Sample records for indigenous land management

  1. Mapping Indigenous land management for threatened species conservation: An Australian case-study.

    PubMed

    Renwick, Anna R; Robinson, Catherine J; Garnett, Stephen T; Leiper, Ian; Possingham, Hugh P; Carwardine, Josie

    2017-01-01

    Much biodiversity lives on lands to which Indigenous people retain strong legal and management rights. However this is rarely quantified. Here we provide the first quantitative overview of the importance of Indigenous land for a critical and vulnerable part of biodiversity, threatened species, using the continent of Australia as a case study. We find that three quarters of Australia's 272 terrestrial or freshwater vertebrate species listed as threatened under national legislation have projected ranges that overlap Indigenous lands. On average this overlap represents 45% of the range of each threatened species while Indigenous land is 52% of the country. Hotspots where multiple threatened species ranges overlap occur predominantly in coastal Northern Australia. Our analysis quantifies the vast potential of Indigenous land in Australia for contributing to national level conservation goals, and identifies the main land management arrangements available to Indigenous people which may enable them to deliver those goals should they choose to do so.

  2. Mapping Indigenous land management for threatened species conservation: An Australian case-study

    PubMed Central

    Renwick, Anna R.; Robinson, Catherine J.; Garnett, Stephen T.; Leiper, Ian; Possingham, Hugh P.; Carwardine, Josie

    2017-01-01

    Much biodiversity lives on lands to which Indigenous people retain strong legal and management rights. However this is rarely quantified. Here we provide the first quantitative overview of the importance of Indigenous land for a critical and vulnerable part of biodiversity, threatened species, using the continent of Australia as a case study. We find that three quarters of Australia’s 272 terrestrial or freshwater vertebrate species listed as threatened under national legislation have projected ranges that overlap Indigenous lands. On average this overlap represents 45% of the range of each threatened species while Indigenous land is 52% of the country. Hotspots where multiple threatened species ranges overlap occur predominantly in coastal Northern Australia. Our analysis quantifies the vast potential of Indigenous land in Australia for contributing to national level conservation goals, and identifies the main land management arrangements available to Indigenous people which may enable them to deliver those goals should they choose to do so. PMID:28291797

  3. Policy Inputs to Honduran Government, Indigenous Federations, and NGOs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-09

    Meeting, June 8, 2015: met with representatives of Honduran Land Management Program (PATH II), indigenous Miskitu leaders from MASTA, and...Granados of Honduran Land Management Program (PATH II), Norvin Goff (President of MASTA indigenous federation), and Darío Cruz (Vice Rector at UPNFM). ...Government, Indigenous Federations, and NGOs Our cartographic research results on the CA Indígena website are used by Honduran government agencies

  4. Methods and approaches to support Indigenous water planning: An example from the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory, Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoverman, Suzanne; Ayre, Margaret

    2012-12-01

    SummaryIndigenous land owners of the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory Australia have begun the first formal freshwater allocation planning process in Australia entirely within Indigenous lands and waterways. The process is managed by the Northern Territory government agency responsible for water planning, the Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport, in partnership with the Tiwi Land Council, the principal representative body for Tiwi Islanders on matters of land and water management and governance. Participatory planning methods ('tools') were developed to facilitate community participation in Tiwi water planning. The tools, selected for their potential to generate involvement in the planning process needed both to incorporate Indigenous knowledge of water use and management and raise awareness in the Indigenous community of Western science and water resources management. In consultation with the water planner and Tiwi Land Council officers, the researchers selected four main tools to develop, trial and evaluate. Results demonstrate that the tools provided mechanisms which acknowledge traditional management systems, improve community engagement, and build confidence in the water planning process. The researchers found that participatory planning approaches supported Tiwi natural resource management institutions both in determining appropriate institutional arrangements and clarifying roles and responsibilities in the Islands' Water Management Strategy.

  5. Biodiverse planting for carbon and biodiversity on indigenous land.

    PubMed

    Renwick, Anna R; Robinson, Catherine J; Martin, Tara G; May, Tracey; Polglase, Phil; Possingham, Hugh P; Carwardine, Josie

    2014-01-01

    Carbon offset mechanisms have been established to mitigate climate change through changes in land management. Regulatory frameworks enable landowners and managers to generate saleable carbon credits on domestic and international markets. Identifying and managing the associated co-benefits and dis-benefits involved in the adoption of carbon offset projects is important for the projects to contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development and the provision of benefits to the local communities. So far it has been unclear how Indigenous communities can benefit from such initiatives. We provide a spatial analysis of the carbon and biodiversity potential of one offset method, planting biodiverse native vegetation, on Indigenous land across Australia. We discover significant potential for opportunities for Indigenous communities to achieve carbon sequestration and biodiversity goals through biodiverse plantings, largely in southern and eastern Australia, but the economic feasibility of these projects depend on carbon market assumptions. Our national scale cost-effectiveness analysis is critical to enable Indigenous communities to maximise the benefits available to them through participation in carbon offset schemes.

  6. Biodiverse Planting for Carbon and Biodiversity on Indigenous Land

    PubMed Central

    Renwick, Anna R.; Robinson, Catherine J.; Martin, Tara G.; May, Tracey; Polglase, Phil; Possingham, Hugh P.; Carwardine, Josie

    2014-01-01

    Carbon offset mechanisms have been established to mitigate climate change through changes in land management. Regulatory frameworks enable landowners and managers to generate saleable carbon credits on domestic and international markets. Identifying and managing the associated co-benefits and dis-benefits involved in the adoption of carbon offset projects is important for the projects to contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development and the provision of benefits to the local communities. So far it has been unclear how Indigenous communities can benefit from such initiatives. We provide a spatial analysis of the carbon and biodiversity potential of one offset method, planting biodiverse native vegetation, on Indigenous land across Australia. We discover significant potential for opportunities for Indigenous communities to achieve carbon sequestration and biodiversity goals through biodiverse plantings, largely in southern and eastern Australia, but the economic feasibility of these projects depend on carbon market assumptions. Our national scale cost-effectiveness analysis is critical to enable Indigenous communities to maximise the benefits available to them through participation in carbon offset schemes. PMID:24637736

  7. Community owned solutions for fire management in tropical ecosystems: case studies from Indigenous communities of South America

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Fire plays an increasingly significant role in tropical forest and savanna ecosystems, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and impacting on biodiversity. Emerging research shows the potential role of Indigenous land-use practices for controlling deforestation and reducing CO2 emissions. Analysis of satellite imagery suggests that Indigenous lands have the lowest incidence of wildfires, significantly contributing to maintaining carbon stocks and enhancing biodiversity. Yet acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples' role in fire management and control is limited, and in many cases dismissed, especially in policy-making circles. In this paper, we review existing data on Indigenous fire management and impact, focusing on examples from tropical forest and savanna ecosystems in Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. We highlight how the complexities of community owned solutions for fire management are being lost as well as undermined by continued efforts on fire suppression and firefighting, and emerging approaches to incorporate Indigenous fire management into market- and incentive-based mechanisms for climate change mitigation. Our aim is to build a case for supporting Indigenous fire practices within all scales of decision-making by strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems to ensure more effective and sustainable fire management. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216507

  8. Community owned solutions for fire management in tropical ecosystems: case studies from Indigenous communities of South America.

    PubMed

    Mistry, Jayalaxshmi; Bilbao, Bibiana A; Berardi, Andrea

    2016-06-05

    Fire plays an increasingly significant role in tropical forest and savanna ecosystems, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and impacting on biodiversity. Emerging research shows the potential role of Indigenous land-use practices for controlling deforestation and reducing CO2 emissions. Analysis of satellite imagery suggests that Indigenous lands have the lowest incidence of wildfires, significantly contributing to maintaining carbon stocks and enhancing biodiversity. Yet acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples' role in fire management and control is limited, and in many cases dismissed, especially in policy-making circles. In this paper, we review existing data on Indigenous fire management and impact, focusing on examples from tropical forest and savanna ecosystems in Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. We highlight how the complexities of community owned solutions for fire management are being lost as well as undermined by continued efforts on fire suppression and firefighting, and emerging approaches to incorporate Indigenous fire management into market- and incentive-based mechanisms for climate change mitigation. Our aim is to build a case for supporting Indigenous fire practices within all scales of decision-making by strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems to ensure more effective and sustainable fire management.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  9. Abundance of arbuscular mychorrizal fungi in rehabilitation area of nickel post-mining land of Sorowako, South Sulawesi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akib, M. A.; Mustari, K.; Kuswinanti, T.; Syaiful, S. A.

    2018-05-01

    Acceleration management of land rehabilitation in nickel post-mining in Sorowako has been main attention of Vale Indonesia. This acceleration can be done by utilizing of natural resources, especially indigenous endomycorrhiza. Endomycorrhiza also called arbuscular mycorrhizal has got a lot of attention for its ability to form a mutualistic symbiosis with 80% - 96% of plant species. This study aims to determine the dominance of indigenous endomycorrhiza spores and its potential to accelerate the management of land rehabilitation post-mining of nickel, which is carried out in three stages; sampling rhizosphere, trapping spores, isolation and identification of the arbuscular mycorrhizal spores types. The results showed that the dominance of indigenous endomycorrhiza were Acalauspora sp (75.1%), Gigaspora sp (19.4%) and Glomus sp (5.6%). Research on the effectiveness of indigenous endomycorrhiza using Acalauspora sp in land rehabilitation of nickel post-mining is still ongoing.

  10. Biodiversity conservation and indigenous land management in the era of self-determination.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Paige M; Peterson, Markus J

    2009-12-01

    Indigenous people inhabit approximately 85% of areas designated for biodiversity conservation worldwide. They also continue to struggle for recognition and preservation of cultural identities, lifestyles, and livelihoods--a struggle contingent on control and protection of traditional lands and associated natural resources (hereafter, self-determination). Indigenous lands and the biodiversity they support are increasingly threatened because of human population growth and per capita consumption. Application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to tribal lands in the United States provides a rich example of the articulation between biodiversity conservation and indigenous peoples' struggle for self-determination. We found a paradoxical relationship whereby tribal governments are simultaneously and contradictory sovereign nations; yet their communities depend on the U.S. government for protection through the federal-trust doctrine. The unique legal status of tribal lands, their importance for conserving federally protected species, and federal environmental regulations' failure to define applicability to tribal lands creates conflict between tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and constitutional authority. We reviewed Secretarial Order 3206, the U.S. policy on "American Indian tribal rights, federal-tribal trust responsibilities, and the ESA," and evaluated how it influences ESA implementation on tribal lands. We found improved biodiversity conservation and tribal self-determination requires revision of the fiduciary relationship between the federal government and the tribes to establish clear, legal definitions regarding land rights, applicability of environmental laws, and financial responsibilities. Such actions will allow provision of adequate funding and training to tribal leaders and resource managers, government agency personnel responsible for biodiversity conservation and land management, and environmental policy makers. Increased capacity, cooperation, and knowledge transfer among tribes and conservationists will improve biodiversity conservation and indigenous self-determination.

  11. Diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer for indigenous women from East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory: bioethical reflections.

    PubMed

    McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole; Adidi, Leonora

    2015-06-01

    This paper explores the bioethical issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of vulvar cancer for Indigenous women in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Based on a qualitative study of a vulvar cancer cluster of Indigenous women, the article highlights four main topics of bioethical concern drawn from the findings: informed consent, removal of body parts, pain management, and issues at the interface of Indigenous and Western health care. The article seeks to make a contribution towards Indigenous health and bioethics and bring to light areas of further research.

  12. Generating Co-Management at Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, New Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinel, Sandra Lee; Pecos, Jacob

    2012-03-01

    Collaborative planning theory and co-management paradigms promise conflict prevention and the incorporation of indigenous knowledge into plans. Critics argue that without devolved power to culturally legitimate institutions, indigenous perspectives are marginalized. Co-management practice in North America is largely limited to treaty-protected fish and wildlife because federal agencies cannot devolve land management authority. This paper explores why the Pueblo de Cochiti, a federally recognized American Indian Tribe, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management sustained an rare joint management agreement for the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico despite a history of conflict over federal control of customary tribal lands that discouraged the Pueblo from working with federal agencies. Based on the participant interviews and documents, the case suggests that clear agreements, management attitudes, and the direct representation of indigenous forms of government helped achieve presumed co-management benefits. However, parties enter these agreements strategically. We should study, not assume, participant goals in collaborative processes and co-management institutions and pay special attention to the opportunities and constraints of federal laws and institutional culture for collaborative resource management with tribal and local communities.

  13. Determinants of choice of market-oriented indigenous Horo cattle production in Dano district of western Showa, Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Alemayehu, Befikadu; Bogale, Ayalneh; Wollny, Clemens; Tesfahun, Girma

    2010-12-01

    Based on a survey data collected from 150 farming households in Dano district of western Showa of Ethiopia, this paper analyzes determinants of smallholders' choice for market oriented indigenous Horo cattle production and tries to suggest policy alternatives for sustainable use of animal genetic resource in the study area. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic model were employed to analyze the data. Eight explanatory variables including age of the household head, size of the grazing land, total size of cultivated land, farmer's experience in indigenous cattle production, farmer's attitude towards productivity of local breed, off-farm income, fattening practice, and availability of information and training of the head of the household regarding conservation, management and sustainable use indigenous cattle were found to be statistically significant variables to explain farmers' choice for market oriented indigenous cattle production activities. Besides, possible policy implications were made in order to improve conservation, management and sustainable use of market oriented indigenous cattle genetic resources.

  14. Indigenous burning as conservation practice: neotropical savanna recovery amid agribusiness deforestation in Central Brazil.

    PubMed

    Welch, James R; Brondízio, Eduardo S; Hetrick, Scott S; Coimbra, Carlos E A

    2013-01-01

    International efforts to address climate change by reducing tropical deforestation increasingly rely on indigenous reserves as conservation units and indigenous peoples as strategic partners. Considered win-win situations where global conservation measures also contribute to cultural preservation, such alliances also frame indigenous peoples in diverse ecological settings with the responsibility to offset global carbon budgets through fire suppression based on the presumed positive value of non-alteration of tropical landscapes. Anthropogenic fire associated with indigenous ceremonial and collective hunting practices in the Neotropical savannas (cerrado) of Central Brazil is routinely represented in public and scientific conservation discourse as a cause of deforestation and increased CO2 emissions despite a lack of supporting evidence. We evaluate this claim for the Xavante people of Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Reserve, Brazil. Building upon 23 years of longitudinal interdisciplinary research in the area, we used multi-temporal spatial analyses to compare land cover change under indigenous and agribusiness management over the last four decades (1973-2010) and quantify the contemporary Xavante burning regime contributing to observed patterns based on a four year sample at the end of this sequence (2007-2010). The overall proportion of deforested land remained stable inside the reserve (0.6%) but increased sharply outside (1.5% to 26.0%). Vegetation recovery occurred where reserve boundary adjustments transferred lands previously deforested by agribusiness to indigenous management. Periodic traditional burning by the Xavante had a large spatial distribution but repeated burning in consecutive years was restricted. Our results suggest a need to reassess overreaching conservation narratives about the purported destructiveness of indigenous anthropogenic fire in the cerrado. The real challenge to conservation in the fire-adapted cerrado biome is the long-term sustainability of indigenous lands and other tropical conservation islands increasingly subsumed by agribusiness expansion rather than the localized subsistence practices of indigenous and other traditional peoples.

  15. Indigenous Burning as Conservation Practice: Neotropical Savanna Recovery amid Agribusiness Deforestation in Central Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Welch, James R.; Brondízio, Eduardo S.; Hetrick, Scott S.; Coimbra, Carlos E. A.

    2013-01-01

    International efforts to address climate change by reducing tropical deforestation increasingly rely on indigenous reserves as conservation units and indigenous peoples as strategic partners. Considered win-win situations where global conservation measures also contribute to cultural preservation, such alliances also frame indigenous peoples in diverse ecological settings with the responsibility to offset global carbon budgets through fire suppression based on the presumed positive value of non-alteration of tropical landscapes. Anthropogenic fire associated with indigenous ceremonial and collective hunting practices in the Neotropical savannas (cerrado) of Central Brazil is routinely represented in public and scientific conservation discourse as a cause of deforestation and increased CO2 emissions despite a lack of supporting evidence. We evaluate this claim for the Xavante people of Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Reserve, Brazil. Building upon 23 years of longitudinal interdisciplinary research in the area, we used multi-temporal spatial analyses to compare land cover change under indigenous and agribusiness management over the last four decades (1973–2010) and quantify the contemporary Xavante burning regime contributing to observed patterns based on a four year sample at the end of this sequence (2007–2010). The overall proportion of deforested land remained stable inside the reserve (0.6%) but increased sharply outside (1.5% to 26.0%). Vegetation recovery occurred where reserve boundary adjustments transferred lands previously deforested by agribusiness to indigenous management. Periodic traditional burning by the Xavante had a large spatial distribution but repeated burning in consecutive years was restricted. Our results suggest a need to reassess overreaching conservation narratives about the purported destructiveness of indigenous anthropogenic fire in the cerrado. The real challenge to conservation in the fire-adapted cerrado biome is the long-term sustainability of indigenous lands and other tropical conservation islands increasingly subsumed by agribusiness expansion rather than the localized subsistence practices of indigenous and other traditional peoples. PMID:24349045

  16. 78 FR 7385 - Western Pacific Fisheries; Fishing in the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-01

    ... preserve these submerged lands, waters, and marine resources, which are biologically diverse, contain sites... ensure proper care and management of the monument, including allowing for traditional indigenous fishing... indigenous fishing practices. To manage fisheries in the monuments consistent with the Proclamations, the...

  17. Using measures of wellbeing for impact evaluation: Proof of concept developed with an Indigenous community undertaking land management programs in northern Australia.

    PubMed

    Larson, Silva; Stoeckl, Natalie; Jarvis, Diane; Addison, Jane; Prior, Sharon; Esparon, Michelle

    2018-05-05

    Combining insights from literature on the Theory of Change, Impact Evaluation, and Wellbeing, we develop a novel approach to assessing impacts. Intended beneficiaries identify and rate factors that are important to their wellbeing, their satisfaction with those factors now, and before an intervention. Qualitative responses to questions about perceived changes and causes of change are linked to quantitative data to draw inferences about the existence and/or importance of impact(s). We use data from 67 Ewamian people, in a case study relating to Indigenous land management, to provide proof of concept. 'Knowing that country is being looked after' and 'Having legal right/access to the country' were identified as important to wellbeing, with perceptions that Native Title determination, declared Indigenous Protected Area and associated land management programs have had a significant and positive impact on them. Further method testing might determine the utility of this approach in a wide range of settings.

  18. ``Just Another Hoop to Jump Through?'' Using Environmental Laws and Processes to Protect Indigenous Rights

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Middleton, Beth Rose

    2013-11-01

    Protection of culturally important indigenous landscapes has become an increasingly important component of environmental management processes, for both companies and individuals striving to comply with environmental regulations, and for indigenous groups seeking stronger laws to support site protection and cultural/human rights. Given that indigenous stewardship of culturally important sites, species, and practices continues to be threatened or prohibited on lands out of indigenous ownership, this paper examines whether or not indigenous people can meaningfully apply mainstream environmental management laws and processes to achieve protection of traditional sites and associated stewardship activities. While environmental laws can provide a “back door” to protect traditional sites and practices, they are not made for this purpose, and, as such, require specific amendments to become more useful for indigenous practitioners. Acknowledging thoughtful critiques of the cultural incommensurability of environmental law with indigenous environmental stewardship of sacred sites, I interrogate the ability of four specific environmental laws and processes—the Uniform Conservation Easement Act; the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act; the Pacific Stewardship Council land divestiture process; and Senate Bill 18 (CA-2004)—to protect culturally important landscapes and practices. I offer suggestions for improving these laws and processes to make them more applicable to indigenous stewardship of traditional landscapes.

  19. "Just another hoop to jump through?" using environmental laws and processes to protect indigenous rights.

    PubMed

    Middleton, Beth Rose

    2013-11-01

    Protection of culturally important indigenous landscapes has become an increasingly important component of environmental management processes, for both companies and individuals striving to comply with environmental regulations, and for indigenous groups seeking stronger laws to support site protection and cultural/human rights. Given that indigenous stewardship of culturally important sites, species, and practices continues to be threatened or prohibited on lands out of indigenous ownership, this paper examines whether or not indigenous people can meaningfully apply mainstream environmental management laws and processes to achieve protection of traditional sites and associated stewardship activities. While environmental laws can provide a "back door" to protect traditional sites and practices, they are not made for this purpose, and, as such, require specific amendments to become more useful for indigenous practitioners. Acknowledging thoughtful critiques of the cultural incommensurability of environmental law with indigenous environmental stewardship of sacred sites, I interrogate the ability of four specific environmental laws and processes-the Uniform Conservation Easement Act; the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act; the Pacific Stewardship Council land divestiture process; and Senate Bill 18 (CA-2004)-to protect culturally important landscapes and practices. I offer suggestions for improving these laws and processes to make them more applicable to indigenous stewardship of traditional landscapes.

  20. Sustainable management of wildlife habitat and risk of extinction

    Treesearch

    Winston P. Smith; Patrick A. Zollner

    2005-01-01

    Whether land management planning provides for sufficient habitat to sustain viable populations of indigenous wildlife is one of the greatest challenges confronting resource managers. Analyses of the effects of land management on natural resources often rely on qualitative assessments that focus on single species to reflect the risk of wildlife extinction across a...

  1. Identifying resource manager information needs for the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Woodward, Andrea; Liedtke, Theresa; Jenni, Karen

    2014-01-01

    Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) are a network of 22 public-private partnerships, defined by ecoregion, that share and provide science to ensure the sustainability of land, water, wildlife and cultural resources in North America. LLCs were established by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) in recognition that response to climate change must be coordinated on a landscape-level basis because important resources, ecosystem processes and resource management challenges extend beyond national wildlife refuges, Bureau of Land Management lands, national parks, and even international boundaries. Therefore, DOI agencies must work with other Federal, State, Tribal (U.S. indigenous peoples), First Nation (Canadian indigenous peoples), and local governments, as well as private landowners, to develop landscape-level strategies for understanding and responding to climate change.

  2. NativeView: Our Land, Our People, Our Future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, T.

    2006-05-01

    The objective of this discussion is to (1) discuss the chasm between the breadth of Tribal land and resource to be sustained compared to the finite number of Tribal people trained in the sciences; (2) illustrate the need for integrating scientific knowledge with cultural knowledge; and (3) discuss the emergence of NativeView as Tribal College (TCUs) initiative leading the integration of geoscience and geospatial technology (GIS, Remote Sensing) with cultural knowledge to meet the growing needs of indigenous communities. It's about our land, our people and the need for highly trained individuals to sustainable and manage our resources for the future. There is a tremendous gap between total acreage of land owned or managed and the level of education obtained by indigenous people. In the United States today, American Indians and Alaskan Natives account for less than one percent of the total population, yet are responsible for more than five percent of the total land area. In North Dakota, there are over 54 thousand American Indians responsible for more than 3.8 million acres of Tribal Land. In contrast, less than 15 percent of indigenous people finish a Bachelor's degree of any kind and far fewer finish a science degree that would help them become more effective and responsible land managers. This poses an important dilemma. How will the Tribes meet (1) the resource needs of a growing population, (2) the demand for a skilled workforce, and (3) resource management goals in ways that contribute to Tribal infrastructure and equate to sustainable resource management? The integration of geoscience and geospatial technologies into the curriculum of Tribal Colleges (TCU's) has quietly emerged as one of the leading initiatives across Indian Country. These skills are widely recognized as a vehicle to empower our constituents in the sciences, in the cultural values and the traditional land ethic that defines us as a people. NativeView has taken the lead in working with the Tribes, TCUs and other partners to create cadres of indigenous professionals that possess skills in geoscience and geospatial technologies that will manage Tribal resources in scientifically sound, culturally relevant ways. Preliminary results suggest that developing strength-based collaborations that create an environment of investment and ownership by all Indian and non-Indian participants proves an effective model for meeting long- term goals. A number of these projects and the mechanisms that define the successful collaborations will be illustrated.

  3. Soil and geography are more important determinants of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal communities than management practices in Swiss agricultural soils.

    PubMed

    Jansa, Jan; Erb, Angela; Oberholzer, Hans-Rudolf; Smilauer, Petr; Egli, Simon

    2014-04-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous soil fungi, forming mutualistic symbiosis with a majority of terrestrial plant species. They are abundant in nearly all soils, less diverse than soil prokaryotes and other intensively studied soil organisms and thus are promising candidates for universal indicators of land management legacies and soil quality degradation. However, insufficient data on how the composition of indigenous AMF varies along soil and landscape gradients have hampered the definition of baselines and effect thresholds to date. Here, indigenous AMF communities in 154 agricultural soils collected across Switzerland were profiled by quantitative real-time PCR with taxon-specific markers for six widespread AMF species. To identify the key determinants of AMF community composition, the profiles were related to soil properties, land management and site geography. Our results indicate a number of well-supported dependencies between abundances of certain AMF taxa and soil properties such as pH, soil fertility and texture, and a surprising lack of effect of available soil phosphorus on the AMF community profiles. Site geography, especially the altitude and large geographical distance, strongly affected AMF communities. Unexpected was the apparent lack of a strong land management effect on the AMF communities as compared to the other predictors, which could be due to the rarity of highly intensive and unsustainable land management in Swiss agriculture. In spite of the extensive coverage of large geographical and soil gradients, we did not identify any taxon suitable as an indicator of land use among the six taxa we studied. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trosper, Ronald L.

    2001-01-01

    The Applied Indigenous Studies program at Northern Arizona University aims to prepare American Indian students to assume tribal leadership roles. Its location in the College of Ecosystem Science and Management emphasizes its land-oriented and applied focus. The program's development, core courses, and academic requirements for bachelors degrees…

  5. The importance of traditional fire use and management practices for contemporary land managers in the American Southwest

    Treesearch

    Carol Raish; Armando Gonzalez-Caban; Carol J. Condie

    2005-01-01

    Indigenous and traditional peoples worldwide have used fire to manipulate their environment for thousands of years. These longstanding practices still continue and have considerable relevance for today’s land managers. This discussion explores the value of documenting and understanding historic and contemporary fire use attitudes and practices of the varied cultural/...

  6. 78 FR 12015 - Western Pacific Fisheries; Fishing in the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-21

    ... submerged lands, waters, and marine resources, which are biologically diverse, contain sites of historical... proper care and management of the monument, including allowing for traditional indigenous fishing... indigenous fishing practices. This proposed rule would implement the Council's recommendations. The Marianas...

  7. The natural and social history of the indigenous lands and protected areas corridor of the Xingu River basin

    PubMed Central

    Schwartzman, Stephan; Boas, André Villas; Ono, Katia Yukari; Fonseca, Marisa Gesteira; Doblas, Juan; Zimmerman, Barbara; Junqueira, Paulo; Jerozolimski, Adriano; Salazar, Marcelo; Junqueira, Rodrigo Prates; Torres, Maurício

    2013-01-01

    The 280 000 km² Xingu indigenous lands and protected areas (ILPAs) corridor, inhabited by 24 indigenous peoples and about 215 riverine (ribeirinho) families, lies across active agriculture frontiers in some of the historically highest-deforestation regions of the Amazon. Much of the Xingu is anthropogenic landscape, densely inhabited and managed by indigenous populations over the past millennium. Indigenous and riverine peoples' historical management and use of these landscapes have enabled their long-term occupation and ultimately their protection. The corridor vividly demonstrates how ILPAs halt deforestation and why they may account for a large part of the 70 per cent reduction in Amazon deforestation below the 1996–2005 average since 2005. However, ongoing and planned dams, road paving, logging and mining, together with increasing demand for agricultural commodities, continued degradation of upper headwaters outside ILPA borders and climate change impacts may render these gains ephemeral. Local peoples will need new, bottom-up, forms of governance to gain recognition for the high social and biological diversity of these territories in development policy and planning, and finance commensurate with the value of their ecosystem services. Indigenous groups' reports of changing fire and rainfall regimes may themselves evidence climate change impacts, a new and serious threat. PMID:23610170

  8. The natural and social history of the indigenous lands and protected areas corridor of the Xingu River basin.

    PubMed

    Schwartzman, Stephan; Boas, André Villas; Ono, Katia Yukari; Fonseca, Marisa Gesteira; Doblas, Juan; Zimmerman, Barbara; Junqueira, Paulo; Jerozolimski, Adriano; Salazar, Marcelo; Junqueira, Rodrigo Prates; Torres, Maurício

    2013-06-05

    The 280,000 km² Xingu indigenous lands and protected areas (ILPAs) corridor, inhabited by 24 indigenous peoples and about 215 riverine (ribeirinho) families, lies across active agriculture frontiers in some of the historically highest-deforestation regions of the Amazon. Much of the Xingu is anthropogenic landscape, densely inhabited and managed by indigenous populations over the past millennium. Indigenous and riverine peoples' historical management and use of these landscapes have enabled their long-term occupation and ultimately their protection. The corridor vividly demonstrates how ILPAs halt deforestation and why they may account for a large part of the 70 per cent reduction in Amazon deforestation below the 1996-2005 average since 2005. However, ongoing and planned dams, road paving, logging and mining, together with increasing demand for agricultural commodities, continued degradation of upper headwaters outside ILPA borders and climate change impacts may render these gains ephemeral. Local peoples will need new, bottom-up, forms of governance to gain recognition for the high social and biological diversity of these territories in development policy and planning, and finance commensurate with the value of their ecosystem services. Indigenous groups' reports of changing fire and rainfall regimes may themselves evidence climate change impacts, a new and serious threat.

  9. Forests and competing land uses in Kenya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allaway, James; Cox, Pamela M. J.

    1989-03-01

    Indigenous forests in Kenya, as in other developing countries, are under heavy pressure from competing agricultural land uses and from unsustainable cutting. The problem in Kenya is compounded by high population growth rates and an agriculturally based economy, which, even with efforts to control birth rates and industrialize, will persist into the next century. Both ecological and economic consequences of these pressures need to be considered in land-use decision making for land and forest management to be effective. This paper presents one way to combine ecological and economic considerations. The status of principal forest areas in Kenya is summarized and competing land uses compared on the basis of ecological functions and economic analysis. Replacement uses do not match the ecological functions of forest, although established stands of tree crops (forest plantations, fuel wood, tea) can have roughly comparable effects on soil and water resources. Indigenous forests have high, although difficult to estimate, economic benefits from tourism and protection of downstream agricultural productivity. Economic returns from competing land uses range widely, with tea having the highest and fuel wood plantations having returns comparable to some annual crops and dairying. Consideration of ecological and economic factors together suggests some trade-offs for improving land allocation decisions and several management opportunities for increasing benefits or reducing costs from particular land uses. The evaluation also suggests a general strategy for forest land management in Kenya.

  10. How Indigenous values shaped a successful multi-year Soil Health program in Aotearoa-New Zealand (presented from both indigenous Māori and western science perspectives)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stevenson, B.; Harmsworth, G.; Kalaugher, E.

    2017-12-01

    New Zealand is a multicultural society, founded on the Treaty of Waitangi which when enshrined into various legislation and national policy, provides incentive to incorporate indigenous Māori world views into nationally funded science and research programmes. Here we discuss how the integration of indigenous world views and western science were combined in a research proposal that resulted in successful funding for a 5 year collaborative science programme. The programme strives to develop an expanded national soil health framework for New Zealand that will be used by policy makers, local government, indigenous Māori, industry, and primary sector groups to maintain the natural capital and productivity of soils within environmental constraints. Soil health is fundamental to economic, social, and human wellbeing, and provides a myriad of ecosystem and environmental services, such as those sustaining food and fibre production. Typically soil health is defined by "dynamic" soil characteristics that are susceptible to changes in land use or land management over relatively short time frames (years to decades). Soil resilience, however, is a much longer-term concept that is not well captured in current soil health thinking. The Māori world view encapsulates such long term thinking through interconnected Māori values and inter-generational concepts (e.g., whakapapa, rangatiratanga, manawhenua, kaitiakitanga, mauri) that provide the basis for indigenous resource management in Aotearoa-New Zealand. These values and recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi provide authority and rights to manage resources according to tikanga (customs, principles). Māori environmental concepts and knowledge combined with science concepts for understanding soil health and resilience, served as a powerful central theme for the design and implementation of this science program. Māori involvement and capability development are integral to this research effort and we believe the synthesis of Māori-world views together with a western science approach will progress understanding of soil health at multiple scales, provide an enriched multi-stakeholder worldview, and help promote significant change in New Zealand policy and practice towards sustainable land and soil management.

  11. Indigenous values and water markets: Survey insights from northern Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikolakis, William D.; Grafton, R. Quentin; To, Hang

    2013-09-01

    Drawing upon on the literature on Indigenous values to water, water markets and the empirical findings from a survey of 120 Indigenous and non-Indigenous respondents across northern Australia, the paper makes important qualitative and statistical comparisons between Indigenous and non-Indigenous values to water markets. The study is the first comparison of Indigenous and non-Indigenous values to water markets based on the same survey instrument. Key results from Indigenous respondents include: (1) water markets are held to be an acceptable approach to managing water; (2) markets must be carefully designed to protect customary and ecological values; (3) the allocation of water rights need to encompass equity considerations; and (4) water and land rights should not be separated even if this enhances efficiency, as it runs counter to Indigenous holistic values. Overall, the survey results provide the basis for a proposed adaptive decision loop, which allows decision makers to incorporate stakeholder values in water markets.

  12. Intervention mapping to address social and economic factors impacting indigenous people's health in Suriname's interior region.

    PubMed

    Peplow, Daniel; Augustine, Sarah

    2017-03-01

    Previous studies found that while internationally financed economic development projects reduced poverty when measured in terms of per capita GDP, they also caused indigenous people to become disassociated, impoverished and alienated minorities whose health status has declined to unacceptable lows when measured in terms of mercury poisoning and the burgeoning rate of suicide. In this study, we developed a needs assessment and a policy-oriented causal diagram to determine whether the impaired health of the people in this region was at least partially due to the role the country has played within the global economy. Specifically, could the health and well-being of indigenous people in Suriname be understood in terms of the foreign investment programs and economic development policies traceable to the Inter-American Development Bank's Suriname Land Management Project. Interviews took place from 2004 through 2015 involving stakeholders with an interest in public health and economic development. A policy-oriented causal diagram was created to model a complex community health system and weave together a wide range of ideas and views captured during the interview process. Converting land and resources held by indigenous people into private ownership has created an active market for land, increased investment and productivity, and reduced poverty when measured in terms of per capita GDP. However, it has also caused indigenous people to become disassociated, impoverished and alienated minorities whose health status has declined to unacceptable lows. While the effects of economic development programs on the health of vulnerable indigenous communities are clear, the governance response is not. The governance response appeared to be determined less by the urgency of the public health issue or by the compelling logic of an appropriate response, and more by competing economic interests and the exercise of power. The health and well-being of the indigenous Wayana in Suriname's interior region is at least partially due to the role the country has played within the global economy. Specifically, the health and well-being of indigenous people in Suriname can be understood to be a result of foreign development bank-funded projects that drive the government of Suriname to trade land and natural resources on the global market to manage their country's balance of payments.

  13. Principles and guidelines for good practice in Indigenous engagement in water planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackson, Sue; Tan, Poh-Ling; Mooney, Carla; Hoverman, Suzanne; White, Ian

    2012-12-01

    SummaryIndigenous rights, values and interests relating to water have been identified by Australia's National Water Commission as a national priority area, requiring greater understanding, research attention and government action. Yet Indigenous water values are rarely addressed in water planning, despite objectives in national policy requiring Indigenous participation and the identification of Indigenous social, spiritual and customary values in water plans. Water planners are presently equipped with a very limited number of engagement tools tailored to the water resource management context to redress the historical neglect of Indigenous interests. In an Australian research project focused on water planning, seven participatory planning tools were employed in three Australian case studies with different social and hydrological characteristics to improve the way in which Indigenous values are elicited and incorporated and to enhance the status of Indigenous knowledge in water planning. The results from the two Murray Darling Basin (MDB) case studies reveal the many ways in which Indigenous values have been adversely affected by recent water resource developments and concomitant water scarcity. In the third case on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory, where land title to the entire water planning area is vested in Indigenous traditional owners, methods were refined to ensure engagement and generate capacity to manage the development of a solely Indigenous-owned, first-generation Water Management Strategy, in collaboration with a range of stakeholders. This paper describes the needs and aspirations of Indigenous people, the engagement strategies employed to elicit Indigenous knowledge, assess Indigenous values, and incorporate the results into three developing water plans. In addition, it outlines a set of general principles to guide water planning in other regions and thereby to improve Indigenous access to water.

  14. Indigenous, colonist, and government Impacts on Nicaragua's Bosawas Reserve.

    PubMed

    Stocks, Anthony; McMahan, Benjamin; Taber, Peter

    2007-12-01

    We studied the impacts of colonists, two groups of indigenous residents (Miskitu and Mayangna), and management by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) on the forest of the Bosawas International Biosphere Reserve. Indigenous people and colonists subsist on the natural resources of the reserve, and MARENA is responsible for protecting the area from colonization and illicit exploitation. Using geostatistical procedures and Landsat images at three different time periods, we compared per capita deforestation and boundary stabilization in areas with colonists and areas with indigenous peoples. We also examined whether the Mayangna deforested less than the Miskitu and whether the Nicaraguan government has effectively defended the Bosawas boundary against the advance of the agricultural frontier. In addition, we analyzed the current distribution of land uses within the reserve and its contiguous indigenous areas with a supervised classification of current land cover. Indigenous demarcations protected the forest successfully, whereas the Bosawas boundary itself did not inhibit colonization and consequent deforestation. Indigenous farmers deforested significantly less per capita than colonists, and the two indigenous groups in Bosawas did not differ significantly in their effects on the forest. Our results show that indigenous common-property institutions and indigenous defense of homeland have been powerful factors in protecting the forests of Bosawas and that the difficult evolution of a nested cross-scale governance system in Bosawas-under pressure from indigenous peoples-is probably the key to the forest's survival thus far.

  15. Using indigenous knowledge to link hyper-temporal land cover mapping with land use in the Venezuelan Amazon: "The Forest Pulse".

    PubMed

    Olivero, Jesús; Ferri, Francisco; Acevedo, Pelayo; Lobo, Jorge M; Fa, John E; Farfán, Miguel Á; Romero, David; Real, Raimundo

    2016-12-01

    Remote sensing and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can be combined to advance conservation of remote tropical regions, e.g. Amazonia, where intensive in situ surveys are often not possible. Integrating TEK into monitoring and management of these areas allows for community participation, as well as for offering novel insights into sustainable resource use. In this study, we developed a 250 m resolution land-cover map of the Western Guyana Shield (Venezuela) based on remote sensing, and used TEK to validate its relevance for indigenous livelihoods and land uses. We first employed a hyper-temporal remotely sensed vegetation index to derive a land classification system. During a 1 300 km, eight day fluvial expedition in roadless areas in the Amazonas State (Venezuela), we visited six indigenous communities who provided geo-referenced data on hunting, fishing and farming activities. We overlaid these TEK data onto the land classification map, to link land classes with indigenous use. We characterized land classes using patterns of greenness temporal change and topo-hydrological information, and proposed 12 land-cover types, grouped into five main landscapes: 1) water bodies; 2) open lands/forest edges; 3) evergreen forests; 4) submontane semideciduous forests, and 5) cloud forests. Each land cover class was identified with a pulsating profile describing temporal changes in greenness, hence we labelled our map as "The Forest Pulse". These greenness profiles showed a slightly increasing trend, for the period 2000 to 2009, in the land classes representing grassland and scrubland, and a slightly decreasing trend in the classes representing forests. This finding is consistent with a gain in carbon in grassland as a consequence of climate warming, and also with some loss of vegetation in the forests. Thus, our classification shows potential to assess future effects of climate change on landscape. Several classes were significantly connected with agriculture, fishing, overall hunting, and more specifically the hunting of primates, Mazama americana, Dasyprocta fuliginosa, and Tayassu pecari. Our results showed that TEK-based approaches can serve as a basis for validating the livelihood relevance of landscapes in high-value conservation areas, which can form the basis for furthering the management of natural resources in these regions.

  16. In the Eyes of the Beholder: Understanding and Resolving Incompatible Ideologies and Languages in US Environmental and Cultural Laws in Relationship to Navajo Sacred Lands

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milholland, Sharon

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the author raises a few examples of incompatible concepts and languages in US federal environmental and cultural laws affecting the management of indigenous sacred lands. She explains these examples by describing the management of a selection of Navajo (Dine) sacred places and elsewhere. Through fundamental concepts rooted in…

  17. Indigeneity and Homeland: Land, History, Ceremony, and Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lerma, Michael

    2012-01-01

    What is the relationship between Indigenous peoples and violent reactions to contemporary states? This research explores differing, culturally informed notions of attachment to land or place territory. Mechanistic ties and organic ties to land are linked to a key distinction between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. Utilizing the…

  18. Incorporating Indigenous Rights and Environmental Justice into Fishery Management: Comparing Policy Challenges and Potentials from Alaska and Hawaíi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richmond, Laurie

    2013-11-01

    Colonial processes including the dispossession of indigenous lands and resources and the development of Western management institutions to govern the use of culturally important fish resources have served in many ways to marginalize indigenous interests within the United States fisheries. In recent years, several US fishery institutions have begun to develop policies that can confront this colonial legacy by better accommodating indigenous perspectives and rights in fishery management practices. This paper analyzes two such policies: the 2005 community quota entity program in Alaska which permits rural communities (predominantly Alaska Native villages) to purchase and lease commercial halibut fishing privileges and the 1994 State of Hawaíi community-based subsistence fishing area (CBSFA) legislation through which Native Hawaiian communities can designate marine space near their community as CBSFAs and collaborate with the state of Hawaíi to manage those areas according to traditional Hawaiian practices. The analysis reveals a striking similarity between the trajectories of these two policies. While they both offered significant potential for incorporating indigenous rights and environmental justice into state or federal fishery management, they have so far largely failed to do so. Environmental managers can gain insights from the challenges and potentials of these two policies. In order to introduce meaningful change, environmental policies that incorporate indigenous rights and environmental justice require a commitment of financial and institutional support from natural resource agencies, a commitment from indigenous groups and communities to organize and develop capacity, and careful consideration of contextual and cultural factors in the design of the policy framework.

  19. Incorporating indigenous rights and environmental justice into fishery management: comparing policy challenges and potentials from Alaska and Hawai'i.

    PubMed

    Richmond, Laurie

    2013-11-01

    Colonial processes including the dispossession of indigenous lands and resources and the development of Western management institutions to govern the use of culturally important fish resources have served in many ways to marginalize indigenous interests within the United States fisheries. In recent years, several US fishery institutions have begun to develop policies that can confront this colonial legacy by better accommodating indigenous perspectives and rights in fishery management practices. This paper analyzes two such policies: the 2005 community quota entity program in Alaska which permits rural communities (predominantly Alaska Native villages) to purchase and lease commercial halibut fishing privileges and the 1994 State of Hawai'i community-based subsistence fishing area (CBSFA) legislation through which Native Hawaiian communities can designate marine space near their community as CBSFAs and collaborate with the state of Hawai'i to manage those areas according to traditional Hawaiian practices. The analysis reveals a striking similarity between the trajectories of these two policies. While they both offered significant potential for incorporating indigenous rights and environmental justice into state or federal fishery management, they have so far largely failed to do so. Environmental managers can gain insights from the challenges and potentials of these two policies. In order to introduce meaningful change, environmental policies that incorporate indigenous rights and environmental justice require a commitment of financial and institutional support from natural resource agencies, a commitment from indigenous groups and communities to organize and develop capacity, and careful consideration of contextual and cultural factors in the design of the policy framework.

  20. "If the land is healthy ... it makes the people healthy": the relationship between caring for Country and health for the Yorta Yorta Nation, Boonwurrung and Bangerang Tribes.

    PubMed

    'yotti' Kingsley, Jonathan; Townsend, Mardie; Phillips, Rebecca; Aldous, David

    2009-03-01

    This article reports on research undertaken with members of three Indigenous groups in Victoria, Australia, to explore the health and wellbeing implications of caring for Country (defined as having knowledge, sense of responsibility and inherent right to be involved in the management of traditional lands). The research findings provide a better understanding of this key determinant of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people in the context of public health where there are few existing published studies assessing this relationship. Thirteen traditional custodians(1) and local Indigenous environmental workers were interviewed. This qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews identified that caring for Country offers great benefits, including building self-esteem, fostering self-identity, maintaining cultural connection and enabling relaxation and enjoyment through contact with the natural environment. Results generated indicate that caring for Country may offer a means of improving the current poor health status of Indigenous Australian peoples.

  1. 25 CFR 163.40 - Indian and Alaska Native forestry education assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    .... 163.40 Section 163.40 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND WATER..., professional Indians and Alaska Natives in the management of Indian and Alaska Native forest land. In keeping... forestry-related field which could include courses on indigenous culture; and (iii) To create an...

  2. Tuki Ayllpanchik (our beautiful land): Indigenous ecology and farming in the Peruvian highlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sumida Huaman, Elizabeth

    2016-12-01

    Based on ethnographic research with an Indigenous community in Junín, Peru, and involving over 21 participants, this article explores the link between Indigenous lands, environmental knowledge, cultural practices, and education. Drawing from traditional ecological knowledge and nature-mediated education, Indigenous community spaces as vital learning spaces are highlighted. Through the lens of family and community-scale farming, this article also discusses critical perspectives on Indigenous agricultural traditions, lessons in subsistence farming, food and notions of success for students, and globalisation. Finally, an argument is made for educational development to acknowledge the breadth of Indigenous ecological issues, to prioritize Indigenous lands, languages, and cultural practices, and to support collaborative research that underscores Indigenous epistemologies.

