe is divided into 3 Jurai (Departments). The role of Datuk Penghulu and other traditional stakeholders in Koto Tuo is still partly ongoing. However, there are shifts in the role of traditional stakeholders in village government. They are: the role of traditional stakeholders in terms of marriage, divorce, privately owned land, livestock, fields, civil cases and criminal cases. And the role of traditional stakeholders in village government that has not shifted is in terms of customary land and heritage treasures. The Factors causing the shift in the role of indigenous stakeholders in village government are : globalization, contact with other cultures, modernization, community dissatisfaction with certain areas, an increasingly educated, heterogeneous and growing population.

Cherry River: Art, Music, and Indigenous Stakeholders of Water Advocacy in Montana

The 2018 performance event, Cherry River, Where the Rivers Mix, designed by Indigenous scholar, Dr. Shane Doyle, a member of the Apsaalooke Crow community, in collaboration with artist Mary Ellen Strom, a founder of the nonprofit Mountain Time Arts program, endeavored to address the surging environmental problems associated with water in Montana. Drought and water scarcity impacts a diverse population, including Indigenous communities and the life of nonhuman plant and animals beyond the urban and rural populace of landowners, ranchers, and farmers. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared a federal emergency of drought disaster in a majority of Montana’s counties, and the recent disappearance of glaciers at Glacier National Park is of great concern. Doyle and Strom sought the opportunity to foster relationships and greater dialogue among regional constituencies, particularly among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and they were successful in raising awareness regarding the need for equitable water use and conservation. Cherry River brought an audience of local people to the banks of the Missouri River Headwaters, where the Gallatin, the Jefferson, and the Madison rivers converge to present a mix of American music—Crow and Northern Cree singing, Métis violin, Big Band Jazz. The sound of the music of the rivers, however, was the all-encompassing engagement for those who attended. Drought and environmental crisis impels us to think more broadly about the role of the arts and humanities in environmental studies. Can the arts and performance contribute a different model for environmental advocacy, acknowledge a different perspective for understanding ecologies, and therefore expand the transdisciplinary process for engaging in environmental studies?

Is the Australian primary healthcare system ready for the Rheumatic Heart Disease Endgame strategy? Data synthesis and recommendations

Is the Australian primary healthcare system ready for the Rheumatic Heart Disease Endgame strategy? Data synthesis and recommendations

Debunking Murray‐Darling Basin water trade myths

AbstractAustralia, and particularly the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), has the most mature and adopted water markets globally. Water trading is an important policy tool to deal with water scarcity issues, demonstrating allocative, dynamic and productive efficiency benefits. At the same time, water markets have been controversial in Australia. Markets have been blamed for a range of issues, including claims of unsustainability, inequity, farm bankruptcy, farmer distress and farm exit. This study reviews the MDB water trade literature and finds little evidence to support such myths. Arguably, the biggest misconception is that critics do not separate water markets from the meta‐governance institutional structures that define them. Perceived water market failures are often due to governance issues – not water trade per se. This is not to say that market failure does not exist, it does, and indeed, there are also serious distributional issues that need addressing (e.g., water property entitlements for indigenous stakeholders). As such, water market design and governance need to adapt and evolve as problems arise and the market matures. However, in an era of increasing water scarcity, enabling water trade remains one of the most important instruments available to assist in water sharing, reallocation and farm adaptation to climate change.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority-ICES-Laurentian University Collaboration: Working together to support communities with Indigenous Health Research in the James and Hudson Bay Region, in Northeast Ontario, Canada.

