Reserve Communities Research Articles

Planning for autonomy and conservation: ‘Life Plans’ and communal reserves in the Amazonian borders of Peru

ABSTRACT State-promoted biodiversity conservation can either align with or diverge from Indigenous Peoples’ priorities, knowledge, and self-determined development paths. Drawing on fieldwork at the Amazon borders of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, this paper examines Indigenous organizations’ efforts to uphold territorial rights and pursue planning with Indigenous values in landscapes earmarked for conservation. The key question centers on how ‘border configurations’ affect grassroots planning and conservation focusing on the experience of Peruvian Secoya (Siékopai) People. Using expert interviews and ethnographic methods, the paper finds that conservation agencies risk losing credibility without genuine efforts toward social equity and well-being, constrained by mandates that often neglect local needs. The success of Life Plans depends on solidarity networks that balance conservation with viable economic alternatives, equitable power dynamics, and access to services. Ultimately, the paper shows that Life Plans empower Indigenous organizations, offering meaningful options for political self-representation within Amazonian conservation.

Ecosociosystem Landscape of the Sustainable Development Reserve of Quilombos de Barra do Turvo, São Paulo

In the ecosociosystem landscape, traditional practices and customs are employed by quilombola communities in the use and manage of the land, constituting essential characteristics for the conservation of local sociobiodiversity. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the landscape used and managed by quilombola communities in the Sustainable Development Reserve of Quilombos de Barra do Turvo in São Paulo, discussing its implications for its conservation status. Geotechnological tools were used to generate maps and quantifiable data on vegetation cover and land use for the years 1984 and 2020. as well as the Anthropogenic Transformation Index to identify the conservation status of the landscape. In the Reserve, as well as in quilombola communities, anthropogenic uses predominated, specifically agriculture and livestock farming. In terms of vegetation cover, the extent of the Dense Montane Ombrophilous Forest showed a reduction in both investigated areas. Water within the Reserve showed an increase in area, while there was no spatial change in the communities. The conservation status of the landscape in the Reserve and quilombola communities, on both investigated dates, was found to be mildly degraded. It was concluded that there is a need for the development of management plans that respect the way of life of quilombola communities and the maintenance of aquatic and terrestrial fauna and flora, contributing to the conservation of the local landscape.

Indigenous Peoples as resources and resource makers in Peruvian Amazonia

ABSTRACT Environmentalist organizations promote co-management arrangements as a means of protecting forests and moving away from predatory forms of Indigenous-settler interactions. In Peru, the state and Indigenous Peoples co-manage territories under three regimes: Native Communities, Communal Reserves, and Reserves for Isolated Indigenous Peoples. Through the case of the Purús-Manu Conservation Corridor, we show how in co-management arrangements Indigenous Peoples play dual roles as resource managers (and makers) and as resources themselves, and how in this process indigeneity emerges as a resource. As a result, Indigenous Peoples find that paradoxically, co-management schemes reproduce many of the power asymmetries of previous interventions.

The protective role of valuing cultural activities on cannabis use in reserve-Dwelling First Nation youth

Cannabis legalization and use across North America disproportionately negatively affects North American Indigenous (NAI) youth. Cultural activities may function as an alternative reinforcer to protect against substance use and promote engagement in substance-free activities. The present study explored the role of valuing cultural activities on positive cannabis expectancies and past-month cannabis use. This was a secondary data analysis of data from one NAI adolescent population reporting any past-month cannabis use. 106 NAI adolescents (50% female) from a Canadian reserve community completed surveys in spring 2017. The Institutional Review Board, tribal chief, and council approved this study and informed consent, assent, and parental permission were obtained from participants. Linear regression results revealed significant main effects of positive cannabis expectancies (b = 2.926, SE = 1.198, p = .017, 95%CI[0.542, 5.309]) and valuing cultural activities (b= −0.471,SE = 0.234, p=.048, 95%CI[−0.937, −0.005]) on cannabis use, but no significant interaction between cannabis expectancies and valuing cultural activities. Previous research found valuing cultural activities significantly moderates the relationship between positive alcohol expectancies and alcohol use. Divergent findings may relate to the different historical significance of alcohol versus cannabis. Alcohol was used as a method to colonize NAIs. Thus, our non-significant interaction may result from cannabis not holding the same historical significance in comparison to alcohol for First Nation people, although this is only a hypothesis and should be confirmed with a follow up study. Despite this, calls from Indigenous communities emphasize the need for strength-based approaches and our results indicate that valuing culture is still significantly related to reduced cannabis use, independent of cannabis expectancies.