  3. 75 FR 41073 - South American Cactus Moth Regulations; Quarantined Areas

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-15

    ...) that is indigenous to Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is a serious quarantine... notice to the owner, person in possession, or person responsible for the management of the land to be...

  4. Implications of land rights reform for Indigenous health.

    PubMed

    Watson, Nicole L

    2007-05-21

    In August 2006, the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006 (Cwlth) was passed into law, introducing, among other things, a system of 99-year leases over Indigenous townships. The leasing scheme will diminish the control that traditional owners previously exercised over their lands. This is at odds with research indicating that control over land is a positive influence on Indigenous health.

  5. Contrasting colonist and indigenous impacts on amazonian forests.

    PubMed

    Lu, Flora; Gray, Clark; Bilsborrow, Richard E; Mena, Carlos F; Erlien, Christine M; Bremner, Jason; Barbieri, Alisson; Walsh, Stephen J

    2010-06-01

    To examine differences in land use and environmental impacts between colonist and indigenous populations in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon, we combined data from household surveys and remotely sensed imagery that was collected from 778 colonist households in 64 colonization sectors, and 499 households from five indigenous groups in 36 communities. Overall, measures of deforestation and forest fragmentation were significantly greater for colonists than indigenous peoples. On average, colonist households had approximately double the area in agriculture and cash crops and 5.5 times the area in pasture as indigenous households. Nevertheless, substantial variation in land-use patterns existed among the five indigenous groups in measures such as cattle ownership and use of hired agricultural labor. These findings support the potential conservation value of indigenous lands while cautioning against uniform policies that homogenize indigenous ethnic groups.

  6. The Community-First Land-Centred Theoretical Framework: Bringing a "Good Mind" to Indigenous Education Research?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Styres, Sandra D.; Zinga, Dawn M.

    2013-01-01

    This article introduces an emergent research theoretical framework, the community-first Land-centred research framework. Carefully examining the literature within Indigenous educational research, we noted the limited approaches for engaging in culturally aligned and relevant research within Indigenous communities. The community-first Land-centred…

  7. Storyscape: The Power of Song in the Protection of Native Lands.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Melissa; Klasky, Philip M.

    2001-01-01

    An indigenous rights organization works to preserve and revitalize indigenous communities and their lands by recording tribal creation songs. The songs spiritually reconnect Native people with their land, establish indigenous territorial rights, and preserve endangered languages. An ethnographic audio recording training program will enable tribes…

  8. 75 FR 81586 - Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-28

    ... spatial closure impacts on the fishing community 2. Guam Fisheries Act 3. Indigenous Fishing Rights 4.... Impact of land-based pollution in fish from Saipan Lagoon 3. Saipan Lagoon net fishing data analysis 4...

  9. "Tuki Ayllpanchik" (Our Beautiful Land): Indigenous Ecology and Farming in the Peruvian Highlands

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sumida Huaman, Elizabeth

    2016-01-01

    Based on ethnographic research with an Indigenous community in Junín, Peru, and involving over 21 participants, this article explores the link between Indigenous lands, environmental knowledge, cultural practices, and education. Drawing from traditional ecological knowledge and nature-mediated education, Indigenous community spaces as vital…

  10. Contrasting Colonist and Indigenous Impacts on Amazonian Forests

    PubMed Central

    LU, FLORA; GRAY, CLARK; BILSBORROW, RICHARD E.; MENA, CARLOS F.; ERLIEN, CHRISTINE M.; BREMNER, JASON; BARBIERI, ALISSON; WALSH, STEPHEN J.

    2012-01-01

    To examine differences in land use and environmental impacts between colonist and indigenous populations in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon, we combined data from household surveys and remotely sensed imagery that was collected from 778 colonist households in 64 colonization sectors, and 499 households from five indigenous groups in 36 communities. Overall, measures of deforestation and forest fragmentation were significantly greater for colonists than indigenous peoples. On average, colonist households had approximately double the area in agriculture and cash crops and 5.5 times the area in pasture as indigenous households. Nevertheless, substantial variation in land-use patterns existed among the five indigenous groups in measures such as cattle ownership and use of hired agricultural labor. These findings support the potential conservation value of indigenous lands while cautioning against uniform policies that homogenize indigenous ethnic groups. PMID:20337669

  11. Muskrat Theories, Tobacco in the Streets, and Living Chicago as Indigenous Land

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bang, Megan; Curley, Lawrence; Kessel, Adam; Marin, Ananda; Suzukovich, Eli S., III; Strack, George

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we aim to contribute to ongoing work to uncover the ways in which settler colonialism is entrenched and reified in educational environments and explore lessons learned from an urban Indigenous land-based education project. In this project, we worked to re-center our perceptual habits in Indigenous cosmologies, or land-based…

  12. Understanding and building wilderness management partnerships with indigenous peoples and communities

    Treesearch

    Gregory F. Hansen

    2011-01-01

    Learning about, understanding, and working with native cultures can be rewarding as well as enlightening. Such endeavors can also be time consuming, difficult, and even frustrating in certain instances. However, if coordinated carefully and managed properly, at the end of the day such efforts can ultimately result in innumerable benefits to native communities, land...

  13. LAND COVER ASSESSMENT OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE BOSAWAS REGION OF NICARAGUA

    EPA Science Inventory


    Data derived from remotely sensed images were utilized to conduct land cover assessments of three indigenous communities in northern Nicaragua. Historical land use, present land cover and land cover change processes were all identified through the use of a geographic informat...

  14. Rangeland degradation assessment: a new strategy based on the ecological knowledge of indigenous pastoralists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Behmanesh, Bahareh; Barani, Hossein; Abedi Sarvestani, Ahmad; Shahraki, Mohammad Reza; Sharafatmandrad, Mohsen

    2016-04-01

    In a changing world, the prevalence of land degradation is becoming a serious problem, especially in countries with arid and semi-arid rangelands. There are many techniques to assess rangeland degradation that rely on scientific knowledge but ignore indigenous people. Indigenous people have accumulated precious knowledge about land management through generations of experience. Therefore, a study was conducted to find out how indigenous people assess rangeland degradation and how their ecological knowledge can be used for rangeland degradation assessment. Interviews were conducted with the pastoralists of two sites (Dasht and Mirza Baylu), where part of both areas is located in Golestan National Park (north-eastern Iran). A structured questionnaire was designed based on 17 indicators taken from literature and also primary discussions with pastoralists in order to evaluate land degradation. A qualitative Likert five-point scale was used for scoring rangeland degradation indicators. The results revealed that pastoralists pay more attention to edaphic indicators than to vegetative and other indicators. There were significant differences between the inside and outside of the park in terms of rangeland degradation indicators for both sites. The results show that the rangelands outside of the park in both sites were degraded compared to those inside of the park, especially in the areas close to villages. It can be concluded that pastoralists have a wealth of knowledge about the vegetation and grazing animal habits that can be used in rangeland degradation assessment. It is therefore necessary to document their ecological indigenous knowledge and involve them in the process of rangeland-degradation assessment.

  15. Effectiveness Of Miraba an Indigenous Soil and Water Conservation Measures On Reducing Runoff And Soil Loss In Arable Land Of Western Usambara Mountains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Msita, H. B.; Kimaro, D. N.; Mtakwa, P. W.; Msanya, B. M.; Dondyene, S.; Poesen, J.; Deckers, J.

    2012-04-01

    Soil erosion by water is rampant mainly in mountainous areas of Tanzania leading to environmental hazards, low land productivity, low income and increased poverty. Despite the severity of the soil erosion problem, there is not much quantitative data on the erosion effects and effectiveness of indigenous soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. The consequence is that indigenous knowledge in SWC planning is ignored. The on-farm field experiment was conducted for three years in Migambo village, Lushoto district in Tanzania, to determine the effectiveness of improved Miraba (IM) an indigenous soil erosion control measure on reducing runoff and soil loss. Management practices were tested viz: control that is without any soil conservation measure (C), Miraba alone (M), Miraba with farmyard manure and mulching (MFM) replicated three times in CRD setting. Maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were used as test crops, due to their importance as food crops and the high erosion rates on fields with these crops. The crops were planted in rotation, maize and beans in short and long rains respectively. Gerlach troughs and runoff plots were used to evaluate the physical effectiveness. Results show significant effects of IM against control on crop yields, soil loss, surface runoff and moisture retention. MFM is the most effective measure in reducing soil and water losses followed by MF and M. The results further showed that these management practices can be implemented to reduce soil erosion and nutrient losses in the study area and areas with similar ecological setting. To facilitate adoption of these practices further research works is recommended for identifying economically feasible indigenous SWC measures under different biophysical and socio-economic conditions.

  16. This Land Is Our Land? This Land Is Your Land: The Decolonizing Journeys of White Outdoor Environmental Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Root, Emily

    2010-01-01

    Across Canada, many Aboriginal peoples and communities are actively resisting environmental destruction and communicating to settler-Canadians traditions of respect for the land. Moreover, some Indigenous scholars and educators are calling for a foregrounding of Indigenous ways of knowing in environmental education for all students. However,…

  17. Governance regime and location influence avoided deforestation success of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Nolte, Christoph; Agrawal, Arun; Silvius, Kirsten M; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S

    2013-03-26

    Protected areas in tropical countries are managed under different governance regimes, the relative effectiveness of which in avoiding deforestation has been the subject of recent debates. Participants in these debates answer appeals for more strict protection with the argument that sustainable use areas and indigenous lands can balance deforestation pressures by leveraging local support to create and enforce protective regulations. Which protection strategy is more effective can also depend on (i) the level of deforestation pressures to which an area is exposed and (ii) the intensity of government enforcement. We examine this relationship empirically, using data from 292 protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. We show that, for any given level of deforestation pressure, strictly protected areas consistently avoided more deforestation than sustainable use areas. Indigenous lands were particularly effective at avoiding deforestation in locations with high deforestation pressure. Findings were stable across two time periods featuring major shifts in the intensity of government enforcement. We also observed shifting trends in the location of protected areas, documenting that between 2000 and 2005 strictly protected areas were more likely to be established in high-pressure locations than in sustainable use areas and indigenous lands. Our findings confirm that all protection regimes helped reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

  18. Governance regime and location influence avoided deforestation success of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    Nolte, Christoph; Agrawal, Arun; Silvius, Kirsten M.; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S.

    2013-01-01

    Protected areas in tropical countries are managed under different governance regimes, the relative effectiveness of which in avoiding deforestation has been the subject of recent debates. Participants in these debates answer appeals for more strict protection with the argument that sustainable use areas and indigenous lands can balance deforestation pressures by leveraging local support to create and enforce protective regulations. Which protection strategy is more effective can also depend on (i) the level of deforestation pressures to which an area is exposed and (ii) the intensity of government enforcement. We examine this relationship empirically, using data from 292 protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. We show that, for any given level of deforestation pressure, strictly protected areas consistently avoided more deforestation than sustainable use areas. Indigenous lands were particularly effective at avoiding deforestation in locations with high deforestation pressure. Findings were stable across two time periods featuring major shifts in the intensity of government enforcement. We also observed shifting trends in the location of protected areas, documenting that between 2000 and 2005 strictly protected areas were more likely to be established in high-pressure locations than in sustainable use areas and indigenous lands. Our findings confirm that all protection regimes helped reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. PMID:23479648

  19. Country, climate change adaptation and colonisation: insights from an Indigenous adaptation planning process, Australia.

    PubMed

    Nursey-Bray, Melissa; Palmer, Robert

    2018-03-01

    Indigenous peoples are going to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Developing tailored, place based, and culturally appropriate solutions will be necessary. Yet finding cultural and institutional 'fit' within and between competing values-based climate and environmental management governance regimes remains an ongoing challenge. This paper reports on a collaborative research project with the Arabana people of central Australia, that resulted in the production of the first Indigenous community-based climate change adaptation strategy in Australia. We aimed to try and understand what conditions are needed to support Indigenous driven adaptation initiatives, if there are any cultural differences that need accounting for and how, once developed they be integrated into existing governance arrangements. Our analysis found that climate change adaptation is based on the centrality of the connection to 'country' (traditional land), it needs to be aligned with cultural values, and focus on the building of adaptive capacity. We find that the development of climate change adaptation initiatives cannot be divorced from the historical context of how the Arabana experienced and collectively remember colonisation. We argue that in developing culturally responsive climate governance for and with Indigenous peoples, that that the history of colonisation and the ongoing dominance of entrenched Western governance regimes needs acknowledging and redressing into contemporary environmental/climate management.

  20. Lost in Maps: Regionalization and Indigenous Health Services.

    PubMed

    Lavoie, Josée G; Kornelsen, Derek; Boyer, Yvonne; Wylie, Lloy

    The settlement of the land now known as Canada meant the erasure - sometimes from ignorance, often purposeful - of Indigenous place-names, and understandings of territory and associated obligations. The Canadian map with its three territories and ten provinces, electoral boundaries and districts, reflects boundaries that continue to fragment Indigenous nations and traditional lands. Each fragment adds institutional requirements and organizational complexities that Indigenous nations must engage with when attempting to realize the benefits taken for granted under the Canadian social contract.

  1. Soil indigenous knowledge in North Central Namibia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

    2016-04-01

    Mapping and classifying soils is part of an important learning process to improve soil management practices, soil quality and increase productivity. In order to assess soil quality improvement related to an ongoing land reform in North-Central Namibia, the characteristics that determine soil quality in the local land use context were determined in this study. To do so, we collated the indigenous soil knowledge in North-Central Namibia where the Ovakwanyama cultivate pearl millet for centuries. Local soil groups are defined mostly based on their productivity potential, which varies depending on the rainfall pattern. The morphological criteria used by the farmers to differentiate the soil groups (colour, consistence) were supported by a conventional analysis of soil physical and chemical properties. Now, they can be used to develop a soil quality assessment toolbox adapted to the regional use. The characteristics of the tool box do not directly indicate soil quality, but refer to local soils groups. The quality of these groups is relatively homogenous at the local scale. Our results show that understanding of indigenous soil knowledge has great potential to improve soil quality assessment with regards to land use. The integration of this knowledge with the conventional soil analysis improves the local meaning of such a "scientific" assessment and thus facilitates dialog between farmers and agronomists, but also scientists working in different regions of the world, but in similar conditions. Overall, the integration of indigenous knowledge in international classification systems (e.g. WRB) as attempted in this study has thus a major potential to improve soil mapping in the local context.

  2. Entering Sacred Landscapes: Cultural Expectations versus Legal Realities in the Northwestern Plains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Gregorgy R.; Foor, Thomas A.

    2004-01-01

    Sacred and cultural geography is a universal feature of indigenous religious practices across Native North America. However, in a growing number of cases, conflicts have developed between Native North American religious practitioners and land-managing federal agencies. The contentious situations often come down to Indian peoples struggling to…

  3. Integrating Indigenous Traditional, Local and Scientific Knowledge for Improved Management, Policy and Decision-Making in Reindeer Husbandry in the Russian Arctic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maynard, Nancy G.; Yurchak, Boris; Turi, Johan Mathis; Mathiesen, Svein D.; Aissi-Wespi, Rita L.

    2004-01-01

    As scientists and policy-makers from both indigenous and non-indigenous communities begin to build closer partnerships to address common sustainability issues such as the health impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities, it becomes increasingly important to create shared information management systems which integrate all relevant factors for optimal information sharing and decision-making. This paper describes a new GIs-based system being designed to bring local and indigenous traditional knowledge together with scientific data and information, remote sensing, and information technologies to address health-related environment, weather, climate, pollution and land use change issues for improved decision/policy-making for reindeer husbandry. The system is building an easily-accessible archive of relevant current and historical, traditional, local and remotely-sensed and other data and observations for shared analysis, measuring, and monitoring parameters of interest. Protection of indigenous culturally sensitive information will be respected through appropriate data protocols. A mechanism which enables easy information sharing among all participants, which is real time and geo-referenced and which allows interconnectivity with remote sites is also being designed into the system for maximum communication among partners. A preliminary version of our system will be described for a Russian reindeer test site, which will include a combination of indigenous knowledge about local conditions and issues, remote sensing and ground-based data on such parameters as the vegetation state and distribution, snow cover, temperature, ice condition, and infrastructure.

  4. The Storyscape Project Preserves Indian Cultures and Lands. Their Way Home.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klasky, Philip M.

    2001-01-01

    A nonprofit indigenous rights organization in California helps indigenous communities safeguard their lands and culture. Recordings of the last speakers of endangered languages and their tribes' stories and creation songs are used in language restoration programs and to establish historical evidence of tribal land use through landmarks described.…

  5. Ecological legacies of Indigenous fire management in high-latitude coastal temperate rainforests, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, K.; Lertzman, K. P.; Starzomski, B. M.

    2016-12-01

    Anthropogenic burning is considered to have little impact on coastal temperate rainforest fire regimes in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of North America, yet few long-term fire histories have been reconstructed in these forests. We use a multidisciplinary approach to reconstruct the ecological impact, scale, and legacies of historic fire regime variability in high-latitude coastal temperate rainforests located in British Columbia, Canada. We map seven centuries of fire activity with fire scars and records of stand establishment, and examine patterns in the distribution and composition of vegetation to assess whether fire was historically used as a tool for resource management. We conduct a paired study of 20 former Indigenous habitation and control sites across a 100 km2 island group to relate historic fire activity with long-term patterns of human land use and contemporary lightning strike densities. Fires were significantly associated with the locations of former Indigenous habitation sites, low and mixed in severity, and likely intentionally used to influence the composition and structure of vegetation, thus increasing the productivity of culturally important plants such as western redcedar, berry-producing shrubs, and bracken fern. Centuries of repeated anthropogenic burning have resulted in a mosaic of vegetation types in different stages of succession. These data are directly relevant to the management of contemporary forests as they do not support the widespread contention that old growth coastal temperate rainforests in this region are pristine landscapes where fire is rare, but more likely the result of long-term human land use practices.

  6. TRADITIONAL USES OF PLANTS OF COMMONLAND HABITATS IN WESTERN CHITWAN, NEPAL

    PubMed Central

    Dangol, D.R.

    2012-01-01

    This paper is based on the flora data gathered from 138 common land plots as part of a multi-method longitudinal study of the reciprocal relations between population and environment in western Chitwan, Nepal. The paper also describes the uses and availability of different species drawing upon both field data and knowledge of indigenous and local residents in the study area. Land use in western Chitwan is changing rapidly and common land areas have been under much stress due to population increase, whereas the common land areas are valuable to local residents. Both indigenous and new migrant residents in this area use the available plant resources for different purposes which bring economic benefit to the households. Plant species provide valuable food, vegetable and medicinal products that maintain human health and general wellbeing of the household. These plants are also economically valuable to farmers with high quality forage value as well as useful for crop management (e.g., pesticide, compost, green manure). Moreover, some plant species are used as fish poison to harvest fish from rivers and streams. Likewise, the common land areas provide materials for use in house construction (e.g., thatch) and making tools with the potential and viable sites as communal grazing land. It is evident that access and utilization of common land resources are important for many households, especially those in remote and poor agricultural areas such as western Chitwan. PMID:22945971

  7. The Economic Value of Environmental Services on Indigenous-Held Lands in Australia

    PubMed Central

    Zander, Kerstin K.; Garnett, Stephen T.

    2011-01-01

    Australians could be willing to pay from $878m to $2b per year for Indigenous people to provide environmental services. This is up to 50 times the amount currently invested by government. This result was derived from a nationwide survey that included a choice experiment in which 70% of the 927 respondents were willing to contribute to a conservation fund that directly pays Indigenous people to carry out conservation activities. Of these the highest values were found for benefits that are likely to improve biodiversity outcomes, carbon emission reductions and improved recreational values. Of the activities that could be undertaken to provide the services, feral animal control attracted the highest level of support followed by coastal surveillance, weed control and fire management. Respondents' decisions to pay were not greatly influenced by the additional social benefits that can arise for Indigenous people spending time on country and providing the services, although there was approval for reduced welfare payments that might arise. PMID:21826234

  8. Woody encroachment in the Central United States

    Treesearch

    Greg C. Liknes; Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Kevin Nimerfro

    2015-01-01

    The landscape of the central United States is dominated by cropland and rangeland mixed with remnants of short- and tall-grass prairies that were once prevalent. Since the last ice age, these areas had sparse tree cover due to cyclical severe droughts, intentional fires used by indigenous people as a land management tool, and natural fires caused by lightning. More...

  9. Indigenous Environmental Perspectives: A North American Primer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaDuke, Winona

    1992-01-01

    Presents a brief overview of the nature of indigenous sustainable subsistence economies, and the present underdevelopment and dependency of North American indigenous economies resulting from colonialism and marginalization. Describes environmental and personal contamination on indigenous lands from uranium and coal mining, toxic and nuclear waste,…

  10. NASA's Indigenous Capacity Building Initiative: Balancing Traditional Knowledge and Existing Remote Sensing Training to Inform Management Decisions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCullum, A. J. K.; Schmidt, C.; Palacios, S. L.; Ly, V.

    2017-12-01

    NASA's Indigenous Capacity Building Initiative is aimed to provide remote sensing training, mentoring, and research opportunities to the indigenous community. A key programmatic goal is the co-production of place-based trainings where participants have the opportunity to address specific natural resource research and management issues facing their tribal lands. Three primary strategies have been adopted to engage with our tribal partners, these include: (1) the use of existing tribal networks and conferences such as the National Tribal GIS Conference, (2) coordination with other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribal liaisons at regional Climate Science Centers, and (3) connecting with tribes directly. Regional partner visits with tribes, such as meetings with the Samish Indian Nation, are integral to cultivate trusting, collaborative, and sustained partnerships and an understanding of how Earth Observations can be applied to the unique set of challenges and goals each tribe faces. As the program continues to grow, we aim to increase our incorporation of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into technical methods and to develop trainings tailored to thematic areas of interest to specific tribes. Engagement and feedback are encouraged to refine our approaches to increase capacity within the indigenous community to utilize NASA Earth Observations.

  11. Undermining subsistence: Barren-ground caribou in a “tragedy of open access”

    PubMed Central

    Parlee, Brenda L.; Sandlos, John; Natcher, David C.

    2018-01-01

    Sustaining arctic/subarctic ecosystems and the livelihoods of northern Indigenous peoples is an immense challenge amid increasing resource development. The paper describes a “tragedy of open access” occurring in Canada’s north as governments open up new areas of sensitive barren-ground caribou habitat to mineral resource development. Once numbering in the millions, barren-ground caribou populations (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus/Rangifer tarandus granti) have declined over 70% in northern Canada over the last two decades in a cycle well understood by northern Indigenous peoples and scientists. However, as some herds reach critically low population levels, the impacts of human disturbance have become a major focus of debate in the north and elsewhere. A growing body of science and traditional knowledge research points to the adverse impacts of resource development; however, management efforts have been almost exclusively focused on controlling the subsistence harvest of northern Indigenous peoples. These efforts to control Indigenous harvesting parallel management practices during previous periods of caribou population decline (for example, 1950s) during which time governments also lacked evidence and appeared motivated by other values and interests in northern lands and resources. As mineral resource development advances in northern Canada and elsewhere, addressing this “science-policy gap” problem is critical to the sustainability of both caribou and people. PMID:29503864

  12. Spirituality: The Core of Healing and Social Justice from an Indigenous Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baskin, Cyndy

    2016-01-01

    This chapter, based on the literature and interviews with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, explores how land-based spirituality is at the core of Indigenous societies globally. In this chapter, an Indigenous philosophy carries a message that spirituality is not only about one's inward journey but is also about creating a better…

  13. An online spatial database of Australian Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge for contemporary natural and cultural resource management.

    PubMed

    Pert, Petina L; Ens, Emilie J; Locke, John; Clarke, Philip A; Packer, Joanne M; Turpin, Gerry

    2015-11-15

    With growing international calls for the enhanced involvement of Indigenous peoples and their biocultural knowledge in managing conservation and the sustainable use of physical environment, it is timely to review the available literature and develop cross-cultural approaches to the management of biocultural resources. Online spatial databases are becoming common tools for educating land managers about Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK), specifically to raise a broad awareness of issues, identify knowledge gaps and opportunities, and to promote collaboration. Here we describe a novel approach to the application of internet and spatial analysis tools that provide an overview of publically available documented Australian IBK (AIBK) and outline the processes used to develop the online resource. By funding an AIBK working group, the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) provided a unique opportunity to bring together cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and trans-organizational contributors who developed these resources. Without such an intentionally collaborative process, this unique tool would not have been developed. The tool developed through this process is derived from a spatial and temporal literature review, case studies and a compilation of methods, as well as other relevant AIBK papers. The online resource illustrates the depth and breadth of documented IBK and identifies opportunities for further work, partnerships and investment for the benefit of not only Indigenous Australians, but all Australians. The database currently includes links to over 1500 publically available IBK documents, of which 568 are geo-referenced and were mapped. It is anticipated that as awareness of the online resource grows, more documents will be provided through the website to build the database. It is envisaged that this will become a well-used tool, integral to future natural and cultural resource management and maintenance. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Indigenous Training and Employment. Policy Snapshot

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 2017

    2017-01-01

    National Indigenous training and employment policy falls under the auspices of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS), an initiative which covers all facets of Indigenous social, economic, health and well-being across multiple Australian Government departments. Two of the main aims of the Jobs, Land and Economy component of the IAS are to…

  15. Invasive mammals and habitat modification interact to generate unforeseen outcomes for indigenous fauna.

    PubMed

    Norbury, Grant; Byrom, Andrea; Pech, Roger; Smith, James; Clarke, Dean; Anderson, Dean; Forrester, Guy

    2013-10-01

    Biotic invasions and habitat modification are two drivers of global change predicted to have detrimental impacts on the persistence of indigenous biota worldwide. Few studies have investigated how they operate synergistically to alter trophic interactions among indigenous and nonindigenous species in invaded ecosystems. We experimentally manipulated a suite of interacting invasive mammals, including top predators (cat Felis catus, ferret Mustela furo, stoat M. erminea), herbivores (rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, hare Lepus europaeus), and an insectivore (hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus occidentalis), and measured their effects on indigenous lizards and invertebrates and on an invasive mesopredator (house mouse Mus musculus). The work was carried out in a grassland/shrubland ecosystem that had been subjected to two types of habitat modification (widespread introduction of high-seed-producing pasture species, and areas of land use intensification by fertilization and livestock grazing). We also quantified food productivity for indigenous and invasive fauna by measuring pasture biomass, as well as seed and fruit production by grasses and shrubs. Indigenous fauna did not always increase following top-predator suppression: lizards increased on one of two sites; invertebrates did not increase on either site. Mesopredator release of mice was evident at the site where lizards did not increase, suggesting negative effects of mice on lizard populations. High mouse abundance occurred only on the predator-suppression site with regular production of pasture seed, indicating that this food resource was the main driver of mouse populations. Removal of herbivores increased pasture and seed production, which further enhanced ecological release of mice, particularly where pasture swards were overtopped by shrubs. An effect of landscape supplementation was also evident where nearby fertilized pastures boosted rabbit numbers and the associated top predators. Other studies have shown that both suppression of invasive predators and retiring land from grazing can benefit indigenous species, but our results suggest that the ensuing vegetation changes and complex interactions among invasive species can block recovery of indigenous fauna vulnerable to mesopredators. Top-down and bottom-up ecological release of mesopredators and landscape supplementation of top predators are key processes to consider when managing invaded communities in complex landscapes.

  16. Morbidity and mortality disparities among colonist and indigenous populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Kuang-Yao Pan, William; Erlien, Christine; Bilsborrow, Richard E

    2010-02-01

    Rural populations living in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon (NEA) experience the highest health burden of any region in the country. Two independent studies of colonist and indigenous groups living in the NEA are used to compare their morbidity and mortality experiences. Colonist data are from a probability sample of land plots in 1999, while indigenous data are from a representative sample of the five largest ethnicities (Quichua, Shuar, Huaorani, Cofan, Secoya) collected in 2001. Poisson regression was used to compare morbidity. Results indicate clear differences in health between populations. Indigenous groups had 30% higher probability of mortality and 63% higher incidence rate of all-cause morbidity compared to colonists. Vector-borne, chronic, gastrointestinal, and diseases of unknown origin were particularly high among indigenous groups. Factors associated with morbidity varied: morbidity rates were similar for the two youngest age groups (0-4 and 5-9), but indigenous people aged 15-39 and 40+ had almost double the morbidity compared to colonists; larger households, later months of data collection and less pollution were associated with less morbidity in both groups; better infrastructure access (electricity and roads) was generally associated with lower morbidity in both groups; and associations of land use were different by group with more cultivation of perennials and fewer annuals associated with less morbidity for colonists, but more for indigenous groups. These results demonstrate the health disparities that exist among indigenous and non-indigenous populations even when living in the same geographic region. Land use itself exemplifies the cultural and contextual differences that are evident in health, since land use decisions are related to broader demographic and economic factors that influence overall ecological and human health. Ongoing population-environment and/or environment-health research needs to recognize the broader factors involved when studying relationships between population health, development and deforestation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Morbidity and mortality disparities among colonist and indigenous populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    Pan, William Kuang-Yao; Erlien, Christine; Bilsborrow, Richard E

    2009-01-01

    Rural populations living in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon (NEA) experience the highest health burden of any region in the country. Two independent studies of colonist and indigenous groups living in the NEA are used to compare their morbidity and mortality experiences. Colonist data are from a probability sample of land plots in 1999, while indigenous data are from a representative sample of the five largest ethnicities (Quichua, Shuar, Huaorani, Cofan, Secoya) collected in 2001. Poisson regression was used to compare morbidity. Results indicate clear differences in health between populations. Indigenous groups had 30% higher probability of mortality and 63% higher incidence rate of all-cause morbidity compared to colonists. Vector-borne, chronic, gastrointestinal, and diseases of unknown origin were particularly high among indigenous groups. Factors associated with morbidity varied: morbidity rates were similar for the two youngest age groups (0–4 and 5–9), but indigenous people aged 15–39 and 40+ had almost double the morbidity compared to colonists; larger households, later months of data collection and less pollution were associated with less morbidity in both groups; better infrastructure access (electricity and roads) was generally associated with lower morbidity in both groups; and associations of land use were different by group with more cultivation of perennials and fewer annuals associated with less morbidity for colonists, but more for indigenous groups. These results demonstrate the health disparities that exist among indigenous and non-indigenous populations even when living in the same geographic region. Land use itself exemplifies the cultural and contextual differences that are evident in health, since land use decisions are related to broader demographic and economic factors that influence overall ecological and human health. Ongoing population-environment and/or environment-health research needs to recognize the broader factors involved when studying relationships between population health, development and deforestation. PMID:19906478

  18. Narratives of dynamic lands: science education, indigenous knowledge and possible futures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGinty, Megan; Bang, Megan

    2016-06-01

    We aim to share some of our work currently focused on understanding and unearthing the multiplicities of ways the denial of culture in relation to science and knowledge construction is embedded in issues of climate change and climate change education. The issues become more troubling when we consider how effects of climate change are manifesting locally in ways that force shifts in Indigenous ways of living while simultaneously nation-states seem to think that continued or increased control of Indigenous practice is warranted. For us, taking the implications of such approaches seriously requires significant consideration of how climate education impacts Indigenous learners and whether learning western climate science is indeed part of making real change important. In our work we have focused on the ways in which settler-colonialism and the resultant racialized hierarchies permeate science education and contribute to an expectation of human entitlement to land and a notion of land permanence.

  19. Learning in Place, Cultural Mapping and Sustainable Values on the Millawa Billa (Murray River)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heckenberg, Robyn

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents an Indigenous perspective on the significance of land, culture and Indigenous rights. The United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples promote the importance of traditional Indigenous societies, such as Aboriginal Australians. Participating in caring for country methods and having a close on-going…

  20. Building co-management as a process: problem solving through partnerships in Aboriginal country, Australia.

    PubMed

    Zurba, Melanie; Ross, Helen; Izurieta, Arturo; Rist, Philip; Bock, Ellie; Berkes, Fikret

    2012-06-01

    Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia's first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to 'care for country'. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, 'the pillars of co-management'. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

  1. Building Co-Management as a Process: Problem Solving Through Partnerships in Aboriginal Country, Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zurba, Melanie; Ross, Helen; Izurieta, Arturo; Rist, Philip; Bock, Ellie; Berkes, Fikret

    2012-06-01

    Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia's first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to `care for country'. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, `the pillars of co-management'. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

  2. Risk assessment of malaria in land border regions of China in the context of malaria elimination.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qian; Sun, Junling; Zhang, Zike; Geng, Qibin; Lai, Shengjie; Hu, Wenbiao; Clements, Archie C A; Li, Zhongjie

    2016-11-08

    Cross-border malaria transmission poses a challenge for countries to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. Because of a dramatic increase of cross-border population movement between China and 14 neighbouring countries, the malaria epidemic risk in China's land border regions needs to be understood. In this study, individual case-based epidemiological data on malaria in the 136 counties of China with international land borders, from 2011 to 2014, were extracted from the National Infectious Disease Information System. The Plasmodium species, seasonality, spatiotemporal distribution and changing features of imported and indigenous cases were analysed using descriptive spatial and temporal methods. A total of 1948 malaria cases were reported, with 1406 (72.2%) imported cases and 542 (27.8%) indigenous cases. Plasmodium vivax is the predominant species, with 1536 malaria cases occurrence (78.9%), following by Plasmodium falciparum (361 cases, 18.5%), and the others (51 cases, 2.6%). The magnitude and geographic distribution of malaria in land border counties shrunk sharply during the elimination period. Imported malaria cases were with a peak of 546 cases in 2011, decreasing yearly in the following years. The number of counties with imported cases decreased from 28 counties in 2011 to 26 counties in 2014. Indigenous malaria cases presented a markedly decreasing trend, with 319 indigenous cases in 2011 reducing to only 33 indigenous cases in 2014. The number of counties with indigenous cases reduced from 26 counties in 2011 to 10 counties in 2014. However, several bordering counties of Yunnan province adjacent to Myanmar reported indigenous malaria cases in the four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014. The scale and extent of malaria occurrence in the international land border counties of China decreased dramatically during the elimination period. However, several high-risk counties, especially along the China-Myanmar border, still face a persistent risk of malaria introduction and transmission. The study emphasizes the importance and urgency of cross-border cooperation between neighbouring countries to jointly face malaria threats to elimination goals.

  3. Indigenous Self-Determination and Media Development: The Land Claims Variable.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Scott R.

    The media have often been related to nation-state building and the generation of national sentiment, but because few ethnic minorities can afford to maintain their own media systems, they generally remain relatively powerless. Indigenous land claims, legal settlements that guarantee territorial sovereignty to an ethnic group, are one way of…

  4. Rethinking Environmental Science Education from Indigenous Knowledge Perspectives: An Experience with a Dene First Nation Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Datta, Ranjan Kumar

    2018-01-01

    This auto-ethnographic article explores how land-based education might challenge Western environmental science education (ESE) in an Indigenous community. This learning experience was developed from two perspectives: first, land-based educational stories from Dene First Nation community Elders, knowledge holders, teachers, and students; and…

  5. Evaluation and process development of salt cedar and juniper biocomposites as tools to utilize exotic and invasive species and restore native ecosystems

    Treesearch

    Jerrold E. Winandy; Craig M. Clemons; Nicole M. Stark; James H. Muehl; R. Sam Williams

    2005-01-01

    This research program is developing and evaluating potential value-added uses for a variety of exotic invasive woody species, such as salt cedar (Tamarisk spp.), one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma), and eastern red- cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Because each of these species is encroaching into America's natural indigenous ecosystems, land managers need tools...

  6. Decree No. 2001, 28 September 1988.

    PubMed

    1988-01-01

    This Decree regulates the establishment of indigenous reservations in Colombia. Under the Decree, an indigenous reservation is a legal institution constituted by the transfer to an indigenous community of title to the property where the community is situated or where it will be located. The property may be cultivated or uncultivated. The Decree sets forth the requirements for qualifying for the transfer of such land. Before the land is transferred, the Colombian Institute for Agricultural Reform is to monitor and review the proposed reservation. It is to undertake a socioeconomic and legal study of the indigenous community and to ascertain the community's origins, institutions, customs, and property claims. It is also to address the property claims of third parties. full text

  7. Drug Policy and Indigenous Peoples

    PubMed Central

    Kapron, Mary

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This paper identifies the principal concerns of indigenous peoples with regard to current international treaties on certain psychoactive substances and policies to control and eradicate their production, trafficking, and sale. Indigenous peoples have a specific interest in the issue since their traditional lands have become integrated over time into the large-scale production of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis crops, in response to high demand from the American and European markets, among others. As a consequence, indigenous peoples are persecuted because of their traditional use of these and other plant-based narcotics and hallucinogens. They are also victims of the drug producers who remove them from their lands or forcibly recruit them into the production process. As indigenous peoples are caught in the violent world of illicit drug production, law enforcement often targets them first, resulting in disproportionate rates of criminalization and incarceration. PMID:28630559

  8. Drug Policy and Indigenous Peoples.

    PubMed

    Burger, Julian; Kapron, Mary

    2017-06-01

    This paper identifies the principal concerns of indigenous peoples with regard to current international treaties on certain psychoactive substances and policies to control and eradicate their production, trafficking, and sale. Indigenous peoples have a specific interest in the issue since their traditional lands have become integrated over time into the large-scale production of coca, opium poppy, and cannabis crops, in response to high demand from the American and European markets, among others. As a consequence, indigenous peoples are persecuted because of their traditional use of these and other plant-based narcotics and hallucinogens. They are also victims of the drug producers who remove them from their lands or forcibly recruit them into the production process. As indigenous peoples are caught in the violent world of illicit drug production, law enforcement often targets them first, resulting in disproportionate rates of criminalization and incarceration.

  9. The importance of place names in the search for ecosystem-like concepts in indigenous societies: an example from the Bolivian Andes.

    PubMed

    Boillat, Sébastien; Serrano, Elvira; Rist, Stephan; Berkes, Fikret

    2013-03-01

    This paper aims to deepen the search for ecosystem-like concepts in indigenous societies by highlighting the importance of place names used by Quechua indigenous farmers from the central Bolivian Andes. Villagers from two communities in the Tunari Mountain Range were asked to list, describe, map and categorize the places they knew on their community's territory. Results show that place names capture spatially explicit units which integrate biotic and abiotic nature and humans, and that there is an emphasis on topographic terms, highlighting the importance of geodiversity. Farmers' perspectives differ from the classical view of ecosystems because they 'humanize' places, considering them as living beings with agency. Consequently, they do not make a distinction between natural and cultural heritage. Their perspective of the environment is that of a personalized, dynamic relationship with the elements of the natural world that are perceived as living entities. A practical implication of the findings for sustainable development is that since places names make the links between people and the elements of the landscape, toponymy is a tool for ecosystem management rooted in indigenous knowledge. Because place names refer to holistic units linked with people's experience and spatially explicit, they can be used as an entry point to implement an intercultural dialogue for more sustainable land management.

  10. The Importance of Place Names in the Search for Ecosystem-Like Concepts in Indigenous Societies: An Example from the Bolivian Andes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boillat, Sébastien; Serrano, Elvira; Rist, Stephan; Berkes, Fikret

    2013-03-01

    This paper aims to deepen the search for ecosystem-like concepts in indigenous societies by highlighting the importance of place names used by Quechua indigenous farmers from the central Bolivian Andes. Villagers from two communities in the Tunari Mountain Range were asked to list, describe, map and categorize the places they knew on their community's territory. Results show that place names capture spatially explicit units which integrate biotic and abiotic nature and humans, and that there is an emphasis on topographic terms, highlighting the importance of geodiversity. Farmers' perspectives differ from the classical view of ecosystems because they `humanize' places, considering them as living beings with agency. Consequently, they do not make a distinction between natural and cultural heritage. Their perspective of the environment is that of a personalized, dynamic relationship with the elements of the natural world that are perceived as living entities. A practical implication of the findings for sustainable development is that since places names make the links between people and the elements of the landscape, toponymy is a tool for ecosystem management rooted in indigenous knowledge. Because place names refer to holistic units linked with people's experience and spatially explicit, they can be used as an entry point to implement an intercultural dialogue for more sustainable land management.

  11. Sustainable Land Management in the Ethiopian Highlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haile, Mitiku; Nyssen, Jan; Araya, Tesfay

    2014-05-01

    Through centuries of farming practices the farmers and pastoralists in Ethiopia were managing their land resources pertaining to the needs of prevalent populations. With an increasing population and growing demands, more land was put under cultivation. Subsequently forest areas were cleared, encroaching agriculture into steep slopes and areas that were not suitable for agricultural activities. Land degradation and particularly soil erosion by water not only reduced the productivity of the land but also aggravated the effects of drought, such as famine and migration. Obvious signs of degradation in the highlands of Ethiopia are wide gullies swallowing fertile lands and rock outcrops making farming a risky business. But also less visible sheet erosion processes result in a tremendous loss of fertile topsoil, particularly on cropland. Efforts have been made by the farming communities to mitigate land degradation by developing local practices of conserving soil and water. With keen interest and openness one can observe such indigenous practices in all corners of Ethiopia. Notwithstanding these practices, there were also efforts to introduce other soil and water conservation interventions to control erosion and retain the eroded soils. Since the early 1980s numerous campaigns were carried out to build terraces in farmlands and sloping areas. Major emphasis was given to structural technologies rather than on vegetative measures. Currently the landscape of the northern highlands is dotted with millions of hectares of terraced fields and in some places with planned watershed management interventions including exclosures. Apparently these interventions were introduced without prior investigating the detailed problems and conservation needs of the local population. Intensive research is undertaken on the processes of degradation, the impact of the different intervention measures and the role of communities in sustainably managing their land. This paper attempts to review the relevant studies undertaken with emphasis on the approaches to sustainable land management.

  12. Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Decision-Making by Communities in the Kumaon Himalayas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Honwad, Sameer

    2010-01-01

    This study is designed to find out how people in rural communities residing in the middle Himalayas use indigenous knowledge to support environmental decisions while addressing water and land use related concerns. The study not only serves to enrich our understanding of community decision-making, especially as connected to land use and ecological…

  13. An Indigenous View of North America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaDuke, Winona

    1998-01-01

    Uses stories of U.S. and Canadian indigenous individuals who defended their lands against uranium mining and hydroelectric development to contrast the thinking of indigenous people (natural law as pre-eminent, spiritual practice, intergenerational residency in the same place) with industrial thinking (man's dominion over nature, linear thinking,…

  14. Effects of development on indigenous dietary pattern: A Nigerian case study.

    PubMed

    Ezeomah, Bookie; Farag, Karim

    2016-12-01

    The traditional foods of indigenous people in Nigeria are known for their cultural symbolism and agricultural biodiversity which contributes to their daily healthy and rich diet. In the early 90s, rapid development of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was noted and the resettlement of indigenes to other parts of the region was reported. These changes have facilitated the modification of indigenous diets, as indigenous groups rapidly embraced modern foods and also adopted the food culture of migrant ethnic groups. This has led to a gradual erosion of indigenous diets and traditional food systems in the FCT. This study explored the impact of development on traditional food systems and determined indigenes perception of the modification to their food culture as a result of the development of their land within the FCT. Field survey was carried out in four indigenous communities in the FCT (30 indigenes from each of the four areas) using structured questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews. Person Chi Square analysis of indigenes socio-economic characteristics revealed significant relationships between gender of indigenes and farm size, Age and farm size, Educational level and farm/herd size. Qualitative analysis of FGDs revealed indigenes opinion on the socio-cultural changes in behaviour and food systems as a result of development. The study also identified indigenous youths as being most influenced by development especially through education, white collar jobs and social interactions with migrant ethnic groups in the FCT. The study recommended that indigenes should be provided with more secure land tenure and "back-to-farm" initiatives should be put in place by the Nigerian government to encourage indigenous youth to engaged more in agriculture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Stories Are the People and the Land: Three Educators Respond to Environmental Teachings in Indigenous Children's Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Korteweg, Lisa; Gonzalez, Ismel; Guillet, Jojo

    2010-01-01

    This article explores how Indigenous Canadian children's literature might challenge adult and child readers to consider different meanings and worldviews of the environment as a land-based value system. As three teacher educators from elementary and university classrooms, we use reader-response theory to explore a collection of rich alternative…

  16. Making Sense of "Their" Sense of Place: Australian Children's Literature Landscape on Indigenous Land

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collins-Gearing, Brooke

    2007-01-01

    Australian children's literature has traditionally provided a space for colonial Australia to perpetuate ideas about segregation, assimilation, and reconciliation. Children's literature offers a complex medium for readers, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to question and challenge prevalent attitudes, in particular, the notion of…

  17. Mapping and Complicating Conversations about Indigenous Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahenakew, Cash Richard

    2017-01-01

    In this article I offer a series of critical reflections about existing efforts and achievements in Indigenous Education, with particular emphasis on the risks, tensions, and paradoxes that arise where different knowledge systems meet, and when Indigenous peoples ourselves hold contradictory educational desires. I focus on the idea of the land as…

  18. Resisting Exile in the "Land of the Free:" Indigenous Groundwork at Colonial Intersections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, D. Anthony Tyeeme; Powell, Malea

    2008-01-01

    The guest editorialists argue in this introduction that the phrase "indigenous groundwork at colonial intersections" identifies versatile cultural, historical, and social processes that fundamentally--at times devastatingly--shape relations among differently situated life forms on this planet. In short, Indigenous groundwork marks Indigenous…

  19. Local and Indigenous Knowledge Regarding the Land Use and Use of Other Natural Resources in the Aspiring Rio Coco Geopark

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pásková, Martina

    2017-12-01

    There is a limited number of studies describing the situation and importance of current or potential usage of the local and indigenous traditional environmental knowledge in the region of Northern Nicaragua. To fill this gap, the author supported by a local team conducted the participative research in this rather neglected Central American region, concretely in the northern area of the aspiring Rio Coco Geopark. The purpose of this research was to identify the local and indigenous knowledge regarding the present and traditional use of natural resources including land use and to analyse the contribution and potential of the usage of this knowledge for the local development sustainability. The practical long-term impact of this research is expected mainly in the form of enhancement of the local geotourism sustainability. The research process itself was of the same importance as its results, especially the involvement of the local and indigenous people. In this participative research, young local and indigenous people obtained training and served as co-investigators who later interviewed representatives of the local households. The other field methods included life history of elders, discussions in the focal groups involving common people from local communities as well as the mapping and photo-documentation of the identified local and indigenous traditional environmental knowledge. The participative character of the research process not only facilitated the data collection and validation but also supported the revival of the community memory and revitalization of its cultural and natural identity. The research findings point out that the more distant and more dispersed are the local settlements the better conserved local and indigenous knowledge regarding the traditional land use and other use of natural resources is. Among the best-conserved local and indigenous traditional environmental knowledge in the northern area of the aspiring Rio Coco Geopark was the usage of the earth material and plants. The local indigenous people are not expressing and transmitting the spiritual dimension of their traditional environmental knowledge (sacred times or sites, rites, rituals or taboos regarding the traditional land use and other use of natural resources) anymore because they were experiencing a continuous repression realized by the dominant (colonial) society in the past. They are not accustomed to appreciating the aesthetic values of the landscape as do visitors, but they are open to share their authentic life with them. The majority of the identified traditional land use and the use of the other natural resources as well as related traditional environmental knowledge in the researched northern region of the aspiring Rio Coco Geopark seems to be more sustainable than the present land use practices and the use of natural resources generally for agriculture, medicine, constructions etc. The local communities should dedicate much more attention and efforts to conserve, transmit and use this local and indigenous traditional environmental knowledge to enhance the sustainability of their development as well as geotourism emerging in this part of the aspiring geopark.

