Non-indigenous Communities Research Articles

Planetary justice and ‘Healing’ in the Anthropocene

This paper challenges Earth System Governance (ESG) scholars to rethink the concept of Planetary Justice (PJ) in the era of the Anthropocene so it is more attentive to non-Western perspectives and sensitive to the experiences of Indigenous peoples. We combine findings from a narrative review with those derived from academic collaborations with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band to propose the Indigenous principle of ‘justice as healing’ through ‘recognition’ as a crucial element in the emerging PJ framework. We argue that healing can be initiated by acknowledging colonialism as a driving force behind socio-environmental injustices, centering state accountability in environmental governance decision-making, and recognizing the value of restoring Indigenous knowledges and practices. Ultimately, we argue healing is the responsibility of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. ESG scholars have an important role to play in supporting healing and enacting recognition within and among Indigenous peoples through their engagements with Native communities.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES RELATED TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN MALAYSIA

Given that the way of life of indigenous peoples is usually associated with low living standards, the government has an important role to play in ensuring that the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous communities is narrowed. Unfortunately, as the program to improve the quality of life of indigenous communities has been widely implemented across the country, tension has begun to escalate among the indigenous community on the real motive of the program. Government policy objectives to assimilate indigenous communities into mainstream society leave little scope for indigenous groups to pursue their own life projects. Several studies have reported that the development of the government within traditional indigenous lands has caused conflict between the developer and the indigenous community. This situation has caused the indigenous people to bear the consequences of losing their traditional land, which is very important to reflect their identity. The aim of this paper is therefore to examine the current issues related to the land development initiative on the way of life of indigenous peoples in Malaysia. Documents search from published and unpublished material is used for this paper and a guide with a set of settings five years prior. The findings of this paper show that the development of the government in indigenous traditional lands has disrupted the traditional way of life, leading to multiple adverse effects on the community and the environment. In other words, the core of the indigenous people's struggle to this date is therefore concentrated in their involvement in making decisions in any development proposed to enhance their quality of life. Apart from that, the perspective of land development between the government and the indigenous peoples is quite different from one another. In conclusion, it is important to elicit knowledge and opinion from both indigenous peoples and government agencies to ensure the impact of land development activities can be minimized and implemented appropriately.

Leveraging Hazard, Exposure, and Social Vulnerability Data to Assess Flood Risk to Indigenous Communities in Canada

This study integrates novel data on 100-year flood hazard extents, exposure of residential properties, and place-based social vulnerability to comprehensively assess and compare flood risk between Indigenous communities living on 985 reserve lands and other Canadian communities across 3701 census subdivisions. National-scale exposure of residential properties to fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flooding was estimated at the 100-year return period. A social vulnerability index (SVI) was developed and included 49 variables from the national census that represent demographic, social, economic, cultural, and infrastructure/community indicators of vulnerability. Geographic information system-based bivariate choropleth mapping of the composite SVI scores and of flood exposure of residential properties and population was completed to assess the spatial variation of flood risk. We found that about 81% of the 985 Indigenous land reserves had some flood exposure that impacted either population or residential properties. Our analysis indicates that residential property-level flood exposure is similar between non-Indigenous and Indigenous communities, but socioeconomic vulnerability is higher on reserve lands, which confirms that the overall risk of Indigenous communities is higher. Findings suggest the need for more local verification of flood risk in Indigenous communities to address uncertainty in national scale analysis.

Evaluation of observed and projected extreme climate trends for decision making in Six Nations of the Grand River, Canada

Hydrometeorological events have been the predominant type of natural hazards to affect communities across Canada. While climate change is a concern to all Canadians, Indigenous communities in Canada have been disproportionately more affected by these extreme climate events than non-Indigenous communities. As the impacts of climate change intensify, it becomes increasingly important that high-resolution climate services are made available to Indigenous decision makers for the development of climate change adaptation plans. This paper examined extreme climate trends in the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve, the most populated Indigenous community in Canada. A set of 12 indices were used to evaluate changes inextreme climate events from 1951 to 2013, and 2006 to 2099 under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. Results indicated that from 1951 to 2013, Six Nations became warmer and wetter with an average temperature increase of 0.7 °C and precipitation increase of 42 mm. Over this period, the frequency and duration of extreme heat and extreme precipitation eventsalso increased, while extreme cold events decreased. In the future (2006 to 2099), temperature is expected to increase by 3 to 6 °C, while seasonal precipitation is expected to increase in winter, early spring, and fall. Projected rate of increase of heatwaves is 0.4 to 1.5 days per year and extreme annual rainfall events is 0.2 to 0.5 mm per year under both RCP scenarios. The climate information and data provide by this study will help Six Nations’ decision makers in planning for climate change impacts.