Between Co‐Management and Responsibilisation: Comparative Perspectives from Two Reservas Comunales in the Peruvian Amazon

Peru introduced co‐managed Reservas Comunales (Communal Reserves) as an alternative to the ‘fortress conservation’ approach that characterises other protected areas where Indigenous Peoples tend to be excluded from both the physical space and managerial aspects of conservation regimes. Although these Reserves are lauded internationally as supporting Indigenous Peoples' self‐determination, this article examines the challenges that arise from the cogestión (co‐management) regime for Indigenous organisations and communities. Focusing on the ‘responsibilisation’ relationships created in the co‐management of two Communal Reserves, the article reflects on the different trajectories of this transfer of responsibilities, and the processes through which Indigenous co‐management organisations are expected to adopt the government's conservation goals.

Analysis of the effects of habitat characteristics, human disturbance and prey on felids presence using long-term community monitoring information

Predator species are essential for ecosystems as they maintain the ecological integrity of the habitat. Particularly, felids populations have declined globally due to their sensitivity to habitat disturbances. Nevertheless, in Mexico, there are areas protected by indigenous communities to preserve a portion of their territory, benefiting multiple species, including felids. Although the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas of Mexico sponsors a long-term national-wide communal monitoring programme using camera traps, there is not a systematic analysis of the information generated by the programme. We assessed the occurrence of three felids species known to occur in a Zapotec indigenous community conservation area in Oaxaca, Mexico. Specifically, we evaluated how habitat characteristics, human disturbance and prey influence felids’ occurrence across the protected area. None of the variables explained better than the null model the proportion of sites used by Pumas (Puma concolor). Bobcats and Margays favour areas with medium-sized prey. Our study shows the importance of community-based monitoring and information systems (CBMIS) for identifying communal reserve characteristics that contribute to the occupation of carnivores. Further, our results also suggest that management should consider the habitat requirements of felids´ prey. By understanding wildlife habitat use, communal authorities could improve sustainable forest management within the reserves.

Medicinal plant use and integration of traditional healers into health care system: A case study at Ankasa Forest Reserve and catchment communities in Ghana

Medicinal plant use and integration of traditional healers into health care system: A case study at Ankasa Forest Reserve and catchment communities in Ghana

Community Reserves: Their significance for the conservation of mammals in a mosaic of community-managed lands in Meghalaya, Northeast India.

Community Reserves (CRs) have been advocated for increasing the protected area coverage in northeast India where the land is primarily owned and managed by local indigenous institutions. To understand the significance of these reserves for the conservation of mammals, we investigated the diversity and abundance of mammals in five CRs in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya as well as interviewed 75 local villagers to assess the hunting practices and perceptions of the Indigenous Khasis on mammals. We employed 60 camera traps in the CRs and undertook a recce survey (day-time and night-time) for capturing the diversity in the CRs. We used photo-capture rate and encounter rate as indices of relative abundance in the CRs. We used an exact multinomial test to test differences of opinion among the respondents of the five CRs. We found a relatively low abundance of mammals in the CRs, yet they persist. A total of 28 species were detected through camera trapping and recce survey and an additional 12 species were reported by respondents to also occur in the CRs. Among the respondents, it was believed that the decline in mammal populations was largely driven by habitat loss and degradation (82.67%) while only a few believed it was also driven by hunting (5.33%). Respondents also believed that the presence of the reserves and awareness programs taken under them had also led to a reduction in hunting (20%) in their area. Although, some attributed it to a general decline in wildlife populations and forest cover (21.33%). Thus, despite these CRs being small (<2 km2) and isolated, they still harbour mammal species and are important for retaining remnant forest patches in a landscape that is highly fragmented.

Improved Command and Control (C2) capabilities in urban and challenging terrains

Army's Network Centric Warfare strategy aims to bolster Information Dominance capabilities, utilizing Command and Control (C2) systems like the Army Battle Command Systems (ABCS), stayed on advancing knowledges for example networking, communications, and positioning. Maintaining current Situation Awareness (SA) information is vital for successful C2 systems, requiring incessant and opportune location data from pertinent stages in the battlefield. The accuracy and obtainability of this location evidence straight impact active efficiency. Traditionally, positioning served the purpose of "own ship" pilotage, answering the question of navigating from Point A to Point B. However, the part of placement as a communal reserve is evolving, increasing the status of location evidence quality and availability. The primary source of this position data is the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS), offering a consistent coordinate reference with accuracy unaffected by time or distance traveled, and with lower integration costs compared to alternatives like Inertial Navigation Units (INU) or Doppler Radar Navigation Sets. It's crucial to note that GPS is susceptible to Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) and signal blockage in Urban and Compound Terrain. Technological initiatives are focused on exploring advanced integration techniques that combine externally aided and self-contained navigation systems.