  20. Proponent-Indigenous agreements and the implementation of the right to free, prior, and informed consent in Canada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Papillon, Martin, E-mail: martin.papillon@umontreal.ca; Rodon, Thierry, E-mail: thierry.rodon@pol.ulaval.ca

    Indigenous peoples have gained considerable agency in shaping decisions regarding resource development on their traditional lands. This growing agency is reflected in the emergence of the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) when Indigenous rights may be adversely affected by major resource development projects. While many governments remain non-committal toward FPIC, corporate actors are more proactive at engaging with Indigenous peoples in seeking their consent to resource extraction projects through negotiated Impact and Benefit Agreements. Focusing on the Canadian context, this article discusses the roots and implications of a proponent-driven model for seeking Indigenous consent to natural resourcemore » extraction on their traditional lands. Building on two case studies, the paper argues that negotiated consent through IBAs offers a truncated version of FPIC from the perspective of the communities involved. The deliberative ethic at the core of FPIC is often undermined in the negotiation process associated with proponent-led IBAs. - Highlights: • FPIC is becoming a norm for resource extraction projects on Indigenous lands. • Proponent-led IBAs have become the main instrument to establish FPIC in Canada. • Case studies show elite-driven IBA negotiations do not always create the conditions for FPIC. • We need to pay attention to community deliberations as an inherent aspect of FPIC.« less

  1. 36 CFR 254.20 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... serve indigenous community objectives that outweigh the public objectives and values of retaining the lands in Federal ownership. Indigenous community objectives may include space for housing and for...

  2. 36 CFR 254.20 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... serve indigenous community objectives that outweigh the public objectives and values of retaining the lands in Federal ownership. Indigenous community objectives may include space for housing and for...

  3. 36 CFR 254.20 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... serve indigenous community objectives that outweigh the public objectives and values of retaining the lands in Federal ownership. Indigenous community objectives may include space for housing and for...

  4. 36 CFR 254.20 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... serve indigenous community objectives that outweigh the public objectives and values of retaining the lands in Federal ownership. Indigenous community objectives may include space for housing and for...

  5. Long-term indigenous soil conservation technology in the Chencha area, southern Ethiopia: origin, characteristics, and sustainability.

    PubMed

    Engdawork, Assefa; Bork, Hans-Rudolf

    2014-11-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the origin, development, and characteristics of terraces (kella), plus their potentials and determinants for sustainable use in the Chencha-Dorze Belle area of southern Ethiopia. Field surveys were conducted to determine the various parameters of the indigenous terraces and in order to collect samples for radiocarbon dating. To identify farmers' views of the terrace systems, semi-structured interviews and group discussions were also carried out. Terraces were built and used-as radiocarbon dating proves-at least over the last 800 years. The long-term continued usage of the indigenous terraces is the result of social commitments, the structural features of the terraces, and the farmers' responses to the dynamics of social and cultural circumstances. We dubbed that the terraces are a success story of fruitful environmental management over generations. Thus, a strong need is to preserve and develop this important cultural heritage and example of sustainable land use.

  6. Land-Use and Socioeconomic Change, Medicinal Plant Selection and Biodiversity Resilience in Far Western Nepal

    PubMed Central

    Baral, Kedar; Paudel, Prashant; Acharya, Ram P.; Thapa-Magar, Khum B.; Cameron, Mary; Bussmann, Rainer W.

    2016-01-01

    Indigenous plant use-systems have evolved under, and constantly adapted to human and non-human impacts. In the last decades however, increasing socioeconomic and cultural transformations, including land-use change, outmigration, globalized markets, the introduction of new species, and climate change have led to a decreasing availability of indigenous resources, and are ultimately leading to a reduction of local use-knowledge. Participant observations, discussions, walks-in-the-woods, semi-structured interviews and informal meetings were carried out in 12 villages of far western Nepal between 2011 and 2015 to assess how sociocultural changes have affected the sustenance of indigenous systems and local biodiversity, when compared to studies carried out in the previous decades. Our findings show that there were no statistically significant differences in subject variable means, but differences were relatively important to plant parts-use and plant growth-forms (p = 0.183 and 0.088 respectively). Cissampelos pareira, Acorus calamus, Calotropis gigantea were found to have the greatest relative importance, whereas Ageratina adenophora, Melia azedarach, Carum carvi were most important based on use values. Among them, C. pareira and A. adenophora were introduced. The spatial distribution of species collected for medicine showed that all habitats were important for collection however, habitats close to villages were more favored. The use of non-indigenous and easily available species and more accessible habitats is becoming more prevalent as primary forests become increasingly overexploited, indigenous species become limited, and sociocultural cause of land use change expand. The utilization of indigenous and non-indigenous species and nearby habitats, although possibly affecting the quality of medicinal species, nonetheless reveals the dynamism of indigenous medicines as an adaptive asset mitigating human and non-human environmental changes. PMID:27936247

  7. Land-Use and Socioeconomic Change, Medicinal Plant Selection and Biodiversity Resilience in Far Western Nepal.

    PubMed

    Kunwar, Ripu M; Baral, Kedar; Paudel, Prashant; Acharya, Ram P; Thapa-Magar, Khum B; Cameron, Mary; Bussmann, Rainer W

    2016-01-01

    Indigenous plant use-systems have evolved under, and constantly adapted to human and non-human impacts. In the last decades however, increasing socioeconomic and cultural transformations, including land-use change, outmigration, globalized markets, the introduction of new species, and climate change have led to a decreasing availability of indigenous resources, and are ultimately leading to a reduction of local use-knowledge. Participant observations, discussions, walks-in-the-woods, semi-structured interviews and informal meetings were carried out in 12 villages of far western Nepal between 2011 and 2015 to assess how sociocultural changes have affected the sustenance of indigenous systems and local biodiversity, when compared to studies carried out in the previous decades. Our findings show that there were no statistically significant differences in subject variable means, but differences were relatively important to plant parts-use and plant growth-forms (p = 0.183 and 0.088 respectively). Cissampelos pareira, Acorus calamus, Calotropis gigantea were found to have the greatest relative importance, whereas Ageratina adenophora, Melia azedarach, Carum carvi were most important based on use values. Among them, C. pareira and A. adenophora were introduced. The spatial distribution of species collected for medicine showed that all habitats were important for collection however, habitats close to villages were more favored. The use of non-indigenous and easily available species and more accessible habitats is becoming more prevalent as primary forests become increasingly overexploited, indigenous species become limited, and sociocultural cause of land use change expand. The utilization of indigenous and non-indigenous species and nearby habitats, although possibly affecting the quality of medicinal species, nonetheless reveals the dynamism of indigenous medicines as an adaptive asset mitigating human and non-human environmental changes.

  8. 43 CFR 2300.0-5 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... natural resource indigenous to a particular land area, including, but not limited to, mineral, timber..., enhancement or development of natural resources or resource values indigenous to or associated with a...

  9. 43 CFR 2300.0-5 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... natural resource indigenous to a particular land area, including, but not limited to, mineral, timber..., enhancement or development of natural resources or resource values indigenous to or associated with a...

  10. 43 CFR 2300.0-5 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... natural resource indigenous to a particular land area, including, but not limited to, mineral, timber..., enhancement or development of natural resources or resource values indigenous to or associated with a...

  11. 43 CFR 2300.0-5 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... natural resource indigenous to a particular land area, including, but not limited to, mineral, timber..., enhancement or development of natural resources or resource values indigenous to or associated with a...

  12. Turning scientific approaches into practical conservation actions: the case of Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Velázquez, A; Bocco, G; Torres, A

    2001-05-01

    Optimum natural resource management and biodiversity conservation are desirable goals. These, however, often exclude each other, since maximum economic benefits have promoted drastic reductions in biodiversity throughout the world. This dilemma confronts local stakeholders, who usually go for maximizing economic inputs, whereas other social (e.g., academic) sectors are favor conservation practices. In this paper we describe the way two scientific approaches--landscape and participatory research--were used to develop sound and durable land use scenarios. These two approaches included expert knowledge of both social and environmental conditions in indigenous communities. Our major emphasis was given to detect spatially explicit land use scenarios and capacity building in order to construct a decision support system operated by stakeholders of the Comunidad Indigena de Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro in Mexico. The system for decision-making was fed with data from inventories of both abiotic and biotic biodiversity components. All research, implementation, and monitoring activities were conducted in close collaboration with members of the indigenous community. As a major result we obtained a number of forest alternative uses that favor emerging markets and make this indigenous community less dependent on a single market. Furthermore, skilled members of the community are now running the automated system for decision-making. In conclusion, our results were better expressed as products with direct benefits in local livelihoods rather than pure academic outputs.

  13. Involving indigenous peoples in protected area management: comparative perspectives from Nepal, Thailand, and China.

    PubMed

    Nepal, Sanjay K

    2002-12-01

    Despite over two decades of efforts towards involving indigenous and traditional peoples in protected area management, there are few successful examples. Several international principles and guidelines on indigenous peoples' involvement in protected areas exist. However, because of the lack of evaluation of whether or not these principles and guidelines have been put into practice, there is hardly any information that indicates the actual involvement of indigenous peoples in protected areas. This paper attempts to compare efforts in partnership between indigenous peoples and protected area authority in three Asian countries: Nepal, Thailand, and China. It shows that the involvement of indigenous peoples is more successful where park planning is participatory and where political and socioeconomic reforms are underway. Indigenous peoples are in conflict with park authorities where park management is centralized and nonparticipatory. Unless concrete efforts are made to address livelihood issues of indigenous peoples living in and around protected areas, park management aimed to protect wildlife will rarely succeed. Participatory park management that involves indigenous peoples and that addresses livelihood issues of indigenous communities will ultimately succeed in its efforts toward wildlife conservation.

  14. Decolonizing Study: Free Universities in More-than-Humanist Accompliceships with Indigenous Movements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyerhoff, Eli; Thompsett, Fern

    2017-01-01

    Educational institutions have long been terrains of struggle. Schools and universities have dispossessed Indigenous peoples of their lands, cultures, and labor, whereas alternative modes of study have been central to many resistance movements, including for decolonization. In this article, we put Indigenous study projects in conversation with free…

  15. The Representation and Appropriation of Indigenous Cultures at Ontario Summer Camps.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamilton, Ty

    2003-01-01

    Interviews with directors at five Ontario summer camps found that three camps exposed children to stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and to cultural appropriation. This is inconsistent with goals of educating campers about and showing respect for Indigenous cultures. Given the current issues of land-claims and Aboriginal rights, non-Indigenous…

  16. Outward Bound Giwaykiwin: Connecting to Land and Culture through Indigenous Outdoor Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowan, Greg

    2007-01-01

    Outward Bound Canada's (OBC) Giwaykiwin Program was founded in 1985 in response to a recognized need for programming specific to students from Indigenous backgrounds. The Giwaykiwin program aims to integrate Outward Bound (OB) and Indigenous philosophies and traditions. Giwaykiwin means "coming home" in Ojibwa and signifies the program's…

  17. A participatory approach to elucidate the consequences of land invasions on REDD+ initiatives: A case study with Indigenous communities in Panama

    PubMed Central

    Vergara-Asenjo, Gerardo; Alvarado, Alexis; Potvin, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    Land tenure and tenure security are among the most important factors determining the viability and success of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. The premise of the present paper is that territorial conflicts lead to forest loss and compromise the successful implementation of REDD+. Within this context, the main objectives of this paper are to (i) document, relying on participatory methods, the extent to which land conflicts drive deforestation and (ii) reflect on the legal context of REDD+ examining if, from an Indigenous perspective, it offers tools to resolve such conflicts. We used the Upper Bayano Watershed in eastern Panama as a case study of complex land tenure dynamics, and their effects on forest conservation in the context of REDD+. Combining a range of participatory methods including participatory mapping and forest carbon stock assessment, we estimated the consequences of land invasions on forest carbon stocks. Our analysis shows that invasions of Indigenous territories amounted to 27.6% of the total deforestation for the period of 2001–2014. The situation is of paramount concern in the Embera territory of Majé where 95.4% of total deforestation was caused by colonist invaders. Using and validating the maps made freely available by the Global Forest Change initiative of the University of Maryland, we then developed a reference level for the watershed and carried out a back of the envelop estimation of likely REDD+ revenue, showing its potential to bring much needed income to Indigenous communities striving to protect their forest estate. Our analysis of current legislation in Panama highlights confusion and important legal voids and emphasizes the strong links between land tenure, carbon ownership, and territorial invasions. The options and shortcoming of implementing REDD+ in Indigenous territories is discussed in the conclusion taking our legal review into account. PMID:29261704

  18. A participatory approach to elucidate the consequences of land invasions on REDD+ initiatives: A case study with Indigenous communities in Panama.

    PubMed

    Vergara-Asenjo, Gerardo; Mateo-Vega, Javier; Alvarado, Alexis; Potvin, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    Land tenure and tenure security are among the most important factors determining the viability and success of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. The premise of the present paper is that territorial conflicts lead to forest loss and compromise the successful implementation of REDD+. Within this context, the main objectives of this paper are to (i) document, relying on participatory methods, the extent to which land conflicts drive deforestation and (ii) reflect on the legal context of REDD+ examining if, from an Indigenous perspective, it offers tools to resolve such conflicts. We used the Upper Bayano Watershed in eastern Panama as a case study of complex land tenure dynamics, and their effects on forest conservation in the context of REDD+. Combining a range of participatory methods including participatory mapping and forest carbon stock assessment, we estimated the consequences of land invasions on forest carbon stocks. Our analysis shows that invasions of Indigenous territories amounted to 27.6% of the total deforestation for the period of 2001-2014. The situation is of paramount concern in the Embera territory of Majé where 95.4% of total deforestation was caused by colonist invaders. Using and validating the maps made freely available by the Global Forest Change initiative of the University of Maryland, we then developed a reference level for the watershed and carried out a back of the envelop estimation of likely REDD+ revenue, showing its potential to bring much needed income to Indigenous communities striving to protect their forest estate. Our analysis of current legislation in Panama highlights confusion and important legal voids and emphasizes the strong links between land tenure, carbon ownership, and territorial invasions. The options and shortcoming of implementing REDD+ in Indigenous territories is discussed in the conclusion taking our legal review into account.

  19. Valuing people in the landscape: Re-thinking conservation approaches

    Treesearch

    Peter Taylor

    2015-01-01

    When Australian Governments committed to building a National Reserve System (NRS) for Australia in 1991 they didn't anticipate that some of the most important conservation gains were to be made on Indigenous owned land. An innovative Federal Government policy decision in 1996 to support Indigenous landowners to establish Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA# on their...

  20. Between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous: Urban/Nature/Child Pedagogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Somerville, Margaret; Hickey, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    This co-authored paper offers Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives on the emergence of urban/nature/child pedagogies in a project to reclaim remnant woodlands. Set in the context of indigenous issues explored in a special edition of the journal on land based education, the paper engages critically with a claim by a group of ecologists, that…

  1. For a Sustainable Future: Indigenous Transborder Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quijada, Adrian; Cassadore, Edison; Perry, Gaye Bumsted; Geronimo, Ronald; Lund, Kimberley; Miguel, Phillip; Montes-Helu, Mario; Newberry, Teresa; Robertson, Paul; Thornbrugh, Casey

    2015-01-01

    The U.S.-Mexico border region of the Sonoran Desert is home to 30 Native nations in the United States, and about 15 Indigenous communities in Mexico. Imposed on Indigenous peoples' ancestral lands, the border is an artificial line created in 1848, following the war between the U.S. and Mexico. Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC) seeks to…

  2. Quantifying the Implications of Different Land Users' Priorities in the Management of Boreal Multiple-Use Forests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horstkotte, Tim; Lind, Torgny; Moen, Jon

    2016-04-01

    In the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered. Here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests in northern Sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural composition and the economic gains at harvest. Management strategies prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous Sámi, or (ii) timber production as practiced in Sweden today. When prioritizing reindeer grazing, forest stands develop a higher abundance of older age classes with larger trees and lower stem density, which reduces harvest and revenue levels by approximately 20 % over a 100-year period. The differences between these strategies illustrate the complexity in finding a trade-off for coexistence between industrial land users and other livelihoods that share the same landscape. Political support and institutional solutions are necessary to initiate changes in policy in finding such trade-offs in the management of environmental resources and thereby influence the optimal distribution of costs and benefits between different actors.

  3. Quantifying the Implications of Different Land Users' Priorities in the Management of Boreal Multiple-Use Forests.

    PubMed

    Horstkotte, Tim; Lind, Torgny; Moen, Jon

    2016-04-01

    In the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered. Here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests in northern Sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural composition and the economic gains at harvest. Management strategies prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous Sámi, or (ii) timber production as practiced in Sweden today. When prioritizing reindeer grazing, forest stands develop a higher abundance of older age classes with larger trees and lower stem density, which reduces harvest and revenue levels by approximately 20% over a 100-year period. The differences between these strategies illustrate the complexity in finding a trade-off for coexistence between industrial land users and other livelihoods that share the same landscape. Political support and institutional solutions are necessary to initiate changes in policy in finding such trade-offs in the management of environmental resources and thereby influence the optimal distribution of costs and benefits between different actors.

  4. Utilizing Science to Ensure Safe Access to Cultural Resources on Public Lands: The Portland Native American Community and Traditional Gathering of Camas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Greene, C.

    2017-12-01

    Native Americans have been conducting and contributing to science for millenia. We have observed nature and passed on evidence-based Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from generation to generation. Prior to colonization, this knowledge enabled our people to live with ample nutritional resources. Our long-standing relationship to nature continues today in tribal, rural, and urban communities, yet access to cultural resources (traditional food and medicines) proves challenging due to modern land management practices. The Native American community and public land managers in Portland, Oregon are addressing this challenge through the restoration of cultural resources across the landscape. One focus in these efforts is the camas plant (Camssia quamash), which grows in wetland and prairie ecosystems. The harvested bulbs are traditionally pit roasted, converting the indigestible inulin into carbohydrates of high nutritional value. Access to local natural areas has been granted for Native American community members to gather camas, yet pesticide and herbicide application as land management practices have created uncertainty regarding the safety of ingesting the camas bulbs. The Native American community gathered camas bulbs in November 2015 for analysis, which resulted in glyphosate (pesticide) and triclopyr (herbicide). There are various factors which may influence the uptake of pesticide and herbicide residuals in camas which need further investigation, including pesticide/herbicide application details (date, location), preferential uptake of pesticide/herbicides in camas among the present plant community, the impact of pit roasting bulbs on residuals, and traditional land management practices like prescribed burning. Utilizing TEK and science to ensure safe access to cultural resources is paramount in preserving our cultures and enhancing the value of indigenous perspectives on land management practices and policies.

  5. Our land, our language: connecting dispossession and health equity in an indigenous context.

    PubMed

    Brown, Helen J; McPherson, Gladys; Peterson, Ruby; Newman, Vera; Cranmer, Barbara

    2012-06-01

    For contemporary Indigenous people, colonial relations (past and present) intersect with neoliberal policies and practices to create subtle forms of dispossession.These undermine the health of Indigenous peoples and create barriers restricting access to appropriate health services. Integrating insights from the critical geographer David Harvey, the authors demonstrate how the dispossession of land and language threaten health and well-being and worsen existing illness conditions. Drawing on the qualitative findings from a program of community-based research with the 'Namgis First Nation in the Canadian province of British Columbia, the authors argue for an account of how neoliberal mechanisms operate to further the "accumulation by dispossession" associated with historical and ongoing colonialism. Specifically, they show how neoliberal ideologies operate to sustain medical colonialism and health inequities for Indigenous peoples. The authors discuss the implications for nursing actions to achieve health equity in rural First Nations communities.

  6. Combining Sustainable Land Management Technologies to Combat Land Degradation and Improve Rural Livelihoods in Semi-arid Lands in Kenya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mganga, K. Z.; Musimba, N. K. R.; Nyariki, D. M.

    2015-12-01

    Drylands occupy more than 80 % of Kenya's total land mass and contribute immensely to the national economy and society through agriculture, livestock production, tourism, and wild product harvesting. Dryland ecosystems are areas of high climate variability making them vulnerable to the threats of land degradation. Consequently, agropastoralists inhabiting these ecosystems develop mechanisms and technologies to cope with the impacts of climate variability. This study is aimed to; (1) determine what agropastoralists inhabiting a semi-arid ecosystem in Kenya attribute to be the causes and indicators of land degradation, (2) document sustainable land management (SLM) technologies being undertaken to combat land degradation, and (3) identify the factors that influence the choice of these SLM technologies. Vegetation change from preferred indigenous forage grass species to woody vegetation was cited as the main indicator of land degradation. Land degradation was attributed to recurrent droughts and low amounts of rainfall, overgrazing, and unsustainable harvesting of trees for fuelwood production. However, despite the challenges posed by climate variability and recurrent droughts, the local community is engaging in simple SLM technologies including grass reseeding, rainwater harvesting and soil conservation, and dryland agroforestry as a holistic approach combating land degradation and improving their rural livelihoods. The choice of these SLM technologies was mainly driven by their additional benefits to combating land degradation. In conclusion, promoting such simple SLM technologies can help reverse the land degradation trend, improve agricultural production, food security including access to food, and subsequently improve livelihoods of communities inhabiting dryland ecosystems.

  7. Combining Sustainable Land Management Technologies to Combat Land Degradation and Improve Rural Livelihoods in Semi-arid Lands in Kenya.

    PubMed

    Mganga, K Z; Musimba, N K R; Nyariki, D M

    2015-12-01

    Drylands occupy more than 80% of Kenya's total land mass and contribute immensely to the national economy and society through agriculture, livestock production, tourism, and wild product harvesting. Dryland ecosystems are areas of high climate variability making them vulnerable to the threats of land degradation. Consequently, agropastoralists inhabiting these ecosystems develop mechanisms and technologies to cope with the impacts of climate variability. This study is aimed to; (1) determine what agropastoralists inhabiting a semi-arid ecosystem in Kenya attribute to be the causes and indicators of land degradation, (2) document sustainable land management (SLM) technologies being undertaken to combat land degradation, and (3) identify the factors that influence the choice of these SLM technologies. Vegetation change from preferred indigenous forage grass species to woody vegetation was cited as the main indicator of land degradation. Land degradation was attributed to recurrent droughts and low amounts of rainfall, overgrazing, and unsustainable harvesting of trees for fuelwood production. However, despite the challenges posed by climate variability and recurrent droughts, the local community is engaging in simple SLM technologies including grass reseeding, rainwater harvesting and soil conservation, and dryland agroforestry as a holistic approach combating land degradation and improving their rural livelihoods. The choice of these SLM technologies was mainly driven by their additional benefits to combating land degradation. In conclusion, promoting such simple SLM technologies can help reverse the land degradation trend, improve agricultural production, food security including access to food, and subsequently improve livelihoods of communities inhabiting dryland ecosystems.

  8. Identifying Training Needs to Improve Indigenous Community Representatives Input into Environmental Resource Management Consultative Processes: A Case Study of the Bundjalung Nation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lloyd, David; Norrie, Fiona

    2004-01-01

    Despite increased engagement of Indigenous representatives as participants on consultative panels charged with processes of natural resource management, concerns have been raised by both Indigenous representatives and management agencies regarding the ability of Indigenous people to have quality input into the decisions these processes produce. In…

  9. Considering the needs of indigenous and local populations in conservation programs.

    PubMed

    Kohler, Florent; Brondizio, Eduardo S

    2017-04-01

    Local rural and indigenous communities have assumed increasing responsibility for conservation within and between areas buffering the impacts of agricultural or resource-extraction zones and protected areas. Empowering local communities as central partners in conservation and climate-change mitigation has allowed many people to gain access to land and citizenship rights but has provided limited improvements in access to social services and economic opportunities even as expectation about their role as environmental stewards grows. These expectations, however, are inconsistent with reality. We conducted multiple field studies in Brazil since the mid-1980s to illustrate the discrepancies between conservation programs and local conditions and expectations. We suggest that public policies and conservation programs should not delegate responsibility for managing protected areas to local and indigenous communities without considering local needs and expectations and locals' attitudes toward conservation. In other words, behavior that maintains or improves the environment should not be treated as traditional based on the expectations of outsiders. Framing local populations as traditional environmentalists creates contradictions and frustrations for local populations and for conservation professionals and policy makers. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

  10. Deforestation as a result of wildfire incidence in the Worobong Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region of Ghana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danquah, S.

    2009-04-01

    This submission captures report on the perennial occurrence of wildfires and their accompanying effects on the inhabitants and the fringe forest communities in the Worobong Forest Reserve within the Eastern part of Ghana. Wildfire continues to be the single serious threat to the sustainable development and management of forest and wildlife resources in Ghana, thus depriving indigenous fringe forest communities of enormous socio-economic benefit of the forest. Locally, fire is used in the preparation of farm lands, tapping of palm-wine, charcoal production, honey harvesting, etc. This paper identifies some of the effects of wildfires on the indigenous communities and various interventions made to address the wildfire menace in the area of study over the years. Keywords: Wildfire, Fringe Forest Communities, Sustainable Development Resources, Socio-Economic Benefits

  11. Contingent, Contested and Changing: De-Constructing Indigenous Knowledge in a Science Curriculum Resource from the South Coast of New South Wales

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nash, Daphne

    2009-01-01

    The nature and status of Indigenous knowledge is often debated, but the idea that Indigenous people's knowledge is local knowledge seems widely accepted: knowledge is place-based and may reference a range of places, from traditional land to other places known from social and cultural connections. Through collaboration with Koori people from the…

  12. Is hunting still healthy? Understanding the interrelationships between indigenous participation in land-based practices and human-environmental health.

    PubMed

    King, Ursula; Furgal, Christopher

    2014-05-28

    Indigenous participation in land-based practices such as hunting, fishing, ceremony, and land care has a long history. In recent years, researchers and policy makers have advocated the benefits of these practices for both Indigenous people and the places they live. However, there have also been documented risks associated with participation in these activities. Environmental change brought about by shifts in land use, climate changes, and the accumulation of contaminants in the food chain sit alongside equally rapid shifts in social, economic and cultural circumstances, preferences and practices. To date, the literature has not offered a wide-ranging review of the available cross-disciplinary or cross-ecozone evidence for these intersecting benefits and risks, for both human and environmental health and wellbeing. By utilising hunting as a case study, this paper seeks to fill part of that gap through a transdisciplinary meta-analysis of the international literature exploring the ways in which Indigenous participation in land-based practices and human-environmental health have been studied, where the current gaps are, and how these findings could be used to inform research and policy. The result is an intriguing summary of disparate research that highlights the patchwork of contradictory understandings, and uneven regional emphasis, that have been documented. A new model was subsequently developed that facilitates a more in-depth consideration of these complex issues within local-global scale considerations. These findings challenge the bounded disciplinary and geographic spaces in which much of this work has occurred to date, and opens a dialogue to consider the importance of approaching these issues holistically.

  13. Can we measure daily tobacco consumption in remote indigenous communities? Comparing self-reported tobacco consumption with community-level estimates in an Arnhem Land study.

    PubMed

    Clough, Alan R; MacLaren, David J; Robertson, Jan A; Ivers, Rowena G; Conigrave, Katherine M

    2011-03-01

    In remote Indigenous Australian communities measuring individual tobacco use can be confounded by cultural expectations, including sharing. We compared self-reported tobacco consumption with community-level estimates in Arnhem Land (Northern Territory). In a cross-sectional survey in three communities (population 2319 Indigenous residents, aged ≥16 years), 400 Indigenous residents were interviewed (206 men, 194 women). Eight community stores provided information about tobacco sold during the survey. To gauge the impact of 255 non-Indigenous residents on tobacco turnover, 10 were interviewed (five men, five women). Breath carbon monoxide levels confirmed self-reported smoking. Self-reported number of cigarettes smoked per day was compared with daily tobacco consumption per user estimated using amounts of tobacco sold during 12 months before the survey (2007-2008). 'Lighter smokers' (<10 cigarettes per day) and 'heavier smokers' (≥10 cigarettes per day) in men and women were compared. Of 400 Indigenous study participants, 305 (76%) used tobacco; four chewed tobacco. Of 301 Indigenous smokers, 177 (58%) provided self-reported consumption information; a median of 11-11.5 cigarettes per day in men and 5.5-10 cigarettes per day in women. Men were three times (odds ratio=2.9) more likely to be 'heavier smokers'. Store turnover data indicated that Indigenous tobacco users consumed the equivalent of 9.2-13.1 cigarettes per day; very similar to self-reported levels. Sixty per cent (=6/10) of non-Indigenous residents interviewed were smokers, but with little impact on tobacco turnover overall (2-6%). Smoking levels reported by Indigenous Australians in this study, when sharing tobacco was considered, closely reflected quantities of tobacco sold in community stores. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  14. "We have always lived here": indigenous movements, citizenship and poverty in Argentina.

    PubMed

    vom Hau, Matthias; Wilde, Guillermo

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the nexus between indigenous mobilisation, citizenship, and poverty in Argentina. A subnational comparison of land struggles among the Diaguita Calchaqu in Tucumn and the Mbya Guaran in Misiones shows that changing global and national opportunity structures, most prominently a new multicultural citizenship regime, set the stage for indigenous mobilisation. In turn, local transformations of capitalist development motivate indigenous mobilising efforts, whereas leadership patterns and state-movement relations shape the capacity to mobilise. Diaguita and Mbya mobilisation reveals that indigenous movements play a central role in the activation of formal citizenship rights and the contestation of dominant notions of poverty. At the same time, the current design of multicultural citizenship and the adverse socioeconomic incorporation of indigenous communities also counteract indigenous mobilising efforts in Argentina.

  15. Pastoralism, land degradation and Carbon redistribution in rangelands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuhn, Nikolaus J.; Ali, Seid Mohammed

    2017-04-01

    Pastoralism is rarely viewed as a major future form of land use, because of well-documented cases of rangeland degradation, attributed to irrational overstocking, and the subsequent losses of ecosystem services. However, pastoralists were actually encouraged to settle and adopt such strategies, copied from rangelands with higher and more reliable rainfall. This curtailed mobility resulted in a shift from opportunistic and extensive land use to more intensive and settled forms of use, and promoted degradation of vegetation and soils and the ecosystem services they provided. However, pastoralists traditionally employed several techniques to manage rangeland resources. These practices, such as the use of seasonal grassland reserves and livestock mobility, influence vegetation composition, coverage and abundance in rangelands and preserved ecosystem services relevant for pastoralists. The traditional practices also offer tools for soil and vegetation protection and restoration, thereby contributing to the mitigation of climate change. However, various internal and external factors have curtailed traditional management practices and livestock mobility, breaking the co-evolved balance of vegetation, wildlife and land use, thus exposing rangeland to continued livestock pressure, which often leads to degradation. Rather than abandoning pastoralism as consequence of 20th century land degradation, the revitalisation of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge can be vital to secure sustainable livelihoods for millions of pastoralists and to maintain rangeland ecosystem services.

  16. Differences in production, carbon stocks and biodiversity outcomes of land tenure regimes in the Argentine Dry Chaco

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinaro, Sofía; Grau, H. Ricardo; Gasparri, Néstor Ignacio; Kuemmerle, Tobias; Baumann, Matthias

    2017-04-01

    Rising global demand for agricultural products results in agricultural expansion and intensification, with substantial environmental trade-offs. The South American Dry Chaco contains some of the fastest expanding agricultural frontiers worldwide, and includes diverse forms of land management, mainly associated with different land tenure regimes; which in turn are segregated along environmental gradients (mostly rainfall). Yet, how these regimes impact the environment and how trade-offs between production and environmental outcomes varies remains poorly understood. Here, we assessed how biodiversity, biomass stocks, and agricultural production, measured in meat-equivalents, differ among land tenure regimes in the Dry Chaco. We calculated a land-use outcome index (LUO) that combines indices comparing actual vs. potential values of ‘preservation of biodiversity’ (PI), ‘standing biomass’ (BI) and ‘meat production’ (MI). We found land-use outcomes to vary substantially among land-tenure regimes. Protected areas showed a biodiversity index of 0.75, similar to that of large and medium-sized farms (0.72 in both farming systems), and higher than in the other tenure regimes. Biomass index was similar among land tenure regimes, whereas we found the highest median meat production index on indigenous lands (MI = 0.35). Land-use outcomes, however, varied more across different environmental conditions than across land tenure regimes. Our results suggest that in the Argentine Dry Chaco, there is no single land tenure regime that better minimizes the trade-offs between production and environmental outcomes. A useful approach to manage these trade-offs would be to develop geographically explicit guidelines for land-use zoning, identifying the land tenure regimes more appropriate for each zone.

  17. The Search for Lessons.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barreiro, Jose

    1992-01-01

    Contrasts the expropriation and misrepresentation of Indian beliefs by "New Age" gurus with the respectful application of indigenous values to environmental ethics. Discusses indigenous models of ecosystemic adaptation in North and South America, the convergence of conservation efforts and Indian land rights, and issues in Native…

  18. 76 FR 11427 - National Climate Assessment Development and Advisory Committee; Request for Nominations and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-02

    ..., including the natural environment, agriculture and forestry, energy, land cover and land use, water..., atmospheric science, land use and land cover change; assessment process experts, including people who are...; homeland security; environmental justice and cultural resources and indigenous perspectives. Persons with a...

  19. [Limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou].

    PubMed

    Lin, Wen-Jie; Xiao, Tang-Fu; Ao, Zi-Qiang; Xing, Jun; Ma, Huan-Cheng; Hu, Ting-Xing

    2007-03-01

    With indigenous zinc smelting waste residue, contaminated soil and background soil as test substrates, a pot experiment was conducted to study the growth characteristics of Lolium perenne and Trifolium pretense on these substrates. The results showed that the major limiting factors of waste land revegetation in indigenous zinc smelting areas of western Guizhou were the salt-alkali stress and the lower contents of organic matter, total N, available N and total K. The heavy metals in waste residue had a high concentration, but their available forms only occupied a small proportion, with low toxicity to plant but having potential harmful risk. Contaminated soil had lower concentrations of heavy metals than waste residue, but its contained heavy metals were more in available form. The constraints of revegetation on contaminated soil were the toxicity of heavy metals and the low contents of available P and K. Mixing contaminated soil with zinc smelting waste residue could be one of the effective approaches for the substrate amendment in indigenous zinc smelting areas.

  20. Indigenous Peoples' food systems, nutrition, and gender: Conceptual and methodological considerations.

    PubMed

    Lemke, Stefanie; Delormier, Treena

    2017-11-01

    Indigenous Peoples, especially women and children, are affected disproportionately by malnutrition and diet-related health problems. Addressing this requires an investigation of the structural conditions that underlie unequal access to resources and loss of traditional lifestyles and necessitates inclusive approaches that shed light onto these issues and provide strategies to leverage change. Indigenous Peoples' food systems are inextricably connected to land, which in turn is interwoven with issues of self-determination, livelihoods, health, cultural and spiritual heritage, and gender. Ongoing loss of land and the dominant agri-food model further threaten Indigenous Peoples' food systems. Continuing gender-based discrimination undermines the self-determination and rights of women and negatively impacts their health, nutritional status, and overall well-being, as well as the well-being of households and communities. We suggest that feminist political ecology and modern matriarchal studies provide holistic interlinking frameworks for investigating underlying issues of power and inequality. We further argue that a focus on the principles of respect, responsibility, and relationships, and an openness to different worldviews, can facilitate a bridging of Indigenous and Western approaches in research and community action conducted in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. This can contribute to creating new ways of knowing regarding Indigenous Peoples' food systems, equally valuing both knowledge systems. Indigenous Peoples' rights, right to food, and food sovereignty are frames that, despite some tensions, have the common goal of self-determination. Through their ability to inform, empower, and mobilize, they provide tools for social movements and communities to challenge existing structural inequalities and leverage social change. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Is Hunting Still Healthy? Understanding the Interrelationships between Indigenous Participation in Land-Based Practices and Human-Environmental Health

    PubMed Central

    King, Ursula; Furgal, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    Indigenous participation in land-based practices such as hunting, fishing, ceremony, and land care has a long history. In recent years, researchers and policy makers have advocated the benefits of these practices for both Indigenous people and the places they live. However, there have also been documented risks associated with participation in these activities. Environmental change brought about by shifts in land use, climate changes, and the accumulation of contaminants in the food chain sit alongside equally rapid shifts in social, economic and cultural circumstances, preferences and practices. To date, the literature has not offered a wide-ranging review of the available cross-disciplinary or cross-ecozone evidence for these intersecting benefits and risks, for both human and environmental health and wellbeing. By utilising hunting as a case study, this paper seeks to fill part of that gap through a transdisciplinary meta-analysis of the international literature exploring the ways in which Indigenous participation in land-based practices and human-environmental health have been studied, where the current gaps are, and how these findings could be used to inform research and policy. The result is an intriguing summary of disparate research that highlights the patchwork of contradictory understandings, and uneven regional emphasis, that have been documented. A new model was subsequently developed that facilitates a more in-depth consideration of these complex issues within local-global scale considerations. These findings challenge the bounded disciplinary and geographic spaces in which much of this work has occurred to date, and opens a dialogue to consider the importance of approaching these issues holistically. PMID:24879487

  2. Soil gross nitrogen transformations in responses to land use conversion in a subtropical karst region.

    PubMed

    Li, Dejun; Liu, Jing; Chen, Hao; Zheng, Liang; Wang, Kelin

    2018-04-15

    Gross nitrogen (N) transformations can provide important information for assessing indigenous soil N supply capacity and soil nitrate leaching potential. The current study aimed to assess the variation of gross N transformations in response to conversion of maize-soybean fields to sugarcane, mulberry, and forage grass fields in a subtropical karst region of southwest China. Mature forests were included for comparison. Gross rates of N mineralization (GNM) were highest in the forests, intermediate in the maize-soybean and forage grass fields, and lowest in the sugarcane and mulberry fields, suggesting capacity of indigenous soil N supply derived from organic N mineralization was lowered after conversion to sugarcane and mulberry fields. The relative high indigenous soil N supply capacity in the maize-soybean fields was obtained at the cost of soil organic N depletion. Gross nitrification (GN) rates were highest in the forests, intermediate in the forage grass fields and lowest in the other three agricultural land use types. The nitrate retention capacity (24.1 ± 2.0% on average) was similar among the five land use types, implying that nitrate leaching potential was not changed after land use conversion. Microbial biomass N exerted significant direct effects on the rates of N mineralization, nitrification, ammonium immobilization and nitrate immobilization. Soil organic carbon, total N and exchangeable magnesium had significant indirect effects on these N transformation rates. Our findings suggest that forage grass cultivation instead of other agricultural land uses should be recommended from the perspective of increasing indigenous soil N supply while not depleting soil organic N pool. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Using soundscapes to detect variable degrees of human influence on tropical forests in Papua New Guinea.

    PubMed

    Burivalova, Zuzana; Towsey, Michael; Boucher, Tim; Truskinger, Anthony; Apelis, Cosmas; Roe, Paul; Game, Edward T

    2018-02-01

    There is global concern about tropical forest degradation, in part, because of the associated loss of biodiversity. Communities and indigenous people play a fundamental role in tropical forest management and are often efficient at preventing forest degradation. However, monitoring changes in biodiversity due to degradation, especially at a scale appropriate to local tropical forest management, is plagued by difficulties, including the need for expert training, inconsistencies across observers, and lack of baseline or reference data. We used a new biodiversity remote-sensing technology, the recording of soundscapes, to test whether the acoustic saturation of a tropical forest in Papua New Guinea decreases as land-use intensity by the communities that manage the forest increases. We sampled soundscapes continuously for 24 hours at 34 sites in different land-use zones of 3 communities. Land-use zones where forest cover was fully retained had significantly higher soundscape saturation during peak acoustic activity times (i.e., dawn and dusk chorus) compared with land-use types with fragmented forest cover. We conclude that, in Papua New Guinea, the relatively simple measure of soundscape saturation may provide a cheap, objective, reproducible, and effective tool for monitoring tropical forest deviation from an intact state, particularly if it is used to detect the presence of intact dawn and dusk choruses. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  4. Historical Roots of the Spatial, Temporal, and Diversity Scales of Agricultural Decision-Making in Sierra de Santa Marta, Los Tuxtlas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Negrete-Yankelevich, Simoneta; Porter-Bolland, Luciana; Blanco-Rosas, José Luis; Barois, Isabelle

    2013-07-01

    Land degradation is a serious problem in tropical mountainous areas. Market prices, technological development, and population growth are often invoked as the prime causes. Using historical agrarian documents, literature sources, and historical population data, we (1) provide quantitative and qualitative evidence that the land degradation present at Sierra de Santa Marta (Los Tuxtlas, Mexico) has involved a historical reduction in the temporal, spatial, and diversity scales, in which individual farmers make management decisions, and has resulted in decreased maize productivity; and (2) analyze how these three scalar changes can be linked to policy, population growth, and agrarian history. We conclude that the historical reduction in the scales of land use decision-making and practices constitutes a present threat to indigenous agricultural heritage. The long-term viability of agriculture requires that initiatives consider incentives for co-responsibility with an initial focus on self-sufficiency.

  5. Historical roots of the spatial, temporal, and diversity scales of agricultural decision-making in sierra de santa marta, los tuxtlas.

    PubMed

    Negrete-Yankelevich, Simoneta; Porter-Bolland, Luciana; Blanco-Rosas, José Luis; Barois, Isabelle

    2013-07-01

    Land degradation is a serious problem in tropical mountainous areas. Market prices, technological development, and population growth are often invoked as the prime causes. Using historical agrarian documents, literature sources, and historical population data, we (1) provide quantitative and qualitative evidence that the land degradation present at Sierra de Santa Marta (Los Tuxtlas, Mexico) has involved a historical reduction in the temporal, spatial, and diversity scales, in which individual farmers make management decisions, and has resulted in decreased maize productivity; and (2) analyze how these three scalar changes can be linked to policy, population growth, and agrarian history. We conclude that the historical reduction in the scales of land use decision-making and practices constitutes a present threat to indigenous agricultural heritage. The long-term viability of agriculture requires that initiatives consider incentives for co-responsibility with an initial focus on self-sufficiency.

  6. 75 FR 66774 - National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Procedures

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-29

    ... to rehabilitate the indigenous Hawaiian population by providing them with access to farm and homestead land. Under section 204(3) of the HHCA, ch. 42, 42 Stat. 110 (1921), all available lands were to become Hawaiian home lands under control of the Commission, provided that ``such lands should assume the...

  7. Indigenous agroforestry in American Samoa

    Treesearch

    Malala (Mike) Misa; Agnes M. Vargo

    1993-01-01

    Agroforestry exists in American Samoa as a system where indigenous trees and natural vegetation used for food, fuelwood, crafts and medicine are incorporated with traditional staple crops and livestock on a set piece of land, usually a mountainous slope. Most agroforests are taro-based (Colocasia esculenta). While nutritional, cultural, social,...

  8. Pacific connections for health, ecosystems and society: new approaches to the land-water-health nexus.

    PubMed

    Parkes, Margot W

    2016-03-01

    Renewed effort to understand the social-ecological context of health is drawing attention to the dynamics of land and water resources and their combined influence on the determinants of health. A new area of research, education and policy is emerging that focuses on the land-water-health nexus: this orientation is applicable from small wetlands through to large-scale watersheds or river basins, and draws attention to the benefits of combined land and water governance, as well as the interrelated implications for health, ecological and societal concerns. Informed by research precedents, imperatives and collaborations emerging in Canada and parts of Oceania, this review profiles three integrative, applied approaches that are bringing attention to the importance the land-water-health nexus within the Pacific Basin: wetlands and watersheds as intersectoral settings to address land-water-health dynamics; tools to integrate health, ecological and societal dynamics at the land-water-health nexus; and indigenous leadership that is linking health and well-being with land and water governance. Emphasis is given to key characteristics of a new generation of inquiry and action at the land-water-health nexus, as well as capacity-building, practice and policy opportunities to address converging environmental, social and health objectives linked to the management and governance of land and water resources.

  9. 36 CFR 254.20 - Purpose and scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... lands in Federal ownership. Indigenous community objectives may include space for housing and for... application, set aside and designate for townsite purposes up to 640 acres of National Forest System lands..., Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. (b) National Forest System lands...