Coming of age: 21 years of providing opioid substitution treatment within an Aboriginal community‐controlled primary health service

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health services have been established since 1971 to provide accessible, quality and culturally-appropriate primary healthcare. The first of these services, the Aboriginal Medical Service Cooperative Redfern ('the AMS'), created its own Drug and Alcohol Unit ('the Unit') in 1999. The Unit initially prescribed opioid substitution treatment (OST) and its coordinator, Bradley Freeburn, a Bundjalung man, provided counselling. Soon afterwards, the Unit started dispensing OST. It now cares for around 150 individuals, each of whom is understood in the context of family, community and culture. The Unit is on the same site as the AMS's primary care service, specialised medical and mental health clinics, and dental clinic. This allows for integrated physical and mental health care. The Unit contributes to drug and alcohol workforce development for other AMS staff, state-wide and nationally. Several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health services around Australia now offer OST prescription, and a small number administer slow-release buprenorphine. We are not aware of others that dispense Suboxone. In the USA and Canada, over the last 10 years, First Nations communities have also responded to lack of treatment access, by creating standalone OST clinics. We were not able to find examples of Māori-controlled OST clinics in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The feasibility of this model of readily accessible OST, situated within a holistic, culturally-grounded primary health-care service recommends it for consideration and evaluation, for Indigenous or non-Indigenous communities.

Articulating FPIC through transnational sustainability standards: A comparative analysis of Forest Stewardship Council’s standard development processes in Canada, Russia and Sweden

An increasing number of sustainability standards integrate the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) as a requirement to ensure respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples. FPIC remains a contested norm, due in part to divergences of interpretation and gaps in implementation. Drawing on a typology based on FPIC conceptions, this paper presents a comparative analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) standard development processes in three countries, Canada, Russia and Sweden. The paper investigates the dynamics of designing FPIC requirements and conceptions of FPIC reflected in national standards. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and analysis of written standards, this study finds similarities in terms of the key debates, such as the scope of Indigenous authority and applicability of FPIC to non-Indigenous communities, however underscored by different stakeholder dynamics and outcomes. Despite the structuring presence of International Generic Indicators, different conceptions of FPIC are reflected in national standards.

Seasonality, climate change, and food security during pregnancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in rural Uganda: Implications for maternal-infant health.

BackgroundClimate change is expected to decrease food security globally. Many Indigenous communities have heightened sensitivity to climate change and food insecurity for multifactorial reasons including close relationships with the local environment and socioeconomic inequities which increase exposures and challenge adaptation to climate change. Pregnant women have additional sensitivity to food insecurity, as antenatal undernutrition is linked with poor maternal-infant health. This study examined pathways through which climate change influenced food security during pregnancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in rural Uganda. Specific objectives were to characterize: 1) sensitivities to climate-associated declines in food security for pregnant Indigenous women; 2) women’s perceptions of climate impacts on food security during pregnancy; and 3) changes in food security and maternal-infant health over time, as observed by women.MethodsUsing a community-based research approach, we conducted eight focus group discussions—four in Indigenous Batwa communities and four in non-Indigenous communities—in Kanungu District, Uganda, on the subject of climate and food security during pregnancy. Thirty-six women with ≥1 pregnancy participated. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method and thematic analysis.ResultsWomen indicated that food insecurity was common during pregnancy and had a bidirectional relationship with antenatal health issues. Food security was thought to be decreasing due to weather changes including extended droughts and unpredictable seasons harming agriculture. Women linked food insecurity with declines in maternal-infant health over time, despite improved antenatal healthcare. While all communities described food security struggles, the challenges Indigenous women identified and described were more severe.ConclusionsPrograms promoting women’s adaptive capacity to climate change are required to improve food security for pregnant women and maternal-infant health. These interventions are particularly needed in Indigenous communities, which often face underlying health inequities. However, resiliency among mothers was strong and, with supports, they can reduce food security challenges in a changing climate.

