Native Research Articles

Abstract A084: Journey to understanding indigenous peoples engagement in cancer genomic research

Abstract A084: Journey to understanding indigenous peoples engagement in cancer genomic research

Abstract A092: Tobacco use and prevalence of oral premalignant lesions, among Malayali tribes, Yelagiri Hills, Tamil nadu, India

Abstract BACKGROUND: India has the second largest tribal population of the world next to the African countries. About half of the world’s autochthonous people live in India, thus making India home to many tribes which have an interesting and varied history of origins, customs and social practices. The present study was conducted to assess the tobacco use and prevalence of precancerous lesions and oral cancer among Malayali tribes, Yelagiri Hills, Tamil nadu, India. METHODOLOGY The inhabitants of the 14 villages of the Yelagiri hills, who have completed 18years and residing for more than 15years present on the day of examination and who were willing to participate in the study were included. Data was collected from a cross-sectional survey, using a Survey Proforma, clinical examination and a pre-tested questionnaire. An intra-oral examination was carried out by a single examiner using WHO Oral Health Surveys – Basic Methods Proforma (1997). ResultsThe overall prevalence of smokeless and smoking tobacco was 78.8% and 65.2% respectively among 1550 study population. Of those who had the habit of smoking, 26% smoked beedi, 10.9% smoked cigarette, 65% chewed raw tobacco, 18% chewed Hans and 28% had a combination of smoking and smokeless tobacco usage. Around 49.8% of samples were stained positive for precancerous and cancerous lesions of the oral cavity. The highest number of positive samples were from buccal mucosa with 46.2% subjects and 12% for labial mucosa. The reason for practicing these habits were as a measure to combat the cold, relieving stress and body pain after work, and the lack of awareness of the hazards of the materials used. Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in the study population was due to tobacco usage and alcohol consumption and lack of awareness regarding the deleterious effects of the products used. CONCLUSION Oral cancer is highly prevalent in this Malayali tribes owing to high tobacco consumption rates and habits warranting the cessation center a priority. Also, early detection and screening are vital to attaining better outcomes. Citation Format: Delfin Lovelina Francis. Tobacco use and prevalence of oral premalignant lesions, among Malayali tribes, Yelagiri Hills, Tamil nadu, India [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A092.

Informing public interest determinations in impact assessment using a multiple account evaluation framework

ABSTRACT This article presents a comprehensive multiple account evaluation (MAE) framework that is intended to inform public interest determinations in impact assessment (IA). Using MAE methodology; which involves separating impacts into government revenue, economic activity, environmental, social, health, and Indigenous accounts; the proposed ‘Public Interest MAE Framework’ seeks to inform senior government decision makers on all the positive and adverse consequences associated with a proposed project in a manner that allows for analysis of key trade-offs from the perspective of society as a whole. The proposed framework is applied to a case study to demonstrate how the framework functions in practice. Additionally, a survey is conducted with IA practitioners, experts, stakeholders, and Indigenous groups to evaluate the proposed Public Interest MAE Framework. The primary conclusion of this study is that the Public Interest MAE Framework has the potential to inform public interest determinations and overcome many of the limitations associated with other estimation methods used in IA. Finally, opportunities and challenges associated with integrating the Public Interest MAE Framework into IA are explored.

The initial spread of peaches across eastern North America was structured by Indigenous communities and ecologies

We conduct a synthetic archaeological and ethnohistoric dating program to assess the timing and tempo of the spread of peaches, the first Eurasian domesticate to be adopted across Indigenous eastern North America, into the interior American Southeast by Indigenous communities who quickly “Indigenized” the fruit. In doing so, we present what may be the earliest absolute dates for archaeological contexts containing preserved peach pits in what is today the United States in the early to mid-16th century. Along with our broader chronological modeling, these early dates suggest that peaches were likely in the interior prior to permanent Spanish settlement in the American Southeast and that peaches spread independently of interactions with Spanish colonizers. We further argue that that eventual spread of peaches was structured exclusively by Indigenous communities and the ecologies produced through long-term Indigenous land management and land use practices, highlighting and centering the agency of Indigenous societies in the socioecological process of colonization.