  10. Impacts of a Changing Climate and Land Use on Reindeer Pastoralism: Indigenous Knowledge and Remote Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maynard, N. G.; Oskal, A.; Turi, A.; Mathiesen, J. M.; Eira, S. D.; Yurchak, I. M. G.; Etylin, B.; Gebelein, J.

    2009-01-01

    The Arctic is home to many indigenous peoples, including those who depend on reindeer herding for their livelihood, in one of the harshest environments in the world. For the largely nomadic peoples, reindeer not only form a substantial part of the Arctic food base and economy, but they are also culturally important, shaping their way of life, mythologies, festivals and ceremonies. Reindeer pastoralism or husbandry has been practiced by numerous peoples all across Eurasia for thousands of years and involves moving herds of reindeer, which are very docile animals, from pasture to pasture depending on the season. Thus, herders must adapt on a daily basis to find optimal conditions for their herds according to the constantly changing conditions. Climate change and variability plus rapid development are increasingly creating major changes in the physical environment, ecology, and cultures of these indigenous reindeer herder communities in the North, and climate changes are occurring significantly faster in the Arctic than the rest of the globe, with correspondingly dramatic impacts (Oskal, 2008). In response to these changes, Eurasian reindeer herders have created the EALAT project, a comprehensive new initiative to study these impacts and to develop local adaptation strategies based upon their traditional knowledge of the land and its uses - in targeted partnership with the science and remote sensing community - involving extensive collaborations and coproduction of knowledge to minimize the impacts of the various changes. This chapter provides background on climate and development challenges to reindeer husbandry across the Arctic and an overview of the EALAT initiative, with an emphasis on indigenous knowledge, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other scientific data to 'co-produce' datasets for use by herders for improved decision-making and herd management. It also provides a description of the EALAT monitoring data integration and sharing system and portal being developed for reindeer pastoralism. In addition, the chapter provides some preliminary results from the EALAT Project, including some early remote sensing research results.

  11. Heralding the Other: Sousa, Simulacra, and Settler Colonialism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Matthew C.

    2016-01-01

    This paper addresses the role of music and music education in the perpetuation of settler colonialism (a particular colonial configuration predicated on the expulsion of indigenous people and occupation of indigenous land) within the United States. Using Baudrillard's notion of simulacra, or "false truths," to look at racialized…

  12. Mapping Process to Pattern in the Landscape Change of the Amazonian Frontier

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, Robert

    2003-01-01

    Changes in land use and land cover are dynamic processes reflecting a sequence of decisions made by individual land managers. In developing economies, these decisions may be embedded in the evolution of individual households, as is often the case in indigenous areas and agricultural frontiers. One goal of the present article is to address the land use and land-cover decisions of colonist farmers in the Amazon Basin as a function, in part, of household characteristics. Another goal is to generalize the issue of tropical deforestation into a broader discussion on forest dynamics. The extent of secondary forest in tropical areas has been well documented in South America and Africa. Agricultural-plot abandonment often occurs in tandem with primary forest clearance and as part of the same decision-making calculus. Consequently, tropical deforestation and forest succession are not independent processes in the landscape. This article presents a framework that integrates them into a model of forest dynamics at household level, and in so doing provides an account of the spatial pattern of deforestation that has been observed in the Amazon's colonization frontiers.

  13. Crash and rebound of indigenous populations in lowland South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, Marcus J.; Walker, Robert S.; Kesler, Dylan C.

    2014-04-01

    Lowland South America has long been a battle-ground between European colonization and indigenous survival. Initial waves of European colonization brought disease epidemics, slavery, and violence that had catastrophic impacts on indigenous cultures. In this paper we focus on the demography of 238 surviving populations in Brazil. We use longitudinal censuses from all known indigenous Brazilian societies to quantify three demographic metrics: 1) effects of European contact on indigenous populations; 2) empirical estimates of minimum viable population sizes; and 3) estimates of post-contact population growth rates. We use this information to conduct population viability analysis (PVA). Our results show that all surviving populations suffered extensive mortality during, and shortly after, contact. However, most surviving populations exhibit positive growth rates within the first decade post-contact. Our findings paint a positive demographic outlook for these indigenous populations, though long-term survival remains subject to powerful externalities, including politics, economics, and the pervasive illegal exploitation of indigenous lands.

  14. 36 CFR 254.23 - Studies, assessments, and approval.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the land will meet essential community needs resulting from internal growth; (2) Determine if lands applied for would serve indigenous community objectives that outweigh other public objectives and values... adjacent National Forest land and to protect or mitigate valid existing rights and uses. (b) Upon approval...

  15. Revitalization of the shared commons: education for sustainability and marginalized cultures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glasson, George E.

    2010-06-01

    Education for sustainability provides a vision for revitalizing the environmental commons while preserving cultural traditions and human rights. What happens if the environmental commons is shared by two politically disparate and conflicting cultures? As in many shared common lands, what happens if one culture is dominant and represents a more affluent society with more resources and educational opportunities? In the case of the Tal and Alkaher study (Cult Stud Sci Edu, 2009), asymmetric power differences between the dominant Israeli society and the minority Arab population yielded different environmental narratives and perceptions of students involved in learning about a mediated conflict in national park land. Similarly, marginalized indigenous cultures in Malawi, Africa share common lands with the dominant European landowners but have distinctly different environmental narratives. Although indigenous ways of living with nature contribute to the sustainability of the environment and culture, African funds of knowledge are conspicuously absent from the Eurocentric school science curriculum. In contrast, examples of experiential learning and recent curriculum development efforts in sustainability science in Malawi are inclusive of indigenous knowledge and practices and are essential for revitalizing the shared commons.

  16. 75 FR 6636 - Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-10

    ... government, permitting traditional indigenous fishing. For the Islands Unit of the Marianas Trench Marine... traditional indigenous fishing in the Islands Unit be managed as a sustainable activity. Proclamation 8335... traditional access by indigenous persons, as identified by the Secretaries in consultation with the...

  17. Misunderstanding the ``Nature'' of Co-Management: A Geography of Regulatory Science and Indigenous Knowledges (IK)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watson, Annette

    2013-11-01

    Governments, NGOs, and natural scientists have increased research and policy-making collaborations with Indigenous peoples for governing natural resources, including official co-management regimes. However, there is continuing dissatisfaction with such collaborations, and calls for better communication and mutual learning to create more “adaptive” co-management regimes. This, however, requires that both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems be equal participants in the “co-production” of regulatory data. In this article, I examine the power dynamics of one co-management regulatory regime, conducting a multi-sited ethnography of the practices of researching and managing one transnational migratory species, greater white-fronted geese ( Anser albifrons frontalis), who nest where Koyukon Athabascans in Alaska, USA, practice subsistence. Analyzing the ethnographic data through the literatures of critical geography, science studies and Indigenous Studies, I describe how the practice of researching for co-management can produce conflict. “Scaling” the data for the co-management regime can marginalize Indigenous understandings of human-environment relations. While Enlightenment-based practices in wildlife biology avoid “anthropomorphism,” Indigenous Studies describes identities that operate through non-modern, deeply imbricated human-nonhuman identities that do not separate “nature” and “society” in making knowledge. Thus, misunderstanding the “nature” of their collaborations causes biologists and managers to measure and research the system in ways that erase how subsistence-based Indigenous groups already “manage” wildlife: by living through their ethical commitments to their fellow beings. At the end of the article, I discuss how managers might learn from these ontological and epistemological differences to better “co-produce” data for co-management.

  18. Misunderstanding the ‘‘nature’’ of co-management: a geography of regulatory science and indigenous knowledges (IK).

    PubMed

    Watson, Annette

    2013-11-01

    Governments, NGOs, and natural scientists have increased research and policy-making collaborations with Indigenous peoples for governing natural resources, including official co-management regimes. However, there is continuing dissatisfaction with such collaborations, and calls for better communication and mutual learning to create more ‘‘adaptive’’ co-management regimes. This, however, requires that both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems be equal participants in the ‘‘co-production’’ of regulatory data. In this article, I examine the power dynamics of one co-management regulatory regime, conducting a multi-sited ethnography of the practices of researching and managing one transnational migratory species, greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons frontalis), who nest where Koyukon Athabascans in Alaska, USA, practice subsistence. Analyzing the ethnographic data through the literatures of critical geography, science studies and Indigenous Studies, I describe how the practice of researching for co-management can produce conflict. ‘‘Scaling’’ the data for the co-management regime can marginalize Indigenous understandings of human– environment relations. While Enlightenment-based practices in wildlife biology avoid ‘‘anthropomorphism,’’ Indigenous Studies describes identities that operate through non-modern, deeply imbricated human–nonhuman identities that do not separate ‘‘nature’’ and ‘‘society’’ in making knowledge. Thus, misunderstanding the ‘‘nature’’ of their collaborations causes biologists and managers to measure and research the system in ways that erase how subsistence- based Indigenous groups already ‘‘manage’’ wildlife: by living through their ethical commitments to their fellow beings. At the end of the article, I discuss how managers might learn from these ontological and epistemologicaldifferences to better ‘‘co-produce’’ data for co-management.

  19. Injury prevention in Australian Indigenous communities.

    PubMed

    Ivers, Rebecca; Clapham, Kathleen; Senserrick, Teresa; Lyford, Marilyn; Stevenson, Mark

    2008-12-01

    Injury prevention in Indigenous communities in Australia is a continuing national challenge, with Indigenous fatality rates due to injury three times higher than the general population. Suicide and transport are the leading causes of injury mortality, and assault, transport and falls the primary causes of injury morbidity. Addressing the complex range of injury problems in disadvantaged Indigenous communities requires considerable work in building or enhancing existing capacity of communities to address local safety issues. Poor data, lack of funding and absence of targeted programs are some of the issues that impede injury prevention activities. Traditional approaches to injury prevention can be used to highlight key areas of need, however adaptations are needed in keeping with Indigenous peoples' holistic approach to health, linked to land and linked to community in order to address the complex spiritual, emotional and social determinants of Indigenous injury.

  20. Ethics position towards the exploitation of manganese material in Oenbit Village, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fios, Frederikus

    2017-04-01

    Oenbit village is an area that is located in the district of Timor Tengah Utara (TTU), Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. In Oenbit ongoing a conflict between the economic interests of some parties namely the government, corporation and the local indigenous community. Government of Timor Tengah Utara give legal permission to the Elgari Resources Indonesia (ERI) Company to exploit the mining of Manganese in Oenbit Village which informally is the ancestral land of indigenous peoples Oenbit hereditary called pusuf kelef and Kot-tau niap-tau (king land). Oenbit society has an ethical belief that the ancestral land Oenbit should not be produced by outside parties besides the local community on the orders of the king. Manganese exploitation in Oenbit Village cause problems contradictorily interesting to reflect on the ethical-philosophical. This paper aims to reflect the ethical position against cases of exploitation of manganese in the Oenbit Village with focuses on the local government’s decision to issue a permit exploitation and ERI Company exploit Mangan assumed unethical traditional indigenous tribe Oenbit. The study found that the district government and ERI Company has violated the public ethics and society traditional law, especially the rights of local indigenous communities by exploiting manganese material. The method used is the reflection of philosophy with ethical approaches and relevant ethical theories.

  1. Local Knowledge About The Structure, Function And Conversion Of Landscape In The Karangwangi Village, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulfa Dwi Amelia, Fatiya; Iskandar, Johan

    2017-10-01

    Karangwangi people is one of indigenous people in West Java who has local knowledge about their nature thoroughly. They have local tradition about landscape ecosystem arrangement that based on sakral (sacred) norm. With this rule, local people will always try to preserve the sustainability of their natural environment. However, modernization, increasing population, decreasing forest, and increasing market economic penetration, causing this rule and structure of landscape in Karangwangi village has changed. Land conversion in Karangwangi was occur because of settlement and land investment by people outside the village. These behavior changes in tradition and landscape (structure, function and conversion) in Karangwangi may impact on their daily activities, and so do the changes in daily activities can change their behavior in tradition and landscape. This research was undertaken in the Village of Karangwangi, Sub-district of Cidaun, District of Cianjur, Province of West Java, Indonesia. This paper aims to identify how indigenous people in Karangwangi understand kinds of landscape and another conversion that was happen as a result of management. The method used in this paper is qualitative with ethno ecological approach. The resulted of the study show that local people in Karangwangi Village understand how chronological of landscape structure, function and conversion.

  2. Cattle and pastoralism: survival and production in arid lands

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Western, D.; Finch, V.

    1986-03-01

    Traditional subsistence pastoralists in East Africa tend to keep large herds, milk cattle in preference to eating them, and subject them to long foraging treks. Such practices are widely considered ill-suited to arid lands and are believed to arise because cattle are raised more for social prestige than food production. Whether this is true can only be judged by considering the responses of cattle to arid zones and, given the herder's goals and options, his management practices. In considering these factors, we show that indigenous East African cattle demonstrate energy-sparing capabilities during drought. Pastoralists can therefore herd cattle at greatmore » distances from water at little more cost than animals on the normal maintenance diet and watered more frequently. The physiological response of cattle to drought, the ecological constraints imposed by livestock and wildlife competition, and the energetic efficiency of mixed milk and meat pastoralism explain why herders traditionally select their characteristic management practices.« less

  3. Engaging indigenous and academic knowledge on bees in the Amazon: implications for environmental management and transdisciplinary research.

    PubMed

    Athayde, Simone; Stepp, John Richard; Ballester, Wemerson C

    2016-06-20

    This paper contributes to the development of theoretical and methodological approaches that aim to engage indigenous, technical and academic knowledge for environmental management. We present an exploratory analysis of a transdisciplinary project carried out to identify and contrast indigenous and academic perspectives on the relationship between the Africanized honey bee and stingless bee species in the Brazilian Amazon. The project was developed by practitioners and researchers of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA, a Brazilian NGO), responding to a concern raised by a funding agency, regarding the potential impact of apiculture development by indigenous peoples, on the diversity of stingless bee species in the Xingu Park, southern Brazilian Amazon. Research and educational activities were carried out among four indigenous peoples: Kawaiwete or Kaiabi, Yudja or Juruna, Kīsêdjê or Suyá and Ikpeng or Txicão. A constructivist qualitative approach was developed, which included academic literature review, conduction of semi-structured interviews with elders and leaders, community focus groups, field walks and workshops in schools in four villages. Semi-structured interviews and on-line surveys were carried out among academic experts and practitioners. We found that in both indigenous and scientific perspectives, diversity is a key aspect in keeping exotic and native species in balance and thus avoiding heightened competition and extinction. The Africanized honey bee was compared to the non-indigenous westerners who colonized the Americas, with whom indigenous peoples had to learn to coexist. We identify challenges and opportunities for engagement of indigenous and scientific knowledge for research and management of bee species in the Amazon. A combination of small-scale apiculture and meliponiculture is viewed as an approach that might help to maintain biological and cultural diversity in Amazonian landscapes. The articulation of knowledge from non-indigenous practitioners and researchers with that of indigenous peoples might inform sustainable management practices that are, at the same time, respectful of indigenous perspectives and intellectual property rights. However, there are ontological, epistemological, political and financial barriers and constraints that need to be addressed in transdisciplinary research projects inter-relating academic, technical and indigenous knowledge systems for environmental management.

  4. Witnessing Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug's Strength and Struggle: The Affective Education of Reconciliation in Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Korteweg, Lisa; Root, Emily

    2016-01-01

    Escalating environmental controversies are placing Indigenous peoples and First Nation communities at the front lines of protests, opposing unjust government policies and corporate actions. Yet, many environmental educators are not actively engaged or affectively learning about Indigenous Land struggles against Canada's colonial oppressions.…

  5. Nationalism and Media Coverage of Indigenous People's Collective Action in Canada

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkes, Rima; Corrigall-Brown, Catherine; Ricard, Danielle

    2010-01-01

    Over the past several decades indigenous people in Canada have mounted hundreds of collective action events such as marches, demonstrations, road blockades, and land occupations. What the general public knows about these events and their causes overwhelmingly comes from the mainstream mass media. For this reason, media coverage of these events…

  6. [Health and indigenous peoples in Brazil: notes on some current policy mistakes].

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Marina Denise

    2014-04-01

    This article aims to analyze health policies for indigenous peoples in Brazil with reference to the 1988 National Constitution and its consequences for their healthcare. Three components are central to this analysis: the management model, based on the concepts of "autonomy" and "social control", but essentially expressing the forms of indigenous representation and participation in public policies; the concept of "differential care" for establishing an inclusive (but operationally normative) healthcare model; and the relationship between the management model for indigenous healthcare and indigenous therapeutic practices.

  7. Local ecological knowledge concerning the invasion of Amerindian lands in the northern Brazilian Amazon by Acacia mangium (Willd.).

    PubMed

    Souza, Arlene Oliveira; Chaves, Maria do Perpétuo Socorro Rodrigues; Barbosa, Reinaldo Imbrozio; Clement, Charles Roland

    2018-05-03

    Invasive plants can impact biodiversity as well as the lives of native human populations. Natural ecosystems represent sources of natural resources essential for the subsistence and socio-cultural continuity of these social groups. Approximately 30,000 ha of Acacia mangium were planted for commercial purposes in savanna areas surrounding indigenous lands in Roraima State, Brazil, at the end of the 1990s. We examined the local ecological knowledge of indigenous Wapichana and Macuxi Amerindians, members of the Arawak and Carib linguistic families, respectively, concerning A. mangium Willdenow (Fabaceae) in a savanna ecosystem ("Lavrado") to attempt to understand its propagation beyond the limits of the commercial plantations and contribute to mitigating its impacts on socio-ecological systems. The present study was undertaken in the Moskow, São Domingos, and Malacacheta communities in the Moskow and Malacacheta Indigenous Lands (ILs) in the Serra da Lua region of Roraima State, in the northern Brazilian Amazon region. Interviews were conducted with a total of 94 indigenous individuals of both sexes, with ages between 18 and 76, and low levels of formal schooling, with an average time of permanence in the area of 21 years; some still spoke only their native languages. The interviews focused on their ecological knowledge of the invasive, non-native A. mangium and their uses of it. The informants affirmed that A. mangium negatively impacted the local fauna and flora, making their subsistence more difficult and altering their daily routines. Among the problems cited were alterations of water quality (71.3%), negative impacts on crops (60.6%), negative impacts on the equilibrium of the local fauna (52.1%), increased farm labor requirements (41.5%), and restriction of access to indigenous lands (23.4%). There were no significant differences between the opinions of men and women, nor between community leaders and nonleaders. Most of the interviewees (89%) felt that A. mangium had no positive importance for the local economy and saw no future prospects of beneficial use. The Wapichana and Macuxi informants felt that the invasion by A. mangium had caused negative effects on the natural environment and on community subsistence in the indigenous lands due to its rapid and unwanted propagation. The similarity between the opinions of men and women and between community leaders and nonleaders demonstrates the existence of knowledge that is well distributed among these communities and transmitted within their communities through social-cultural interactions.

  8. Ethical genetic research in Indigenous communities: challenges and successful approaches.

    PubMed

    McWhirter, Rebekah E; Mununggirritj, Djapirri; Marika, Dipililnga; Dickinson, Joanne L; Condon, John R

    2012-12-01

    Indigenous populations, in common with all populations, stand to benefit from the potential of genetic research to lead to improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic tools for a wide range of complex diseases. However, many Indigenous communities, especially ones that are isolated, are not included in genetic research efforts. This situation is largely a consequence of the challenges of ethically conducting genetic research in Indigenous communities and compounded by Indigenous peoples' negative past experiences with genetic issues. To examine ways of addressing these challenges, we review one investigation of a cancer cluster in remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land, Australia. Our experiences demonstrate that genetic research can be both ethically and successfully conducted with Indigenous communities by respecting the authority of the community, involving community members, and including regular community review throughout the research process. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Burning, fire prevention and landscape productions among the Pemon, Gran Sabana, Venezuela: toward an intercultural approach to wildland fire management in Neotropical Savannas.

    PubMed

    Sletto, Bjørn; Rodriguez, Iokiñe

    2013-01-30

    Wildland fire management in savanna landscapes increasingly incorporates indigenous knowledge to pursue strategies of controlled, prescriptive burning to control fuel loads. However, such participatory approaches are fraught with challenges because of contrasting views on the role of fire and the practices of prescribed burning between indigenous and state fire managers. Also, indigenous and state systems of knowledge and meanings associated with fire are not monolithic but instead characterized by conflicts and inconsistencies, which require new, communicative strategies in order to develop successful, intercultural approaches to fire management. This paper is based on long-term research on indigenous Pemon social constructs, rules and regulations regarding fire use, and traditional system of prescribed burning in the Gran Sabana, Venezuela. The authors review factors that act as constraints against successful intercultural fire management in the Gran Sabana, including conflicting perspectives on fire use within state agencies and in indigenous communities, and propose strategies for research and communicative planning to guide future efforts for more participatory and effective fire management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Co-management as a Catalyst: Pathways to Post-colonial Forestry in the Klamath Basin, California.

    PubMed

    Diver, Sibyl

    2016-01-01

    Co-management frameworks are intended to facilitate sustainable resource management and more equitable power sharing between state agencies and Indigenous communities. However, there is significant debate about who benefits from co-management in practice. This article addresses two competing perspectives in the literature, which alternately portrays co-management as an instrument for co-optation or for transformation. Through a case study of co-management negotiations involving the Karuk Tribe and the U.S. Forest Service in the Klamath Basin of Northern California, this study examines how Indigenous communities use co-management to build greater equity in environmental decision-making, despite its limitations. The concept of pivot points is developed to describe how Indigenous communities like the Karuk Tribe are simultaneously following existing state policies and subverting them to shift federal forest management. The pivot point analytic demonstrates one mechanism by which communities are addressing Indigenous self-determination goals and colonial legacies through environmental policy and management.

  11. Indigenous Language Learning and Maintenance among Young Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verdon, Sarah; McLeod, Sharynne

    2015-01-01

    Internationally, cultural renewal and language revitalisation are occurring among Indigenous people whose lands were colonised by foreign nations. In Australia, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are striving for the re-voicing of their mother tongue and the re-practicing of their mother culture to achieve cultural renewal in the…

  12. Reflections on Outdoor Education and English "Indigenous Organic Fascism" in the 1930s

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutting, Roger

    2016-01-01

    The 1930s in England saw the emergence of what has been called an "Indigenous Organic Fascism". This ideology was based on deeply articulated concerns for both the natural environment and a perceived threat to a cultural and spiritual connection to the land. This article reviews these perspectives and explores the ideas of English…

  13. The Imperative for Research to Promote Health Equity in Indigenous Communities.

    PubMed

    Stanley, Linda R; Swaim, Randall C; Kaholokula, Joseph Keawe'aimoku; Kelly, Kathleen J; Belcourt, Annie; Allen, James

    2017-11-06

    Health disparities exact a devastating toll upon Indigenous people in the USA. However, there has been scant research investment to develop strategies to address these inequities in Indigenous health. We present a case for increased health promotion, prevention, and treatment research with Indigenous populations, providing context to the recent NIH investment in the Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (IRINAH) network. We discuss the disproportionate costs and consequences of disparities borne by Indigenous groups, the limited evidence base on effective intervention for this population, how population uniqueness often makes transfer of existing intervention models difficult, and additional challenges in creating interventions for Indigenous settings. Given the history of colonial disruption that has included genocide, forced removal from lands, damaging federal, state and local policies and practices, environmental contamination, and most recently, climate change, we conclude research that moves beyond minor transformations of existing majority population focused interventions, but instead truly respects Indigenous wisdom, knowledge, traditions, and aspirations is needed, and that investment in intervention science to address Indigenous health disparities represent a moral imperative.

  14. Exploring indigenous landscape classification across different dimensions: a case study from the Bolivian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Riu-Bosoms, Carles; Vidal-Amat, Teresa; Duane, Andrea; Fernandez-Llamazares, Alvaro; Guèze, Maximilien; Luz, Ana C; Macía, Manuel J; Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime; Reyes-García, Victoria

    Decisions on landscape management are often dictated by government officials based on their own understandings of how landscape should be used and managed, but rarely considering local peoples' understandings of the landscape they inhabit. We use data collected through free listings, field transects, and interviews to describe how an Amazonian group of hunter-horticulturalists, the Tsimane', classify and perceive the importance of different elements of the landscape across the ecological, socioeconomic, and spiritual dimensions. The Tsimane' recognize nine folk ecotopes (i.e., culturally-recognized landscape units) and use a variety of criteria (including geomorphological features and landscape uses) to differentiate ecotopes from one another. The Tsimane' rank different folk ecotopes in accordance with their perceived ecological, socioeconomic, and spiritual importance. Understanding how local people perceive their landscape contributes towards a landscape management planning paradigm that acknowledges the continuing contributions to management of landscape inhabitants, as well as their cultural and land use rights.

  15. Historical Trauma, Substance Use, and Indigenous Peoples: Seven Generations of Harm From a "Big Event".

    PubMed

    Nutton, Jennifer; Fast, Elizabeth

    2015-01-01

    Indigenous peoples the world over have and continue to experience the devastating effects of colonialism including loss of life, land, language, culture, and identity. Indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately across many health risk factors including an increased risk of substance use. We use the term "Big Event" to describe the historical trauma attributed to colonial policies as a potential pathway to explain the disparity in rates of substance use among many Indigenous populations. We present "Big Solutions" that have the potential to buffer the negative effects of the Big Event, including: (1) decolonizing strategies, (2) identity development, and (3) culturally adapted interventions. Study limitations are noted and future needed research is suggested.

  16. Effects of roads on the vertebrates diversity of the Indigenous Territory Paresi and its surrounding.

    PubMed

    Brum, T R; Santos-Filho, M; Canale, G R; Ignácio, A R A

    2018-02-01

    Roadkill impact is still underestimated due to the lack of knowledge of its intensity and effect on animal populations. To assess differences between animal roadkills on roads in distinct landscapes, this study recorded meso- and megavertebrate roadkills along 50 km during a year in two highways in the transitional area of Amazonia/Cerrado in Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso: MT-358 and MT-235, the latter crossing the Paresi Indigenous Land. We assessed roadkill rates and points with higher rates of roadkills, recording the most impacted species, seasonal effects, biomass loss, activity period of species, and traffic volume. We recorded 178 roadkills in 4,950 km travelled, a rate of 0.035 animal/km-travelled. Mammals were the most impacted with 135 roadkills (75.8%), followed by reptiles (6.2%), amphibians (5.6%) and birds (5.1%). Among mammals 51.1% were Carnivora, and the most impacted species was Cerdocyon thous (n = 42). On highway MT-358 (human-modified landscape), we recorded 155 roadkilled mammals, and the most impacted were C. thous (23.9%) and Euphractus sexcinctus (13.5%). Whilst on highway MT-235 (Paresi Indigenous Land), we recorded 23 roadkilled mammals, and the most impacted were Myrmecophaga tridactyla (26.1%) and C. thous (21.7%). The low roadkill rate in the Paresi Indigenous Land might be related to the presence of fauna pathways along the highway and the availability of a forested landscape.

  17. Using Modern Technologies to Capture and Share Indigenous Astronomical Knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakata, Martin; Hamacher, Duane W.; Warren, John; Byrne, Alex; Pagnucco, Maurice; Harley, Ross; Venugopal, Srikumar; Thorpe, Kirsten; Neville, Richard; Bolt, Reuben

    2014-06-01

    Indigenous Knowledge is important for Indigenous communities across the globe and for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, including seasonal calendars, navigation, food economics, law, ceremony, and social structure. Capturing, managing, and disseminating this knowledge in the digital environment poses a number of challenges, which we aim to address using a collaborative project emerging between experts in the higher education, library, archive and industry sectors. Using Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope and Rich Interactive Narratives technologies, we propose to develop software, media design, and archival management solutions to allow Indigenous communities to share their astronomical knowledge with the world on their terms and in a culturally sensitive manner.

  18. Policies on and Practices of Cultural Inclusivity in Learning Management Systems: Perspectives of Indigenous Holistic Pedagogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dreamson, Neal; Thomas, Gary; Lee Hong, Anita; Kim, Soyoung

    2017-01-01

    Online learning has become a conventional term and practice in Australian higher education, yet cultural inclusivity for Indigenous (Indigenous for the purposes of this paper refers to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) students is insufficiently reflected in learning management system (LMS) policies and design. This study…

  19. Impact of Lowland Rainforest Transformation on Diversity and Composition of Soil Prokaryotic Communities in Sumatra (Indonesia)

    PubMed Central

    Schneider, Dominik; Engelhaupt, Martin; Allen, Kara; Kurniawan, Syahrul; Krashevska, Valentyna; Heinemann, Melanie; Nacke, Heiko; Wijayanti, Marini; Meryandini, Anja; Corre, Marife D.; Scheu, Stefan; Daniel, Rolf

    2015-01-01

    Prokaryotes are the most abundant and diverse group of microorganisms in soil and mediate virtually all biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems. Thereby, they influence aboveground plant productivity and diversity. In this study, the impact of rainforest transformation to intensively managed cash crop systems on soil prokaryotic communities was investigated. The studied managed land use systems comprised rubber agroforests (jungle rubber), rubber plantations and oil palm plantations within two Indonesian landscapes Bukit Duabelas and Harapan. Soil prokaryotic community composition and diversity were assessed by pyrotag sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes. The curated dataset contained 16,413 bacterial and 1679 archaeal operational taxonomic units at species level (97% genetic identity). Analysis revealed changes in indigenous taxon-specific patterns of soil prokaryotic communities accompanying lowland rainforest transformation to jungle rubber, and intensively managed rubber and oil palm plantations. Distinct clustering of the rainforest soil communities indicated that these are different from the communities in the studied managed land use systems. The predominant bacterial taxa in all investigated soils were Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. Overall, the bacterial community shifted from proteobacterial groups in rainforest soils to Acidobacteria in managed soils. The archaeal soil communities were mainly represented by Thaumarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Members of the Terrestrial Group and South African Gold Mine Group 1 (Thaumarchaeota) dominated in the rainforest and members of Thermoplasmata in the managed land use systems. The alpha and beta diversity of the soil prokaryotic communities was higher in managed land use systems than in rainforest. In the case of bacteria, this was related to soil characteristics such as pH value, exchangeable Ca and Fe content, C to N ratio, and extractable P content. Archaeal community composition and diversity were correlated to pH value, exchangeable Fe content, water content, and total N. The distribution of bacterial and archaeal taxa involved in biological N cycle indicated functional shifts of the cycle during conversion of rainforest to plantations. PMID:26696965

  20. Menominee and Maya: Indigenous Cultures and their Forests Inspire and Support Each Other

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benton, Sherrole

    2005-01-01

    Historically, indigenous people lived in a sustainable economy, making a living from the land in a way that did not destroy the ecosystem. Today, the market economy is driven by the demands of consumers, and supplying their demands is taking a toll on the environment. This article discusses the Menominee tribe in northeastern Wisconsin, and the…

  1. Explorative study on management model of tourism business zone at Kuta, Bali

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Astawa, I. K.; Suardani, A. A. P.; Harmini, A. A. A. N.

    2018-01-01

    Business activities through asset management of indigenous village of Kuta provide an opportunity for the community to participate in improving their welfare. This study aims to analyze the management model of Kuta’s tourism business zone, the involvement of stakeholders in the management of Kuta’s tourism business zone in indigenous village of Kuta and the implications of each business tourism zone in indigenous village of Kuta in the level of community welfare in each zone. Data collection was done by observation, interview, questionnaire, and documentation. The main instrument of this study is the researchers themselves assisted with interview guideline. The results showed that the management model has been arranged in 5 tourism business zones in indigenous village of Kuta. The involvement of all stakeholders in the management of the tourism business zone follows the procedure of execution of duties and provides security, comfort and certainty of doing business activities at each zone. The implications of the tourism business in the level of community welfare in each zone in indigenous village of Kuta have been able to bring happiness in business and all community are satisfied with the income they earned from work in each business zone.

  2. Dry land tree management for improved household livelihoods: farmer managed natural regeneration in Niger.

    PubMed

    Haglund, Eric; Ndjeunga, Jupiter; Snook, Laura; Pasternak, Dov

    2011-07-01

    Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), a set of practices farmers use to foster the growth of indigenous trees on agricultural land, has drawn substantial attention as a contributing factor to a trend of increasing vegetation greenness in the Republic of Niger. This paper identifies drivers of FMNR adoption and assesses its impacts on rural households in the Region of Maradi, Niger, an area covering 42,000 square kilometers. The results show that 26% of households practice a form of FMNR involving both pruning and protecting woody vegetation. Adoption is strongly linked to soil type, market access, and the education level of the head of household. FMNR raises household income and increases crop diversity, household migration rates, and the density and diversity of trees on farmland. It is estimated that FMNR raises the annual gross income of the region by between 17 and 21 million USD and has contributed an additional 900,000 to 1,000,000 trees to the local environment. These findings support the value of continued promotion of FMNR as an inexpensive means of enhancing rural livelihoods and an attractive alternative to reforestation efforts relying on tree planting. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Manifesting Destiny: A Land Education Analysis of Settler Colonialism in Jamestown, Virginia, USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoy, Kate

    2014-01-01

    Globally, colonization has been and continues to be enacted in the take-over of Indigenous land and the subsequent conversion of agriculture from diverse food and useful crops to large-scale monoculture and cash crops. This article uses a land education analysis to map the rise of the ideology and practices of Manifest Destiny in Virginia.…

  4. Social interactions and resource ownership in two private protected areas of Paraguay.

    PubMed

    Quintana, Jesus; Morse, Stephen

    2005-10-01

    This paper describes the results of field research to dissect how social interactions differ between two reserves in Paraguay having very different styles of governance. The two reserves were Mbaracayú Natural Forest Reserve (Reserva Natural del Bosque de Mbaracayú, RNBM) and San Rafael Managed Resource Reserve (Reserva de Recursos Manejados San Rafael, RRMSR). RNBM is a private reserve owned by a non-governmental organisation, while RRMSR is a publicly-managed reserve, albeit with a substantial degree of private land ownership. Both reserves are intended to protect Atlantic Forest, one of the five world biodiversity 'hotspots', and also one of the most highly threatened. Each reserve and its buffer zone comprises a set of stakeholders, including indigenous communities and farmers, and the paper explores the interactions between these and the management regime. Indeed, while the management regimes of the two reserves are different, one being highly top-down (RNBM) and the other more socially inclusive (RRMSR), the issues that they have to deal with are much the same. However, while both management regimes will readily acknowledge the need to address poverty, inequality appears to be a far more sensitive issue. Whereas this may be expected for the privately-owned RNBM it is perhaps more surprising in RRMSR even when allowing for the fact that much of the land in the latter is in private hands. It is argued that the origins of this sensitivity rest within the broader features of Paraguayan society, and the prevalence of private land ownership. Yet ironically, it is the inequality in land ownership that is perhaps the most significant threat to conservation in both reserves. Therefore, while reserve-level analyses can provide some insight into the driving forces at play in the interaction between conservation and sustainable management, larger scales may be necessary to gain a fuller appreciation of the dynamics operating at site level. Even in a society with a history of centralised control these dynamics may be surprising.

  5. Las bases y fundamentos del derecho indigena del pueblo maya de Guatemala (The Foundations and Principles of Indigenous Rights of the Maya People of Guatemala).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tovar, Marcela; Chavajay, Miriam

    2000-01-01

    The Guatemalan peace accord recognizes the institutions and local authorities of indigenous peoples, as well as their customs, common lands, and the "customary right" (common law) that structures intracommunity relations. However, it is difficult to define "customary right" and its applications and limits. A systematic study of…

  6. Here We Are on Turtle Island: Indigenous Young Adults Navigating Places, Spaces and Terrain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Audrey

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, I aim to investigate the migration of Indigenous youth from the reserve to the urban environment. I will investigate the implications of an arts-based programme for youth and how they utilized my programme as a resource for learning. The goals of this paper are to provide a nuance thinking of and theorizing land as related to…

  7. Titling indigenous communities protects forests in the Peruvian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Blackman, Allen; Corral, Leonardo; Lima, Eirivelthon Santos; Asner, Gregory P

    2017-04-18

    Developing countries are increasingly decentralizing forest governance by granting indigenous groups and other local communities formal legal title to land. However, the effects of titling on forest cover are unclear. Rigorous analyses of titling campaigns are rare, and related theoretical and empirical research suggests that they could either stem or spur forest damage. We analyze such a campaign in the Peruvian Amazon, where more than 1,200 indigenous communities comprising some 11 million ha have been titled since the mid-1970s. We use community-level longitudinal data derived from high-resolution satellite images to estimate the effect of titling between 2002 and 2005 on contemporaneous forest clearing and disturbance. Our results indicate that titling reduces clearing by more than three-quarters and forest disturbance by roughly two-thirds in a 2-y window spanning the year title is awarded and the year afterward. These results suggest that awarding formal land titles to local communities can advance forest conservation.

  8. Titling indigenous communities protects forests in the Peruvian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    Blackman, Allen; Corral, Leonardo; Lima, Eirivelthon Santos; Asner, Gregory P.

    2017-01-01

    Developing countries are increasingly decentralizing forest governance by granting indigenous groups and other local communities formal legal title to land. However, the effects of titling on forest cover are unclear. Rigorous analyses of titling campaigns are rare, and related theoretical and empirical research suggests that they could either stem or spur forest damage. We analyze such a campaign in the Peruvian Amazon, where more than 1,200 indigenous communities comprising some 11 million ha have been titled since the mid-1970s. We use community-level longitudinal data derived from high-resolution satellite images to estimate the effect of titling between 2002 and 2005 on contemporaneous forest clearing and disturbance. Our results indicate that titling reduces clearing by more than three-quarters and forest disturbance by roughly two-thirds in a 2-y window spanning the year title is awarded and the year afterward. These results suggest that awarding formal land titles to local communities can advance forest conservation. PMID:28373565

  9. Global herbal medicine: a critique.

    PubMed

    Jagtenberg, Tom; Evans, Sue

    2003-04-01

    Herbal medicine finds itself at a crossroads. If it continues to become mainstreamed in a commodity-driven health industry, its focus will change from craft-based tradition to globalized industry. On the other hand, if the fundamental importance of tradition to indigenous and nonindigenous medicine is respected, ecologic and cultural issues arise. Central here are the issues associated with control of both land and culture. Many indigenous cultures and their local ecologies are currently threatened by globalization. Historically, successful large corporations have neither respected the environment nor easily acknowledged indigenous claims to land and intellectual property, so no easy resolution of these conflicts seems likely. Our case study of Mapuche medicine allows us to explore the social and cultural conflicts that many practising herbalists experience. We argue that because of the basic contradictions involved, the protection of cultures and ecologies that underpin the discipline must be made a clear priority. We argue that local cultural traditions are clearly at odds with a globalizing herbal industry.

  10. Lacandon Maya ecosystem management: sustainable design for subsistence and environmental restoration.

    PubMed

    Diemont, Stewart A W; Martin, Jay F

    2009-01-01

    Indigenous groups have designed and managed their ecosystems for generations, resulting in biodiversity protection while producing for their family's needs. Here we describe the agroecosystem of the Lacandon Maya, an indigenous group who live in Chiapas, Mexico. The Lacandon practice a form of swidden agriculture that conserves the surrounding rain forest ecosystem while cycling the majority of their land through five successional stages. These stages include an herbaceous stage, two shrub stages, and two forest stages. A portion of their land is kept in primary forest. This study presents the Lacandon traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) for agroforestry and quantitatively describes the plant community and the associated soil ecology of each successional stage. Also documented is the knowledge of the Lacandon regarding the immediate use of plant species and plant species useful for soil fertility enhancement. Woody plant diversity increases during the successional stages of the Lacandon system, and by the beginning of the first forest stage, the diversity is similar to that of the primary forest. In all stages, Lacandon use 60% of the available plant species for food, medicine, and raw materials. Approximately 45% of the woody plant species present in each fallow stage were thought by the Lacandon to enhance soil fertility. Total soil nitrogen and soil organic matter increased with successional stage and with time from intentional burn. Nutrient and soil nematode dynamics in shrub stages related to the presence of introduced and managed plants, indicating engineered soil enhancement by the Lacandon. The effects on biodiversity and soil ecology coupled with productivity for agricultural subsistence indicate that Lacandon TEK may offer tools for environmental conservation that would provide for a family's basic needs while maintaining a biodiverse rain forest ecosystem. Tools such as these may offer options for regional restoration and conservation efforts such as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Mexico and Central America, where attainment of environmental goals must include methods to provide resources to local inhabitants.

  11. 76 FR 68623 - National Native American Heritage Month, 2011

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-04

    ... rural America. This comes in conjunction with several settlements that will put more land into the hands... tribal lands. First Lady Michelle Obama's recently launched Let's Move! in Indian Country initiative will... Indigenous Peoples. Through a comprehensive strategy where the Federal Government and tribal nations move...

  12. Colorectal cancer among Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Queensland, Australia: Toward survival equality.

    PubMed

    Moore, Suzanne P; Green, Adèle C; Bray, Freddie; Coory, Michael; Garvey, Gail; Sabesan, Sabe; Valery, Patricia C

    2016-06-01

    While Indigenous people in Queensland have lower colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality than the rest of the population, CRC remains the third most frequent cancer among Australian Indigenous people overall. This study aimed to investigate patterns of care and survival between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with CRC. Through a matched-cohort design we compared 80 Indigenous and 85 non-Indigenous people all diagnosed with CRC and treated in Queensland public hospitals during 1998-2004 (frequency matched on age, sex, geographical remoteness). We compared clinical and treatment data (Pearson's chi-square) and all-cause and cancer survival (Cox regression analysis). Indigenous patients with CRC were not significantly more likely to have comorbidity, advanced disease at diagnosis or less treatment than non-Indigenous people. There was also no statistically significant difference in all-cause survival (HR 1.14, 95% CI 0.69, 1.89) or cancer survival (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.60, 1.69) between the two groups. Similar CRC mortality among Indigenous and other Australians may reflect both the lower incidence and adequate management. Increasing life expectancy and exposures to risk factors suggests that Indigenous people are vulnerable to a growing burden of CRC. Primary prevention and early detection will be of paramount importance to future CRC control among Indigenous Australians. Current CRC management must be maintained and include prevention measures to ensure that predicted increases in CRC burden are minimized. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  13. 77 FR 66527 - National Native American Heritage Month, 2012

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-06

    ... Proclamation As the first people to live on the land we all cherish, American Indians and Alaska Natives have..., which will enhance tribal control over the leasing of Indian lands. Last December, I signed an Executive... the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Many longstanding Native American...

  14. 75 FR 76611 - 50th Anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-09

    ... of the United States of America A Proclamation Our public lands represent the American spirit and... the resources of the Refuge sustain these populations and protect their indigenous traditions and way... these wild lands. Our Nation's great outdoors, whether our stunning national parks and refuges or...

  15. North America [Chapter 5

    Treesearch

    Ronald L. Trosper; Fred Clark; Patrica Gerez-Fernandez; Frank Lake; Deborah McGregor; Charles M. Peters; Silvia Purata; Teresa Ryan; Alan Thomson; Alan E. Watson; Stephen Wyatt

    2012-01-01

    The colonial history of North America presents a contrast between Mexico and the two predominantly English-speaking countries, the United States and Canada. In Mexico, indigenous and other local communities own considerable forested lands, a consequence of the Mexican Revolution of the early twentieth century. In the United States, forest land is now primarily in...

  16. Surprise and Awe: Learning from Indigenous Managers and Implications for Management Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwabenland, Christina

    2011-01-01

    This article describes a self-reflexive exploration of five instances of encounters with indigenous managers that challenged my preconceptions about management. My focus is on the praxis of the moments in which these challenges occurred. I analyze these experiences to answer four questions: How did learning occur? What was that learning? How did…

  17. Changing patterns in deforestation avoidance by different protection types in the Brazilian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Jusys, Tomas

    2018-01-01

    This study quantifies how much deforestation was avoided due to legal protection in Legal Amazon in strictly protected areas, sustainable use areas, and indigenous lands. Only regions that are protected de jure (i.e., where deforestation is avoided due to effective laws rather than remoteness) were considered, so that the potential of legal protection could be better assessed. This is a cross-sectional approach, which allows comparisons in terms of avoided deforestation among the different types of protection in the same period. This study covers three different periods. Regions protected de jure were sampled by estimating a threshold distance at which deforestation starts to diminish and retaining all pixels up to that distance, and deforestation that has been avoided due to legal protection was estimated by matching. Indigenous lands avoided the highest percentage of deforestation during the 2001-2004 and 2005-2008 periods, followed by those under strict protection and sustainable use areas, in respective order. Shifting patterns in deforestation avoidance are clearly noticeable for the 2009-2014 period when 1) strictly protected areas outperformed indigenous lands in terms of the percentage of saved forests, 2) some protected regions began to attract deforestation instead of avoiding it, and 3) sustainable use areas, on average, did not avoid deforestation.