‘More than a Thought Bubble…’

‘More than a Thought Bubble…’

Effect of seed collection on the structure and dynamics of wild populations of Dioon edule (Zamiaceae)1,2

The near-threatened cycad Dioon edule (Zamiaceae) is distributed in the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. An important ancestral cultural tradition in the region is seed collecting by indigenous and nonindigenous communities to prepare food up to more than six times a year, without the regulation of the frequency of collection and the number of seeds extracted. In natural conditions, 90% of plants die in the early stages of their life cycle, because of natural and anthropic factors. The objectives of this study were to assess the structure and dynamics of populations where seeds are frequently collected and compare with populations where seed collection does not occur to determine the effect. According to our study of demography, seed collection affects the dynamics and structure of the populations by altering the male:female ratio of plants. This could affect the continuity of the species in the long term, since the number of seeds available for incorporation into the population with the possibility of becoming reproductive adults decreases. It is suggested to design plans that allow the sustainable use of this resource and, in turn, allow the conservation of the traditional knowledge of the Xi'iuy indigenous group. Management of sustainable seed collection could be achieved by rotating collection in stands over a minimum period of 15 years, which is long enough to recover the minimum seed production.

Modern Treaty Making and the Limits of the Law

In recent years, several Australian states have formally committed to treaty negotiations with the First Peoples whose traditional lands they claim. The emerging treaty processes in Australia build on both the comprehensive land claim agreements currently under negotiation in Canada, as well as the historic treaties struck between First Peoples and colonial powers in North America and Aotearoa New Zealand. Parties engaged in these negotiations appropriately view treaties as mechanisms through which First Peoples and non-Indigenous political communities can settle ongoing tensions surrounding political autonomy, citizenship, and pluralism. However, it is not clear whether these processes can produce such outcomes. In this paper, we contend that although fairer processes of negotiation may avoid some of the problems of historic treaties, modern treaty making in Canada, Australia, and elsewhere, will fail to meet the parties’ aspirations unless greater attention is paid to building relational characteristics. We do so by outlining the promises and perils in modern treaty making with an eye towards understanding the limits of the law.

Etnobotânica e educação escolar indígena: uma possibilidade entre os Paiter Suruí

Resumo: Os povos indígenas em seu contexto cultural possuem uma relação muito próxima com a natureza, especialmente com as plantas. A etnobotânica é a ciência que visa registrar, resgatar e valorizar esses conhecimentos. Diante disso, o objetivo da pesquisa foi relatar os conhecimentos etnobotânicos com enfoque nas plantas medicinais do povo indígena Paiter Suruí de Rondônia e incentivar a valorização dos mesmos por meio da educação escolar indígena. Para tanto, fez-se um estudo bibliográfico explorando principalmente trabalhos acadêmicos realizados por pesquisadores do próprio povo. O resultado da pesquisa mostrou que o povo Paiter Suruí possui tradicionalmente um vasto conhecimento etnobotânico, há uma variedade de plantas medicinais para doenças como diarreia, conjuntivite e inflamações. No entanto, o estudo apontou que esses conhecimentos vêm se perdendo ao longo do tempo devido ao contato com as comunidades não indígenas e com um modelo de escola que não se preocupa com o etnoconhecimento. Assim, a pesquisa finaliza propondo aos professores das escolas indígenas que utilizem métodos de ensino que promovam a valorização da cultura e que permitam que os alunos indígenas participem ativamente no processo de ensino. Palavras-chave: Etnoconhecimento. Povos indígenas. Ensino. Plantas medicinais.

Perceptions of co-designing health promotion interventions with Indigenous communities in New Zealand.

Health inequities among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities are well documented and the research literature includes robust discussions about innovative ways to reduce inequities including co-design. Co-designing health promotion interventions with Indigenous communities presents many benefits and challenges for researchers, health professionals and communities involved in the process. The purpose of this study was to identify the facilitators and barriers of co-designing a health promotion intervention with Māori communities. Additionally, this study considers a specific Māori co-design framework, He Pikinga Waiora (HPW). HPW is a participatory approach to creating interventions emphasizing community engagement, systems thinking and centred on Kaupapa Māori (an approach grounded in Māori worldviews). The research design for this study was Kaupapa Māori. Participants (n = 19) in this study were stakeholders in the New Zealand health sector. Participants were interviewed using an in-depth, semi-structured protocol. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Facilitators for co-designing health promotion interventions with Māori communities were collaboration and community voice. Barriers identified were mismanaged expectations and research constraints. Finally, facilitators for the HPW framework included providing clear guidelines and being grounded in Māori perspectives, while barriers included limited concrete case studies, jargon and questions about sustainability. Collaboration and inclusion of community voice supports the development of more effective co-design health promotion interventions within Māori communities which may address health inequities. The HPW framework offers clear guidelines and Māori perspectives which may assist in the development of effective co-design health promotion interventions, although areas for improvement were suggested.