Culture-Based Justice: Legal Decisions on Forest and Land Fires by Indigenous People with Local Wisdom Approach in the Middle Sentence

Culture-Based Justice: Legal Decisions on Forest and Land Fires by Indigenous People with Local Wisdom Approach in the Middle Sentence

California’s AB 101

In 2021, California governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 101, which requires that all students graduating high school by 2029–2030 must take an ethnic studies course. California is the only state in the nation with this graduation requirement. This article explores the historical and contemporary factors that pushed California to legislate and implement AB 101. We utilize a historical case study approach focusing on different student-led movements that embraced ethnic studies to combat educational inequalities. To do so, we pinpoint three historical phases in which ethnic studies became implemented throughout the state. In the first phase, influential scholars in the early and mid-twentieth century produced scholarship about historically marginalized people of color, which became foundational for the study of Black, Chicana/o, Asian American, and Indigenous people. The second phase involved students of color fighting for a culturally relevant curriculum, as demonstrated by the 1968 Third World Liberation Front, the 1968 East Los Angeles Chicano walkouts, El Plan de Santa Bárbara, and Chicanx/Latinx student hunger strikes in the 1990s. Lastly, the third phase consists of contemporary students, parents, educators, and activists successfully petitioning their local school districts to mandate ethnic studies as a high school graduation requirement. Despite these gains, far-right organizations in cities like Santa Barbara have mobilized to push back against both the ethnic studies requirement and progressive social justice groups like Just Communities Central Coast. This resistance initially derailed AB 331, an earlier ethnic studies bill that Governor Newsom vetoed based on accusations that it was “anti-Semitic.” A revised version, AB 101, was then introduced and passed. While momentous, we contend, AB 101 is still limited; reaching its full potential would require greater teacher credentialing and the expansion of ethnic studies to K–8 students.

El futuro en común.Las comunidades indígenas en las ciudades del bajo río Negro, Norpatagonia argentina

This article discusses the Indigenous communities that began emerging in the 1980s in the cities of Viedma and Carmen de Patagones, in Argentina’s North Patagonia. They have their own name and identify using the categories Mapuche and Mapuche-Tehuelche. These urban communities suffer double prejudice. On the one hand, their status as legitimately Indigenous is questioned under the argument that “true” natives inhabit the countryside and have traditional ways of living. Yet they are also seen with suspicion in the Indigenous world, because they have no territory of their own and do not share a common past. Drawing on an ethnographic approach, the article concludes that these urban Indigenous communities are better understood as shared projects for a common future. In other words, the active intention to form communities helps overcome uncertainty and the vicissitudes specific to concrete community configurations.

Financing Indigenous entrepreneurs: A review and research agenda

Empowering Indigenous communities through entrepreneurialism is touted as key for reducing Indigenous disadvantage, but little headway has been made. One core and persistent issue is difficulty accessing finance to support growth. To understand why and to guide future policy and research, we review the current state of research on Indigenous financing and develop a thematic framework around four themes: political-economic environment; antecedents to the financing decision; financial solutions; and financial preferences, decisions and outcomes. Indigenous entrepreneurs face unique intercultural, social and economic barriers to finance, and these need to be better understood to help accelerate Indigenous community development through entrepreneurial activity. JEL Classification: G21; G28; J15; N20

Experiences of ecosystem changes on food services of mopane woodland communities in Vhembe, South Africa

Mopane woodlands have been shifting. While it is important to understand the spatial patterns that characterise this phenomenon, it is even more important to understand the impacts of shifting Mopane woodlands on rural communities that rely on them. This study sought to establish the impacts of shifting mopane woodlands on the production of indigenous plant food in Ward 12 of Musina local municipality in the Vhembe District municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa. To accomplish this, the study utilised a hybrid inductive approach involving thematic-based questionnaire interviews and an exploratory view to gain insight into the narratives of focus group participants. Results revealed that seven (7) out of eleven (11) indigenous plant foods are becoming extinct, thereby limiting food sources of indigenous and local people who used to rely on them. The spatial pattern of the plant foods that are still available has now changed as they no longer grow within the reach of local communities. The community members are struggling to adapt to these changes. From these observations, we recommend that local and regional levels’ policies related to natural resource management should consider the unique challenges faced by communities experiencing disruptive ecosystem changes and provide the necessary support for sustainable adaptation.