  18. Changing patterns in deforestation avoidance by different protection types in the Brazilian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    This study quantifies how much deforestation was avoided due to legal protection in Legal Amazon in strictly protected areas, sustainable use areas, and indigenous lands. Only regions that are protected de jure (i.e., where deforestation is avoided due to effective laws rather than remoteness) were considered, so that the potential of legal protection could be better assessed. This is a cross-sectional approach, which allows comparisons in terms of avoided deforestation among the different types of protection in the same period. This study covers three different periods. Regions protected de jure were sampled by estimating a threshold distance at which deforestation starts to diminish and retaining all pixels up to that distance, and deforestation that has been avoided due to legal protection was estimated by matching. Indigenous lands avoided the highest percentage of deforestation during the 2001–2004 and 2005–2008 periods, followed by those under strict protection and sustainable use areas, in respective order. Shifting patterns in deforestation avoidance are clearly noticeable for the 2009–2014 period when 1) strictly protected areas outperformed indigenous lands in terms of the percentage of saved forests, 2) some protected regions began to attract deforestation instead of avoiding it, and 3) sustainable use areas, on average, did not avoid deforestation. PMID:29689071

  19. Mitigating Climate Change in the Arid Lands of Namibia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Martin B.; Sorensen, Marten

    2014-05-01

    Mitigating Climate Change in the Arid Lands of Namibia Namibia is the most arid country south of the Sahara, with scarce rainfall and perennial rivers only at its borders, > 80% of the area relies solely on groundwater. This has had devastating economic effects limiting opportunities for sustainable rural livelihoods that keep the population majority living below the World Bank poverty line (IFAD, 2013). A primary example of climatic variability which affects agrarian productivity is increased bush encroachment of Namibia's arid grazing land. The result has been a severe biodiversity loss, increased desertification and diminished water-use efficiency and underground water tables. Given these factors, Namibia's arid lands provide a unique opportunity to assess and test innovative / appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Working toward sustainable management, restoration, and maintenance of balanced, resilient arid ecosystems in Namibia will also be a means to support and expand economic sectors incl. opportunities for job creation and potentially provide a model for similar arid regions. Main vegetation zones are: desert (46%), savannah (37%), and dry woodlands and forests (17%), i.e. < 2% is arable. Also, government protected areas cover 13.8% of the land surface. Current climate models suggest that Namibia faces serious risks, e.g. increased temperatures, hyper-arid conditions, and more frequent and extreme weather events (Pamaccafrica, 2013). The Namibian government, civil society organizations, and the scientific community attempt to address these risks and a certain level of institutional and human capacities are already in place. However, overall climate variability appears significantly higher than current plans and policies take into account. To improve livelihoods, reduce poverty, and food insecurity for rural Namibians in marginal/hyper-arid lands through sustainable climate change adaptation these objectives will be implemented: 1. Identify, assess and evaluate indigenous management strategies currently used by rural communities. 2. Capture and assess cultural and gender dimensions of management strategies within stakeholder groups using participatory approaches. 3. Determine science-based alternatives for adaptive land management strategies and test their acceptability to local communities and within the current policy framework. 4. Integrate identified indigenous knowledge with appropriate science and new emerging technologies to develop a training toolkit of effective strategies relevant to all stakeholders. 5. Utilize training sessions, education workshops, curriculum revisions, and appropriate information and communication technologies (ICTs) including social media outlets to disseminate the toolkit strategies. 6. Apply a modified logic model approach within a value chain analysis process to evaluate program effectiveness and impacts at both formative and summative levels. 7. Disseminate lessons learned, and results achieved to the international community through all recognized knowledge sharing outlets. Goal and objectives - accomplished by implementation of a variety of integrated action steps each linked to specific performance impact measures that assess short, medium, and long-term impacts (modified logic model). Impact measures to be monitored using formative and summative techniques within a value chain analysis process. Improved teaching and training practices, research outputs and incorporation of value chain approaches will be tracked to capture trend data in these areas. New means of ongoing and interactive communication to be established with local communities incl. use of modern media. Management strategies need to include: 1) reduced bush encroachment and biomass conversion into electricity; 2) managing costs of water catchments; 3) improving rangeland management efficiencies; 4) improved provisions of water to off-farm economic needs; 5) contribute to provision of energy supply; 6) restore and protect biodiversity and; 7) providing employment. IFAD (2013) Rural poverty Portal - Rural poverty in Namibia [http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/namibia#] Pamaccafrica (2013) Namibia commits to fight desertification [http://pamaccafrica.blogspot.dk/2013/06/namibia-commits-to-fight-desertification.html

  20. Strategies for Improving Indigenous Financial Literacy in Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bin-Sallik, MaryAnn; Adams, Isabella; Vemuri, Siva Ram

    2004-01-01

    The Indigenous Australian population is not only considerably younger than the non-Indigenous population but is also on the rise. The challenge for many is to provide the kind of education that equips young Indigenous Australians with the necessary skills for managing their money. This challenge is further compounded, as the adult Indigenous…

  1. Key factors impacting on diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer for Indigenous women: findings from Australia.

    PubMed

    McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole

    2013-10-01

    To date, there has been limited research on the topic of vulvar cancer. This paper provides findings from a qualitative study conducted with Indigenous women in East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia on the psychosocial impact of diagnosis and treatment for vulvar cancer. The insights from the study outlined in this paper not only make a contribution to deepening our understanding of the experience of vulvar cancer for Indigenous women, but provide practical recommendations to ensure effective and early engagement for diagnosis and treatment. A qualitative research method was employed through in-depth, open-ended interviews. The participants of the study were a purposive sample of Indigenous women with the condition, health professionals, and Aboriginal health workers. There were a total of 40 participants; with twelve (n = 12) Indigenous women affected with the condition, fourteen (n = 14) Aboriginal Health Workers, ten (n = 10) nurses, three (n = 3) doctors, and one (n = 1) community member. This paper addresses three key issues highlighted by the participants which include the fact that the private nature of the disease makes the condition 'women's business', that there is a sense of shame associated with the condition, and that there is fear and worry generated by the seriousness of the condition. The private nature of the disease and the sense of shame associated with the condition impact upon the diagnosis and treatment for many Indigenous women. In addition, the limitation of resources for health service delivery for East Arnhem Land exacerbates the problems faced by these communities. This paper puts forward suggestions to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment for women affected with the condition.

  2. Reclaiming food security in the Mohawk community of Kahnawà:ke through Haudenosaunee responsibilities.

    PubMed

    Delormier, Treena; Horn-Miller, Kahente; McComber, Alex M; Marquis, Kaylia

    2017-11-01

    Indigenous Peoples are reclaiming their food security, nutrition, and well-being by revitalizing food systems, livelihoods, knowledge-systems, and governance. Our food security research is guided by sustainable self-determination that focuses on restoring Indigenous cultural responsibilities and relationships to land, each other, and the natural world (Corntassel, 2008). Our Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) research team from Kahnawà:ke, in Quebec, Canada, examines food insecurity experiences in our community to explore ways of upholding our Haudenosaunee responsibilities and enhancing local food security. We collaboratively designed the study and interviewed Kahnawakehró:non (people from the Kahnawake community) with traditional knowledge, extensive community experience, and interests in food and culture. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed by the team. Analysis characterized food insecurity experiences and conditions that challenge and enable food security with attention to traditional food systems, relationships to land, and gender-related responsibilities. Findings show that communal responsibilities generate resilient strategies that provide for all in times of crisis, and long-term food insecurity is managed through social programs, organized charities, and family support. Enhancing food security involves healing and protecting a limited land-base for food production, integrating food production with community priorities for education, training, health, economic development, and scientific innovation. Nurturing spiritual connections with tionhnhéhkwen (life sustaining foods), the natural world, and each other calls for accelerated teaching and practicing our original instructions. Challenges in developing food security leadership, balancing capitalism and subsistence economies, and strengthening social relationships are rooted in the historical colonial and current settler-colonial context that disrupts all aspects of Kanien'kehá:ka society. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. American Indian Systems for Natural Resource Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quintana, Jorge O.

    1992-01-01

    Outlines the philosophy and general principles of "primitive" indigenous production technologies and natural resource management systems in North and South America. Discusses indigenous practices that promote sustainable production in gathering, hunting and fishing, minerals extraction, and agriculture. (SV)

  4. Indigenous Health and Climate Change

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Indigenous populations have been identified as vulnerable to climate change. This framing, however, is detached from the diverse geographies of how people experience, understand, and respond to climate-related health outcomes, and overlooks nonclimatic determinants. I reviewed research on indigenous health and climate change to capture place-based dimensions of vulnerability and broader determining factors. Studies focused primarily on Australia and the Arctic, and indicated significant adaptive capacity, with active responses to climate-related health risks. However, nonclimatic stresses including poverty, land dispossession, globalization, and associated sociocultural transitions challenge this adaptability. Addressing geographic gaps in existing studies alongside greater focus on indigenous conceptualizations on and approaches to health, examination of global–local interactions shaping local vulnerability, enhanced surveillance, and an evaluation of policy support opportunities are key foci for future research. PMID:22594718

  5. Local co-ordination and case management can enhance Indigenous eye care – a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Indigenous adults suffer six times more blindness than other Australians but 94% of this vision loss is unnecessary being preventable or treatable. We have explored the barriers and solutions to improve Indigenous eye health and proposed significant system changes required to close the gap for Indigenous eye health. This paper aims to identify the local co-ordination and case management requirements necessary to improve eye care for Indigenous Australians. Methods A qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, stakeholder workshops and meetings was conducted in community, private practice, hospital, non-government organisation and government settings. Data were collected at 21 sites across Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 289 people working in Indigenous health and eye care; focus group discussions with 81 community members; stakeholder workshops involving 86 individuals; and separate meetings with 75 people. 531 people participated in the consultations. Barriers and issues were identified through thematic analysis and policy solutions developed through iterative consultation. Results Poorly co-ordinated eye care services for Indigenous Australians are inefficient and costly and result in poorer outcomes for patients, communities and health care providers. Services are more effective where there is good co-ordination of services and case management of patients along the pathway of care. The establishment of clear pathways of care, development local and regional partnerships to manage services and service providers and the application of sufficient workforce with clear roles and responsibilities have the potential to achieve important improvements in eye care. Conclusions Co-ordination is a key to close the gap in eye care for Indigenous Australians. Properly co-ordinated care and support along the patient pathway through case management will save money by preventing dropout of patients who haven’t received treatment and a successfully functioning system will encourage more people to enter for care. PMID:23822115

  6. Comparative ethnoentomology of edible stinkbugs in southern Africa and sustainable management considerations.

    PubMed

    Dzerefos, Catherine Maria; Witkowski, Ed Tadeusz Fernando; Toms, Rob

    2013-03-25

    Insects, such as stinkbugs, are able to produce noxious defence chemicals to ward off predators, nevertheless, some ethnic groups have recipes to render them delicious. We provide an example of edible stinkbugs (Encosternum delegorguei) used by two locally separate ethnic groups in South Africa, the Vhavenda and Mapulana, with a third group, the Bolobedu using them for commercial purposes. Structured interview schedules and observations with 106 harvesters were conducted to determine differences in use, nomenclature and oral history, methods of collection and preparation as well as perceptions pertaining to availability. The stinkbugs’ foul defence chemical and flight response necessitates nocturnal harvesting when the insect is immobilised by cold. The defence chemical stains the skin and affects vision yet protective gear is not worn. Damage to host trees was recorded when harvesters poached from plantations or private land, whereas, in communal-lands, sustainable methods were preferred. The legitimisation of stinkbug harvesting and introduction of a collection funnel could reduce conflicts with managers of plantations and private land. Two methods to remove the defence chemical for increased palatability were used. Preparation methods differed in whether or not water was used and also whether the head was left intact or removed. Stinkbugs have numerous medicinal uses, in particular as a hangover cure. Awareness and optimal use of beneficial insects, such as stinkbugs, in rural areas could lead to a reconsideration of current environmental management strategies, where harvesters act as habitat stewards and clearing, grazing or burning indigenous vegetation is kept to a minimum.

  7. Aztec arithmetic revisited: land-area algorithms and Acolhua congruence arithmetic.

    PubMed

    Williams, Barbara J; Jorge y Jorge, María del Carmen

    2008-04-04

    Acolhua-Aztec land records depicting areas and side dimensions of agricultural fields provide insight into Aztec arithmetic. Hypothesizing that recorded areas resulted from indigenous calculation, in a study of sample quadrilateral fields we found that 60% of the area values could be reproduced exactly by computation. In remaining cases, discrepancies between computed and recorded areas were consistently small, suggesting use of an unknown indigenous arithmetic. In revisiting the research, we discovered evidence for the use of congruence principles, based on proportions between the standard linear Acolhua measure and their units of shorter length. This procedure substitutes for computation with fractions and is labeled "Acolhua congruence arithmetic." The findings also clarify variance between Acolhua and Tenochca linear units, long an issue in understanding Aztec metrology.

  8. The experience of relocation for specialist treatment for Indigenous women diagnosed with vulvar cancer in East Arnhem Land.

    PubMed

    McGrath, Pam; Rawson, Nicole

    2013-01-01

    Vulvar cancer is a serious condition that requires a range of specialist treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. In Australia, such treatments are only available in major metropolitan hospitals. Thus, women diagnosed with this condition in rural and remote areas must relocate to the metropolitan specialist centers for treatment. The focus of this article is on the experience of relocation for specialist care for Indigenous women diagnosed with vulvar cancer from East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. The findings presented in this article explore a range of issues that affect the experience of relocation such as community concerns, cultural distress, loneliness, fear, worry, and physical concerns associated with the condition.

  9. Indigenous Space and the Landscape of Settlement: A Historian as Expert Witness.

    PubMed

    Gray, Susan E

    2015-02-01

    This essay examines my work as expert witness in the case of U.S. v. Michigan, a Indigenous use-rights case. I was charged with parsing the intention of a specific article of the 1836 Treaty of Washington compelling land cession by Anishinaabe peoples and with writing a history of land use in the area from that date to the present for the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (my employer). The challenges were not only methodological (how do you estimate use from ownership?) and epistemological (what constitutes proof that will satisfy both historians and lawyers?), but also sociological and psychological: what happens when an associate professor puts her progress toward full professor on hold for the sake of a court case?

  10. 3 CFR 8449 - Proclamation 8449 of October 30, 2009. National Native American Heritage Month, 2009

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... of the United States of America A Proclamation The indigenous peoples of North America—the First... long history on this great land, they have faced moments of profound triumph and tragedy alike. During.... They have guided our land stewardship policies, added immeasurably to our cultural heritage, and...

  11. Hoea Ea: Land Education and Food Sovereignty in Hawaii

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Manulani Aluli

    2014-01-01

    This short piece offers two literal and figurative snapshots of what land education looks like in action in Hawaii. The first snapshot depicts a contemporary example of Indigenous Hawaiian taro cultivation in the Limahuli valley on the island of Kauai. The second snapshot illustrates the food sovereignty movement in Waianae, Oahu located at the…

  12. Progress and challenges in consolidating the management of Amazonian protected areas and indigenous territories.

    PubMed

    Gullison, Raymond E; Hardner, Jared

    2018-05-18

    Achieving the effective management of all existing protected areas and indigenous territories in the Amazon Biome may be needed to avoid a deforestation "tipping point" beyond which regional climatic feedbacks and global climate change interact to catalyze irreversible drying and savannization of large portions of the biome. However, the time and money required to consolidate the effective management of all types of protected sites in the Amazon is still poorly understood. At present, protected areas and indigenous territories cover 45.5% of the biome (3.55 million km 2 ), the lion's share of the 60-70% forest cover required to maintain hydrologic and climatic function. Three independent evaluations of the 1.68 million km 2 of protected areas and indigenous territories supported by one philanthropic foundation yield insights into the challenges and advances towards achieving effective management of these sites. Considerable progress has been made in improving the management of protected areas and indigenous territories. Despite this, few sites can be considered effectively managed and many continue to lack sufficient long-term finance, adequate capacity in governments or NGOs, and the ability to withstand economic pressures. External funding will continue to be critical as long as core-funding needs are not met by governments or other sources such as payments for environmental services. The duration of external funding required could easily be on the scale of decades, with strict protected areas achieving effective management status the soonest, and indigenous territories taking the longest. Despite these challenges, the fact that legal protection has expanded so greatly in recent years is encouraging, and that management of sites is improving steadily over time. These lessons are relevant for the consolidation of sites in other developing countries that are trying to increase their management effectiveness under the constraint of limited resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  13. The health-related quality of life of Indigenous populations: a global systematic review.

    PubMed

    Angell, Blake; Muhunthan, Janani; Eades, Anne-Marie; Cunningham, Joan; Garvey, Gail; Cass, Alan; Howard, Kirsten; Ratcliffe, Julie; Eades, Sandra; Jan, Stephen

    2016-09-01

    Indigenous conceptions of health have been shown to differ from that of their non-Indigenous counterparts. As a result, there remains uncertainty over the appropriateness and value of using existing health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments in Indigenous communities. The objective of this review was to identify studies that either measure the HRQoL of an Indigenous population or validated a measure used to elicit the HRQoL in an Indigenous population. A systematic review of the published literature was conducted to (1) investigate the extent to which HRQoL instruments are used in Indigenous populations; (2) to identify which instruments have been validated in which populations; and (3) to identify which instruments have been tailored for use with Indigenous populations. Forty-one studies were included in the review. Only three of the 41 studies utilised Indigenous-specific instruments. The remainder (38 studies) utilised generic population or disease-specific instruments. Four studies found specific HRQoL instruments to be valid in these populations and 32 estimated the HRQoL of an Indigenous population. The limited examples of Indigenous-specific instruments highlighted the potential importance to the HRQoL of these populations of domains that lie outside of traditional measures including social and community domains as well as domains relating to culture, diet and land use on top of more traditional HRQoL domains. Ensuring that the HRQoL of Indigenous populations is being appropriately measured is vital to prioritising available resources to the most effective interventions. HRQoL instruments present an opportunity to directly elicit and incorporate Indigenous preferences and conceptions of health into these decisions. Further work is required in the field to ensure that this potential is realised.

  14. Engagement with indigenous peoples and honoring traditional knowledge systems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Maldonado, Julie; Bennett, Bull; Chief, Karletta; Cochran, Patricia; Cozetto, Karen; Gough, Bob; Hiza-Redsteer, Margaret M.; Lynn, Kathy; Maynard, Nancy; Voggesser, Garrit

    2016-01-01

    The organizers of the 2014 US National Climate Assessment (NCA) made a concerted effort to reach out to and collaborate with Indigenous peoples, resulting in the most comprehensive information to date on climate change impacts to Indigenous peoples in a US national assessment. Yet, there is still much room for improvement in assessment processes to ensure adequate recognition of Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous knowledge systems. This article discusses the process used in creating the Indigenous Peoples, Land, and Resources NCA chapter by a team comprised of tribal members, agencies, academics, and non-governmental organizations, who worked together to solicit, collect, and synthesize traditional knowledges and data from a diverse array of Indigenous communities across the US. It also discusses the synergy and discord between traditional knowledge systems and science and the emergence of cross-cutting issues and vulnerabilities for Indigenous peoples. The challenges of coalescing information about climate change and its impacts on Indigenous communities are outlined along with recommendations on the types of information to include in future assessment outputs. We recommend that future assessments – not only NCA, but other relevant local, regional, national, and international efforts aimed at the translation of climate information and assessments into meaningful actions – should support integration of Indigenous perspectives in a sustained way that builds respectful relationships and effectively engages Indigenous communities. Given the large number of tribes in the US and the current challenges and unique vulnerabilities of Indigenous communities, a special report focusing solely on climate change and Indigenous peoples is warranted.This article is part of a special issue on “The National Climate Assessment: Innovations in Science and Engagement” edited by Katharine Jacobs, Susanne Moser, and James Buizer.

  15. The law of the mother.

    PubMed

    Kemf, E

    1992-01-01

    The Congress Workshop on People and Protected Areas convened to discuss the need to combine modern science and traditional knowledge to effect sustainable development among indigenous peoples in the world. The founder of the Fundacion Pro-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta talked about development of training programs for displaced farmers and rehabilitation of Indian lands and villages in the Sierra Nevada of northern Colombia. The 3 indigenous peoples (Kogi, Arsario, and Arhuaco Indians) have only recently regained title to their forebears' lands. In fact, in 1990, the government of Colombia gave about 25% of the country back to indigenous populations. The forebears of the Kogi, Arsario, and Arhuaco Indians constructed great stone cities and advanced systems of agriculture, terracing, and irrigation. The Indians have lived under the Law of the Mother for thousands of years. This code dictates human behavior so that humans are in unity with plant and animal cycles, star movements, climatic phenomena, and the sacred geography of the coastal mountains. They are so much an integral part of their ecosystem that they even limit their population size. Now they resurrect villages in 2 national parks and indigenous reservations. Farmers who colonized the area since the 1960s must now leave the reserves and begin anew in nearby buffer zones. Here they learn revitalized agricultural techniques to abandon their illegal marijuana, cocaine, and poppy farming. At the workshop, participants also learned about conservation activities of the Imgrauen in the Banc d'Arguin National Park in Mauritania who continue to use dolphins to catch mullet. In India, the Bisnoi people living in the Rajasthan desert have established their own unofficial protected areas to keep the fragile ecosystem. Other examples were in Niger and Central Europe. The workshop participants agreed that recognition of land tenure and intellectual property rights were high priorities.

  16. Call to action: A new path for improving diabetes care for Indigenous peoples, a global review.

    PubMed

    Harris, Stewart B; Tompkins, Jordan W; TeHiwi, Braden

    2017-01-01

    Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in Indigenous populations around the globe, and there is an urgent need to improve the health and health equity of Indigenous peoples with diabetes through timely and appropriate diabetes prevention and management strategies. This review describes the evolution of the diabetes epidemic in Indigenous populations and associated risk factors, highlighting gestational diabetes and intergenerational risk, lifestyle risk factors and social determinants as having particular importance and impact on Indigenous peoples. This review further describes the impact of chronic disease and diabetes on Indigenous peoples and communities, specifically diabetes-related comorbidities and complications. This review provides continued evidence that dramatic changes are necessary to reduce diabetes-related inequities in Indigenous populations, with a call to action to support programmatic primary healthcare transformation capable of empowering Indigenous peoples and communities and improving chronic disease prevention and management. Promising strategies for transforming health services and care for Indigenous peoples include quality improvement initiatives, facilitating diabetes and chronic disease registry and surveillance systems to identify care gaps, and prioritizing evaluation to build the evidence-base necessary to guide future health policy and planning locally and on a global scale. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Ethnobotanical knowledge on indigenous fruits in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions in Northern Namibia.

    PubMed

    Cheikhyoussef, Ahmad; Embashu, Werner

    2013-05-22

    Indigenous communities in Namibia possess a rich indigenous knowledge expressed within many practices of these communities. Indigenous wild edible fruits are available along the Namibian 13 regions of which it forms a rich source of vitamins, fibres, minerals and a heterogeneous collection of bioactive compounds referred to as phytochemicals for indigenous people's diet. The aim of this study was to record the different IKS practices on the indigenous fruit trees in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia. An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to collect information from local communities from 23-29 October 2011. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. A total of 65 respondents were interviewed; 54%; women, 38%; men and 8%; both in group interviews. The majority of the people interviewed were in their thirty's, with the youngest being 18 years old and the oldest being 98 years old. Forty three plant specimens were collected from the two regions; these specimens belong to 20 genera and 25 species. Regarding to the indigenous knowledge; 87%; of the respondents indicated that their knowledge on indigenous fruits was learnt mainly through their parent. Indigenous people's perception on declining indigenous fruits revealed that 56.3%; of the respondents reported that indigenous fruits were declining. Only a 42.2%; indicated that the indigenous fruits populations are increasing. Regarding to the management practices to improve the production of these indigenous fruit trees; 38.6%; reported that there are some efforts on management practices; on the other hand 61.4%; reported there are no management practices on the indigenous fruit trees in their areas. Four species were found to be the most frequently used and mentioned fruits which need to be given high preference in terms of conservation are: Berchemia discolor, Hyphaene petersiana, Sclerocarya birrea and Diospyros mespiliformis. The following diseases and ailments have been reported to be treated by the indigenous fruit trees which include: toothache, diarrhoea, cough, tonsillitis, burns, skin allergy, stomach ache, snake bit, constipation, etc. 28%; of the respondents mentioned an ethno-veterinary use(s) of these fruits, e.g. the use of the Ziziphus mucronata roots to treat diarrhoea in cattle, the bark of eembe (Berchemia discolor) to treat calf weakness. The local communities in Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions have relatively good knowledge and practices regarding the indigenous fruit. This study enhances our understanding on the indigenous fruit in Namibia and their uses by local communities.

  18. Ethnobotanical knowledge on indigenous fruits in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions in Northern Namibia

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Indigenous communities in Namibia possess a rich indigenous knowledge expressed within many practices of these communities. Indigenous wild edible fruits are available along the Namibian 13 regions of which it forms a rich source of vitamins, fibres, minerals and a heterogeneous collection of bioactive compounds referred to as phytochemicals for indigenous people’s diet. The aim of this study was to record the different IKS practices on the indigenous fruit trees in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to collect information from local communities from 23-29 October 2011. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. A total of 65 respondents were interviewed; 54%; women, 38%; men and 8%; both in group interviews. Results The majority of the people interviewed were in their thirty’s, with the youngest being 18 years old and the oldest being 98 years old. Forty three plant specimens were collected from the two regions; these specimens belong to 20 genera and 25 species. Regarding to the indigenous knowledge; 87%; of the respondents indicated that their knowledge on indigenous fruits was learnt mainly through their parent. Indigenous people’s perception on declining indigenous fruits revealed that 56.3%; of the respondents reported that indigenous fruits were declining. Only a 42.2%; indicated that the indigenous fruits populations are increasing. Regarding to the management practices to improve the production of these indigenous fruit trees; 38.6%; reported that there are some efforts on management practices; on the other hand 61.4%; reported there are no management practices on the indigenous fruit trees in their areas. Four species were found to be the most frequently used and mentioned fruits which need to be given high preference in terms of conservation are: Berchemia discolor, Hyphaene petersiana, Sclerocarya birrea and Diospyros mespiliformis. The following diseases and ailments have been reported to be treated by the indigenous fruit trees which include: toothache, diarrhoea, cough, tonsillitis, burns, skin allergy, stomach ache, snake bit, constipation, etc. 28%; of the respondents mentioned an ethno veterinary use(s) of these fruits, e.g. the use of the Ziziphus mucronata roots to treat diarrhoea in cattle, the bark of eembe (Berchemia discolor) to treat calf weakness. Conclusions The local communities in Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions have relatively good knowledge and practices regarding the indigenous fruit. This study enhances our understanding on the indigenous fruit in Namibia and their uses by local communities. PMID:23697554

  19. Rediscovering traditional vegetation management in preserves: trading experiences between cultures and continents

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Middleton, Beth A.

    2013-01-01

    Land managers are grappling with massive changes in vegetation structure, particularly in protected areas formerly subjected to fire and grazing. The objective of this review was to compare notes on the historical and current management of ecosystems around the world (especially in wet to dry grasslands in the Americas, Australia, Africa, Europe and Asia) with respect to the usage of fire, grazing and cutting to reduce dominance and support the biodiversity of rare species. This review suggests that former disturbances, which are now often lost, may have once kept tall vegetation from pushing out rarer subdominant species. In cases where prehistoric biodiversity depended on fire or large ungulate grazing, traditional agricultural and indigenous practices may have carried biodiversity forward to historical times by mimicking pre-cultural disturbances (e.g., lightning fire and bison grazing). Ironically, biodiversity related to species richness, landscape heterogeneity and function may decline in preserves, especially if traditional management once maintained this biodiversity. Managers can benefit from a cross-continental comparison of the full arsenal of management techniques used to control encroaching vegetation.

  20. Ko Tāngonge Te Wai: Indigenous and Technical Data Come Together in Restoration Efforts.

    PubMed

    Henwood, Wendy; Moewaka Barnes, Helen; Brockbank, Troy; Gregory, Waikarere; Hooper, Kaio; McCreanor, Tim

    2016-12-01

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori aspirations around land and water conflict with settler interests. As indigenous people, Māori struggle to enact agency over resources, despite Treaty (Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi is an 1840 agreement between Maori and the crown) settlement processes returning some lands. Returns are complex since changes wrought by dispossession may be extreme, requiring multiple stakeholder engagements. Tāngonge, a heavily modified wetland, in northern Aotearoa New Zealand has been the subject of iwi (tribe or tribes) claims since the 1890s. Reparation processes have returned significant areas surrounding Tāngonge to key iwi, Te Rarawa and Ngāi Takoto, who formed the Tāngonge Restoration Group to plan management and restoration. The vision of the iwi is to restore Tangonge as a wetland to rekindle usage by manawhenua (people with demonstrated authority and tribal links to the area in question) and local communities. However, perceived Māori privilege, distrust in Māori praxis and fear of alienation of stakeholders mean the situation presents challenges as well as opportunities. Understanding that various parties view knowledge in particular ways, the Restoration Group sought to juxtapose technical data and manawhenua knowledge about Tāngonge. Hydrology findings and local aspirations were aligned to produce ideas for actions that encompassed the broad concerns. This integration of knowledge provides strategic steps for working with administrative authorities who have historical and ongoing interests.

  1. Decreasing prevalence of Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) in the Northern Territory from 2002 to 2012.

    PubMed

    Crowe, Amy L; Smith, Pam; Ward, Linda; Currie, Bart J; Baird, Rob

    2014-03-17

    To observe the prevalence, disease associations, and temporal trends in Trichuris trichiura (whipworm) infection in the Northern Territory between 2002 and 2012. Retrospective observational analysis of consecutive microbiologically confirmed cases of T. trichiura infection among members of the NT population from whom a faecal sample was obtained for testing by NT Government health care facilities between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2012. Annual prevalence of T. trichiura infection; age, sex, Indigenous status and place of residence of infected patients; percentage of infected patients with anaemia (haemoglobin level, ≤ 110 g/L) and eosinophilia (eosinophil count, ≥ 0.5 × 10(9)/L). 417 episodes of T. trichiura infection were identified over the 11 years from 63 668 faecal samples. The median age of patients was 8 years (interquartile range [IQR], 3-36 years). Patients were predominantly Indigenous (95.3%; P = 0.001) and from three main geographical areas (Victoria Daly, East Arnhem Land and West Arnhem Land). Infections were associated with anaemia (40.2%) and eosinophilia (51.6%). There was a downward trend in the prevalence of T. trichiura infection diagnosed at NT Government health care facilities, from 123.1 cases (95% CI, 94.8-151.3 cases) per 100,000 Indigenous population in 2002 to 35.8 cases (95% CI, 21.8-49.9 cases) per 100,000 Indigenous population in 2011. T. trichiura is the most frequently identified soil-transmitted helminth infecting patients in NT Government health care facilities. Cases are identified predominantly in Indigenous patients in remote communities. We have observed a declining prevalence of whipworm infection in the NT.

  2. Management of diabetes in Indigenous communities: lessons from the Australian Aboriginal population.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, H D; Chitturi, S; Maple-Brown, L J

    2016-11-01

    Type 2 diabetes mellitus and other chronic cardio-metabolic conditions are significant contributors to the large disparities in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent from a young age among Indigenous Australians and is often preceded by a cluster of risk factors, including central obesity, dyslipidaemia, albuminuria and socio-economic disadvantage. Management of type 2 diabetes in Australian Indigenous peoples can be challenging in the setting of limited resources and socio-economic disadvantage. Key strategies to address these challenges include working in partnership with patients, communities and primary healthcare services (PHC, Aboriginal community controlled and government services) and working in a multidisciplinary team. Population prevention measures are required within and beyond the health system, commencing as early as possible in the life course. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

  3. The Indigenous Phenology Network: Engage, Observe, and Adapt to Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, B. W.; Davíd-Chavez, D. M.; Elevitch, C.; Hamilton, A.; Hatfield, S. C.; Jones, K. D.; Rabin, R.; Rosemartin, A.; Souza, M. K.; Sparrow, E.

    2017-12-01

    The Indigenous Phenology Network (IPN) is a grassroots organization whose participants are interested in understanding changes to seasonality and timing of life cycle events, and forecasting impacts to lands and species of importance to native peoples. The group focuses on building relationships, ensuring benefit to indigenous communities, and integrating indigenous and western knowledge systems. The IPN's work is guided by the Relational Doctrine, a set of principles founded on the notion that all things are connected. This multimedia presentation and dialogue will bring together IPN members and their experiences in diverse communities and landscapes facing impacts from a changing climate and extreme weather events. Impacts on water supply, vegetation, wildlife, and living conditions, and ideas for minimizing and responding to the projected impacts of continued change will be discussed in the context of multi-generational, place-based traditional knowledge and community resilience. Scalable, community-based gardens, for example, provide a sustainable source of traditional, locally grown food, most valuable in times of disaster when supplies from the outside world are unavailable. Following the concept of Victory Gardens, the model of small-scale agroforestry (VICTree Gardens - Virtually Interconnected Community Tree Gardens), being implemented in Hawaii, has the potential to provide a diverse diet of food grown in very limited space. Gardens build resilience by connecting people with each other, with local food, and with nature. We envision community-based projects which will apply local, multi-generational knowledge to adapt the gardens to changing environments. Going forward, direct observation of garden conditions can be combined with satellite and ground-based measurements of environmental conditions, such as soil moisture, soil and air temperature, precipitation, and phenology, to further assess and manage these gardens in the context of the surrounding landscape.

  4. 9 CFR 94.0 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... detected, had in place prior to the detection of BSE in an indigenous ruminant, risk mitigation measures... kept. Region. Any defined geographic land area identifiable by geological, political, or surveyed...

  5. Transformation through Repetition: Walking, Listening and Drawing on Tlicho Lands

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruiz, Adolfo

    2017-01-01

    As part of my PhD practice-based research on Tlicho lands (a self-governed Indigenous region in Canada's Northwest Territories), drawing is being used to embody intangible cultural heritage (which includes activities such as oral history and the social practice of walking). Recent work to emerge from this research consists of two drawings created…

  6. [The elderly care practices of indigenous-performance of health].

    PubMed

    Rissardo, Leidyani Karina; Alvim, Neide Aparecida Titonelli; Marcon, Sonia Silva; Carreira, Lígia

    2014-01-01

    This research aims to understand the care practices of health professionals who assist the elderly Kaingang. It is a qualitative study, supported in ethnography, conducted by ten professionals working in primary health care in the indigenous land of Faxinal, Paraná, Brazil. The data was collected from November 2010 to February 2012 by participant observation and interviews, and analyzed based on the Transcultural Care Theory. Was identified the preoccupation of the carers practices with the medication and immunization, as well as traditional medical care. To achieve these, care professionals had strategies that implemented maintenance of older people in care. We conclude that cultural values and integrate scientific need assistance to improve the health of elderly indigenous.

  7. Water in the Native World: Hydrological Impacts of Future Land Use and Climate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Implications for Ecosystems and Indigenous Communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emanuel, R. E.; Singh, N.; Painter, J.; Sikes, J. A.; Vose, J. M.; Wear, D. N.; Martin, K. L.

    2016-12-01

    In the coming decades, the southeastern US will likely experience substantial shifts in land use due to population growth, food and energy production, and other factors. In the same period, climate change is expected to alter ecohydrological processes in terrestrial landscapes while contributing to further land use change. Increasingly, these changes will challenge the ability of the region's freshwater resources to support natural ecosystems and human communities. The impacts of land use and climate change on water are of particular concern to rural indigenous communities of the southeastern US. For these communities, the cultural significance of land and water, together with historical legacies of discrimination, marginalization and other factors, combine to create unique vulnerabilities to environmental change. Assessments of land use and climate impacts on water resources of the southeastern US tend to focus on quantity and quality concerns of large cities or on waters of special economic concern (e.g. estuaries and coastal fisheries). The potential impacts of land use and climate change on American Indian communities are largely overlooked or unknown. With this in mind, we used a semi-distributed hydrological model (SWAT) to assess impacts of climate and land use change on streamflow regimes in the Lumbee (aka Lumber) River, North Carolina (USA). This coastal plain blackwater river is a significant natural and cultural resource for indigenous people of the Lumbee Tribe, and its watershed, containing extensive riparian wetlands and agriculture-dominated uplands, is home to more than 30,000 tribal citizens. We ran SWAT with statistically downscaled output from four general circulation models (GCMs) for the mid-21st century (RCP8.5 scenario), together with a mid-century land use scenario from the US Forest Service's Southern Forest Futures Project. We used these inputs to simulate daily streamflows on the Lumbee River for the 2040-2060 period with uncertainty estimates derived from multiple GCMs and ensemble parameter sets. We compare simulated fluxes for the 2040-2060 period to a historical baseline of observed data and discuss implications of shifting flow regimes for the river, for its adjacent wetland and agricultural ecosystems, and for the related concerns of the Lumbee people.

  8. Bridging the Gap between Scientific and Indigenous knowledge to Better Understand Social Impacts of Changing Rainfall Regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynch, A. H.; Joachim, L.; Zhu, X.; Hammer, C.; Harris, M.; Griggs, D.

    2011-12-01

    The Murray-Darling Basin incorporates Australia's three longest rivers and is important for an agricultural industry worth more than $9 billion per annum, a rich biodiversity of habitat and species, and the very life of its traditional owners. The complex and sometimes enigmatic relationships between modes of variability and Australian regional rainfall distribution means that reliable projections of future water availability remain highly uncertain. Persistent drought, with associated heat stress and high fire danger, and episodic flooding rains present further challenges. Indeed, recent extremes likely herald a tipping point for the communities and ecosystems that rely on the river system. The Barmah-Millewa region in the Murray-Darling Basin is the heart of Yorta Yorta Traditional Tribal Lands. The Yorta Yorta continue to assert their inherent rights to country and have shown through oral, documentary and material evidence, that their social, spiritual, economic and cultural links with country have never been broken. Current water policy and practice, highly contested community consultation processes, cross-border governance issues and a changing social landscape create in this region a microcosm for understanding the complex demands of economic, environmental and cultural security along the Murray-Darling Basin as the climate changes. New approaches to bridging the gap between scientific and Indigenous epistemologies have emerged in recent years, including for example ecosystem-based adaptation (Vignola et al. 2009) and the analysis of cultural water flows (Weir 2010). The potential for innovation using these approaches has informed a study that investigates how the deep knowledge of country of the Yorta Yorta people can be combined with state of the art climate science to develop a better understanding of the competing demands on water resources in the Barmah-Millewa region now and in the future. An important dimension of this collaborative work with the Yorta Yorta is the development of a legal framework which governs how their knowledge can be accessed by authorized users. This presentation will report on progress to incorporate indigenous perspectives and observations with data from re-analyses, model realizations, hydrological data, management histories, and land use into a flexible geospatial tool. We will address how scientific data and Indigenous knowledge can be integrated to assess the social and cultural constraints on water resources in the Barmah-Millewa region.

  9. Indigenous knowledge management to enhance community resilience to tsunami risk: lessons learned from Smong traditions in Simeulue island, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, A.; Sakurai, A.; Munadi, K.

    2017-02-01

    Knowledge accumulation and production embedded in communities through social interactions meant that the Smong tradition of indigenous knowledge of tsunami risk successfully alerted people to the 2004 tsunami, on the island of Simeulue, in Aceh, Indonesia. Based on this practical example, an indigenous management model was developed for Smong information. This knowledge management method involves the transformation of indigenous knowledge into applicable ways to increase community resilience, including making appropriate decisions and taking action in three disaster phases. First, in the pre-disaster stage, the community needs to be willing to mainstream and integrate indigenous knowledge of disaster risk reduction issues into related activities. Second, during disasters, the Smong tradition should make the community able to think clearly, act based on informed decisions, and protect themselves and others by using their indigenous knowledge. Last, in the post-disaster phase, the community needs to be strong enough to face challenges and support each other and “building back better” efforts, using local resources. The findings for the Smong tradition provide valuable knowledge about community resilience. Primary community resilience to disasters is strongly related to existing knowledge that triggers appropriate decisions and actions during pre-disaster, disaster, and post-disaster phases.

  10. Is population flow an unintended consequence of alcohol management plans?

    PubMed

    Usher, Kim; Woods, Cindy; Lynch, Paul; Pointing, Shane Boris; Budden, Lea; Barker, Ruth; Catchpoole, Jesani; Clough, Alan

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this study was to gauge whether, and to what extent, population flow occurred as a result of the implementation of alcohol management plans in Indigenous communities. Alcohol management plans involving carriage limits and dry places were introduced into 15 Queensland Indigenous communities between 2002-2004. Controls on alcohol availability were further tightened between 2008-2010, seeing the closure of eight mainly remote community taverns/canteens. A retrospective observational study was undertaken using data from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit. Population flow was measured by changing patterns of alcohol-related injuries in a mining region near dry Indigenous communities following the introduction of alcohol management plans and a control mining region distant from Indigenous communities with alcohol management plans. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Logistic regression was used for the comparison of the characteristics between the emergency department presentations. The rates of alcohol-related injury presentations per 1000/population were calculated and age-standardised to the Australian population. Between the five-year periods 2003-2007 and 2008-2012, alcohol-related injury presentations to the Mount Isa emergency department trebled from an age-adjusted average annual rate of 9·5/1000 in the region's population to 27·1/1000 population. In the control region, alcohol-related emergency department injury presentations did not increase to the same degree with age-adjusted average annual rates of 1·42/1000 and 2·21/1000, respectively. The 10-year pattern of emergency department presentations for alcohol-related injuries increased significantly in the Mount Isa region compared with the control region. Further research should investigate the impacts of population flow related to Indigenous community alcohol management plans. Although initiatives such as alcohol management plans have been implemented to reduce alcohol use and related consequences in Indigenous communities, there needs to be a greater consideration of the impact of these policies in nearby towns in the future. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. 32 CFR 842.70 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... party, who are employed by that force. Indigenous employees, contractor employees, or members of the... the land, sea, or air armed services of one contracting party when in the territory of another...

  12. An Exploration of the Role of Schema Theory and the (Non-Indigenous) Construction of Indigenous Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lloyd, D.; Boyd, W. E.

    2014-01-01

    Community engagement is increasingly important in environmental management. While such engagement has tended to comprise only one-way communication, genuine engagement often requires meaningful cross-cultural communication. This paper explores issues surrounding engagement with Australian indigenous communities, suggesting that the construction of…

  13. 75 FR 63693 - Columbus Day, 2010

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-15

    ..., they joined indigenous communities with thriving cultures. Today, we reflect on the myriad... they endured as this land changed. For more than 500 years, women and men from every corner of the...

  14. Effects of water management, connectivity, and surrounding land use on habitat use by frogs in rice paddies in Japan.

    PubMed

    Naito, Risa; Yamasaki, Michimasa; Lmanishi, Ayumi; Natuhara, Yosihiro; Morimoto, Yukihiro

    2012-09-01

    In Japan, rice paddies play an important role as a substitute habitat for wetland species, and support rich indigenous ecosystems. However, since the 1950s, agricultural modernization has altered the rice paddy environment, and many previously common species are now endangered. It is urgently necessary to evaluate rice paddies as habitats for conservation. Among the species living in rice paddies, frogs are representative and are good indicator species, so we focused on frog species and analyzed the influence of environmental factors on their habitat use. We found four frog species and one subspecies (Hyla japonica, Pelophylax nigromaculatus, Glandirana rugosa, Lithobates catesbeianus, and Pelophylax porosa brevipoda) at our study sites in Shiga prefecture. For all but L. catesbeianus, we analyzed the influence of environmental factors related to rice paddy structure, water management and availability, agrochemical use, connectivity, and land use on breeding and non-breeding habitat use. We constructed generalized additive mixed models with survey date as the smooth term and applied Akaike's information criterion to choose the bestranked model. Because life histories and biological characteristics vary among species, the factors affecting habitat use by frogs are also expected to differ by species. We found that both breeding and non-breeding habitat uses of each studied species were influenced by different combinations of environmental factors and that in most cases, habitat use showed seasonality. For frog conservation in rice paddies, we need to choose favorable rice paddy in relation to surrounding land use and apply suitable management for target species.

  15. Comparative ethnoentomology of edible stinkbugs in southern Africa and sustainable management considerations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Insects, such as stinkbugs, are able to produce noxious defence chemicals to ward off predators, nevertheless, some ethnic groups have recipes to render them delicious. We provide an example of edible stinkbugs (Encosternum delegorguei) used by two locally separate ethnic groups in South Africa, the Vhavenda and Mapulana, with a third group, the Bolobedu using them for commercial purposes. Structured interview schedules and observations with 106 harvesters were conducted to determine differences in use, nomenclature and oral history, methods of collection and preparation as well as perceptions pertaining to availability. The stinkbugs’ foul defence chemical and flight response necessitates nocturnal harvesting when the insect is immobilised by cold. The defence chemical stains the skin and affects vision yet protective gear is not worn. Damage to host trees was recorded when harvesters poached from plantations or private land, whereas, in communal-lands, sustainable methods were preferred. The legitimisation of stinkbug harvesting and introduction of a collection funnel could reduce conflicts with managers of plantations and private land. Two methods to remove the defence chemical for increased palatability were used. Preparation methods differed in whether or not water was used and also whether the head was left intact or removed. Stinkbugs have numerous medicinal uses, in particular as a hangover cure. Awareness and optimal use of beneficial insects, such as stinkbugs, in rural areas could lead to a reconsideration of current environmental management strategies, where harvesters act as habitat stewards and clearing, grazing or burning indigenous vegetation is kept to a minimum. PMID:23531129

  16. Seismotectonic, structural, volcanologic, and geomorphic study of New Zealand; indigenous forest assessment in New Zealand; mapping, land use and environmental studies in New Zealand, volume 3

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Probine, M. C.; Suggate, R. P.; Mcgreevy, M. G.; Stirling, I. F. (Principal Investigator)

    1977-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The present resolution of LANDSAT precludes its use for topographic mapping at scales larger than 1:250,000. Encouraging potential was displayed for environmental and land use studies at scales up to 1:100,000.

  17. 25 CFR 61.4 - Qualifications for enrollment and the deadline for filing application forms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... ancestry indigenous to the United States based on any rolls or records acceptable to the Secretary and were.... 102-63): (i) Standards A-E which are: (A) Allottees of land on any part of the Reservation, living on... Reservation (nearly ten years of residence), and (C) Personal ties to the land of the Reservation and/or ties...

  18. 77 FR 39164 - Safety Zone; KULLUK, Outer Continental Shelf Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), Beaufort Sea, AK

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-02

    ... sensitivity of the environmental and subsistence importance to the indigenous population; (4) the lack of any... Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and 33 C.F.R 147. Accordingly, State and Local law enforcement... due to the location of the MODU KULLUK on the Outer Continental Shelf and its distance from both land...

  19. Building a Shared Understanding of Phenology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosemartin, A.; Posthumus, E.; Gerst, K.