Dientes ChiquiTICOS: an analysis of juvenile dentition and dental health in Costa Rican indigenous communities

This study surveyed the dental health of three Costa Rican indigenous populations and two rural, non-indigenous communities. Sixty-six individuals, both children and adults, were interviewed regarding dental hygiene practices and the dentition of eighty-eight children from the ages of two to thirteen was examined. The indigenous populations, on average, showed a more important number of anterior dental pathologies as compared to a non-indigenous group (42% vs 20%). Collectively, both access to and utilization of dental healthcare were worse within the indigenous communities; however, there was still great variation amongst all five sites.

A quantitative analysis of drinking water advisories in Saskatchewan Indigenous and rural communities 2012–2016

This study complements the existing literature on disparities associated with Indigenous and non-Indigenous small drinking water systems. The team took a quantitative approach and assessed relationships between seasonality, location, and type of community against the number of drinking water advisories in Saskatchewan for a 4-year period from 2012 to 2016. Generalised estimating equations were used to determine significant factors contributing to the likelihood of drinking water advisories comparing Indigenous to non-Indigenous communities of similar sizes. Results indicated that the season and the interaction between community type and region (north vs. south) were significant in the model for counts of advisories. Reserve communities in the north had a drinking water advisory count that was 5.19 times greater than those of reserves in the south, 2.63 times greater than counts for towns in the south and 4.94 times greater than those of villages in the south. Additional comparisons indicated that reserves in the north had 2.43 times as many advisories as villages in the north, but towns situated in the south part of the province had 1.98 times as many advisories as reserves in the south, and 1.88 times as many advisories as villages in the south. The work confirms heightened risk among northern Indigenous communities and suggests that increased attention to, and investment in, securing water resources is necessary in rural Saskatchewan and globally.

Healthcare and Health Problems from the Perspective of Indigenous Population of the Peruvian Amazon: A Qualitative Study.

Indigenous communities usually experience higher levels of mortality and poorer access to healthcare services compared to non-indigenous communities. This study aims to understand the most prevalent health problems and their treatment in the Asháninka indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon. We conducted an ethnographic study in order to explore the perceived health problems, the use of traditional medicine and the resources offered by the official Peruvian healthcare system. Field notes and semi-structured interviews were used. A total of 16 indigenous and four non-indigenous people were interviewed, and interpretative analysis was used to identify themes. The Asháninka community is an overlooked population, which, due to distance restrictions, misconceptions and ethnical disparities, is far away from an appropriate healthcare system and is subjected to acute medical conditions such as infections and gastrointestinal problems. This group tends to seek traditional medicine, mostly herbal medications and traditional healers. The use of a health professional is seen as a last resort. Although the official Peruvian health system incorporates community participation strategies to improve the healthcare of indigenous people, the shortage of material, human resources and cultural sensitivity makes this difficult. Healthcare strategies should be devised and implemented in order to minimize health inequality in this population.

Are local and traditional ecological knowledge suitable tools for informing the conservation of threatened amphibians in biodiversity hotspots?

Globally, amphibians are declining more rapidly than any other vertebrate group. A general shortage of funding for the support of focused scientific studies led us to investigate local and traditional ecological knowledge as an alternative data source for amphibian conservation. In this context, we undertook a questionnaire-based interview survey with forest-dwelling indigenous and non-indigenous communities across the Anamalai Hills, within the southern Western Ghats of India, to gather ecological knowledge on three cryptic and threatened frog species. Our results suggest that local communities possess ecological knowledge of frogs and that the magnitude of this knowledge is influenced by gender, community type, education, and age. Accuracy of local knowledge was primarily influenced by the morphological distinctiveness of the focal species, but cultural association and utilisation were also important factors especially for the enigmatic purple frog Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, which has uses in medicine and amulets.

Identifying, defining and exploring angling as urban subsistence: Pier fishing in Santa Barbara, California

Subsistence fishing is almost exclusively recognized within rural, indigenous and Native fishing traditions; yet research indicates many underprivileged, non-indigenous urban communities also derive social, nutritional, and cultural benefits from coastal resources. In California, pier fishers are an often overlooked and potentially vulnerable community of practitioners who may include subsistence fishers. Pier fishers' informal, unlicensed status means their rates of catch and consumption of fish are scarcely documented, and scant research probes the demographics, motivations, and practices of the pier fishing community. Using survey data collected at active fishing piers in Santa Barbara County, we examine the perceptions, practices, and characteristics of pier fishers. We present common attributes used to define subsistence fishing in the literature and discuss their application in a “recreational” urban context. Although the specific qualities will vary across contexts, we suggest three suitable and interdependent factors for recognizing urban subsistence fishing: 1) reported consumption frequency, 2) fishers' socioeconomic status, and 3) the social, cultural and psychological “process benefits” identified by fishers. Our findings indicate that pier fishing is a form of subsistence, particularly benefiting low-income, Latino and Asian/Pacific Islander fishers in Santa Barbara County. These results challenge commonly used criteria and assumptions about subsistence practices, and demonstrate the flexibility of fishers to meet multiple individual and collective needs. We propose that marine regulations and policies recognize subsistence fishing as a dimension of coastal resource use in California, and consider its potential contributions to urban food security and community well-being.