Quantitative changes in platelet count in response to different pathogens: an analysis of patients with sepsis in both retrospective and prospective cohorts

Background Thrombocytopenia is commonly observed in patients with sepsis and is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis. However, the changes of platelet count caused by different pathogens can vary significantly. Our study aims to evaluate the quantitative changes in platelet count in response to various pathogens. Material and Methods We retrospectively analysed data of 3044 patients with sepsis from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC, 2008–2019) database and prospectively collected data of 364 patients with sepsis from our local cohort of the Shandong Bloodstream Infection and Sepsis Collaboration Study (SBISC, 2020–2022). Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to control for baseline differences in variables, except for the causative pathogen. Results Multivariate logistic analyses of both original and PSM populations identified Candida, Escherichia, Klebsiella, and Serratia species posing a higher risk for thrombocytopenia compared to others. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves showed L- or U-shaped associations between platelet count and 28-mortality with various cut-off values among different pathogens: ranging from 96 × 109/L in Candida species − 190 × 109/L in Klebsiella species. Conclusion Our present findings indicate a pathogen-specific effect on platelet count, highlighting the importance of monitoring thrombocytopenia in patients infected with above microorganisms. Clinicians need to consider pathogen-specific thresholds when intervene on platelet count.

Utopías comunitarias como apuestas del futuro entre los purhépecha

This article shows how organizations and projects in contemporary Indigenous communities are structured around imaginaries of a desirable future. Here the idea of utopia suggests potential, enabling an understanding of the effects of reaffirming ethnic belonging within the community. The concept of utopia as a guide to the future is discussed with regard to its limits, reach, and explanatory power as a category. The empirical subject matter is forty years of experience of a Purépecha community that has been fighting for recognition.

Housing Design for Health in a Changing Climate for Remote Indigenous Communities in Semi-Arid Australia

Housing Design for Health in a Changing Climate for Remote Indigenous Communities in Semi-Arid Australia

Creative research with indigenous women: challenging marginalisation through collective spaces and livelihoods practices

PurposeIn this paper we ask: “What are the opportunities and challenges that creative methods pose in terms of conducting research processes with indigenous peoples impacted by emergencies and disasters?” To do that, we critically examine the creative and collaborative methodological approaches applied in the research project, Moving with Risk: Forced Displacement and Vulnerability in Colombia. This project sought to understand the trajectories of risk of families who were forcibly displaced as a result of the armed conflict in Colombia and resettled in areas at risk of disaster.Design/methodology/approachThis article is intentionally written from the perspective of the researchers’ positionality. In doing so, we embrace writing that is situated and embodied in the researcher’s experiences and positionalities. This reflexive writing allows us to question the methodological experience of the research project we are analysing and, at the same time, ourselves, “the researchers” be questioned by it.FindingsIn this paper, we show how creative methods and participatory research can foster awareness and become the basis for inclusive and reciprocal research processes with indigenous communities in disaster studies. Specifically, we show that the use of creative methods helped us recognise that agency needs to be framed in collective spaces with the indigenous women we were working with and in relation to their livelihoods needs. We argue that finding spaces to conduct collaborative research and recognize agency is inextricably related to how the researchers reflect on their positionality.Originality/valueThis article contributes to critical perspectives in Disaster Studies and to an overall understanding of the role that creative methodologies play in research processes with people affected by disasters. It provides a novel perspective on the opportunities and challenges of applying arts-based methods in disaster risk studies with indigenous communities in Latin America.

Slaviq

Slaviq is an Orthodox Native Alaskan celebration beginning on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, marked by indigenous people throughout Alaska. It is especially celebrated among the Yup’ik people in mainland southwestern Alaska in the Kuskokwim River delta region. Slaviq or “starring” lasts from three to ten days involving processions by the congregation, and especially the choir, from the church to homes of villagers wishing to host the celebration. At each host’s home a short prayer service is sung accompanied by the spinning of the Christmas star affixed to a pole held generally by young men. This is followed by a short sermon delivered by the priest or even a reader, and then by the singing of Orthodox liturgical hymns in praise of the Nativity of Christ, Ukrainian koliady and folk songs from the Carpathian Mountains describing the feast day, and American Christmas carols. This paraliturgical celebration is followed by the distribution of candy and gifts by the hosts to all the guests, and a festive meal for more senior members of the community who are present. Traditionally, this meal consists of dried fish, often salmon, fermented foods, and moose and reindeer soup followed by akutaq, a dessert containing berries mixed with animal fat. This study analyzes the historical and contemporary practice of celebrating Slaviq, viewing it as a cultural adaptation and expression of the indigenous Yup’ik ethical code enacted within an innovative Orthodox practice.