    2017-12-01

    The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) seeks to advance the science of phenology and support the use of phenology information in decision-making. We envision that natural resource, human health, recreation and land-use decisions, in the context of a variable and changing climate, will be supported by USA-NPN products and tools. To achieve this vision we developed a logic model, breaking down the necessary inputs (e.g., IT infrastructure), participants, activities and the short- to long-term goals (e.g., use of phenological information in adaptive management). Here we compare the ongoing activities and outcomes of three recent collaborations to our logic model, in order to improve the model and inform future collaborations. At Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, resource managers use the USA-NPN's phenology monitoring program to pinpoint the minimum number of days between initial growth and seed set in an invasive species. The data output and calendar visualizations that USA-NPN provides are sufficient to identify the appropriate treatment window. In contrast to a direct relationship with a natural resource manager using USA-NPN tools and products, some collaborations require substantive iterative work between partners. USA-NPN and National Park Service staff, along with academic researchers, assessed advancement in the timing of spring, and delivered the work in a format appropriate for park managers. Lastly, collaborations with indigenous communities reveal a requirement to reconsider the relationship between Western science and indigenous knowledge systems, as well as address ethical considerations and develop trust, before Western science can be meaningfully incorporated into decision-making. While the USA-NPN is a boundary organization, working in between federal agencies, states and universities, and is mandated to support decision-making, we still face challenges in generating usable science. We share lessons learned based on our experience with diverse and evolving partnerships.

  20. Indigenous systems of forest classification: understanding land use patterns and the role of NTFPs in shifting cultivators' subsistence economies.

    PubMed

    Delang, Claudio O

    2006-04-01

    This article discusses the system of classification of forest types used by the Pwo Karen in Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in western Thailand and the role of nontimber forest products (NTFPs), focusing on wild food plants, in Karen livelihoods. The article argues that the Pwo Karen have two methods of forest classification, closely related to their swidden farming practices. The first is used for forest land that has been, or can be, swiddened, and classifies forest types according to growth conditions. The second system is used for land that is not suitable for cultivation and looks at soil properties and slope. The article estimates the relative importance of each forest type in what concerns the collection of wild food plants. A total of 134 wild food plant species were recorded in December 2004. They account for some 80-90% of the amount of edible plants consumed by the Pwo Karen, and have a base value of Baht 11,505 per year, comparable to the cash incomes of many households. The article argues that the Pwo Karen reliance on NTFPs has influenced their land-use and forest management practices. However, by restricting the length of the fallow period, the Thai government has caused ecological changes that are challenging the ability of the Karen to remain subsistence oriented. By ignoring shifting cultivators' dependence on such products, the involvement of governments in forest management, especially through restrictions imposed on swidden farming practices, is likely to have a considerable impact on the livelihood strategies of these communities.

  1. To what extent can we attribute accelerated landscape change to human activity? A cautionary tale from the drylands of the South African interior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tooth, Stephen; Lyons, Richard; Duller, Geoff; McCarthy, Terence

    2013-04-01

    Across many parts of interior South Africa, alluvial and colluvial sediments are currently subject to widespread erosion by rivers, dongas (gullies), sheetwash and wind. This creates an impression of accelerated landscape change that is commonly attributed to factors such as poor land management by European settlers (mid 18th century onwards) or indigenous peoples, possibly in combination with decadal-scale climatic fluctuations and/or susceptible soil characteristics. Many resources are devoted to managing degrading lands, but effective conservation and restoration efforts are contingent on correctly identifying the underlying causes of erosion. Across South Africa, varied population densities, and diverse climates and soil types, mean that the causes of erosion are likely to be complex and to vary regionally. In some regions, examples of accelerated erosion resulting from vegetation clearance, overburning, overstocking, artificial drainage or land abandonment can be demonstrated. In other regions, however, our geomorphological, sedimentological and geochronological investigations provide an alternative 'geological' perspective on this erosion 'problem' by demonstrating that erosion may be a recurring, natural process linked to late Quaternary climate change and/or longer term landscape denudation. In particular, luminescence chronologies for hillslopes, alluvial fans and river floodplains/terraces at various locations across interior South Africa have enabled comparison with other regional/global palaeoenvironmental records. These comparisons reveal that climatically-controlled changes in runoff and sediment supply, mediated through vegetation cover changes, resulted in shifts between sedimentation (relative aridity), soil formation (relative humidity) and minor channel/donga erosion (semiaridity) from at least 40 kyr until the late Holocene. By contrast, major erosion involving sustained channel incision and associated donga formation appears to have been initiated during the last few thousand years, at some sites apparently corresponding with rapid climatic fluctuations associated with the Mediaeval Warm Period and Little Ice Age. In some instances, channel incision depth has been controlled by the stability of downstream resistant rock barriers (e.g. dolerite sills and dykes) that form local baselevels in river long profiles; upstream of stable barriers, incision has been restricted but where barriers have been partially or fully breached, then deep incision into bedrock is characteristic. These findings provide evidence that: 1) during the late Quaternary, erosional phases have occurred independently of human activity, in different climatic settings, and across different soil types; and 2) in many regions, even the present phase of deep channel incision and donga formation predates the advent of European settlement or indigenous population expansion. These 'geological' perspectives on the age and history of major erosional features demonstrate that accelerated landscape change in South Africa is not necessarily a consequence of human activities, and cannot be assumed to represent an unequivocal signature of the Anthropocene. These perspectives also have implications for land management. Where erosion is indisputably occurring as a result of land mismanagement, then alternative land use practices and erosion-control measures may succeed in slowing or reversing erosion, but where erosion results from natural climatic or denudational processes, then such schemes are unlikely to succeed in the medium- or long-term.

  2. Characteristics of Indigenous primary health care service delivery models: a systematic scoping review.

    PubMed

    Harfield, Stephen G; Davy, Carol; McArthur, Alexa; Munn, Zachary; Brown, Alex; Brown, Ngiare

    2018-01-25

    Indigenous populations have poorer health outcomes compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. The evolution of Indigenous primary health care services arose from mainstream health services being unable to adequately meet the needs of Indigenous communities and Indigenous peoples often being excluded and marginalised from mainstream health services. Part of the solution has been to establish Indigenous specific primary health care services, for and managed by Indigenous peoples. There are a number of reasons why Indigenous primary health care services are more likely than mainstream services to improve the health of Indigenous communities. Their success is partly due to the fact that they often provide comprehensive programs that incorporate treatment and management, prevention and health promotion, as well as addressing the social determinants of health. However, there are gaps in the evidence base including the characteristics that contribute to the success of Indigenous primary health care services in providing comprehensive primary health care. This systematic scoping review aims to identify the characteristics of Indigenous primary health care service delivery models. This systematic scoping review was led by an Aboriginal researcher, using the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Review Methodology. All published peer-reviewed and grey literature indexed in PubMed, EBSCO CINAHL, Embase, Informit, Mednar, and Trove databases from September 1978 to May 2015 were reviewed for inclusion. Studies were included if they describe the characteristics of service delivery models implemented within an Indigenous primary health care service. Sixty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and then thematically analysed to identify the characteristics of Indigenous PHC service delivery models. Culture was the most prominent characteristic underpinning all of the other seven characteristics which were identified - accessible health services, community participation, continuous quality improvement, culturally appropriate and skilled workforce, flexible approach to care, holistic health care, and self-determination and empowerment. While the eight characteristics were clearly distinguishable within the review, the interdependence between each characteristic was also evident. These findings were used to develop a new Indigenous PHC Service Delivery Model, which clearly demonstrates some of the unique characteristics of Indigenous specific models.

  3. 32 CFR 935.40 - Criminal offenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... prostitution; (c) Use any building, structure, vehicle, or public lands for the purpose of lewdness... not indigenous to the island, other than military working dogs or a guide dog for the blind or...

  4. Indigenous Fallow Management on Yap Island

    Treesearch

    M.V.C. Falanruw; Francis Ruegorong

    2002-01-01

    On Yap Island, indigenous management of the fallow in shifting agriculture has resulted in the development of site-stable taro patch and tree garden agroforestry systems. These systems are relatively sustainable and supportive of household economies , with some surplus for local market sales. however, a broad range of crops whose harvest is complementary to those...

  5. Multiple-factor classification of a human-modified forest landscape in the Hsuehshan Mountain Range, Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Berg, Kevan J; Icyeh, Lahuy; Lin, Yih-Ren; Janz, Arnold; Newmaster, Steven G

    2016-12-01

    Human actions drive landscape heterogeneity, yet most ecosystem classifications omit the role of human influence. This study explores land use history to inform a classification of forestland of the Tayal Mrqwang indigenous people of Taiwan. Our objectives were to determine the extent to which human action drives landscape heterogeneity. We used interviews, field sampling, and multivariate analysis to relate vegetation patterns to environmental gradients and human modification across 76 sites. We identified eleven forest classes. In total, around 70 % of plots were at lower elevations and had a history of shifting cultivation, terrace farming, and settlement that resulted in alder, laurel, oak, pine, and bamboo stands. Higher elevation mixed conifer forests were least disturbed. Arboriculture and selective harvesting were drivers of other conspicuous forest patterns. The findings show that past land uses play a key role in shaping forests, which is important to consider when setting targets to guide forest management.

  6. An Australian Indigenous community-led suicide intervention skills training program: community consultation findings.

    PubMed

    Nasir, Bushra; Kisely, Steve; Hides, Leanne; Ranmuthugala, Geetha; Brennan-Olsen, Sharon; Nicholson, Geoffrey C; Gill, Neeraj S; Hayman, Noel; Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas; Toombs, Maree

    2017-06-13

    Little is known of the appropriateness of existing gatekeeper suicide prevention programs for Indigenous communities. Despite the high rates of Indigenous suicide in Australia, especially among Indigenous youth, it is unclear how effective existing suicide prevention programs are in providing appropriate management of Indigenous people at risk of suicide. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with Indigenous communities in rural and regional areas of Southern Queensland. Thematic analysis was performed on the gathered information. Existing programs were time-intensive and included content irrelevant to Indigenous people. There was inconsistency in the content and delivery of gatekeeper training. Programs were also not sustainable for rural and regional Indigenous communities. Appropriate programs should be practical, relevant, and sustainable across all Indigenous communities, with a focus on the social, emotional, cultural and spiritual underpinnings of community wellbeing. Programs need to be developed in thorough consultation with Indigenous communities. Indigenous-led suicide intervention training programs are needed to mitigate the increasing rates of suicide experienced by Indigenous peoples living in rural and remote locations.

  7. Indigenous ancestral sayings contribute to modern conservation partnerships: examples using Phormium tenax.

    PubMed

    Wehi, Priscilla M

    2009-01-01

    Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is central to indigenous worldviews and practices and is one of the most important contributions that indigenous people can bring to conservation management partnerships. However, researchers and managers may have difficulty accessing such knowledge, particularly where knowledge transmission has been damaged. A new methodological approach analyzes ancestral sayings from Maori oral traditions for ecological information about Phormium tenax, a plant with high cultural value that is a dominant component in many threatened wetland systems, and frequently used in restoration plantings in New Zealand. Maori ancestral sayings record an association with nectar-feeding native parrots that has only rarely been reported, as well as indications of important environmental parameters (rainfall and drought) for this species. These sayings provide evidence of indigenous management that has not been reported from interviews with elders, including evidence of fire use to create Phormium cultivations. TEK in Maori ancestral sayings imply landscape-scale processes in comparison to intensive, small-scale management methods often reported in interviews. TEK in ancestral sayings can be used to generate new scientific hypotheses, negotiate collaborative pathways, and identify ecological management strategies that support biodiversity retention. TEK can inform restoration ecology, historical ecology, and conservation management of species and ecosystems, especially where data from pollen records and archaeological artifacts are incomplete.

  8. 75 FR 67907 - National Native American Heritage Month, 2010

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-04

    ... Proclamation For millennia before Europeans settled in North America, the indigenous peoples of this continent flourished with vibrant cultures and were the original stewards of the land. From generation to generation...

  9. Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. In the Ivaí Indigenous Land, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Nishi, Letícia; Bergamasco, Rosângela; Toledo, Max Jean de Ornelas; Falavigna, Dina Lúcia Morais; Gomes, Mônica Lúcia; Mota, Lúcio Tadeu; Falavigna-Guilherme, Ana Lúcia

    2009-10-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of cysts of Giardia spp. and oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. in waters of the Ivaí Indigenous Land, Brazil. Samples of river and spring water and of treated water were filtered and analyzed by direct immunofluorescence (Merifluor kit, Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, Ohio). Of 21 samples, 7 from each locality, 3 (3/7, 42.8%) from a river were positive for Giardia (mean concentration 2.57 cysts/L), and 1 (1/7, 14.3%) was positive for Cryptosporidium (6 oocysts/L). From springs, 1 sample (1/7, 14.3%) was positive for Cryptosporidium (6 oocysts/L). One sample (1/7, 14.3%) from treated water was positive for both, with 4 oocysts/L and 2 cysts/L. Giardia was the more frequent protozoan present.

  10. Indigenous Contributions to Sustainability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnhardt, R.

    2010-12-01

    Throughout the course of the Fourth International Polar Year(s), indigenous peoples have assumed a prominent role as significant partners in the pursuit of a broader and deeper understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of the human role in the Arctic region. Most salient in this partnership has been the substantial underlying differences in perspective, some political, some ideological, but most fundamental and intractable are the differences in world views, between those of the relative newcomers to the area (i.e. the miners, loggers, oil field workers, commercial fishermen, tourists, and even the occasional scientist), and the Native people with roots in the land that go back millennia. But no longer can these differences be cast in simplistic either/or terms, implying some kind of inherent dichotomy between those who live off the land vs. those tied to the cash economy, or traditional vs. modern technologies, or anecdotal vs. scientific evidence. These lines have been blurred with the realities that indigenous cultures are not static, and western structures are no longer dominant. Instead, we now have a much more fluid and dynamic situation in which once competing views of the world are striving toward reconciliation through new structures and frameworks that foster co-existence rather than domination and exploitation.

  11. Geographic distribution of isolated indigenous societies in Amazonia and the efficacy of indigenous territories.

    PubMed

    Kesler, Dylan C; Walker, Robert S

    2015-01-01

    The headwaters of the Amazon Basin harbor most of the world's last indigenous peoples who have limited contact with encroaching colonists. Knowledge of the geographic distribution of these isolated groups is essential to assist with the development of immediate protections for vulnerable indigenous settlements. We used remote sensing to document the locations of 28 isolated villages within the four Brazilian states of Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, and Rondônia. The sites were confirmed during previous over-flights and by image evidence of thatched-roof houses; they are estimated to host over 1,700 individuals. Locational data were used to train maximum entropy models that identified landscape and anthropogenic features associated with the occurrence of isolated indigenous villages, including elevation, proximity to streams of five different orders, proximity to roads and settlements, proximity to recent deforestation, and vegetation cover type. Isolated villages were identified at mid elevations, within 20 km of the tops of watersheds and at greater distances from existing roads and trails. We further used model results, combined with boundaries of the existing indigenous territory system that is designed to protect indigenous lands, to assess the efficacy of the existing protected area network for isolated peoples. Results indicate that existing indigenous territories encompass all of the villages we identified, and 50% of the areas with high predicted probabilities of isolated village occurrence. Our results are intended to help inform policies that can mitigate against future external threats to isolated peoples.

  12. From protest to productivity: the evolution of indigenous federations in Ecuador.

    PubMed

    Bebbington, A; Carrasco, H; Peralbo, L; Ramon, G; Torres, V H; Trujillo, J

    1992-01-01

    A broad grassroots movement of Native American organizations has banded together in Ecuador around the struggle for land, civil rights, and cultural identity. Examples of success include the titling of communal land claims, proliferation of bilingual education and literacy programs, reclamation of native musical and art forms, and a generally stronger determination of indigenous peoples to exercise their citizens' rights. Evidence of this latter achievement was most pronounced in June 1990, when the National Confederation of Indigenous Ecuadorians called for a nonviolent rural mobilization to publicize the government's failure to fulfill its commitments to Indian communities. The protest shut down major transportation arteries throughout the countryside and received broad media coverage. Even though few tangible results were immediately forthcoming, the action voiced loudly and clearly the disgruntlement and power of these peoples. Having tasted the potential for change and their own nascent power, members now want their organizations to go beyond efforts to revitalize culture and leverage better services from the state. They want help in earning and maintaining a secure family income in a time of national economic crisis, structural adjustment, and declining public sector support. These indigenous organizations are effectively being asked to become development organizations. The central question, however, is whether they can make the shift to generating income-producing projects. In an attempt to determine which economic roles these organizations are best suited to play, the authors review how existing federations have evolved.

  13. Shifts in indigenous microbial communities during the anaerobic degradation of pentachlorophenol in upland and paddy soils from southern China.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yating; Tao, Liang; Wu, Ke; Wang, Yongkui

    2016-11-01

    Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a common persistent pesticide in soil that has generated a significant environmental problem worldwide. Therefore, anaerobic degradation of PCP by the soil indigenous microbial community has gained increasing attention. However, little information is available concerning the functional microorganisms and the potential shifts in the microbial community associated with PCP degradation. In this study, we conducted a set of experiments to determine which components of the indigenous microbial community were capable of degrading PCP in soils of two land use types (upland and paddy soils) in southern China. Our results showed that the PCP degradation rate was significantly higher in paddy soils than that in upland soils. 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput sequencing revealed significant differences in microbial taxonomic composition between the soil with PCP and blank (soil without PCP) with Acinetobacter, Clostridium, Coprococcus, Oxobacter, and Sedimentibacter dominating the PCP-affected communities. Acinetobacter was also apparently enriched in the paddy soils with PCP (up to 52.2 %) indicated this genus is likely to play an important role in PCP degradation. Additionally, the Fe(III)-reducing bacteria Clostridium may also be involved in PCP degradation. Our data further revealed hitherto unknown metabolisms of potential PCP degradation by microorganisms including Coprococcus, Oxobacter, and Ruminiclostridium. Overall, these findings indicated that land use types may affect the PCP anaerobic degradation rate via the activities of indigenous bacterial populations and extend our knowledge of the bacterial populations responsible for PCP degradation.

  14. The Role of Social Constructions and Biophysical Attributes of the Environment in Decision-Making in the Context of Biofuels and Rubber Production Partnership Regimes in Upland Philippines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montefrio, M. F.

    2012-12-01

    Burgeoning attention in biofuels and natural rubber has spurred interest among governments and private companies in integrating marginalized communities into global commodity markets. Upland farmers from diverse cultural backgrounds and biophysical settings today are deciding whether to agree with partnership proposals from governments and private firms to grow biofuels and natural rubber. In this paper, I examine whether upland farmers' socio-environmental constructions (evaluative beliefs, place satisfaction, and ecological worldviews) and the actual biophysical attributes (land cover and soil types) of upland environments, respectively, function as significant predictors of the intent and decisions of indigenous and non-indigenous farmers to cooperate with government and private actors to establish certain biofuel crops and natural rubber production systems in Palawan, Philippines. Drawing from ethnography and statistical analysis of household surveys, I propose that social constructions and the biophysical attributes of the environment are closely related with each other and in turn both influence individual decision-making behavior in resource-based production partnership regimes. This has significant implications on the resilience of socio-ecological systems, particularly agro-ecosystems, as certain upland farmers prefer to engage in intensive, monocrop production of biofuels and natural rubber on relatively more biodiverse areas, such as secondary forests and traditional shifting cultivation lands. The study aims to advance new institutional theories of resource management, particularly Ostrom's Institutional Analysis and Development and Socio-Ecological Systems frameworks, and scholarship on environmental decision-making in the context of collective action.

  15. Improving the United States’ Efforts in Countering Violent Extremist Organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-04

    32 Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the...Shabab Injuries 32 CHAPTER 8 Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb Al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is a militant Islamist group...Since many of the Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa fall into the high or critical threat category for indigenous and transnational terrorism, the

  16. Valuing Indigenous Knowledge in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea: A Model for Agricultural and Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radcliffe, Chris; Parissi, Cesidio; Raman, Anantanarayanan

    2016-01-01

    Current methods of agricultural and environmental education for indigenous farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) fail to provide high level engagement. Indigenous knowledge (IK) forms the basis of natural resource management, agriculture and health of farmers in PNG, yet its value to agricultural and environmental education in PNG is rarely…

  17. Getting better at chronic care in remote communities: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled of community based management.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Barbara; Wenitong, Mark; Esterman, Adrian; Hoy, Wendy; Segal, Leonie; Taylor, Sean; Preece, Cilla; Sticpewich, Alex; McDermott, Robyn

    2012-11-21

    Prevalence and incidence of diabetes and other common comorbid conditions (hypertension, coronary heart disease, renal disease and chronic lung disease) are extremely high among Indigenous Australians. Recent measures to improve quality of preventive care in Indigenous community settings, while apparently successful at increasing screening and routine check-up rates, have shown only modest or little improvements in appropriate care such as the introduction of insulin and other scaled-up drug regimens in line with evidence-based guidelines, together with support for risk factor reduction. A new strategy is required to ensure high quality integrated family-centred care is available locally, with continuity and cultural safety, by community-based care coordinators with appropriate system supports. The trial design is open parallel cluster randomised controlled trial. The objective of this pragmatic trial is to test the effectiveness of a model of health service delivery that facilitates integrated community-based, intensive chronic condition management, compared with usual care, in rural and remote Indigenous primary health care services in north Queensland. Participants are Indigenous adults (aged 18-65 years) with poorly controlled diabetes (HbA1c>=8.5) and at least one other chronic condition. The intervention is to employ an Indigenous Health Worker to case manage the care of a maximum caseload of 30 participants. The Indigenous Health Workers receive intensive clinical training initially, and throughout the study, to ensure they are competent to coordinate care for people with chronic conditions. The Indigenous Health Workers, supported by the local primary health care (PHC) team and an Indigenous Clinical Support Team, will manage care, including coordinating access to multidisciplinary team care based on best practice standards. Allocation by cluster to the intervention and control groups is by simple randomisation after participant enrolment. Participants in the control group will receive usual care, and will be wait-listed to receive a revised model of the intervention informed by the data analysis. The primary outcome is reduction in HbA1c measured at 18 months. Implementation fidelity will be monitored and a qualitative investigation (methods to be determined) will aim to identify elements of the model which may influence health outcomes for Indigenous people with chronic conditions. This pragmatic trial will test a culturally-sound family-centred model of care with supported case management by IHWs to improve outcomes for people with complex chronic care needs. This trial is now in the intervention phase. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTR12610000812099.

  18. Systematic review to inform prevention and management of chronic disease for Indigenous Australians: overview and priorities.

    PubMed

    Gomersall, Judith Streak; Canuto, Karla; Aromataris, Edoardo; Braunack-Mayer, Annette; Brown, Alex

    2016-02-01

    To describe the main characteristics of systematic reviews addressing questions of chronic disease and related risk factors for Indigenous Australians. We searched databases for systematic reviews meeting inclusion criteria. Two reviewers assessed quality and extracted characteristics using pre-defined tools. We identified 14 systematic reviews. Seven synthesised evidence about health intervention effectiveness; four addressed chronic disease or risk factor prevalence; and six conducted critical appraisal as per current best practice. Only three reported steps to align the review with standards for ethical research with Indigenous Australians and/or capture Indigenous-specific knowledge. Most called for more high-quality research. Systematic review is an under-utilised method for gathering evidence to inform chronic disease prevention and management for Indigenous Australians. Relevance of future systematic reviews could be improved by: 1) aligning questions with community priorities as well as decision maker needs; 2) involvement of, and leadership by, Indigenous researchers with relevant cultural and contextual knowledge; iii) use of critical appraisal tools that include traditional risk of bias assessment criteria and criteria that reflect Indigenous standards of appropriate research. Systematic review method guidance, tools and reporting standards are required to ensure alignment with ethical obligations and promote rigor and relevance. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

  19. 25 CFR 170.110 - How can State and local governments prevent discrimination or adverse impacts?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... INTERIOR LAND AND WATER INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS PROGRAM Indian Reservation Roads Program Policy and..., trust resources, tribal businesses, religious, and cultural sites; (4) Harming indigenous plants and...

  20. The satisfaction level of indigenous people towards planned housing development. Case study: Orang Asli Kg. Sejagong, Sri Medan, Yong Peng Johor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamaruddin, S. M.; Zaini, N. S.; Misni, A.; Ahmad, P.

    2018-02-01

    Orang Asli possesses a unique relationship with their traditional land. Indigenous people have their thoughts on development, life values, visions, needs, and priorities. The government through Department of Orang Asli Development or Jabatan Kebajikan Orang Asli (JAKOA) implemented various development programs such as structured settlement program, physical improvements such as Regrouping Plan (RPS), Village Restructuring project (PSK), New Village Plan (RKB) and Orang Asli settlement customary Land Survey (village) / Land Acquisition. Orang Asli Community. However, their sense of satisfaction towards the development implemented is rarely evaluated. This paper aims to highlight Orang Asli’s thoughts and level of satisfaction towards the planned housing development of their settlement. A mixed methodology was employed using survey and interview to record their thoughts. The findings suggest that the Orang Asli Community’s sense of satisfaction towards housing development has improved. However, their needs to adhere to their social traditions and norms such as living adjacent to relatives, surrounded by nature within a low-density environment must be respected.

  1. Effectiveness, cost effectiveness, acceptability and implementation barriers/enablers of chronic kidney disease management programs for Indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand and Canada: a systematic review of mixed evidence.

    PubMed

    Reilly, Rachel; Evans, Katharine; Gomersall, Judith; Gorham, Gillian; Peters, Micah D J; Warren, Steven; O'Shea, Rebekah; Cass, Alan; Brown, Alex

    2016-04-06

    Indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand and Canada carry a greater burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) than the general populations in each country, and this burden is predicted to increase. Given the human and economic cost of dialysis, understanding how to better manage CKD at earlier stages of disease progression is an important priority for practitioners and policy-makers. A systematic review of mixed evidence was undertaken to examine the evidence relating to the effectivness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of chronic kidney disease management programs designed for Indigenous people, as well as barriers and enablers of implementation of such programs. Published and unpublished studies reporting quantitative and qualitative data on health sector-led management programs and models of care explicitly designed to manage, slow progression or otherwise improve the lives of Indigenous people with CKD published between 2000 and 2014 were considered for inclusion. Data on clinical effectiveness, ability to self-manage, quality of life, acceptability, cost and cost-benefit, barriers and enablers of implementation were of interest. Quantitative data was summarized in narrative and tabular form and qualitative data was synthesized using the Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach. Ten studies were included. Six studies provided evidence of clinical effectiveness of CKD programs designed for Indigenous people, two provided evidence of cost and cost-effectiveness of a CKD program, and two provided qualitative evidence of barriers and enablers of implementation of effective and/or acceptable CKD management programs. Common features of effective and acceptable programs were integration within existing services, nurse-led care, intensive follow-up, provision of culturally-appropriate education, governance structures supporting community ownership, robust clinical systems supporting communication and a central role for Indigenous Health Workers. Given the human cost of dialysis and the growing population of people living with CKD, there is an urgent need to draw lessons from the available evidence from this and other sources, including studies in the broader population, to better serve this population with programs that address the barriers to receiving high-quality care and improve quality of life.

  2. The facilitators and barriers of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional sport participants.

    PubMed

    Péloquin, Claudie; Doering, Thomas; Alley, Stephanie; Rebar, Amanda

    2017-10-01

    Disparities in health perspectives between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations are major concerns in many of the world's well-developed nations. Indigenous populations are largely less healthy, more prone to chronic diseases, and have an earlier overall mortality than non-Indigenous populations. Low levels of physical activity (PA) contribute to the high levels of disease in Indigenous Australians. Qualitative analysis of structured one-on-one interviews discussing PA in a regional setting. Participants were 12 Indigenous Australian adults, and 12 non-Indigenous Australian adults matched on age, sex, and basketball division. Most participants reported engaging in regular exercise; however, the Indigenous group reported more barriers to PA. These factors included cost, time management and environmental constraints. The physical facilitators identified by our Indigenous sample included social support, intrinsic motivation and role modelling. Findings describe individual and external factors that promote or constraint PA as reported by Indigenous Australian adults. Results indicate that Indigenous people face specific barriers to PA when compared to a non-Indigenous sample. Implications for public health: This study is the first to compare the perspective of Indigenous Australians to a matched group of non-Indigenous Australians and provides useful knowledge to develop public health programs based on culturally sensitive data. © 2017 The Authors.

  3. Comparison of degradation between indigenous and spiked bisphenol A and triclosan in a biosolids amended soil.

    PubMed

    Langdon, Kate A; Warne, Michael Stj; Smernik, Ronald J; Shareef, Ali; Kookana, Rai S

    2013-03-01

    This study compared the degradation of indigenous bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan (TCS) in a biosolids-amended soil, to the degradation of spiked labelled surrogates of the same compounds (BPA-d16 and TCS-(13)C12). The aim was to determine if spiking experiments accurately predict the degradation of compounds in biosolids-amended soils using two different types of biosolids, a centrifuge dried biosolids (CDB) and a lagoon dried biosolids (LDB). The rate of degradation of the compounds was examined and the results indicated that there were considerable differences between the indigenous and spiked compounds. These differences were more marked for BPA, for which the indigenous compound was detectable throughout the study, whereas the spiked compound decreased to below the detection limit prior to the study completion. The rate of degradation for the indigenous BPA was approximately 5-times slower than that of the spiked BPA-d16. The indigenous and spiked TCS were both detectable throughout the study, however, the shape of the degradation curves varied considerably, particularly in the CDB treatment. These findings show that spiking experiments may not be suitable to predict the degradation and persistence of organic compounds following land application of biosolids. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Insights from the past: incorporating long-term landscape evolution in studies of land degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferro-Vazquez, Cruz; Lang, Carol; Kabora, Tabitha; Thornton-Barnett, Senna; Richer, Suzi; Gallello, Gianni; Stump, Daryl

    2017-04-01

    Modern approaches for assessing land degradation encompass multidisciplinary studies that have allowed a more realistic understanding of the causes and consequences of land degradation. This incipient perspective includes an increasingly important role of the studies of the past, including human history, to understand modern ecosystems and landscapes. Indeed, the current promotion of indigenous resource-use strategies as models of sustainable development was initially prompted by historical studies. However, systematic studies on whether or not indigenous management practices led to land degradation, and therefore their benefits or constraints for sustained use of natural resources, are not truly known. We argue that a joint approach combining the characterization of current soil properties with the archaeological study of traditional agricultural systems can provide insights on their sustainability. Archaeological excavation enables discerning the order in which sediments are deposited and the sequence in which structures are built. This provides data on coincident cultural and ecological change, and a long-term perspective on how agro-ecological systems operated in pre-modern states and the ways in which they resemble or differ from modern contexts. Simultaneously, these changes would have left a physical, chemical and isotopic imprint in soils that can be detected and interpreted to contribute to the production of a "usable past" (Stump, 2013). The premise is: since ancient agricultural sites may provide information on agronomic conditions after centuries to millennia of use, they can help in understanding the ways in which agroecosystems have survived, failed or adapted in the past. This will contribute to a better holistic understanding of social-ecological systems evolution by including a temporal perspective, and to a more nuanced assessment of land degradation and sustainable use. To illustrate this we present the outcome of our research at two traditional agricultural systems in Ethiopia and Tanzania that are being studied under two EU funded projects: tRRACES (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-657355) and AAREA (ERC-StG-2012-337128-AAREA). Combining archaeological research with soils characterization (elemental composition, mineralogy, micromorphology and molecular composition of the organic matter), we demonstrated that a focus on the processes of landscape evolution and soil formation can change our interpretation of a system and hence our assessment of its current status and its past and future sustainability.

  5. Exploring New Conceptualisations of Old Problems: Researching and Reorienting Teaching in Indigenous Studies to Transform Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Page, Susan

    2014-01-01

    Indigenous Studies can be both exciting and challenging for teachers and students. This article will examine how an existing learning theory can be harnessed to help teachers better understand these challenges and manage some frequently seen student behaviours. Much of the discussion in Indigenous Studies pedagogy to date has focused on the…

  6. Unthinking the 200-Year-Old Colonial Mind: Indigenist Perspectives on Leading and Managing Indigenous Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhea, Zane Ma

    2015-01-01

    Two hundred years ago in 1814 in Australia, Governor Lachlan Macquarie developed a 15 point plan for the provision of education services to Indigenous children. Using the tools of policy ethnography, this paper will examine the administration of Indigenous Education from the establishment of the first Native Institution in NSW in 1814 up to the…

  7. Similarities and Differences Between Yoruba Traditional Healers (YTH) and Native American and Canadian Healers (NACH).

    PubMed

    Adekson, Mary Olufunmilayo

    2016-10-01

    Indigenous people of the world have used the services of medicine men and traditional healers from time immemorial. According to the World Health Organization, 80 % of the world's populations consult traditional healers. With an emerging globalization of health services in the world, there is a need for western mental health practitioners to learn and understand the practices of indigenous healers across the globe. This paper will not only highlight the similarities and differences between Yoruba traditional healers of Western Nigeria and Native American and First Nation Canadian traditional healers, but it will also allow practitioners to gain clearer perspectives of indigenous clients from Yoruba land and those from the United States of America and Canada. This ultimately will inform culturally sensitive clinical practice with these populations.

  8. "mus co shee": Indigenous Plant Foods and Horticultural Imperialism in the Canadian Sub-Arctic.

    PubMed

    Soloway, Beverly

    2015-01-01

    The 17th-century arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company in Rupert's Land disrupted Mushkegowuk (Cree) hunter-gatherer society by replacing the collection of indigenous plant foods with a British planted-food model. Within a hundred years of British contact, new foodways relied upon hunting and gardening, bringing a loss in heritage plant food knowledge. Mushkegowuk living in the sub-arctic today have minimal knowledge of edible indigenous plants. Dependence on limited local gardening or imported grocery store vegetables has affected diet, nutrition, and cultural systems. In addition to exploring plant food gathering and gardening history in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, this paper demonstrates how re-discovering lost foodway knowledge can contribute to the health and well-being of those living in the far north.

  9. 8 CFR 1101.1 - Presumption of lawful admission.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., 1906. (b) United States land borders. An alien who establishes that, while a citizen of Canada or... zone. An alien who establishes that he is of a race indigenous to, and a native of a country within...

  10. Integrating indigenous ecological and scientific hydro-geological knowledge using a Bayesian Network in the context of water resource development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liedloff, A. C.; Woodward, E. L.; Harrington, G. A.; Jackson, S.

    2013-08-01

    The contributions indigenous ecological knowledge can make to better inform water management decisions are currently undervalued leading to an underrepresentation of indigenous values in water planning and policy. This paper outlines a novel approach in which indigenous ecological knowledge informs cause and effect relationships between species and aquatic habitats to promote broader ecosystem understanding. A Bayesian Network was developed to synthesise the seasonal aquatic knowledge of a group of Gooniyandi Aboriginal language speakers, including fish species’ availability, condition and required habitat, and integrate it with hydrogeological understanding obtained from research undertaken in a stretch of the Fitzroy River, Western Australia. This river system, like most in northern Australia, is highly seasonal and entirely dependent upon groundwater for maintaining flow during prolonged dry seasons. We found that potential changes in river flow rates caused by future water resource development, such as groundwater extraction and surface water diversion, may have detrimental effects on the ability to catch the high value aquatic food species such as Barramundi and Sawfish, but also that species such as Black Bream may benefit. These findings result from changes in availability of habitats at times when Gooniyandi understanding shows they are important for providing aquatic resources in good condition. This study raises awareness of the potential outcomes of future water management and stimulates communication between indigenous people, the scientific community and water managers by developing a model of indigenous understanding from which to predict eco-hydrological change.

  11. The engineering of a nuclear thermal landing and ascent vehicle utilizing indigenous Martian propellant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zubrin, Robert M.

    1990-01-01

    A design study of a novel space transportation concept called NIMF (Nuclear rocket using Indigenous Martian Fuel) is reported. In this concept, Martian CO2 gas, which constitutes 95 percent of the atmosphere, is liquified by simple compression to about 100 psi and remains stable without refrigeration. When heated and exhausted out of a rocket nozzle, a specific impulse of about 264 s can be achieved, sufficient for flights from the surface to highly energetic orbits or from one point on the surface to any other point. The propellant acquisition system can travel with the vehicle, allowing it to refuel itself each time it lands. The concept offers unequalled potential to achieve planetwide mobility, allowing complete global access for the exploration of Mars. By eliminating the necessity of transporting ascent propellant to Mars, the NIMF can also significantly reduce the initial mass in LEO and of a manned Mars mission.

  12. Ambient biomass smoke and cardio-respiratory hospital admissions in Darwin, Australia

    PubMed Central

    Johnston, Fay H; Bailie, Ross S; Pilotto, Louis S; Hanigan, Ivan C

    2007-01-01

    Background Increasing severe vegetation fires worldwide has been attributed to both global environmental change and land management practices. However there is little evidence concerning the population health effects of outdoor air pollution derived from biomass fires. Frequent seasonal bushfires near Darwin, Australia provide an opportunity to examine this issue. We examined the relationship between atmospheric particle loadings <10 microns in diameter (PM10), and emergency hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory conditions over the three fire seasons of 2000, 2004 and 2005. In addition we examined the differential impacts on Indigenous Australians, a high risk population subgroup. Methods We conducted a case-crossover analysis of emergency hospital admissions with principal ICD10 diagnosis codes J00–J99 and I00–I99. Conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios for admission with 10 μg/m3 rises in PM10. These were adjusted for weekly influenza rates, same day mean temperature and humidity, the mean temperature and humidity of the previous three days, days with rainfall > 5 mm, public holidays and holiday periods. Results PM10 ranged from 6.4 – 70.0 μg/m3 (mean 19.1). 2466 admissions were examined of which 23% were for Indigenous people. There was a positive relationship between PM10 and admissions for all respiratory conditions (OR 1.08 95%CI 0.98–1.18) with a larger magnitude in the Indigenous subpopulation (OR1.17 95% CI 0.98–1.40). While there was no relationship between PM10 and cardiovascular admissions overall, there was a positive association with ischaemic heart disease in Indigenous people, greatest at a lag of 3 days (OR 1.71 95%CI 1.14–2.55). Conclusion PM10 derived from vegetation fires was predominantly associated with respiratory rather than cardiovascular admissions. This outcome is consistent with the few available studies of ambient biomass smoke pollution. Indigenous people appear to be at higher risk of cardio-respiratory hospital admissions associated with exposure to PM10. PMID:17854481

  13. China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities-Background and Issues for Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-02-08

    carried by 8 of China’s 12 Russian-made Kilo-class submarines). China’s large inventory of ASCMs also includes several indigenous designs. DOD states that... inventory of mines.40 39 Lyle Goldstein and Shannon Knight, “Coming Without Shadows...with modern ASCMs. China’s land-based naval aircraft inventory includes, among other things, 24 Russian- made Su-30 MKK 2 Flanker land-based fighters

  14. Using PhotoVoice to Promote Land Conservation and Indigenous Well-Being in Oklahoma.

    PubMed

    Carroll, Clint; Garroutte, Eva; Noonan, Carolyn; Buchwald, Dedra

    2018-03-26

    Indigenous ancestral teachings commonly present individual and community health as dependent upon relationships between human and nonhuman worlds. But how do persons conversant with ancestral teachings effectively convey such perspectives in contemporary contexts, and to what extent does the general tribal citizenry share them? Can media technology provide knowledge keepers with opportunities to communicate their perspectives to larger audiences? What are the implications for tribal citizens' knowledge and views about tribal land use policies? Using a PhotoVoice approach, we collaborated with a formally constituted body of Cherokee elders who supply cultural guidance to the Cherokee Nation government in Oklahoma. We compiled photographs taken by the elders and conducted interviews with them centered on the project themes of land and health. We then developed a still-image documentary highlighting these themes and surveyed 84 Cherokee citizens before and after they viewed it. Results from the pre-survey revealed areas where citizens' perspectives on tribal policy did not converge with the elders' perspectives; however, the post-survey showed statistically significant changes. We conclude that PhotoVoice is an effective method to communicate elders' perspectives, and that tribal citizens' values about tribal land use may change as they encounter these perspectives in such novel formats.

  15. The role of pastoralism in regulating ecosystem services.

    PubMed

    Seid, M A; Kuhn, N J; Fikre, T Z

    2016-11-01

    Pastoralism is rarely viewed as a major future form of land use, because of well-documented cases of rangeland degradation, attributed to irrational overstocking by pastoralists, and the subsequent losses of ecosystem services. However, pastoralists were actually encouraged to settle and adopt such strategies, copied from rangelands with higher and more reliable rainfall. This curtailed mobility resulted in a shift from opportunistic and extensive land use to more intensive and settled forms of use. The purpose of this review is to examine the link between pastoralism and the provision of ecosystem services by rangelands, focusing on biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. Pastoralists employ several techniques to manage rangeland resources, including mobility, herding, corralling, grazing reserves and the use of fire. With these strategies, pastoralists have contributed to the enhancement of rangeland biodiversity and the long-term conservation of important wildlife habitats. Pastoralists also possess detailed knowledge of rangeland plants and their uses, which could be valuable in the assessment, conservation and utilisation of rangeland biodiversity. Similarly, traditional pastoral rangeland management practices, such as the use of seasonal grassland reserves and livestock mobility, influence vegetation composition, coverage and abundance in rangelands and offer tools for biomass and soil carbon restoration, contributing to the mitigation of climate change. However, various internal and external factors have curtailed traditional management practices and livestock mobility, breaking the co-evolved balance of vegetation, wildlife and land use, thus exposing rangeland to continued livestock pressure, which often leads to degradation. Rather than abandoning pastoralism, the revitalisation of traditional practices and indigenous knowledge is vital to secure sustainable livelihoods for millions of pastoralists and to maintain rangeland biodiversity and ecosystem services.

  16. Integrating biodiversity management and indigenous biopiracy protection to promote environmental justice and global health.

    PubMed

    Mackey, Tim K; Liang, Bryan A

    2012-06-01

    Many potentially useful medicines arise from developing countries' biodiverse environments and indigenous knowledge. However, global intellectual property rules have resulted in biopiracy, raising serious ethical concerns of environmental justice, exploitation, and health disparities in these populations. Furthermore, state-based approaches have not led to adequate biodiversity protection, management, or resource sharing, which affect access to lifesaving drugs. In response, country delegates adopted the Nagoya Protocol, which aims at promoting biodiversity management, combating biopiracy, and encouraging equitable benefits sharing with indigenous communities. However, the effectiveness of this framework in meeting these objectives remains in question. To address these challenges, we propose a policy building on the Nagoya Protocol that employs a World Health Organization-World Trade Organization Joint Committee on Bioprospecting and Biopiracy.

  17. Climate change impacts detection in dry forested ecosystem as indicated by vegetation cover change in -Laikipia, of Kenya.

    PubMed

    M'mboroki, Kiambi Gilbert; Wandiga, Shem; Oriaso, Silas Odongo

    2018-03-29

    The objective of the study was to detect and identify land cover changes in Laikipia County of Kenya that have occurred during the last three decades. The land use types of study area are six, of which three are the main and the other three are the minor. The main three, forest, shrub or bush land and grassland, changed during the period, of which grasslands reduced by 5864 ha (40%), forest by 3071 ha (24%) and shrub and bush land increased by 8912 ha (43%). The other three minor land use types were bare land which had reduced by 238 ha (45%), river bed vegetation increased by 209 ha (72%) and agriculture increased by 52 ha (600%) over the period decades. Differences in spatiotemporal variations of vegetation could be largely attributed to the effects of climate factors, anthropogenic activities and their interactions. Precipitation and temperature have been demonstrated to be the key climate factors for plant growth and vegetation development where rainfall decreased by 200 mm and temperatures increased by 1.5 °C over the period. Also, the opinion of the community on the change of land use and management was attributed to climate change and also adaptation strategies applied by the community over time. For example unlike the common understanding that forest resources utilisation increases with increasing human population, Mukogodo dry forested ecosystem case is different in that the majority of the respondents (78.9%) reported that the forest resource use was more in that period than now and also a similar majority (74.2%) had the same opinion that forest resource utilisation was low compared to last 30 years. In Yaaku community, change impacts were evidenced and thus mitigation measures suggested to address the impacts which included the following: controlled bush management and indigenous grass reseeding programme were advocated to restore original grasslands, and agricultural (crop farming) activities are carried out in designated areas outside the forest conservation areas (ecosystem zoning) all in consultation with government (political class), community and other stakeholders. Groups are organised (environmental management committee) to address conservation, political and vulnerability issues in the pastoral dry forested ecosystem which will sustain pastoralism in the ecosystem.

  18. Assessing service use for mental health by Indigenous populations in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America: a rapid review of population surveys.

    PubMed

    McIntyre, Cecily; Harris, Meredith G; Baxter, Amanda J; Leske, Stuart; Diminic, Sandra; Gone, Joseph P; Hunter, Ernest; Whiteford, Harvey

    2017-08-04

    Indigenous people in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America experience disproportionately poor mental health compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. To optimally allocate resources, health planners require information about the services Indigenous people use for mental health, their unmet treatment needs and the barriers to care. We reviewed population surveys of Indigenous people to determine whether the information needed to guide service development is being collected. We sought national- or state-level epidemiological surveys of Indigenous populations conducted in each of the four selected countries since 1990 that asked about service use for mental health. Surveys were identified from literature reviews and web searches. We developed a framework for categorising the content of each survey. Using this framework, we compared the service use content of the surveys of Indigenous people to each other and to general population mental health surveys. We focused on identifying gaps in information coverage and topics that may require Indigenous-specific questions or response options. Nine surveys met our inclusion criteria. More than half of these included questions about health professionals consulted, barriers to care, perceived need for care, medications taken, number, duration, location and payment of health professional visits or use of support services or self-management. Less than half included questions about interventions received, hospital admissions or treatment dropout. Indigenous-specific content was most common in questions regarding use of support services or self-management, types of health professionals consulted, barriers to care and interventions received. Epidemiological surveys measuring service use for mental health among Indigenous populations have been less comprehensive and less standardised than surveys of the general population, despite having assessed similar content. To better understand the gaps in mental health service systems for Indigenous people, systematically-collected subjective and objective indicators of the quality of care being delivered are needed.