Application of the acquired preparedness model for alcohol and cigarette use among reserve-dwelling first nation adolescents.

North American Indigenous youth experience disproportionate harm associated with alcohol and cigarette use compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The Acquired Preparedness Model (APM), developed and tested in primarily White samples, hypothesizes that urgency contributes to risk for substance use by influencing the degree to which adolescents attend to positive aspects of substance use, leading to the development of more positive expectations about the consequences of substance use, and increasing subsequent substance use. The purpose of the present study was to provide an initial test of whether the APM generalizes to understanding alcohol and cigarette use among high-risk First Nation adolescents. First Nation adolescents (n = 106, Mage = 14.6, 50.0% female) recruited from reserve communities in Eastern Canada completed self-report measures as part of a larger community-based participatory research project. Procedures were approved by tribal chief, council, and university IRB. The hypothesized model demonstrated excellent fit for alcohol use, χ²(1) = 1.07, p = .30, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .02, and adequate fit for cigarette use, χ²(1) = 2.58, p = .11, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.12, SRMR = 0.03. The indirect effects of urgency on alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking through alcohol and cigarette expectancies were each significant. Findings of the present study provide initial support for the generalizability of the APM in understanding risk for alcohol and cigarette use among reserve-dwelling First Nation youth. The next important step is to replicate this finding in a prospective sample. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Case Study of Collaborative Modeling in an Indigenous Community

To support Indigenous communities in preparing for uncertainties such as climate change impacts and unexpected threats to health, there are calls by researchers and community members for decision support tools that meaningfully and sensitively bring together Indigenous contextualized factors such as social dynamics, local- and culture-specific knowledge, and data with academic tools and practices including predictive modeling. This project used a community engaged approach to co-create an agent-based model geographically bounded to a reserve community to examine three community-requested simulations. Community members and researchers co-designed, built, and verified the model simulations: a contaminated water delivery truck; a Pow Wow where a waterborne infectious disease spreads; and a flood which restricts typical movement around the reserve for daily tasks and health care. The simulations’ findings, displayed as both conventional and narrative outputs, revealed management areas where community adaptation and mitigation are needed, including enhancing health service provision in times of disease outbreaks or large community events, and creating back-up plans for overcoming flood impacts to ensure services are accessible for vulnerable members of the community. Recommendations for communities, researchers, and modelers are discussed.

Conservation and Indigenous resistance: Protected Areas and extractive agendas in the Peruvian Amazon

Expanding natural protected areas in the Peruvian Amazon compete with indigenous interests and resource extraction, in a dynamic process of endorsement and enforcement by local indigenous communities. The analysis presents a geographical case study of Peru’s emblematic Camisea gas extraction project in the Amazonian Lower Urubamba valley, Cusco. The focus is on two protected areas —Matsigenka Communal Reserve and Megantoni National Sanctuary— that were created alongside the gas project in the early 2000s, strategically supported by local indigenous communities. The study argues that the intersections of extractive and conservation agendas in Camisea have created ambiguous and novel spaces for the expression of local indigenous agendas, while neoliberal conservation territorial logics simultaneously limit them. This empirical analysis contributes to a deeper empirical understanding of Indigenous conservation priorities, political demands, and long-term strategies regarding territorial and legal categories of conservation, carefully negotiated within highly fragmented and weak formal institutional state arrangements in the Peruvian Amazon.

Harm reduction acceptability and feasibility in a North American indigenous reserve community.

The present study assessed community and culturally specific alcohol-related harm among North American Indigenous (NAI) individuals, as well as the acceptability and feasibility of harm reduction approaches in one reserve-based NAI community. Participants lived on or near a NAI reserve in Canada. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with health care workers (N = 8, 75% NAI) and community members (N = 9, 100% NAI). Self-report questionnaires were administered that measured acceptability and feasibility of harm reduction strategies. Conventional content analysis revealed loss of culture as culturally specific alcohol-related harm. Health care workers rated harm reduction approaches to be acceptable and feasible, while community participants were more mixed. Majority of participants felt that some harm reduction strategies could provide opportunities for individuals who use alcohol to connect to Indigenous culture and traditions. However, there were mixed findings on whether harm reduction strategies are consistent with Indigenous cultural traditions and values. Future research is needed to evaluate potential utility of harm-reduction approaches for NAI communities.