ObjectiveThe James and Hudson Bay Region, consisting of six remote Indigenous communities, have experienced barriers accessing regional health data. To inform local health planning, the Minomathasowin Healthy Living department in the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA), ICES and Laurentian University developed a Collaboration, to co-create enhanced Indigenous data stewardship.
 ApproachThe Collaboration combines expertise in Indigenous knowledge with quantitative and qualitative analyses to develop relevant data intended for public dissemination. Through a community-driven and strength-based approach, local knowledge guides the direction of the research. Indigenous data governance principles are applied, supporting local data ownership, and supplementing local knowledge on population health issues. This ensures the development of research projects that have meaningful impacts. The Collaboration is part of a larger partnership and is continually engaging local Indigenous stakeholders. Protocols ensure research is done in a manner that respects and reflects community well-being and is undertaken in a good way.
 ResultsThe Collaboration is an ongoing, living initiative and has enabled WAHA to become a local hub for Indigenous stakeholders to obtain health data for their respective communities. It adheres to the importance of following protocols within Indigenous communities, acknowledging qualitative research activities can be undertaken at the community-level. Projects from this Collaboration identify and prioritize the most pressing health issues impacting the Region including mental health and addictions, COVID-19 surveillance, hospitalization trends, and the prevalence of lupus. The success of the Collaboration is demonstrated through increased requests from the Region to WAHA for support on health planning and decision-making. Data access barriers in the Region are being addressed through the combined expertise of the Collaboration and local knowledge. This approach is enhancing Indigenous data stewardship.
 ConclusionsThe Collaboration advocates for Indigenous-led and -driven research that recognizes the value of combining local knowledge with quantitative and qualitative data analyses to put communities first. The Collaboration supports equitable data access and the development of relevant research projects. This is leading to sustainable, impactful health planning for the Region.

ISLAMIC INHERITANCE LAW IN SARUASO AND SAWAH TANGAH VILLAGES BASED ON ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES

This research aims to comprehend the practice of dividing the inheritance in Saruaso and Sawah Tangah Villages following the distribution principle of inheritance law distribution in Islam. The problem was that there were different views on the distribution of inheritance in the Saruaso and Sawah Tangah Villages with the provisions on the distribution of inheritance based on Islamic teachings. Meanwhile, the people of Saruaso and Sawah Tangah Villages embraced Islam. This research used a survey method. The research object was Niniak Mamak (indigenous stakeholders) and Bundo Kanduang (village's mothers) in two villages, Kanagarian Saruaso and Kanagarian Sawah Tangah. The sampling technique used was the purposive sampling technique. The results of this research are the practice of dividing inheritance in Saruaso and Sawah Tangah Village; in this case, low inheritance does not conflict with the provisions that apply to inheritance law in Islamic teachings (based on Faraid law). While the division of high inheritance follows customary provisions, this is because the high inheritance belongs to the people (tribes), cannot be traded, and cannot be divided individually.

Co-management as a Foundation of Arctic Exceptionalism: Strengthening the Bonds between the Indigenous and Westphalian Worlds

Abstract Successful collaboration between the Indigenous peoples and the sovereign states of Arctic North America has helped to stabilize the Arctic region, fostering meaningful Indigenous participation in the governance of their homeland through the introduction of new institutions of self-governance at the municipal, tribal and territorial levels, and successful diplomatic collaborations at the international level through the Arctic Council. Undergirding each of these pillars of Indigenous participation in Arctic governance is a mutuality of commitment to the principle of co-management of the Arctic that has united Indigenous peoples and the state across Arctic North America. Co-management has become so widely and reciprocally embraced by tribal peoples and states alike that it now provides a stable foundation bridging the Indigenous, transnational world with the Westphalian world of states and statecraft. This stability and the reciprocal and over time increasingly balanced relationship between sovereign states and Indigenous stakeholders has yielded a widely recognized spirit of international collaboration often referred to as Arctic exceptionalism. Along the way, co-management has transformed into both a mechanism of, and powerful paradigm for, trans-Arctic diplomacy that fosters not only greater domestic unity between tribe and state, but between states as well, catapulting mechanisms designed for domestic resource management to the international stage. Arctic exceptionalism has come under recent strain from the renewal of great power competition in the Arctic. As Arctic competition between states rises, the multitude of co-management systems and the multi-level, inter-governmental and inter-organizational relationships they have nurtured across the region can help to neutralize new threats from intensifying inter-state tensions.