  19. Values associated with management of Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone National Park

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gresswell, Robert E.; Liss, W.J.

    1995-01-01

    Recent emphasis on a holistic view of natural systems and their management is associated with a growing appreciation of the role of human values in these systems. In the past, resource management has been perceived as a dichotomy between extraction (harvest) and nonconsumptive use, but this appears to be an oversimplified view of natural-cultural systems. The recreational fishery for Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) in Yellowstone National Park is an example of the effects of management on a natural-cultural system. Although angler harvest has been drastically reduced or prohibited, the recreational value of Yellowstone cutthroat trout estimated by angling factors (such as landing rate or size) ranks above that of all other sport species in Yellowstone National Park. To maintain an indigenous fishery resource of this quality with hatchery propagation is not economically or technically feasible. Nonconsumptive uses of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout including fish-watching and intangible values, such as existence demand, provide additional support for protection of wild Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations. A management strategy that reduces resource extraction has provided a means to sustain a quality recreational fishery while enhancing values associated with the protection of natural systems.

  20. Indigenous Knowledge Informing Management of Tropical Forests: The Link between Rhythms in Plant Secondary Chemistry and Lunar Cycles.

    Treesearch

    Kristiina A. Vogt; Karen H. Beard; Shira Hammann; Jennifer O’Hara Palmiotto; Daniel J. Vogt; Frederick N. Scatena; Brooke P. Hecht

    2002-01-01

    This research used knowledge of the indigenous practice of timing nontimber forest product harvest with the full moon to demonstrate that chemicals controlling the decomposition rate of foliage fluctuate with the lunar cycle and may have developed as a result of plant-herbivore interactions. Indigenous knowledge suggests that leaves harvested during the full moon are...

  1. Local perspectives of the ability of HIA stakeholder engagement to capture and reflect factors that impact Alaska Native health.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jen; Nix, Nancy A; Snyder, Elizabeth Hodges

    2014-01-01

    Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process used to inform planning and decision making in a range of sectors by identifying potential positive and negative health effects of proposed projects, programs, or policies. Stakeholder engagement is an integral component of HIA and requires careful consideration of participant diversity and appropriate methodologies. Ensuring that the engagement process is able to capture and address Indigenous worldviews and definitions of health is important where Indigenous populations are impacted, particularly in northern regions experiencing increases in natural resource development activities on Indigenous lands. Investigate local participant perspectives of an HIA of a proposed Alaska coal mine, with a focus on the ability of the HIA process to capture, reflect, and address health concerns communicated by Alaska Native participants. A qualitative approach guided by semi-structured interviews with purposeful sampling to select key informants who participated in the coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process. QUALITATIVE DATA IDENTIFIED THREE KEY THEMES AS IMPORTANT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ALASKA NATIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ALASKA COAL MINE HIA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS: (i) the inability of the engagement process to recognize an Indigenous way of sharing or gathering information; (ii) the lack of recognizing traditional knowledge and its use for identifying health impacts and status; and (iii) the inability of the engagement process to register the relationship Indigenous people have with the environment in which they live. Issues of trust in the HIA process and of the HIA findings were expressed within each theme. Recommendations derived from the research identify the need to acknowledge and incorporate the history of colonialism and assimilation policies in an HIA when assessing health impacts of resource development on or near Indigenous lands. These historical contexts must be included in baseline conditions to understand particular vulnerabilities and potential health risks and impacts. Further, HIA practitioners should recognize the range of definitions for "health" and demonstrate this recognition throughout the stakeholder engagement process, as well as in the HIA recommendations and suggested mitigations.

  2. Local perspectives of the ability of HIA stakeholder engagement to capture and reflect factors that impact Alaska Native health

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Jen; Nix, Nancy A.; Snyder, Elizabeth Hodges

    2014-01-01

    Background Health impact assessment (HIA) is a process used to inform planning and decision making in a range of sectors by identifying potential positive and negative health effects of proposed projects, programs, or policies. Stakeholder engagement is an integral component of HIA and requires careful consideration of participant diversity and appropriate methodologies. Ensuring that the engagement process is able to capture and address Indigenous worldviews and definitions of health is important where Indigenous populations are impacted, particularly in northern regions experiencing increases in natural resource development activities on Indigenous lands. Objective Investigate local participant perspectives of an HIA of a proposed Alaska coal mine, with a focus on the ability of the HIA process to capture, reflect, and address health concerns communicated by Alaska Native participants. Design A qualitative approach guided by semi-structured interviews with purposeful sampling to select key informants who participated in the coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process. Results Qualitative data identified three key themes as important from the perspective of Alaska Native participants in the Alaska coal mine HIA stakeholder engagement process: (i) the inability of the engagement process to recognize an Indigenous way of sharing or gathering information; (ii) the lack of recognizing traditional knowledge and its use for identifying health impacts and status; and (iii) the inability of the engagement process to register the relationship Indigenous people have with the environment in which they live. Issues of trust in the HIA process and of the HIA findings were expressed within each theme. Conclusions Recommendations derived from the research identify the need to acknowledge and incorporate the history of colonialism and assimilation policies in an HIA when assessing health impacts of resource development on or near Indigenous lands. These historical contexts must be included in baseline conditions to understand particular vulnerabilities and potential health risks and impacts. Further, HIA practitioners should recognize the range of definitions for “health” and demonstrate this recognition throughout the stakeholder engagement process, as well as in the HIA recommendations and suggested mitigations. PMID:24936478

  3. Development of a Culturally Appropriate Bilingual Electronic App About Hepatitis B for Indigenous Australians: Towards Shared Understandings.

    PubMed

    Davies, Jane; Bukulatjpi, Sarah; Sharma, Suresh; Caldwell, Luci; Johnston, Vanessa; Davis, Joshua Saul

    2015-06-10

    Hepatitis B is endemic in Indigenous communities in Northern Australia; however, there is a lack of culturally appropriate educational tools. Health care workers and educators in this setting have voiced a desire for visual, interactive tools in local languages. Mobile phones are increasingly used and available in remote Indigenous communities. In this context, we identified the need for a tablet-based health education app about hepatitis B, developed in partnership with an Australian remote Indigenous community. To develop a culturally appropriate bilingual app about hepatitis B for Indigenous Australians in Arnhem Land using a participatory action research (PAR) framework. This project was a partnership between the Menzies School of Health Research, Miwatj Aboriginal Health Corporation, Royal Darwin Hospital Liver Clinic, and Dreamedia Darwin. We have previously published a qualitative study that identified major knowledge gaps about hepatitis B in this community, and suggested that a tablet-based app would be an appropriate and popular tool to improve this knowledge. The process of developing the app was based on PAR principles, particularly ongoing consultation, evaluation, and discussion with the community throughout each iterative cycle. Stages included development of the storyboard, the translation process (forward translation and backtranslation), prelaunch community review, launch and initial community evaluation, and finally, wider launch and evaluation at a viral hepatitis conference. We produced an app called "Hep B Story" for use with iPad, iPhone, Android tablets, and mobile phones or personal computers. The app is culturally appropriate, audiovisual, interactive, and users can choose either English or Yolŋu Matha (the most common language in East Arnhem Land) as their preferred language. The initial evaluation demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Hep B-related knowledge for 2 of 3 questions (P=.01 and .02, respectively) and overwhelmingly positive opinion regarding acceptability and ease of use (median rating of 5, on a 5-point Likert-type scale when users were asked if they would recommend the app to others). We describe the process of development of a bilingual hepatitis B-specific app for Indigenous Australians, using a PAR framework. The approach was found to be successful with positive evaluations.

  4. 75 FR 69983 - Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Initiate the Public...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-16

    ... that water quality has improved, these canals allow the transfer of both indigenous and nonindigenous... Water and Related Land Resource Implementation Studies, Water Resources Council, March 10, 1983. 2...

  5. 76 FR 64344 - Amended Record of Decision for the Nuclear Facility Portion of the Chemistry and Metallurgy...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-18

    ... potential impacts of each alternative on: Land use and visual resources; site infrastructure; air quality... intergovernmental efforts to protect indigenous practices and locations of concern. NNSA will continue to conduct...

  6. 8 CFR 101.1 - Presumption of lawful admission.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... land borders. An alien who establishes that, while a citizen of Canada or Newfoundland, he entered the... establishes that he is of a race indigenous to, and a native of a country within, the Asiatic zone defined in...

  7. Creating a path for indigenous student success in baccalaureate nursing education.

    PubMed

    Martin, Donna; Seguire, Marilyn

    2013-04-01

    To enhance recruitment and retention of indigenous peoples in nursing education, the University of Manitoba launched a cohort initiative in 2007. In this article, we describe the background, implementation, and evaluation of the initiative. Indigenous epistemology was integrated into the curriculum and pedagogy of prerequisite and beginning nursing courses. A cohort approach encourages peer support, which boosts individual and group strengths and academic success. Courses provide students with information about traditional indigenous knowledge, "Western" science, and how the history of colonialism continues to impact indigenous peoples in North America. Using the same instructors and advisors, in concert with tutoring, manageable course loads, and a culturally supportive environment, forges a path for success in indigenous students pursuing a baccalaureate nursing education. Key elements in the initiative may be adopted by nurse administrators and educators globally to inform the development of undergraduate nursing programs for indigenous peoples. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

  8. Signs of the Land: Reaching Arctic Communities Facing Climate Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sparrow, E. B.; Chase, M. J.; Demientieff, S.; Pfirman, S. L.; Brunacini, J.

    2014-12-01

    In July 2014, a diverse and intergenerational group of Alaskan Natives came together on Howard Luke's Galee'ya Camp by the Tanana River in Fairbanks, Alaska to talk about climate change and it's impacts on local communities. Over a period of four days, the Signs of the Land Climate Change Camp wove together traditional knowledge, local observations, Native language, and climate science through a mix of storytelling, presentations, dialogue, and hands-on, community-building activities. This camp adapted the model developed several years ago under the Association for Interior Native Educators (AINE)'s Elder Academy. Part of the Polar Learning and Responding Climate Change Education Partnership, the Signs of the Land Climate Change Camp was developed and conducted collaboratively with multiple partners to test a model for engaging indigenous communities in the co-production of climate change knowledge, communication tools, and solutions-building. Native Alaskans have strong subsistence and cultural connections to the land and its resources, and, in addition to being keen observers of their environment, have a long history of adapting to changing conditions. Participants in the camp included Elders, classroom teachers, local resource managers and planners, community members, and climate scientists. Based on their experiences during the camp, participants designed individualized outreach plans for bringing culturally-responsive climate learning to their communities and classrooms throughout the upcoming year. Plans included small group discussions, student projects, teacher training, and conference presentations.

  9. Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring Indigenous peoples' involvement in water planning processes across South Eastern Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saenz Quitian, Alejandra; Rodríguez, Gloria Amparo

    2016-11-01

    Indigenous peoples within the Murray-Darling Basin have traditionally struggled for the recognition of their cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, commercial and economic connection to the waters that they have traditionally used, as well as their right to engage in all stages of water planning processes. Despite Australian national and federal frameworks providing for the inclusion of Indigenous Australians' objectives in planning frameworks, water plans have rarely addressed these objectives in water, or the strategies to achieve them. Indeed, insufficient resources, a lack of institutional capacity in both Indigenous communities and agencies and an inadequate understanding of Indigenous people's objectives in water management have limited the extent to which Indigenous objectives are addressed in water plans within the Murray-Darling Basin. In this context, the adoption of specific guidelines to meet Indigenous requirements in relation to basin water resources is crucial to support Indigenous engagement in water planning processes. Using insights from participatory planning methods and human rights frameworks, this article outlines a set of alternative and collaborative guidelines to improve Indigenous involvement in water planning and to promote sustainable and just water allocations.

  10. Coast Guard: Efforts to Identify Arctic Requirements Are Ongoing, but More Communication about Agency Planning Efforts Would Be Beneficial

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    involve Indian tribal governments, such as certain Arctic indigenous communities in Alaska , in decisions that affect them.14 Finally, since the Arctic...primarily as vehicles for distributing land and monetary benefits to Alaska Natives to provide a fair and just settlement of aboriginal land claims in... Alaska Native stakeholders, as well as private or nonprofit organizations representing Arctic interests. These observations are not

  11. [Health, globalization and interculturalism: an anthropological approach to the situation of indigenous peoples in South America].

    PubMed

    Hita, Susana Ramírez

    2014-10-01

    This article reflects upon the impact of globalization and interculturalism on the living conditions of indigenous peoples in South America. Through two examples - Bolivia and Argentina - it is seen how health interculturalism has transformed into a discourse and a practice that both global organizations and most Latin American countries have used to assimilate and attract indigenous communities. Traditional medicine is respected and valued without proposing changes to improve the living conditions of these population groups. This is especially true in those areas where land is being expropriated or contaminated with the extraction of gas, oil, minerals and the construction of dams, along with indiscriminate deforestation of the rainforest. Health/illness cannot be separated from the territorial conditions of these peoples since environmental health is critical for their survival.

  12. A fire history derived from Pinus resinosa Ait. for the Islands of Eastern Lac La Croix, Minnesota, USA.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Lane B; Kipfmueller, Kurt F

    2016-06-01

    We reconstructed fire occurrence near a fur-trade era canoe travel corridor (used ca. 1780-1802) in the Quetico-Superior region west of Lake Superior to explore the possibility of human influence on pre-fire suppression rates of fire occurrence. Our research objectives were to (1) examine the spatial and temporal patterns of fire in the study area, (2) test fires' strength of association with regional drought, and (3) assess whether reconstructed fire frequencies could be explained by observed rates of lightning fire ignition over the modern period of record. We developed a 420-year fire history for the eastern portion of Lac La Croix in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Seventy-one fire-scarred samples were collected from remnant Pinus resinosa Ait. (red pine) stumps and logs from thirteen distinct island and three mainland forest stands. Collectively these samples contained records of 255 individual fire scars representing 79 fire events from 1636 to 1933 (study area mean fire intervals [MFI] 3.8 yr). Reconstructed fires were spatially and temporally asynchronous and not strongly associated with regional drought (P > 0.05). When compared to the conservative, tree-ring reconstructed estimate of historical fire occurrence and modern lightning-caused fires (1929-2012), a noticeable change in the distribution and frequency of fires within the study area was evident with only two lightning-ignited island fires since 1934 in the study area. Our results suggest a high likelihood that indigenous land use contributed to surface fire ignitions within our study area and highlights the importance of examining the potential effects of past indigenous land use when determining modern approaches to fire and wilderness management in fire-adapted ecosystems.

  13. Integrating indigenous livelihood and lifestyle objectives in managing a natural resource

    PubMed Central

    Plagányi, Éva Elizabeth; van Putten, Ingrid; Hutton, Trevor; Deng, Roy A.; Dennis, Darren; Pascoe, Sean; Skewes, Tim; Campbell, Robert A.

    2013-01-01

    Evaluating the success of natural resource management approaches requires methods to measure performance against biological, economic, social, and governance objectives. In fisheries, most research has focused on industrial sectors, with the contributions to global resource use by small-scale and indigenous hunters and fishers undervalued. Globally, the small-scale fisheries sector alone employs some 38 million people who share common challenges in balancing livelihood and lifestyle choices. We used as a case study a fishery with both traditional indigenous and commercial sectors to develop a framework to bridge the gap between quantitative bio-economic models and more qualitative social analyses. For many indigenous communities, communalism rather than capitalism underlies fishers’ perspectives and aspirations, and we find there are complicated and often unanticipated trade-offs between economic and social objectives. Our results highlight that market-based management options might score highly in a capitalistic society, but have negative repercussions on community coherence and equity in societies with a strong communal ethic. There are complex trade-offs between economic indicators, such as profit, and social indicators, such as lifestyle preferences. Our approach makes explicit the “triple bottom line” sustainability objectives involving trade-offs between economic, social, and biological performance, and is thus directly applicable to most natural resource management decision-making situations. PMID:23401546

  14. Integrating indigenous livelihood and lifestyle objectives in managing a natural resource.

    PubMed

    Plagányi, Éva Elizabeth; van Putten, Ingrid; Hutton, Trevor; Deng, Roy A; Dennis, Darren; Pascoe, Sean; Skewes, Tim; Campbell, Robert A

    2013-02-26

    Evaluating the success of natural resource management approaches requires methods to measure performance against biological, economic, social, and governance objectives. In fisheries, most research has focused on industrial sectors, with the contributions to global resource use by small-scale and indigenous hunters and fishers undervalued. Globally, the small-scale fisheries sector alone employs some 38 million people who share common challenges in balancing livelihood and lifestyle choices. We used as a case study a fishery with both traditional indigenous and commercial sectors to develop a framework to bridge the gap between quantitative bio-economic models and more qualitative social analyses. For many indigenous communities, communalism rather than capitalism underlies fishers' perspectives and aspirations, and we find there are complicated and often unanticipated trade-offs between economic and social objectives. Our results highlight that market-based management options might score highly in a capitalistic society, but have negative repercussions on community coherence and equity in societies with a strong communal ethic. There are complex trade-offs between economic indicators, such as profit, and social indicators, such as lifestyle preferences. Our approach makes explicit the "triple bottom line" sustainability objectives involving trade-offs between economic, social, and biological performance, and is thus directly applicable to most natural resource management decision-making situations.

  15. Understanding food security issues in remote Western Australian Indigenous communities.

    PubMed

    Pollard, Christina M; Nyaradi, Anett; Lester, Matthew; Sauer, Kay

    2014-08-01

    Food insecurity in remote Western Australian (WA) Indigenous communities. This study explored remote community store managers' views on issues related to improving food security in order to inform health policy. A census of all remote WA Indigenous community store managers was conducted in 2010. Telephone interviews sought managers' perceptions of community food insecurity, problems with their store, and potential policy options for improving the supply, accessibility, affordability and consumption of nutritious foods. Descriptive analyses were conducted using SPSS for Windows version 17.0. Managers stated that freight costs and irregular deliveries contributed to high prices and a limited range of foods. Poor store infrastructure, compromised cold chain logistics, and commonly occurring power outages affected food quality. Half of the managers said there was hunger in their community because people did not have enough money to buy food. The role of nutritionists beyond a clinical and educational role was not understood. Food security interventions in remote communities need to take into consideration issues such as freight costs, transport and low demand for nutritious foods. Store managers provide important local knowledge regarding the development and implementation of food security interventions. SO WHAT? Agencies acting to address the issue of food insecurity in remote WA Indigenous communities should heed the advice of community store managers that high food prices, poor quality and limited availability are mainly due to transport inefficiencies and freight costs. Improving healthy food affordability in communities where high unemployment and low household income abound is fundamental to improving food security, yet presents a significant challenge.

  16. 2nd interface between ecology and land development in California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keeley, Jon E.; Baer-Keeley, Melanie; Fortheringham, C.J.

    2000-01-01

    The 2nd Interface Between Ecology and Land Development Conference was held in association with Earth Day 1997, five years after the first Interface Conference. Rapid population growth in California has intensified the inevitable conflict between land development and preservation of natural ecosystems. Sustainable development requires wise use of diminishing natural resources and, where possible, restoration of damaged landscapes. These Earth Week Celebrations brought together resource managers, scientists, politicians, environmental consultants, and concerned citizens in an effort to improve the communication necessary to maintain our natural biodiversity, ecosystem processes and general quality of life. As discussed by our keynote speaker, Michael Soule, the best predictor of habitat loss is population growth and nowhere is this better illustrated than in California. As urban perimeters expand, the interface between wildlands and urban areas increases. Few problems are more vexing than how to manage the fire prone ecosystems indigenous to California at this urban interface. Today resource managers face increasing challenges of dealing with this problem and the lead-off section of the proceedings considers both the theoretical basis for making decisions related to prescribed burning and the practical application. Habitat fragmentation is an inevitable consequence of development patterns with significant impacts on animal and plant populations. Managers must be increasingly resourceful in dealing with problems of fragmentation and the often inevitable consequences, including susceptibility to invasive oganisms. One approach to dealing with fragmentation problems is through careful landplanning. California is the national leader in the integration of conservation and economics. On Earth Day 1991, Governor Pete Wilson presented an environmental agenda that promised to create between land owners and environmentalists, agreements that would guarantee the protection of -endangered species and out of this grew the pioneering initiative, known as the Natural Communities Conservation Planning (NCCP) program. California's vast expanse of seemingly endless resources has traditionally been viewed as justification for abusive land use practices. The modem day recognition that resources are finite has led to greater concern, not only for conserving what is left, but for restoring abused landscapes. Ecological restoration is a new science devoted to returning disturbed environments to a semblance of their 'pristine' state. Based on principles of 'revegetation,' restoration goes far beyond simple replanting, rather the ambition of ecological restoration is to return landscapes to functioning ecosystems and is the focus of the last section.

  17. Use of telehealth for health care of Indigenous peoples with chronic conditions: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Fraser, Sarah; Mackean, Tamara; Grant, Julian; Hunter, Kate; Towers, Kurt; Ivers, Rebecca

    2017-01-01

    Telehealth may be a cost effective modality in healthcare delivery, but how well used or how appropriate it is for the care of Indigenous peoples is unclear. This review examines the evidence for telehealth in facilitating chronic conditions management with Indigenous peoples. Databases were systematically searched for qualitative or quantitative primary research studies that investigated telehealth use for chronic conditions management with Indigenous peoples worldwide. Evidence of effectiveness was by consumer health outcomes, evidence of acceptability was through consumer and user perception, and health service feasibility was evident by service impact. Data were assessed for quality and data extracted using pre-defined tools. Articles (n=32) examined effectiveness (n=11), critiqued telehealth from the perspectives of the client (n=10) and healthcare professionals (n=8), and examined feasibility (n=12). Studies reported Indigenous people tend to be satisfied with telehealth, but are sceptical about its cultural safety. Evidence for the effectiveness of telehealth from a western biomedical perspective was found. Telehealth is promising; however, a lack of robust studies in this review make tangible conclusions difficult. A better overall understanding of telehealth use with Indigenous peoples, including delivery of culturally competent health care, true consultation and cultural competency of the professionals involved, would be helpful. Telehealth may have the potential to improve health care for Indigenous people, however the modality needs to be culturally competent and the care received must be culturally safe.

  18. Type 2 diabetes in young Indigenous Australians in rural and remote areas: diagnosis, screening, management and prevention.

    PubMed

    Azzopardi, Peter; Brown, Alex D; Zimmet, Paul; Fahy, Rose E; Dent, Glynis A; Kelly, Martin J; Kranzusch, Kira; Maple-Brown, Louise J; Nossar, Victor; Silink, Martin; Sinha, Ashim K; Stone, Monique L; Wren, Sarah J

    2012-07-02

    The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Indigenous children and adolescents is much greater than in non-Indigenous young people and appears to be rising, although data on epidemiology and complications are limited. Young Indigenous people living in remote areas appear to be at excess risk of T2DM. Most young Indigenous people with T2DM are asymptomatic at diagnosis and typically have a family history of T2DM, are overweight or obese and may have signs of hyperinsulinism such as acanthosis nigricans. Onset is usually during early adolescence. Barriers to addressing T2DM in young Indigenous people living in rural and remote settings relate to health service access, demographics, socioeconomic factors, cultural factors, and limited resources at individual and health service levels. We recommend screening for T2DM for any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged > 10 years (or past the onset of puberty) who is overweight or obese, has a positive family history of diabetes, has signs of insulin resistance, has dyslipidaemia, has received psychotropic therapy, or has been exposed to diabetes in utero. Individualised management plans should include identification of risk factors, complications, behavioural factors and treatment targets, and should take into account psychosocial factors which may influence health care interaction, treatment success and clinical outcomes. Preventive strategies, including lifestyle modification, need to play a dominant role in tackling T2DM in young Indigenous people.

  19. Mapping Indigenous Depth of Place

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearce, Margaret Wickens; Louis, Renee Pualani

    2008-01-01

    Indigenous communities have successfully used Western geospatial technologies (GT) (for example, digital maps, satellite images, geographic information systems (GIS), and global positioning systems (GPS)) since the 1970s to protect tribal resources, document territorial sovereignty, create tribal utility databases, and manage watersheds. The use…

  20. 75 FR 2559 - Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; OMB...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-15

    ... and traditional use of migratory birds and their eggs for subsistence use by indigenous inhabitants of... of migratory birds and their eggs by indigenous inhabitants of Alaska do not significantly increase...

  1. Back to the basics: Identifying and addressing underlying challenges in achieving high quality and relevant health statistics for indigenous populations in Canada

    PubMed Central

    Smylie, Janet; Firestone, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    Canada is known internationally for excellence in both the quality and public policy relevance of its health and social statistics. There is a double standard however with respect to the relevance and quality of statistics for Indigenous populations in Canada. Indigenous specific health and social statistics gathering is informed by unique ethical, rights-based, policy and practice imperatives regarding the need for Indigenous participation and leadership in Indigenous data processes throughout the spectrum of indicator development, data collection, management, analysis and use. We demonstrate how current Indigenous data quality challenges including misclassification errors and non-response bias systematically contribute to a significant underestimate of inequities in health determinants, health status, and health care access between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The major quality challenge underlying these errors and biases is the lack of Indigenous specific identifiers that are consistent and relevant in major health and social data sources. The recent removal of an Indigenous identity question from the Canadian census has resulted in further deterioration of an already suboptimal system. A revision of core health data sources to include relevant, consistent, and inclusive Indigenous self-identification is urgently required. These changes need to be carried out in partnership with Indigenous peoples and their representative and governing organizations. PMID:26793283

  2. Environmental Work: An Indigenous Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaDuke, Winona

    1991-01-01

    Discusses the critical importance of values in the conflicts over energy development projects on Native lands. Points out the differences between societies based on consumption versus those based on renewable development and reciprocity, and the difficulties in resolving intercultural conflicts based on value differences. (SV)

  3. International land deals, local people's livelihood, and environment nexus (How to create win-win land deals in Ethiopia?)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teklemariam Gebremeskel, Dereje; Witlox, Frank; Azadi, Hossein; Haile, Mitiku; Nyssen, Jan

    2013-04-01

    Following the global raise in demand for food and biofuel production, transnational companies are acquiring large scale agricultural land in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Considering land as one of the factors to be outsourced for development, the government of Ethiopia is supplying millions of hectares of land to transnational companies in the form of longterm lease. Many of the companies which engage in large scale land acquisition are of Indian, Chinese, Ethiopian diaspora, German, Malaysian, Italian, British, Dutch, Turkish, and Saudi-Arabian origin. The boom in the acquisition of farm land in the country has sparked an all-rounded debate among civil society groups, international institutions, nongovernmental organizations and independent development experts. The common reflections concerning the land deals in Ethiopia and elsewhere contain much rhetoric and hype which lack analysis of the real situation "on the ground" giving different connotations such as 'land grabbing', 'agricultural outsourcing', 'neo-colonialism', 'agrarian colonialism', and 'land underdevelopment'. However, deforestation, soil degradation, marginalization of local indigenous communities, and minimally unfair gains from investment by the host country are among the real points of concern arising out of the long term land lease contracts. Scientific evidence is lacking concerning the pragmatic impacts of large scale agricultural land acquisitions by transnational companies upon the natural environment (forest and land), local peoples' livelihood, and the contacting parties (the host country and the companies). The major objective of this study is to investigate the impacts in the context of Ethiopia, orienting to reinvent win-win land use models which constitute sustainable land use, local peoples' livelihood and the company-host country interests. To achieve this overall objective, the study employs a number of methods and methodologies constituting both qualitative and quantitative data analyses at different levels of focus ranging from household and farm levels to national and transnational. The study focuses on the western lowlands of Ethiopia where there are many companies engaged in large scale commercial farming, where 75% of it is below 1500 m a.s.l with average annual temperature of 20-25°C and annual rainfall of 500-1800 mm. Some preliminary exploratory findings indicate that there is massive land use conversion (deforestation) and 'voluntary' displacement of indigenous communities, which requires further triangulation. Key words: agricultural outsourcing; environmental services; land grabbing; sustainable livelihood; soil conservation

  4. Appropriate rehabilitation strategy for a traditional irrigation supply system: a case from the Babai area in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Adhikari, B; Verhoeven, R; Troch, P

    2009-01-01

    This paper studies primary canals of three traditional irrigation systems in the southern plains of Nepal. It offers a scientific interpretation of the indigenous technology applied to the systems, which facilitates to use the same channel network for irrigation, drainage and flood management. The flood management technology of the farmers by diverting as much discharge as possible to the field channels results in the reduction of discharge towards the downstream part of the main channel. It is depicted in the simulation study that uses the river analysis program HEC-RAS 4.0. A cascade of weirs is found to be the most cost effective and user-friendly option to upgrade these systems preserving the existing irrigation, drainage as well as flood management functions. This study suggests that the conventional irrigation design principles should be applied very cautiously with full knowledge of the existing socio-institutional setting, hydro-ecological regime and indigenous technology for upgrading any traditional irrigation system successfully. The indigenous flood management technology strengthens the emerging concept that the floods in the Ganges plain are to be managed, not controlled.

  5. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Selecting and Vetting Indigenous Leaders

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    the Midst of War, 48. 155 Ibid., 48. 156 Ibid., 52. 44 The settlers received 15 to 20 acres, a carabao (Filipino ox used for farm labor), and... farming equipment with which to work their new plot. Successful settlers who improved their land would receive the deed to it. Some of the new land... farming implements, clothes, and items for Magsaysay to distribute.183 Major Jose Crisol was known for possessing an uncanny understanding of

  6. Contribution of indigenous foods towards nutrient intakes and nutritional status of women in the Santhal tribal community of Jharkhand, India.

    PubMed

    Ghosh-Jerath, Suparna; Singh, Archna; Magsumbol, Melina S; Lyngdoh, Tanica; Kamboj, Preeti; Goldberg, Gail

    2016-08-01

    The indigenous food environment, dietary intake and nutritional status of women in the Santhal tribal community of Jharkhand were assessed. Contribution of indigenous foods to nutritional status and nutrient intakes was explored. Exploratory cross-sectional study with a longitudinal dietary intake assessment component. Household and dietary surveys were conducted to elicit information on socio-economic and demographic profile and food consumption patterns at household level. A 24 h dietary recall for two consecutive days (repeat surveys in two more seasons) and anthropometric assessments were carried out on one woman per household. Households (n 151) with at least one woman of reproductive age in four villages of Godda district of Jharkhand, India. Women aged 15-49 years. Almost all households owned agricultural land and grew fruits and vegetables in backyards for household consumption. A wide variety of indigenous foods were reported but dietary recalls revealed low intake. Women consumed adequate energy and protein but micronutrient intake was inadequate (less than 66 % of recommended) in the majority (more than 50 %) for Ca, Fe, vitamin B2, folate and vitamin B12. Women consuming indigenous foods in the past 2 d had significantly higher intakes of Ca (P=0·008) and Fe (P=0·010) than those who did not. Varying degrees of underweight were observed in 50 % of women with no significant association between underweight and consumption of indigenous foods. Promotion of preferential cultivation of nutrient-dense indigenous food sources and effective nutrition education on their importance may facilitate better micronutrient intakes among women in Santhal community of Jharkhand.

  7. Implications of Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease in Canada’s Indigenous Population

    PubMed Central

    MacDonald, Julia Petrasek; Barnes, Deborah E.; Middleton, Laura E.

    2015-01-01

    Background Indigenous peoples in Canada have higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The relative importance of these risk factors on AD risk management is poorly understood. Methods Relative risks from literature and prevalence of risk factors from Statistics Canada or the First Nations Regional Health Survey were used to determine projected population attributable risk (PAR) associated with modifiable risk factors for AD (low education and vascular risk factors) among on- and off-reserve Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada using the Levin formula. Results Physical inactivity had the highest PAR for AD among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada (32.5% [10.1%–51.1%] and 30.5% [9.2%–48.8%] respectively). The PAR for most modifiable risk factors was higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly among on-reserve groups. The greatest differences in PAR were for low educational attainment and smoking, which were approximately 10% higher among Indigenous peoples in Canada. The combined PAR for AD for all six modifiable risk factors was 79.6% among on-reserve Indigenous, 74.9% among off-reserve Indigenous, and 67.1% among non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. (All differences significant to p < .001.) Conclusions Modifiable risk factors are responsible for the most AD cases among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Further research is necessary to determine the prevalence of AD and the impact of risk factor modification among Indigenous peoples in Canada. PMID:26495049

  8. A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples

    PubMed Central

    Pauly, Daniel; Weatherdon, Lauren V.

    2016-01-01

    Coastal Indigenous peoples rely on ocean resources and are highly vulnerable to ecosystem and economic change. Their challenges have been observed and recognized at local and regional scales, yet there are no global-scale analyses to inform international policies. We compile available data for over 1,900 coastal Indigenous communities around the world representing 27 million people across 87 countries. Based on available data at local and regional levels, we estimate a total global yearly seafood consumption of 2.1 million (1.5 million–2.8 million) metric tonnes by coastal Indigenous peoples, equal to around 2% of global yearly commercial fisheries catch. Results reflect the crucial role of seafood for these communities; on average, consumption per capita is 15 times higher than non-Indigenous country populations. These findings contribute to an urgently needed sense of scale to coastal Indigenous issues, and will hopefully prompt increased recognition and directed research regarding the marine knowledge and resource needs of Indigenous peoples. Marine resources are crucial to the continued existence of coastal Indigenous peoples, and their needs must be explicitly incorporated into management policies. PMID:27918581

  9. A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples.

    PubMed

    Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M; Pauly, Daniel; Weatherdon, Lauren V; Ota, Yoshitaka

    2016-01-01

    Coastal Indigenous peoples rely on ocean resources and are highly vulnerable to ecosystem and economic change. Their challenges have been observed and recognized at local and regional scales, yet there are no global-scale analyses to inform international policies. We compile available data for over 1,900 coastal Indigenous communities around the world representing 27 million people across 87 countries. Based on available data at local and regional levels, we estimate a total global yearly seafood consumption of 2.1 million (1.5 million-2.8 million) metric tonnes by coastal Indigenous peoples, equal to around 2% of global yearly commercial fisheries catch. Results reflect the crucial role of seafood for these communities; on average, consumption per capita is 15 times higher than non-Indigenous country populations. These findings contribute to an urgently needed sense of scale to coastal Indigenous issues, and will hopefully prompt increased recognition and directed research regarding the marine knowledge and resource needs of Indigenous peoples. Marine resources are crucial to the continued existence of coastal Indigenous peoples, and their needs must be explicitly incorporated into management policies.

  10. Ethical problems in health research with indigenous or originary peoples in Peru.

    PubMed

    Minaya, Gabriela; Roque, Joel

    2015-07-01

    The varied, abrupt and amazing geography of the land of Peru is home of one of the major concentrations of indigenous peoples in the world. The asymmetry of power, however, in their relationship with the rest of society and the State is still very evident in their social exclusion, their gap in social and economic development, barriers in their access to health services as well as their marginalization and exploitation as subjects of health research. In this paper, we analyse two cases of research on indigenous populations in Peru, discuss them from the point of view of bioethics and reflect on important issues for researchers, research participants and the society, such as the need to respect different cultures, the need that the research being done is relevant to the needs of the population in which it is conducted and the necessity to empower indigenous communities in participatory research, to strengthen the institutions and to protect human rights, namely through ethics committees for research and the free, informed and meaningful informed consent. This approach should foster quality research, while at the same time fully respecting human rights and bioethics. We cannot forget that advancements in genetics, throughout the world, are very much in debt to indigenous populations.

  11. Perceptions of mental health service delivery among staff and Indigenous consumers: it's still about communication.

    PubMed

    Eley, Diann; Young, Louise; Hunter, Keith; Baker, Peter; Hunter, Ernest; Hannah, Dominique

    2007-04-01

    A needs analysis was undertaken to determine the quality and effectiveness of mental health services to Indigenous consumers within a health district of Southern Queensland. The study focussed on identifying gaps in the service provision for Indigenous consumers. Tools and methodologies were developed to achieve this. Data were collected through the distribution of questionnaires to the target populations: district health service staff and Indigenous consumers. Questionnaires were developed through consultation with the community and the Steering Committee in order to achieve culturally appropriate wording. Of prime importance was the adaptation of questionnaire language so it would be fully understood by Indigenous consumers. Both questionnaires were designed to provide a balanced perspective of current mental health service needs for Indigenous people within the mental health service. Results suggest that existing mental health services do not adequately meet the needs of Indigenous people. Recommendations arising from this study indicate a need for better communication and genuine partnerships between the mental health service and Indigenous people that reflect respect of cultural heritage and recognises the importance of including Indigenous people in the design and management of mental health services. Attention to the recommendations from this study will help ensure a culturally appropriate and effective mental health service for Indigenous consumers.

  12. Meeting Indigenous peoples' objectives in environmental flow assessments: Case studies from an Australian multi-jurisdictional water sharing initiative

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jackson, Sue; Pollino, Carmel; Maclean, Kirsten; Bark, Rosalind; Moggridge, Bradley

    2015-03-01

    The multi-dimensional relationships that Indigenous peoples have with water are only recently gaining recognition in water policy and management activities. Although Australian water policy stipulates that the native title interests of Indigenous peoples and their social, cultural and spiritual objectives be included in water plans, improved rates of Indigenous access to water have been slow to eventuate, particularly in those regions where the water resource is fully developed or allocated. Experimentation in techniques and approaches to both identify and determine Indigenous water requirements will be needed if environmental assessment processes and water sharing plans are to explicitly account for Indigenous water values. Drawing on two multidisciplinary case studies conducted in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, we engage Indigenous communities to (i) understand their values and explore the application of methods to derive water requirements to meet those values; (ii) assess the impact of alternative water planning scenarios designed to address over-allocation to irrigation; and (iii) define additional volumes of water and potential works needed to meet identified Indigenous requirements. We provide a framework where Indigenous values can be identified and certain water needs quantified and advance a methodology to integrate Indigenous social, cultural and environmental objectives into environmental flow assessments.

  13. Global complication rates of type 2 diabetes in Indigenous peoples: A comprehensive review.

    PubMed

    Naqshbandi, Mariam; Harris, Stewart B; Esler, James G; Antwi-Nsiah, Fred

    2008-10-01

    The world's Indigenous peoples are experiencing an unprecedented epidemic of type 2 diabetes [T2DM] but little has been published describing the complications burden. The objective of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of T2DM complications in Indigenous populations worldwide. A literature review was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE to examine available complications data. Country, Indigenous population, authors, publication year, total sample size, Indigenous sample size, age, methodology, and prevalence of nephropathy, end-stage renal disease, retinopathy, neuropathy, lower extremity amputations, cardiovascular disease, hospitalizations and mortality due to diabetes were recorded. One-hundred and eleven studies were selected. Results revealed a disproportionate burden of disease complications among all Indigenous peoples regardless of their geographic location. Complication rates were seen to vary widely across Indigenous groups. Gaps were found in the published literature on complications among Indigenous populations, especially those living in underdeveloped countries. These gaps may be in part due to the challenges caused by varying operational practices, research methodologies, and definitions of the term Indigenous, making documentation of rates among these peoples problematic. Comprehensive surveillance applying standardized definitions and methodologies is needed to design targeted prevention and disease management strategies for Indigenous peoples with T2DM.

  14. Community University Research Agreement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Settee, Priscilla; Thomas-Prokop, Shelley

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes the process of engaging the extended Indigenous community within Saskatoon and the surrounding First Nations communities in what would be a first major research project between Indigenous communities and the University of Saskatchewan. A management committee was established comprised of all the major Saskatoon/Saskatchewan…

  15. Knowledge Management as Enterprise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kutay, Cat

    2007-01-01

    Indigenous people have been for a long time deprived of financial benefit from their knowledge. Campaigns around the stolen wages and the "Pay the Rent" campaign highlight this. As does the endemic poverty and economic disenfranchisement experienced by many Indigenous people and communities in Australia. Recent enterprises developed by…

  16. Accommodating Indigenous Nurse-Initiated and Managed Antiretroviral Therapy (NIMART) Reporting in a Developing Country Context.

    PubMed

    Brown, Alistair M

    Financial reporting represents a critical tool in eliminating HIV across Papua New Guinea (PNG). Using the tenets of the theory of indigenous alternative reporting, this paper considers how the PNG Nursing Council may accommodate nurse-initiated and managed antiretroviral therapy (NIMART) reporting. Textual analysis of indigenous reporting expectations placed on the PNG Nursing Council are examined in a NIMART context to examine levels of reporting compliance exercised by council administrators from year-end reports (1980 to 2016) to accommodate NIMART reporting. The study revealed that the 2014 annual report of the PNG Nursing Council generated a 40% NIMART compliance rate, offering encouraging signs of financial reporting that could make room for NIMART reporting. The study suggested that local mechanisms could be used to meet local indigenous reporting expectations in order to adopt NIMART reporting. The study also has far-reaching implications for other developing country nursing councils wanting to develop NIMART reporting. Copyright © 2017 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Roaming of dogs in remote Indigenous communities in northern Australia and potential interaction between community and wild dogs.

    PubMed

    Bombara, C; Dürr, S; Gongora, J; Ward, M P

    2017-06-01

    To investigate the roaming of Indigenous community dogs and potential interaction with wild dogs and dingoes. Cross-sectional survey and longitudinal follow-up study. Six remote Indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem Land in northern Australia were selected. Hair samples were collected from community dogs and microsatellite DNA analyses were used to determine hybrid (>10% dingo DNA) status. Dogs were fitted with GPS collars and home range (ha) was estimated during monitoring periods of up to 3 days. In Cape York Peninsula, 6% of the 35 dogs sampled were dingo hybrids, whereas in Arnhem Land 41% of the 29 dogs sampled were hybrids. The median extended home range was estimated to be 4.54 ha (interquartile range, 3.40 - 7.71). Seven community dogs were identified with an estimated home range > 20 ha and home ranges included the bushland surrounding communities. No significant difference in home ranges was detected between hybrid and non-hybrid dogs. Study results provide some evidence (dingo hybridisation, bushland forays) of the potential interaction between domestic and wild dogs in northern Australia. The nature of this interaction needs further investigation to determine its role in disease transmission; for example, in the case of a rabies incursion in this region. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

  18. Changes in Migration Pattern of Transhumance due to Climate Change: An Empirical Analysis of Gaddi Community of Himachal Himalaya, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mishra, Himanshu; Wasini Pandey, Bindhy

    2017-04-01

    Transhumance is a complex and traditional livelihood system seeking to maintain equilibrium between pastures, livestock and local people in variable and inhospitable environments. In Western Himalayas in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, pastoral groups of Gaddis inhabit almost inaccessible areas, where scarce resources and extreme climatic conditions limit options for alternative land use and livelihood systems. In such a harsh and unforgiving environment, mobility in the form of transhumance has been the traditional ecological response to climatic extremes. However, recently, such additional factors as global as well as regional climate change have brought about changes in the tree line, snow line and pastoral grounds along the historical route of seasonal migration of the Gaddis. The growing unpredictability of the once static route of migration has raised the possibility of Gaddis shifting to alternative land use and land management techniques. In the present research, we explore how transhumant pastoralism has been sustained and stimulated in the context of socioeconomic and climate change in the mountainous region of Himachal Pradesh and the future challenges that it faces. Based on case study research conducted in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh; we have analysed the status, opportunities, and constraints of transhumant pastoralism in the changing context and modeled the possible alternative land use decisions. Finally we conclude that unless there are affirmative and progressive policy and institutional framework to support transhumant system, the indigenous practice will soon disappear from this part of the world. Keywords: Climate change, Gaddis, Himachal Pradesh, Transhumance, Alternative Land Use

  19. Treatment of Diarrhoea in Rural African Communities: An Overview of Measures to Maximise the Medicinal Potentials of Indigenous Plants

    PubMed Central

    Njume, Collise; Goduka, Nomalungelo I.

    2012-01-01

    Diarrhoea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in rural communities in Africa, particularly in children under the age of five. This calls for the development of cost effective alternative strategies such as the use of herbal drugs in the treatment of diarrhoea in these communities. Expenses associated with the use of orthodox medicines have generated renewed interest and reliance on indigenous medicinal plants in the treatment and management of diarrhoeal infections in rural communities. The properties of many phenolic constituents of medicinal plants such as their ability to inhibit enteropooling and delay gastrointestinal transit are very useful in the control of diarrhoea, but problems such as scarcity of valuable medicinal plants, lack of standardization of methods of preparation, poor storage conditions and incertitude in some traditional health practitioners are issues that affect the efficacy and the practice of traditional medicine in rural African communities. This review appraises the current strategies used in the treatment of diarrhoea according to the Western orthodox and indigenous African health-care systems and points out major areas that could be targeted by health-promotion efforts as a means to improve management and alleviate suffering associated with diarrhoea in rural areas of the developing world. Community education and research with indigenous knowledge holders on ways to maximise the medicinal potentials in indigenous plants could improve diarrhoea management in African rural communities. PMID:23202823

  20. Applications of satellite image processing to the analysis of Amazonian cultural ecology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Behrens, Clifford A.

    1991-01-01

    This paper examines the application of satellite image processing towards identifying and comparing resource exploitation among indigenous Amazonian peoples. The use of statistical and heuristic procedures for developing land cover/land use classifications from Thematic Mapper satellite imagery will be discussed along with actual results from studies of relatively small (100 - 200 people) settlements. Preliminary research indicates that analysis of satellite imagery holds great potential for measuring agricultural intensification, comparing rates of tropical deforestation, and detecting changes in resource utilization patterns over time.