Cognitive imperialism in artificial intelligence: counteracting bias with indigenous epistemologies

AbstractThis paper presents a novel methodology for integrating indigenous knowledge systems into AI development to counter cognitive imperialism and foster inclusivity. By critiquing the dominance of Western epistemologies and highlighting the risks of bias, the authors argue for incorporating diverse epistemologies. The proposed framework outlines a participatory approach that includes indigenous perspectives, ensuring AI benefits all. The methodology draws from AI ethics, indigenous studies, and postcolonial theory, emphasizing co-creation with indigenous communities, ethical protocols for indigenous data governance, and adaptation of AI algorithms. Case studies in natural language processing, content moderation, and healthcare demonstrate the methodology’s effectiveness and importance. By offering a concrete methodology for decolonizing AI, this paper contributes significantly to AI ethics and social justice, providing a roadmap for equitable, culturally respectful AI.

The Role of Social Inclusion in Restoring Communal Rangelands in Southern Africa: A Systematic Review of Approaches, Challenges, and Outcomes

Rangeland restoration in southern Africa faces complex challenges that require the involvement of diverse social groups to ensure both ecological and social sustainability. This systematic review focuses on the role of social inclusion in rangeland restoration across multiple countries in the region, specifically examining the engagement of marginalized groups such as women, youth, and indigenous communities. We conducted a comprehensive search using the PRISMA approach, utilizing Scopus and other literature sources. Initially, we found 853 articles published between 2000 and 2024, which were subsequently screened down to 20 studies that met stringent inclusion criteria. This review identifies key strategies and outcomes associated with social inclusion in restoration efforts. Our findings reveal that participatory planning, gender-inclusive strategies, indigenous engagement, and capacity building are crucial for gaining community support, promoting social equity, and enhancing ecological resilience. However, challenges such as power dynamics, cultural norms, and resource constraints often impede the full realization of these inclusive practices. Despite these barriers, integrating local and indigenous knowledge and empowering marginalized groups significantly strengthens governance structures and leads to more sustainable restoration outcomes. Our review highlights the necessity of adopting holistic and inclusive approaches in rangeland restoration where social inclusion is not just a component but a central pillar of successful ecological management. It emphasizes the importance of social inclusion in the restoration of communal rangelands in southern Africa and provides insights into the approaches used, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved in incorporating social inclusion in rangeland restoration efforts. Our findings underscore the significance of collaborative efforts and social inclusion among local communities, policymakers, and stakeholders to achieve the sustainable restoration of communal rangelands in southern Africa.

Indigenous women as agents of environmental change: a study of selected Indian ecodocumentaries

ABSTRACT Mainstream feminism has always revolved around the experiences of white women and has failed to acknowledge the plight of indigenous women who were subjugated to both patriarchy and colonialism. A gendered notion of indigeneity is necessary to bring the marginalization of Indigenous women to the forefront to ensure tribal sovereignty. Indigenous women’s activism has always been distinctly connected to the environment in order to protect the community from external agencies such as companies and government bodies. Several grassroot environmental movements have emerged from the indigenous communities where women have played a pivotal role in the success of these movements. Thus, this study focuses on the environmentalism of indigenous women by analyzing selected documentaries from India i.e. Missing: Forgotten Women in India’s Climate Action Plans (2015), The Seed Guardians (2016), Agar Wo Desh Banati (2018) and Thengapalli (2020). The paper aims to recognize the struggles of these women to achieve basic environmental rights and how they promote sustainable living with the help of their traditional knowledge. Indigenous feminism will not simply be taken as a matter of identity politics, rather it will be used as a framework to understand indigenous women’s struggles as a part of a global liberation movement.