Two New Cryptic Pristimantis (Anura, Craugastoridae) from the Southern Amazon Basin of Peru with Taxonomic Comments on Pristimantis imitatrix (Duellman, 1978)

Fieldwork in premontane and lowland Amazonian forest (385–1,075 m above sea level) in and around the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in southeastern Peru led us to describe two new species of the genus Pristimantis. We used integrative evidence from several external morphological characters, morphometric and molecular data, geographic distributions, and multivariate analyses to support the identification of these new species. Pristimantis gagliardi sp. nov. is characterized by lacking a visible tympanic annulus and membrane on skin, having basal webbing between toes, yellow blotches in groin and hidden surfaces of shanks, W-shaped scapular mark, snout subacuminate bearing a very small papilla at tip of snout, and snout–vent length (SVL) = 17.7–21.3 mm in adult males and SVL = 26.7–29.2 mm in females. Pristimantis okmoi sp. nov. is characterized by having a visible tympanic annulus and membrane on skin, basal webbing between toes, yellow blotches in groin and hidden surfaces of shanks, W-shaped scapular mark, snout rounded with small rostral papilla, and SVL = 13.63–17.04 mm in adult males; females unknown. Both species were initially misidentified as P. carvalhoi or P. imitatrix. Additionally, we provide new morphological and phylogenetic data on adult specimens of Pristimantis imitatrix, a rare Amazonian species described based on a single subadult female.

Dealing With Deadstock: A Case Study of Carnivore Conflict Mitigation From Southwestern Alberta

Livestock deaths are an unfortunate reality for livestock producers and dead livestock (i.e., deadstock) disposal options can have implications beyond the ranch itself. In Alberta, Canada, natural disposal (i.e., disposing of the carcass in a manner that allows for scavenging) has increased since the 2003 detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Canadian cattle. Prior to BSE, rendering companies removed deadstock for free. However, rendering companies started charging producers to remove deadstock to offset costs associated with new regulatory requirements enacted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which has resulted in increased on-farm natural disposal of deadstock. This increase has ecological implications because deadstock are a major attractant for large carnivores. Carnivores feeding on deadstock are often near other agricultural attractants such as stored grain and feed, silage, and living livestock, which can exacerbate conflict potential and pose a risk to human safety. To help mitigate conflicts associated with deadstock, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve's (a local non-profit) Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP) supported expansion of community deadstock removal efforts beginning in 2009, including reimbursement of on-farm removal costs, bear-resistant deadstock bins, and a livestock compost facility (operational 2013–2014). Here, we present an evaluative case study describing the development, implementation, and results of the deadstock removal program, including the compost facility. We tracked the number of head of livestock removed each year, the number of participating landowners, the average cost per head, and total program costs. We also used an online survey to assess participants' perspectives of the deadstock removal program and future needs. To date, the CACP has removed &amp;gt;5,400 livestock carcasses, representing between 15.1 and 22.6% of available carcasses in the program area, and 67.3% of livestock owners indicated they currently use the deadstock removal program to dispose of deadstock. Average cost to compost an animal was significantly less than other removal methods ($36.89 composting vs. $79.59 non-composting, one-tailed t-test, unequal sampling variances: t = 4.08, df = 5.87, p = 0.003). We conclude by discussing both ecological and social implications for deadstock removal as a conflict mitigation measure and make suggestions for future management considerations.

An Affair to Remember: Winoque, 1965

Following the exclusion of their children from the nearby Anglo high school in June 1965, a series of events occurred at the reserve community of Winoque which culminated in an apparently unrelated dispute over the proposed use of band funds to secure independence from the town. The community had been divided between two factions, self-defined as crowds. The leader of the crowd I identified as Restricters was the chief; the leader of the other crowd I identified as Extenders would be that chiefs opposition in the November elections. Crowds then, were in part ideologically committed to action at the Indian/non Indian boundary. Restricters idealized this as a barrier or void whereas Extenders idealized it as a path or boundary zone. Put to the test in the issue of whether the community should send its children back to the high school, if invited, the crowds were forced to modify positions in the face of public opinion.