Modern treaty making and the limits of the law

In recent years, several Australian states have formally committed to treaty negotiations with the First Peoples whose traditional lands they claim. The emerging treaty processes in Australia build on both the comprehensive land claim agreements currently under negotiation in Canada as well as the historic treaties struck between First Peoples and colonial powers in North America and Aotearoa / New Zealand. Parties engaged in these negotiations appropriately view treaties as mechanisms through which First Peoples and non-Indigenous political communities can settle ongoing tensions surrounding political autonomy, citizenship, and pluralism. However, it is not clear whether these processes can produce such outcomes. In this article, we contend that, although fairer processes of negotiation may avoid some of the problems of historic treaties, modern treaty making in Canada, Australia, and elsewhere will fail to meet the parties’ aspirations unless greater attention is paid to building relational characteristics. We do so by outlining the promises and perils in modern treaty making with an eye toward understanding the limits of the law.

COMPARISON STUDY ABOUT DETERMINANTS OF CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS MALNUTRITION BETWEEN INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN INDONESIA

Many studies reveal the determinant factor of children under five years of malnutrition problem in Indonesia. However, there is only a few analysis conducted on indigenous communities and its comparison to non-indigenous communities. This study analyzes the determinant factors of malnutrition in children under five years in indigenous communities (Suku Baduy) and non-indigenous communities. This study is a comparative study using cross-sectional data, where the samples are households that have children under five years in indigenous communities (n=60) and in non-indigenous communities (n=60), with sample techniques using purposive random sampling. To calculate nutrition status, this study uses the anthropometric index based on weight-for-age according to WHO standards presented in the Z-score and Standard Deviations (SD). The result of this study indicates that the prevalence of children under five years suffering from malnutrition in indigenous communities is lower than in non-indigenous communities, which is 21,7% to 43,3%. Two factors influence the high prevalence of malnutrition in children under five years, namely, the education of the head of a family with OR=0.120 (95%C1: 0.021-0.675) and prenatal care in the fourth trimester with OR 9.890 (95%C1: 1.349-72.531). It is necessary to increase public knowledge on balanced nutrition in children under five years and improved maternal health access to resolve children under five years of malnutrition in those communities.

Microscopic and submicroscopic Plasmodium infections in indigenous and non-indigenous communities in Colombia

BackgroundThe indigenous population is considered a highly susceptible group to malaria because individuals usually live in areas with high exposure to Anopheles and poverty, and have limited access to health services. There is a great diversity of indigenous communities in Colombia living in malaria-endemic areas; however, the burden of infection in these populations has not been studied extensively. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Plasmodium infections in indigenous and non-indigenous communities in two malaria-endemic areas in Colombia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in seven villages of Turbo and El Bagre municipalities; three of these villages were indigenous communities. Inhabitants of all ages willing to participate were included. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded as well as household information. The parasitological diagnosis was performed by microscopy and nested PCR. The prevalence of microscopy and submicroscopic infection was estimated. An adjusted GEE model was used to explore risk factors associated with the infection.ResultsAmong 713 participants, 60.7% were from indigenous communities. Plasmodium spp. was detected in 30 subjects (4.2%, CI 95% 2.9–5.9); from those, 29 were in the indigenous population, 47% of infections were afebrile, and most of them submicroscopic (10/14). Microscopic and submicroscopic prevalence was 2.5% (CI 95% 1.6–3.9) and 1.7% (CI 95% 0.9–2.9), respectively. In El Bagre, all infections occurred in indigenous participants (3.9%, CI 95% 2.2–7.1), and 81% were submicroscopic. By contrast, in Turbo, the highest prevalence occurred in indigenous people (11.5%; CI 95%: 7.3-17.5), but 88.8% were microscopic. Living in an indigenous population increased the prevalence of infection compared with a non-indigenous population (PR 19.4; CI 95% 2.3–166.7).ConclusionThere is a high proportion of Plasmodium infection in indigenous communities. A substantial proportion of asymptomatic and submicroscopic carriers were detected. The identification of these infections, not only in indigenous but also in the non-indigenous population, as well as their associated factors, could help to implement specific malaria strategies for each context.