Bale Mediation as an Alternative Institution For Resolution of Communal Intellectual Property Rights Disputes Among Indigenous Communities in West Nusa Tenggara

The settlement of communal intellectual property rights disputes is not only through litigation, but is also possible through mediation. The purpose of this study is to determine the position of the mediation hall as an alternative institution in resolving communal intellectual property disputes and in the judicial system in Indonesia and how the legal force of the Bale Mediation decision is in resolving Communal Intellectual Property disputes. This research method uses normative legal research, namely legal research conducted by examining library materials or secondary data. Based on the results of the study, Bale Mediation is an institution that carries out the functions of mediation, coaching and coordination in the implementation of mediation in the community in accordance with local wisdom in the context of legal reform in the field of resolving Communal Intellectual Property Rights disputes. Bale Mediation is not part of the state judiciary but rather an institution that resolves disputes outside the courts. Legal settlement of Communal Property disputes through Bale Mediation is a non-structural institution and is responsible to the Governor. The decision or result of the dispute resolution at the Mediation Center in the form of an agreement that does not yet have permanent legal force but is only an ordinary contract for the parties, only obtains the status of a peace deed after the parties, with or without the assistance of a mediator, file a peace lawsuit through the Commercial Court/District Court.

Navigating planetary human entanglements through climate change-induced human mobility in Zimbabwe: An Afrocentric perspective from the global south

The central question of the 21st century revolves around increasing human entanglement. Humans are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in the changing environment caused by climate-induced disasters such as floods, droughts, storms, and heat waves. In Zimbabwe, this has led to the emergence of human mobility as an adaptation strategy, with individuals (indigenous and local) relocating to areas offering more favorable economic and environmental conditions. This study employed Afrocentric theoretical lenses to describe how both slow and sudden-onset climatic catastrophic events have affected the agro-economic livelihoods of the indigenous Ndau people, forcing them to seek better living conditions and safety. As an Afrocentric study, this research examines how historical and cultural factors influence the Ndau people’s mobility decisions. It employed the philosophical sagacity interview method and talking cycles to collect data from seven wards in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. The findings reveal that the impacts of climate change – both gradual and abrupt – have increased in frequency, intensity, duration, and location. The Ndau people have suffered frequent cyclones, storms, and heavy rainfall, leading to landslides and floods. These conditions have driven both short-term and long-term climate-induced mobility. Individuals moved locally and regionally to find livelihood opportunities and their decisions were most influenced by historical and cultural ties through kinship. The study advocates for enhancing communities’ preparedness and adaptability to reduce vulnerabilities. It highlights the importance of strong governance, resilience strategies, environmental protections, economic diversification, and social support to mitigate disasters; prevent unwanted displacement; and manage emigration. Furthermore, European narratives often dominate discussions of African climate-related agro-migration, even though most of these migrants move within their own countries and regions. As a consequence, this study aims to amplify African narratives on human mobility and climate change adaptation.

9,000 years of genetic continuity in southernmost Africa demonstrated at Oakhurst rockshelter

AbstractSouthern Africa has one of the longest records of fossil hominins and harbours the largest human genetic diversity in the world. Yet, despite its relevance for human origins and spread around the globe, the formation and processes of its gene pool in the past are still largely unknown. Here, we present a time transect of genome-wide sequences from nine individuals recovered from a single site in South Africa, Oakhurst Rockshelter. Spanning the whole Holocene, the ancient DNA of these individuals allows us to reconstruct the demographic trajectories of the indigenous San population and their ancestors during the last 10,000 years. We show that, in contrast to most regions around the world, the population history of southernmost Africa was not characterized by several waves of migration, replacement and admixture but by long-lasting genetic continuity from the early Holocene to the end of the Later Stone Age. Although the advent of pastoralism and farming substantially transformed the gene pool in most parts of southern Africa after 1,300 bp, we demonstrate using allele-frequency and identity-by-descent segment-based methods that the ‡Khomani San and Karretjiemense from South Africa still show direct signs of relatedness to the Oakhurst hunter-gatherers, a pattern obscured by recent, extensive non-Southern African admixture. Yet, some southern San in South Africa still preserve this ancient, Pleistocene-derived genetic signature, extending the period of genetic continuity until today.