Perceived Racial Discrimination, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol-Related Problems: The Moderating Role of Self-Compassion in Reserve-Dwelling First Nation Youth.

North American Indigenous youth experience disproportionate rates of racial discrimination as well as consequences associated with alcohol use. Self-compassion has been found to be related to both racial discrimination and alcohol use, separately. However, no work to date has examined the role of self-compassion as a moderator of the links among racial discrimination and alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. First Nation adolescents (N = 106, M age = 14.6, 50.0% female) from reserve communities in Eastern Canada completed a pencil-and-paper survey regarding their experiences of racial discrimination, self-compassion, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. The associations between racial discrimination and both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were significantly moderated by self-compassion. Simple slopes analysis revealed that the associations between racial discrimination and alcohol use was significant for those with low (b = 6.03, p = .002) but not high (b = -0.30, p = .88) levels of self-compassion. Similarly, the association between racial discrimination and alcohol-related problems was significant for those with low (b = 21.81, p = .001) but not high (b = 0.64, p = .93) levels of self-compassion. Findings of the present study suggest that low levels of self-compassion may increase risk for alcohol use and experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences in the context of racial discrimination among North American Indigenous adolescents. Future work should examine the utility of interventions targeting self-compassion to examine their effects on responses to racial discrimination and alcohol use.

Assessment of African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) Population Structure in Kilwa District, Tanzania

Overharvesting and limited conservation efforts have posed a serious threat to future availability of Dalbergia melanoxylon in Tanzania in recent years. The study was conducted between 2018 and 2020 covering Mitarure Forest Reserve (MFR) and 2 surrounding community forests of Ngea and Nambawala in Kilwa District. The purpose of the study was to assess the existing population status of the species in Tanzania. A total of 36 circular plots in Mitarure and 15 plots in each community forest were laid down. Data were recorded for the number of stems per plot, and then converted on per hectare basis where the basal area and densities per hectare were calculated. Data was disaggregated into 5 Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) generated distribution classes ranging from DBH 0 to more than 45 cm. The results revealed that, there was a contrast between the Mitarure Forest Reserve and community forests in terms of individual number of trees per unit area, basal area and densities. The numbers of stems per hectare for the species were found to be 16, 10 and 8 stems/ha in Mitarure, Ngea and Nambawala forest, respectively. Dalbergia melanoxylon in Mitarure forest was normally distributed. The respective basal area was over 80 m2 per ha in Nambawala against over 60 in MFR and Ngea. The results suggest success of the communities in conserving the species after previous overharvest. Authorities should frequently visit forests to increase the population of the species and reduce unauthorised harvesting.&#x0D; Keywords: Dalbegia melanoxylon, Population structure, Mitarure forest reserve, Ngea and Nambawala community forests.

Reframing Suicide

AbstractWhat can narratives of suicide tell us about diasporic and Indigenous relationships to the white settler state? This article engages relational critique to examine trans/femme/bisexual South Asian Canadian filmmaker Vivek Shraya's short film I want to kill myself (2017) and queer Cree/Métis filmmaker Adam Garnet Jones's feature film Fire Song (2015). Both films challenge the spectacularity of suicide, effectively situating suicide on a continuum of “slow death.” However, the films also stage distinct relationships between suicide, community, and the state that emerge from diasporic and Native positionalities within a white settler society. Whereas Shraya's diasporic struggle with suicide is alleviated by forging community within settler spaces, Fire Song counters pathologizing depictions of reserve communities by emphasizing resurgent Indigenous practices and their refusal of settler logics.

Why Indigenous Canadians on reserves are reluctant to complain about the police

Recent widespread protests and intensive media coverage of actual and alleged acts of police misconduct against members of vulnerable populations (e.g., Indigenous and racialized persons, mentally ill and/or addicted persons) overrepresented in the criminal justice system have renewed interest internationally in the factors influencing civilian complaints against police. In Canada, a major concern exists regarding how Indigenous persons who feel improperly treated by the police perceive and confront barriers to making formal complaints about such treatment. This study focuses on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the police agency providing services to the majority of rural and northern reserve communities. Our survey and interviews with influential “community informants” (in this instance community court workers) with intimate knowledge of such local communities, shared culture and language, and vicarious appreciation of the experiences of community members support the view that Indigenous persons do encounter significant barriers to launching formal complaints and are consistent with other research literature. We discuss our findings, raise policy considerations for decision makers such as police leaders and police complaints bodies, and outline implications for future research.