  1. Harvesting the Past: The Social Mobilization of Bolivia’s Indigenous Peoples. Strategic Insights v4 n5 May 2005

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-05-01

    communal land use. The urban—rural divide was exacerbated by Quechua and Aymara leaders who, because of their dissatisfaction with the established...the Andes) to demand legal rights to traditional lands. This action gained the support of Quechua and Aymara groups, and resulted in a presidential...the Aymara and Quechua in Bolivia: Autonomous Forms of Modernity in the Andes,” Latin American Perspectives 23, no. 2 (Spring 1996): 78. 24. This

  2. Software Tools for Indigenous Knowledge Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunter, Jane; Koopman, Bevan; Sledge, Jane

    Indigenous communities are beginning to realize the potential benefits digital technologies can offer with regard to the documentation and preservation of their histories and cultures. However, they are also coming to understand the opportunities for knowledge misuse and misappropriation of their knowledge which may accompany digitization. In this…

  3. Development of a Culturally Appropriate Bilingual Electronic App About Hepatitis B for Indigenous Australians: Towards Shared Understandings

    PubMed Central

    Bukulatjpi, Sarah; Sharma, Suresh; Caldwell, Luci; Johnston, Vanessa; Davis, Joshua Saul

    2015-01-01

    Background Hepatitis B is endemic in Indigenous communities in Northern Australia; however, there is a lack of culturally appropriate educational tools. Health care workers and educators in this setting have voiced a desire for visual, interactive tools in local languages. Mobile phones are increasingly used and available in remote Indigenous communities. In this context, we identified the need for a tablet-based health education app about hepatitis B, developed in partnership with an Australian remote Indigenous community. Objective To develop a culturally appropriate bilingual app about hepatitis B for Indigenous Australians in Arnhem Land using a participatory action research (PAR) framework. Methods This project was a partnership between the Menzies School of Health Research, Miwatj Aboriginal Health Corporation, Royal Darwin Hospital Liver Clinic, and Dreamedia Darwin. We have previously published a qualitative study that identified major knowledge gaps about hepatitis B in this community, and suggested that a tablet-based app would be an appropriate and popular tool to improve this knowledge. The process of developing the app was based on PAR principles, particularly ongoing consultation, evaluation, and discussion with the community throughout each iterative cycle. Stages included development of the storyboard, the translation process (forward translation and backtranslation), prelaunch community review, launch and initial community evaluation, and finally, wider launch and evaluation at a viral hepatitis conference. Results We produced an app called “Hep B Story” for use with iPad, iPhone, Android tablets, and mobile phones or personal computers. The app is culturally appropriate, audiovisual, interactive, and users can choose either English or Yolŋu Matha (the most common language in East Arnhem Land) as their preferred language. The initial evaluation demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in Hep B-related knowledge for 2 of 3 questions (P=.01 and .02, respectively) and overwhelmingly positive opinion regarding acceptability and ease of use (median rating of 5, on a 5-point Likert-type scale when users were asked if they would recommend the app to others). Conclusions We describe the process of development of a bilingual hepatitis B-specific app for Indigenous Australians, using a PAR framework. The approach was found to be successful with positive evaluations. PMID:26063474

  4. Tropical montane forest conversion affects spatial and temporal nitrogen dynamics in Kenyan headwater catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jacobs, Suzanne; Weeser, Björn; Breuer, Lutz; Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus; Guzha, Alphonce; Rufino, Mariana

    2017-04-01

    Deforestation and land use change (LUC) are often stated as major contributors to changes in water quality, although other catchment characteristics such as topography, geology and climate can also play a role. Understanding how stream water chemistry is affected by LUC is essential for sustainable water management and land use planning. However, there is often a lack of reliable data, especially in less studied regions such as East Africa. This study focuses on three sub-catchments (27-36 km2) with different land use types (natural forest, smallholder agriculture and tea/tree plantations) nested in a 1023 km2 headwater catchment in the Mau Forest Complex, Kenya's largest closed-canopy indigenous tropical montane forest. In the past decades approx. 25% of the natural forest was lost due to land use change. We studied seasonal, diurnal and spatial patterns of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), nitrate (NO3-N) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) using a combination of high-resolution in-situ measurements, bi-weekly stream water samples and spatial sampling campaigns. Multiple linear regression analysis of the spatial data indicates that land use shows a strong influence on TDN and nitrate, while DON is more influenced by precipitation. Highest TDN and nitrate concentrations are found in tea plantations, followed by smallholder agriculture and natural forest. This ranking does not change throughout the year, though concentrations of TDN and nitrate are respectively 27.6 and 25.4% lower in all catchments during the dry season. Maximum Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT) analysis of the high resolution nitrate data revealed a seasonal effect on diurnal patterns in the natural forest catchment, where the daily peak shifts from early morning in the wet season to mid-afternoon in the dry season. The smallholder and tea catchment do not exhibit clear diurnal patterns. The results suggest that land use affects dissolved nitrogen concentrations, leading to higher N export in catchments under managed land use. Furthermore, the changes in diurnal patterns in the forest catchment and absence of similar patterns in the other catchments are an indication that biogeochemical processes such as nitrification and denitrification in areas under different land use are affected as well. This could have implications for regional N-cycling.

  5. Mexico: The Crisis of Identity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ewen, Alexander

    1994-01-01

    Examines the place of Indian people in Mexican society and politics, from the conquest to the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Chiapas (fueled by the threat to rural indigenous communal lands posed by economic reforms). Although Indianness is celebrated as contributing to the idealized mestizo "race," self-identification as Indian threatens…

  6. Indigenous Perspectives and Knowledge Informing Freshwater Management, Planning and Decision Making in Aotearoa-New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harmsworth, G.

    2017-12-01

    Indigenous Māori have distinct cultural values and perspectives that establish their identity, responsibilities, and rights to manage and use freshwater in New Zealand. Recognition of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi and its principles has culminated in an array of modern legislation, obligations, national policy statements, statutory requirements, holistic frameworks, and approaches that strengthens Māori participation and authority in resource management and environmental decision-making. We briefly explain indigenous Māori frameworks, knowledge, values, and perspectives used to grow indigenous research and capability, enrich western scientific research, and inform freshwater planning, policy, and management. We will discuss some important methods, indicators, and tools that Māori have developed, or are developing, to support environmental assessment and the monitoring and reporting of freshwater ecosystems, particularly to help sustain and enhance customary values and practice. These tools include, for example, the Cultural Health Index, the Wai Ora Wai Māori assessment tool, the mauri compass, the mauri model, Māori wetlands assessment, kaitiaki tools, taonga assessment, which are being used to build Māori capability and capacity in freshwater sciences and management and to provide innovative approaches based on integrative knowledge systems. Many of these indigenous-led initiatives are now being used next to science and technical approaches at local, regional, and national scale in New Zealand to guide policy and help understand complex and dynamic human-environmental interactions. Māori epistemologies provide a holistic worldview well aligned with current international thinking and approaches that stress the importance of systems thinking and understanding interconnections between sub-component parts; exploring the world and universe within holistic, integrative frameworks; taking into account different perspectives, values, and worldviews, measuring progress towards outcomes across multiple goals, i.e. cultural, social, environmental and economic; developing links between human health and ecosystems; and promoting collaborative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches.

  7. Cardiovascular disease medication health literacy among Indigenous peoples: design and protocol of an intervention trial in Indigenous primary care services.

    PubMed

    Crengle, Sue; Smylie, Janet; Kelaher, Margaret; Lambert, Michelle; Reid, Susan; Luke, Joanne; Anderson, Ian; Harré Hindmarsh, Jennie; Harwood, Matire

    2014-07-12

    Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are leading causes of mortality and morbidity among Indigenous people in New Zealand, Australia and Canada and are a major driver of the inequities in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in these countries. Evidence-based pharmaceutical management of CVD can significantly reduce mortality and morbidity for persons diagnosed with CVD or for those at intermediate or high risk of CVD. Health literacy has been identified as a major barrier in the communication and implementation of appropriate pharmaceutical management plans for CVD. Addressing health literacy is particularly relevant in Indigenous populations where there are unique health and adult literacy challenges. This study will examine the effect of a customized, structured CVD medication programme, delivered by health professionals, on the health literacy of Indigenous people with, or at risk, of CVD. Primary outcomes are patient's knowledge about CVD medications; secondary outcomes examine changes in health literacy skills and practices. The study will employ a multi-site pre-post design with multiple measurement points to assess intervention efficacy. Participants will be recruited from four Indigenous primary care services in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Three educational sessions will be delivered over four weeks. A tablet application will support the education sessions and produce a customized pill card for each participant. Participants will be provided with written information about CVD medications. Medication knowledge scores, and specific health literacy skills and practices will be assessed before and after the three sessions. Statistical analyses will identify significant changes in outcomes over each session, and from the pre-session one to post-session three time points. This study will make an important contribution to understanding the effect of a structured primary care-based intervention on CVD health literacy in Indigenous populations. The study also illustrates the incorporation of Indigenous health research principles and processes in clinical trials and provides insights that may be useful in other contexts. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ACTRN12612001309875; date of registration 18/12/2012).

  8. The Historical Loss Scale: Longitudinal measurement equivalence and prospective links to anxiety among North American indigenous adolescents.

    PubMed

    Armenta, Brian E; Whitbeck, Les B; Habecker, Patrick N

    2016-01-01

    Thoughts of historical loss (i.e., the loss of culture, land, and people as a result of colonization) are conceptualized as a contributor to the contemporary distress experienced by North American Indigenous populations. Although discussions of historical loss and related constructs (e.g., historical trauma) are widespread within the Indigenous literature, empirical efforts to understand the consequence of historical loss are limited, partially because of the lack of valid assessments. In this study we evaluated the longitudinal measurement properties of the Historical Loss Scale (HLS)-a standardized measure that was developed to systematically examine the frequency with which Indigenous individuals think about historical loss-among a sample of North American Indigenous adolescents. We also test the hypothesis that thoughts of historical loss can be psychologically distressing. Via face-to-face interviews, 636 Indigenous adolescents from a single cultural group completed the HLS and a measure of anxiety at 4 time-points, which were separated by 1- to 2-year intervals (Mage = 12.09 years, SD = .86, 50.0% girls at baseline). Responses to the HLS were explained well by 3-factor (i.e., cultural loss, loss of people, and cultural mistreatment) and second-order factor structures. Both of these factor structures held full longitudinal metric (i.e., factor loadings) and scalar (i.e., intercepts) equivalence. In addition, using the second-order factor structure, more frequent thoughts of historical loss were associated with increased anxiety. The identified 3-factor and second-order HLS structures held full longitudinal measurement equivalence. Moreover, as predicted, our results suggest that historical loss can be psychologically distressing for Indigenous adolescents. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Conservation status of North American freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from the southern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Loughman, Zachary J.; Welsh, Stuart A.; Fetzner, James W.; Thoma, Roger F.

    2015-01-01

    A list is provided of all crayfishes (family Cambaridae) in the southern United States, which includes common names, global conservation status, an alternative review of the conservation status based on the IUCN red list criteria, and state distribution. This list includes 357 native crayfishes, of which 12 (3.4%) are critically endangered, 37 (10.4%) are endangered, 126 (35.3%) are vulnerable, 181 (50.7%) are lower risk, and 1 (0.3%) is not evaluated. The leading factors causing imperilment are restricted ranges caused by anthropogenic impacts from changes in land use, contaminants, invasion by non-indigenous species, and habitat fragmentation. In order to conserve and manage diversity of native crayfish, consistency is needed in determining conservation status and more complete distribution and life history information are needed for about 60% of species.

  10. Close Encounters: Lessons from an Indigenous MBA Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Daniel; Pepper, Molly B.

    2011-01-01

    Entrepreneurship is perceived to be a key to revitalizing the economies of American Indian communities. Gonzaga University offers an MBA specifically designed to prepare tribal college instructors to teach entrepreneurship. Beginning with the relevant background on the need for and benefit of indigenous management education, this article describes…

  11. Early Detection Monitoring Approaches for Non-indigenous Species in Vulnerable Great Lakes Coastal Ecosystems

    EPA Science Inventory

    Great Lakes harbors/embayments are vulnerable to introductions of non-indigenous species (NIS). Early detection of new NIS is desirable to allow for a timely management response, raising the question of how to accomplish this in a consistent, cost-effective manner. To that end, ...

  12. Indigenous Child Health in Brazil: The Evaluation of Impacts as a Human Rights Issue.

    PubMed

    Coates, Anna R; Del Pino Marchito, Sandra; Vitoy, Bernardino

    2016-06-01

    Improving the health status of indigenous children is a long-standing challenge. Several United Nations committees have identified the health of indigenous peoples as a human rights concern. Addressing the health of indigenous children cannot be separated from their social, cultural, and historic contexts, and any related health program must offer culturally appropriate services and a community perspective broad enough to address the needs of children and the local worlds in which they live. Evaluations of programs must, therefore, address process as well as impacts. This paper assesses interventions addressing indigenous children's health in Brazil, ranging from those explicitly targeting indigenous children's health, such as the targeted immunization program for indigenous peoples, as well as more generalized programs, including a focus upon indigenous children, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. The paper discusses the tensions and complexities of ethnically targeted health interventions as well as the conceptual and methodological challenge of measuring the processes employed and their impact. The lessons learned, especially the need for countries to more systematically collect data and evaluate impacts using ethnicity as an analytical category, are drawn out with respect to ensuring human rights for all within health sector responses.

  13. Indigenous Child Health in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    del Pino Marchito, Sandra; Vitoy, Bernardino

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Improving the health status of indigenous children is a long-standing challenge. Several United Nations committees have identified the health of indigenous peoples as a human rights concern. Addressing the health of indigenous children cannot be separated from their social, cultural, and historic contexts, and any related health program must offer culturally appropriate services and a community perspective broad enough to address the needs of children and the local worlds in which they live. Evaluations of programs must, therefore, address process as well as impacts. This paper assesses interventions addressing indigenous children’s health in Brazil, ranging from those explicitly targeting indigenous children’s health, such as the targeted immunization program for indigenous peoples, as well as more generalized programs, including a focus upon indigenous children, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. The paper discusses the tensions and complexities of ethnically targeted health interventions as well as the conceptual and methodological challenge of measuring the processes employed and their impact. The lessons learned, especially the need for countries to more systematically collect data and evaluate impacts using ethnicity as an analytical category, are drawn out with respect to ensuring human rights for all within health sector responses. PMID:27781012

  14. The impact of culturally responsive self-management interventions on health outcomes for minority populations: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Ehrlich, Carolyn; Kendall, Elizabeth; Parekh, Sanjoti; Walters, Caroline

    2016-03-01

    The health of people from Indigenous and ethnic minorities is poorer than the remainder of the population. Frequently, Westernized health systems respond by introducing self-management interventions to improve chronic illness health outcomes. The aim of this study was to answer the research question: "Can self-management programs that have been adapted or modified still be effective for ethnic minority and Indigenous populations?" A systematic review across four databases was conducted. Twenty-three publications met the inclusion criteria. As the studies were heterogeneous, meta-analysis was not possible. Overall, interventions resulted in more positive health outcomes than usual care, but findings were inconsistent. We argue that rather than focusing on individual skills, knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward self-management, it may be more important to explore the structures and processes that underpin the sharing of information and skills within clinical or education encounters. Given that self-management is a Western cultural construct, creating empathic and responsive systems might be more effective for improving health of Indigenous and ethnic minority groups rather than relying predominantly on individual skill development. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. Gender, Literacy, and Sovereignty in Winnemucca's "Life among the Piutes"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sneider, Leah

    2012-01-01

    Arming themselves with "manifest destiny" rhetoric, which claimed divine Anglo-Saxon superiority as justification for the conquest of Indigenous and Mexican peoples and the land they occupied, white settlers forcefully pushed into California territory. The two-year-long Mexican-American War resulted in the acquisition of the present-day…

  16. Bridging science and traditional knowledge to assess cumulative impacts of stressors on ecosystem health.

    PubMed

    Mantyka-Pringle, Chrystal S; Jardine, Timothy D; Bradford, Lori; Bharadwaj, Lalita; Kythreotis, Andrew P; Fresque-Baxter, Jennifer; Kelly, Erin; Somers, Gila; Doig, Lorne E; Jones, Paul D; Lindenschmidt, Karl-Erich

    2017-05-01

    Cumulative environmental impacts driven by anthropogenic stressors lead to disproportionate effects on indigenous communities that are reliant on land and water resources. Understanding and counteracting these effects requires knowledge from multiple sources. Yet the combined use of Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Scientific Knowledge (SK) has both technical and philosophical hurdles to overcome, and suffers from inherently imbalanced power dynamics that can disfavour the very communities it intends to benefit. In this article, we present a 'two-eyed seeing' approach for co-producing and blending knowledge about ecosystem health by using an adapted Bayesian Belief Network for the Slave River and Delta region in Canada's Northwest Territories. We highlight how bridging TK and SK with a combination of field data, interview transcripts, existing models, and expert judgement can address key questions about ecosystem health when considerable uncertainty exists. SK indicators (e.g., bird counts, mercury in fish, water depth) were graded as moderate, whereas TK indicators (e.g., bird usage, fish aesthetics, changes to water flow) were graded as being poor in comparison to the past. SK indicators were predominantly spatial (i.e., comparing to other locations) while the TK indicators were predominantly temporal (i.e., comparing across time). After being populated by 16 experts (local harvesters, Elders, governmental representatives, and scientists) using both TK and SK, the model output reported low probabilities that the social-ecological system is healthy as it used to be. We argue that it is novel and important to bridge TK and SK to address the challenges of environmental change such as the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors on ecosystems and the services they provide. This study presents a critical social-ecological tool for widening the evidence-base to a more holistic understanding of the system dynamics of multiple environmental stressors in ecosystems and for developing more effective knowledge-inclusive partnerships between indigenous communities, researchers and policy decision-makers. This represents new transformational empirical insights into how wider knowledge discourses can contribute to more effective adaptive co-management governance practices and solutions for the resilience and sustainability of ecosystems in Northern Canada and other parts of the world with strong indigenous land tenure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Xpey' Relational Environments: an analytic framework for conceptualizing Indigenous health equity.

    PubMed

    Kent, Alexandra; Loppie, Charlotte; Carriere, Jeannine; MacDonald, Marjorie; Pauly, Bernie

    2017-12-01

    Both health equity research and Indigenous health research are driven by the goal of promoting equitable health outcomes among marginalized and underserved populations. However, the two fields often operate independently, without collaboration. As a result, Indigenous populations are underrepresented in health equity research relative to the disproportionate burden of health inequities they experience. In this methodological article, we present Xpey' Relational Environments, an analytic framework that maps some of the barriers and facilitators to health equity for Indigenous peoples. Health equity research needs to include a focus on Indigenous populations and Indigenized methodologies, a shift that could fill gaps in knowledge with the potential to contribute to 'closing the gap' in Indigenous health. With this in mind, the Equity Lens in Public Health (ELPH) research program adopted the Xpey' Relational Environments framework to add a focus on Indigenous populations to our research on the prioritization and implementation of health equity. The analytic framework introduced an Indigenized health equity lens to our methodology, which facilitated the identification of social, structural and systemic determinants of Indigenous health. To test the framework, we conducted a pilot case study of one of British Columbia's regional health authorities, which included a review of core policies and plans as well as interviews and focus groups with frontline staff, managers and senior executives. ELPH's application of Xpey' Relational Environments serves as an example of the analytic framework's utility for exploring and conceptualizing Indigenous health equity in BC's public health system. Future applications of the framework should be embedded in Indigenous research methodologies.

  18. Effects of Ethnic Settlements and Land Management Status on Species Distribution Patterns: A Case Study of Endangered Musk Deer (Moschus spp.) in Northwest Yunnan, China.

    PubMed

    Li, Xueyou; Bleisch, William V; Jiang, Xuelong

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the status and spatial distribution of endangered species in biologically and ethnologically diverse areas is important to address correlates of cultural and biological diversity. We developed models for endangered musk deer (Moschus spp.) abundance indices in and around protected areas inhabited by different ethnic groups in northwest Yunnan China to address different anthropogenic and management-related questions. We found that prediction of relative abundance of musk deer was best accomplished using ethnicity of settlements, conservation status and poaching pressure in an area. Musk deer were around 5 times more abundant in Tibetan regions relative to Lisu regions. We found no significant negative correlates of gathering and transhumance activities on musk deer abundance. Hunting pressure showed no significant differences between protected and non-protected areas, but showed significant differences among ethnic groups. Hunting pressures in areas adjacent to Lisu settlements was 7.1 times more than in areas adjacent to Tibetan settlements. Our findings indicate protected areas in southwest China are not fully effective in deterring human disturbance caused by traditional practices. We suggest that conservation and management strategies should engage traditional culture and practices with a positive conservation impact. Better understanding of indigenous culture may open up new opportunities for species conservation in much wider tracts of unprotected and human-dominated lands. Traditional practices that are not destructive to biodiversity should be allowed as a way of providing a link between the local communities and protected areas thereby creating incentives for conservation.

  19. Shared Knowledge for Addressing Impacts of Land Use Transitions on Reindeer Husbandry in Northern Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maynard, N.; Yurchak, B.; Sleptsov, Y.; Turi, J. M.

    2004-12-01

    Reindeer husbandry in Northern Russia is an economic activity with a special cultural dimension of utmost importance to the indigenous peoples. Climate changes with warmer temperatures are creating significant problems now in the Arctic for the reindeer herds. These climate factors, industrial development, and the recent transition of Russia to a market economy have resulted in a nearly complete disruption of any system of supply of goods and services and health care to indigenous peoples. In turn, this has caused rapidly deteriorating health and living conditions in the indigenous reindeer herder communities. To try to address some of these issues, a NASA-reindeer herder partnership, called Reindeer Mapper, has been initiated which is establishing a system to bring indigenous traditional and local knowledge together with scientific and engineering knowledge, remote sensing and information technologies to create a more powerful information base for addressing these environmental, climate, industrial, political, and business problems. Preliminary results from the Reindeer Mapper pilot project will be presented including a special information-sharing communications system for the Reindeer Mapper project (a private intranet system), several NASA data sets useful to the herders including SAR and Landsat imagery, local knowledge of herd distributions, ground-based data, and weather observations. Results will also be presented from the first NASA-reindeer herder science and indigenous knowledge summer camp for children of reindeer herders from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

  20. Mitochondrial D-loop analysis for uncovering the population structure and genetic diversity among the indigenous duck (Anas platyrhynchos) populations of India.

    PubMed

    Gaur, Uma; Tantia, Madhu Sudan; Mishra, Bina; Bharani Kumar, Settypalli Tirumala; Vijh, Ramesh Kumar; Chaudhury, Ashok

    2018-03-01

    The indigenous domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos domestica) which is domesticated from Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) contributes significantly to poor farming community in coastal and North Eastern regions of India. For conservation and maintenance of indigenous duck populations it is very important to know the existing genetic diversity and population structure. To unravel the population structure and genetic diversity among the five indigenous duck populations of India, the mitochondrial D-loop sequences of 120 ducks were analyzed. The sequence analysis by comparison of mtDNA D-loop region (470 bp) of five Indian duck populations revealed 25 mitochondrial haplotypes. Pairwise F ST value among populations was 0.4243 (p < .01) and the range of nucleotide substitution per site (Dxy) between the five Indian duck populations was 0.00034-0.00555, and the net divergence (Da) was 0-0.00355. The phylogenetic analysis in the present study unveiled three clades. The analysis revealed genetic continuity among ducks of coastal region of the country which formed a separate group from the ducks of the inland area. Both coastal as well as the land birds revealed introgression of the out group breed Khaki Campbell, which is used for breed improvement programs in India. The observations revealed very less selection and a single matrilineal lineage of indigenous domestic ducks.

  1. Poverty within watershed and environmentally protected areas: the case of the indigenous community in Peninsular Malaysia.

    PubMed

    Kari, Fatimah Binti; Masud, Muhammad Mehedi; Yahaya, Siti Rohani Binti; Saifullah, Md Khaled

    2016-03-01

    "Indigenous people" have been acknowledged as among the poorest and most socio-economically and culturally marginalized all over the world. This paper explores the socio-economic status of the indigenous people and their poverty profile within watershed and environmentally protected areas in Peninsular Malaysia. The findings of the study indicate that the "indigenous community" is likely to be poor if they live in environmentally sensitive and unprotected areas as compared to families under the new resettlement scheme. Inadequate access to basic education and employment contributed significantly to their poor economic status. The findings further reveal that the indigenous community is facing difficulties in receiving access and support in terms of basic needs such as housing, education, economic livelihood, and other social infrastructure. Moreover, the regulatory structure for the management of watershed areas as well as the emphasis for commodity crops such as palm oil and natural rubber have indirectly contributed toward the poverty level of the indigenous people.

  2. Fire-free land use in pre-1492 Amazonian savannas

    PubMed Central

    Iriarte, José; Power, Mitchell J.; Rostain, Stéphen; Mayle, Francis E.; Jones, Huw; Watling, Jennifer; Whitney, Bronwen S.; McKey, Doyle B.

    2012-01-01

    The nature and scale of pre-Columbian land use and the consequences of the 1492 “Columbian Encounter” (CE) on Amazonia are among the more debated topics in New World archaeology and paleoecology. However, pre-Columbian human impact in Amazonian savannas remains poorly understood. Most paleoecological studies have been conducted in neotropical forest contexts. Of studies done in Amazonian savannas, none has the temporal resolution needed to detect changes induced by either climate or humans before and after A.D. 1492, and only a few closely integrate paleoecological and archaeological data. We report a high-resolution 2,150-y paleoecological record from a French Guianan coastal savanna that forces reconsideration of how pre-Columbian savanna peoples practiced raised-field agriculture and how the CE impacted these societies and environments. Our combined pollen, phytolith, and charcoal analyses reveal unexpectedly low levels of biomass burning associated with pre-A.D. 1492 savanna raised-field agriculture and a sharp increase in fires following the arrival of Europeans. We show that pre-Columbian raised-field farmers limited burning to improve agricultural production, contrasting with extensive use of fire in pre-Columbian tropical forest and Central American savanna environments, as well as in present-day savannas. The charcoal record indicates that extensive fires in the seasonally flooded savannas of French Guiana are a post-Columbian phenomenon, postdating the collapse of indigenous populations. The discovery that pre-Columbian farmers practiced fire-free savanna management calls into question the widely held assumption that pre-Columbian Amazonian farmers pervasively used fire to manage and alter ecosystems and offers fresh perspectives on an emerging alternative approach to savanna land use and conservation that can help reduce carbon emissions. PMID:22493248

  3. Revitalization of Indigenous Culture in Child Care Centre

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kulhankova, Jana

    2011-01-01

    In this study, I address contemporary ways of looking after children and care giving roles women play in today's Aboriginal community in Brisbane, Australia. Data were collected through participant observation and interviews during field work in a family care centre managed by Indigenous women with the staff and their clients. My main contribution…

  4. Intellectual Property Rights for Indigenous Peoples: A Sourcebook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greaves, Tom, Ed.

    This sourcebook presents a collection of papers focusing on the intellectual property rights (IPR) of indigenous peoples--their rights to protect and control their cultural knowledge. Subsidiary IPR goals are to manage the degree and process by which cultural knowledge is shared with outsiders and, in some instances, to be justly compensated for…

  5. Monitoring the expanding distribution of non-indigenous dwarf eelgrass Zostera japonica in a Pacific Northwest USA estuary using high-resolution digital aerialphotomaps

    EPA Science Inventory

    The proliferation of non-indigenous species is a world-wide issue. Environmental managers need improved methods of detecting and monitoring the distribution of such invaders over large areas. In recent decades, numerous estuaries of the Pacific Northwest USA have experienced th...

  6. Prehistoric human impact on rainforest biodiversity in highland New Guinea.

    PubMed

    Haberle, Simon G

    2007-02-28

    In the highlands of New Guinea, the development of agriculture as an indigenous innovation during the Early Holocene is considered to have resulted in rapid loss of forest cover, a decrease in forest biodiversity and increased land degradation over thousands of years. But how important is human activity in shaping the diversity of vegetation communities over millennial time-scales? An evaluation of the change in biodiversity of forest habitats through the Late Glacial transition to the present in five palaeoecological sites from highland valleys, where intensive agriculture is practised today, is presented. A detailed analysis of the longest and most continuous record from Papua New Guinea is also presented using available biodiversity indices (palynological richness and biodiversity indicator taxa) as a means of identifying changes in diversity. The analysis shows that the collapse of key forest habitats in the highland valleys is evident during the Mid - Late Holocene. These changes are best explained by the adoption of new land management practices and altered disturbance regimes associated with agricultural activity, though climate change may also play a role. The implications of these findings for ecosystem conservation and sustainability of agriculture in New Guinea are discussed.

  7. Study protocol: national research partnership to improve primary health care performance and outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

    PubMed

    Bailie, Ross; Si, Damin; Shannon, Cindy; Semmens, James; Rowley, Kevin; Scrimgeour, David J; Nagel, Tricia; Anderson, Ian; Connors, Christine; Weeramanthri, Tarun; Thompson, Sandra; McDermott, Robyn; Burke, Hugh; Moore, Elizabeth; Leon, Dallas; Weston, Richard; Grogan, Haylene; Stanley, Andrew; Gardner, Karen

    2010-05-19

    Strengthening primary health care is critical to reducing health inequity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The Audit and Best practice for Chronic Disease Extension (ABCDE) project has facilitated the implementation of modern Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approaches in Indigenous community health care centres across Australia. The project demonstrated improvements in health centre systems, delivery of primary care services and in patient intermediate outcomes. It has also highlighted substantial variation in quality of care. Through a partnership between academic researchers, service providers and policy makers, we are now implementing a study which aims to 1) explore the factors associated with variation in clinical performance; 2) examine specific strategies that have been effective in improving primary care clinical performance; and 3) work with health service staff, management and policy makers to enhance the effective implementation of successful strategies. The study will be conducted in Indigenous community health centres from at least six States/Territories (Northern Territory, Western Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria) over a five year period. A research hub will be established in each region to support collection and reporting of quantitative and qualitative clinical and health centre system performance data, to investigate factors affecting variation in quality of care and to facilitate effective translation of research evidence into policy and practice. The project is supported by a web-based information system, providing automated analysis and reporting of clinical care performance to health centre staff and management. By linking researchers directly to users of research (service providers, managers and policy makers), the partnership is well placed to generate new knowledge on effective strategies for improving the quality of primary health care and fostering effective and efficient exchange and use of data and information among service providers and policy makers to achieve evidence-based resource allocation, service planning, system development, and improvements of service delivery and Indigenous health outcomes.

  8. The Cedar Project WelTel mHealth intervention for HIV prevention in young Indigenous people who use illicit drugs: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Jongbloed, Kate; Friedman, Anton J; Pearce, Margo E; Van Der Kop, Mia L; Thomas, Vicky; Demerais, Lou; Pooyak, Sherri; Schechter, Martin T; Lester, Richard T; Spittal, Patricia M

    2016-03-09

    Despite successes in preventing and treating HIV, Indigenous people in Canada continue to face disproportionately high rates of HIV infection. Programs that support healing from lifetime trauma, support connection to culture, and reduce drug-related harms are critical to preventing HIV among young Indigenous people who use drugs. The Cedar Project WelTel mHealth intervention proposed here is a structured mobile-phone initiative to connect young Indigenous people who use drugs with Cedar Case Managers in a community-based setting. The intervention consists of a package of supports, including a mobile phone and cellular plan, weekly two-way text messaging, and support from Cedar Case Managers. The Cedar Project WelTel mHealth study is a multi-site Zelen pre-randomized trial to measure the effect of a two-way supportive text-message intervention to reduce HIV vulnerability among young Indigenous people who use illicit drugs in two Canadian cities. The trial is nested within the Cedar Project, an ongoing cohort study addressing HIV and hepatitis C vulnerability among young Indigenous people who use drugs in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia. The Cedar Project Partnership, an independent body of Indigenous Elders, leaders, and health/social service experts, governs all aspects of the study. Two hundred participants will be followed over a 16-month period, with HIV propensity score at 6 months as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include HIV propensity at 1 year, HIV risk, resilience, psychological distress, access to drug-related services, and connection to culture measured at 6 months and 1 year. Primary analysis is by intention to treat. Culturally safe interventions that address barriers to HIV prevention while supporting the strength of young Indigenous people who use drugs are urgently needed. Despite presenting a tremendous opportunity to connect young, highly transient Indigenous people who use drugs to prevention services, supportive two-way mHealth programs have yet to be tested for HIV prevention in a community-based setting with this population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02437123 https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02437123 (registered 4 May 2015). Protocol version: 24 July 2015.

  9. Canadian Residential Schools and Urban Indigenous Knowledge Production about Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Howard, Heather A.

    2016-01-01

    The construction of illness as an inscription on the body of colonization figures importantly among Indigenous community-based service and health care providers. While residential schools and diabetes have both been characterized as products of colonization, little work has been done to examine how they are connected to and informative for health provider practice. The research data presented in this article come from a collaborative urban Indigenous community-based study examining the legacy of negative relationships with food that was instilled in residential schools and used in diabetes intervention. I illustrate how residential school disciplined eating, providing a context for understanding the contemporary production of Indigenous health knowledge and practice in the urban setting, and the diet-related management of diabetes. PMID:24964719

  10. The Contemporary Reality of Canadian Imperialism: Settler Colonialism and the Hybrid Colonial State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Adam J.

    2009-01-01

    The author's fundamental contention is this: Canadian society remains driven by the logic of imperialism and engages in concerted colonial action against Indigenous peoples whose claims to land and self-determination continue to undermine the legitimacy of Canadian authority and hegemony. The imperial ambitions of the Canadian state and its…

  11. Identifying geographically based metapopulations for development of plant materials indigenous to rangeland ecosystems of the western USA

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rangeland ecosystems account for about half of the earth's land surface. They play an important role in providing forage for livestock and wildlife, and they serve as critical watershed areas. Many of the world's rangelands have been degraded by overgrazing, marginal crop production, mineral and e...

  12. Radiographic Analysis of Shortleaf Pine Seeds From the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests

    Treesearch

    Alex C. Mangini; William W. Bruce; James L. Hanula

    2004-01-01

    Abstract - Shortleaf pine, Pinus echinata Mill., is indigenous to the Ouachita Mountains and the Magazine Mountain area of Arkansas. Natural regeneration of shortleaf pine is a priority on National Forest lands in this area. Insects infesting cones and seeds of shortleaf pine reduce the healthy seeds available for natural...

  13. Goals for Fourth World Peoples and Sovereignty Initiatives in the United States and New Zealand.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duffie, Mary Kay

    1998-01-01

    Compares national policies of the United States and New Zealand toward their indigenous populations, and sovereignty initiatives of Native Americans and Maoris. Discusses colonialist patterns, treaty relationships, historical policy trajectories, and sovereignty disputes. Examines Indian gaming and Maori land claims settlements as a means to gain…

  14. Native Resistance through Art: A Contestation of History through Dialogue, Representation, and Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Writer, Jeanette Haynes

    2013-01-01

    Beginning November 2006, and continuing through December 2007, Oklahomans were alerted to the promotions of the Oklahoma Centennial. For Indigenous Oklahomans, this was a problematic marking of a historical event. The Centennial's grand-narrative advanced a story privileging the "pioneers" who "settled the land" as the official…

  15. Exotic Plants are Invading Southeastern Forests

    Treesearch

    James H. Miller

    1997-01-01

    Millions of acres of forest land in the Southeast are being occupied increasingly by non-indigenous harmful plants--exotic invasive plants. They are called exotic invasive plants, because these plants from other continents invade areas in the U.S. faster and more completely than most native species. Invasive exotic plants impede forest productivity, hinder forest-use...

  16. Bush Blitz TeachLive 2015

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greene, Chris

    2015-01-01

    In July 2015, the Bush Blitz TeachLive expedition took place on the Olkola people's traditional lands on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Five teachers joined more than a dozen scientists and the Olkola Indigenous rangers to act as research assistants, as part of the eight-day Bush Blitz TeachLive experience. As a team, they discovered new…

  17. Healing the Land: CIER Helps First Nation's Protect and Restore the Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sellers, Patricia; McDonald, Rodney C.; Wilson, Ardythe

    2001-01-01

    Based on the Elders' vision that indigenous people have the responsibility to care for Mother Earth using both ancestral and Western knowledge, a Canadian nonprofit, charitable organization is committed to developing environmental education programs, research, and technical resources for First Nations communities. An example of their work is a…

  18. The National QAAMS Program – A Practical Example of PoCT Working in the Community

    PubMed Central

    Shephard, Mark DS; Gill, Janice P

    2010-01-01

    The Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services (QAAMS) Program is the largest and longest-standing national point-of-care testing (PoCT) program in Australia. With a focus on PoCT for diabetes management, it now operates in 115 Indigenous medical services and has been funded continuously by the Australian Government for 11 years. A recent independent evaluation of the QAAMS Program concluded that the program continues to meet best practice standards for Indigenous healthcare, diabetes management and PoCT. PMID:24150514

  19. Realizing the Potential of Management and Leadership: Toward a Synthesis of Western and Indigenous Perspectives in the Modernization of Non-Western Societies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sapre, Padmakar M.

    2000-01-01

    Examines the tradition/Westernization debate against the background of India's exposure to Western ideas through its higher education system. Proposes a shift from a centralized, bureaucratic educational-administration model to a managerial- professional model that synthesizes Western and indigenous perspectives. Self-knowledge and responsiveness…

  20. On the decline of ground lichen forests in the Swedish boreal landscape: Implications for reindeer husbandry and sustainable forest management.

    PubMed

    Sandström, Per; Cory, Neil; Svensson, Johan; Hedenås, Henrik; Jougda, Leif; Borchert, Nanna

    2016-05-01

    Lichens are a bottleneck resource for circumpolar populations of reindeer, and as such, for reindeer husbandry as an indigenous Sami land-use tradition in northern Sweden. This study uses ground lichen data and forest information collected within the Swedish National Forest Inventory since 1953, on the scale of northern Sweden. We found a 71 % decline in the area of lichen-abundant forests over the last 60 years. A decline was observed in all regions and age classes and especially coincided with a decrease of >60 year old, open pine forests, which was the primary explanatory factor in our model. The effects of reindeer numbers were inconclusive in explaining the decrease in lichen-abundant forest. The role that forestry has played in causing this decline can be debated, but forestry can have a significant role in reversing the trend and improving ground lichen conditions.

  1. Shifts in indigenous culture relate to forest tree diversity: a case study from the Tsimane', Bolivian Amazon.

    PubMed

    Guèze, Maximilien; Luz, Ana Catarina; Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime; Macía, Manuel J; Orta-Martínez, Martí; Pino, Joan; Reyes-García, Victoria

    2015-06-01

    Understanding how indigenous peoples' management practices relate to biological diversity requires addressing contemporary changes in indigenous peoples' way of life. This study explores the association between cultural change among a Bolivian Amazonian indigenous group, the Tsimane', and tree diversity in forests surrounding their villages. We interviewed 86 informants in six villages about their level of attachment to traditional Tsimane' values, our proxy for cultural change. We estimated tree diversity (Fisher's Alpha index) by inventorying trees in 48 0.1-ha plots in old-growth forests distributed in the territory of the same villages. We used multivariate models to assess the relation between cultural change and alpha tree diversity. Cultural change was associated with alpha tree diversity and the relation showed an inverted U-shape, thus suggesting that tree alpha diversity peaked in villages undergoing intermediate cultural change. Although the results do not allow for testing the direction of the relation, we propose that cultural change relates to tree diversity through the changes in practices and behaviors that affect the traditional ecological knowledge of Tsimane' communities; further research is needed to determine the causality. Our results also find support in the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, and suggest that indigenous management can be seen as an intermediate form of anthropogenic disturbance affecting forest communities in a subtle, non-destructive way.

  2. Shifts in indigenous culture relate to forest tree diversity: a case study from the Tsimane’, Bolivian Amazon

    PubMed Central

    Guèze, Maximilien; Luz, Ana Catarina; Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime; Macía, Manuel J.; Orta-Martínez, Martí; Pino, Joan; Reyes-García, Victoria

    2015-01-01

    Understanding how indigenous peoples’ management practices relate to biological diversity requires addressing contemporary changes in indigenous peoples’ way of life. This study explores the association between cultural change among a Bolivian Amazonian indigenous group, the Tsimane’, and tree diversity in forests surrounding their villages. We interviewed 86 informants in six villages about their level of attachment to traditional Tsimane’ values, our proxy for cultural change. We estimated tree diversity (Fisher’s Alpha index) by inventorying trees in 48 0.1-ha plots in old-growth forests distributed in the territory of the same villages. We used multivariate models to assess the relation between cultural change and alpha tree diversity. Cultural change was associated with alpha tree diversity and the relation showed an inverted U-shape, thus suggesting that tree alpha diversity peaked in villages undergoing intermediate cultural change. Although the results do not allow for testing the direction of the relation, we propose that cultural change relates to tree diversity through the changes in practices and behaviors that affect the traditional ecological knowledge of Tsimane’ communities; further research is needed to determine the causality. Our results also find support in the intermediate disturbance hypothesis, and suggest that indigenous management can be seen as an intermediate form of anthropogenic disturbance affecting forest communities in a subtle, non-destructive way. PMID:26097240

  3. Introduction to Climate Change from an Indigenous Perspective: an undergraduate course developed by and for Tribal Colleges and Universities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, K. A.; Pandya, R. E.; Kahn-Thornbrugh, C.; Newberry, T.; Carroll, M.; Guinn, M.; Vanlopik, W.; Haines, C.; Wildcat, D.

    2010-12-01

    Thirty-six Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) serve over 20,000 Native American undergraduate students across the US. TCUs were created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians and generally serve geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level. TCUs have become increasingly important to educational opportunity for Native American students and are unique institutions that combine personal attention with cultural relevance to encourage Native Americans to overcome the barriers they face to higher education. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) coordinated development of a semester-long geosciences program of study with a unique curriculum that introduces tribal college students to multiple disciplines in the geosciences within the topic of global climate change. Importantly, the curriculum structure does not parallel typical college climate change survey courses, but rather is taught from the perspective of the traditional ecological knowledge held by native peoples of North America. The richly varied history, geography, ecology, culture and scientific knowledge of Native American tribes across the US serves as the starting point from which students are taught about atmospheric and earth sciences and the connection of climate change to all our lives. In addition, examples and case studies focusing specifically on tribal lands foster the development of future Native American leaders with the scientific, technological and cultural skills required to assist tribal communities in managing their lands and maintaining their cultures as they face a climate-altered future. The "Introduction to Climate Change from an Indigenous Perspective" curriculum was developed by tribal college faculty from multiple institutions through a collaborative workshop process. The course was piloted and taught at 5 tribal colleges during spring semester 2010. This presentation provides an overview of the course goals, content and delivery.

  4. Indigenous peoples' experiences and perceptions of hospitalisation for acute care: A metasynthesis of qualitative studies.

    PubMed

    Mbuzi, Vainess; Fulbrook, Paul; Jessup, Melanie

    2017-06-01

    The objective of this study was to explore Indigenous people's experiences and perceptions of hospitalisation and acute care. Systematic procedures were used for the literature search covering the period from 2000 to 2016. Final search was conducted in early September 2016. Quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. Data extraction was conducted using the data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. A thematic approach to synthesis was taken. Statements were assembled to produce aggregated data of the findings, which were then categorised based on similarity of meaning, and the categories were used to produce comprehensive synthesised findings. The literature search was conducted in the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google scholar, Medline, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, and PsycINFO. Manual searches of the International Journal of Indigenous Health, Menzies website and references of reviewed papers were also conducted. Inclusion criteria were qualitative articles, published in English from across the world, in peer-reviewed journals, that investigated acute health care experiences of Indigenous people. A metasynthesis of qualitative research studies was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A total of 21 primary studies met the inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged from the metasynthesis: Strangers in a strange land; Encountering dysfunctional interactions; and Suffering stereotyping and assumptions. These themes emphasised the importance of meaningful relationships for Indigenous people and highlighted their cultural marginalisation in hospital settings. The findings indicate that healthcare experiences of Indigenous patients and their relatives in acute settings can fall well short of their expectations and needs. It behoves healthcare professionals to firstly be aware of such discrepancies, and secondly to implement strategies that enable inclusive and individualised care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Breast Cancer in Australian Indigenous Women: Incidence, Mortality, and Risk Factors

    PubMed Central

    Tapia, Kriscia A; Garvey, Gail; Entee, Mark Mc; Rickard, Mary; Brennan, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    The Indigenous people of Australia face significant health gaps compared with the general population, with lower life expectancies, higher rates of death, and chronic illness occurring more often than in non-indigenous Australians. Cancer is the second largest contributor to the burden of disease with breast cancer being the most common invasive cancer diagnosed for females. Despite a lower breast cancer incidence compared with non-indigenous women, fatalities occur at an elevated rate and breast cancers have an earlier age of onset. For indigenous women there are also more advanced and distant tumours at diagnosis, fewer hospitalisations for breast cancer, and lower participation in breast screening. Concomitantly there are demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors associated with breast cancer risks that are heavily represented within Indigenous communities. The aim of this two-part narrative review is to examine the available evidence on breast cancer and its risk factors in Australian Indigenous women. Part One presents a summary of the latest incidence, survival and mortality data. Part Two presents the risk factors most strongly associated with breast cancer including age, place of residence, family risk, genetics, reproductive history, tobacco use, alcohol intake, physical activity, participation in screening and breast density. With increasing emphasis on personalized health care, a clear understanding of breast cancer incidence, survival, mortality, and causal agents within the Indigenous population is required if breast cancer prevention and management is to be optimized for Indigenous Australians. PMID:28545182

  6. Experiential learning to increase palliative care competence among the Indigenous workforce: an Australian experience.

    PubMed

    Shahid, Shaouli; Ekberg, Stuart; Holloway, Michele; Jacka, Catherine; Yates, Patsy; Garvey, Gail; Thompson, Sandra C

    2018-01-20

    Improving Indigenous people's access to palliative care requires a health workforce with appropriate knowledge and skills to respond to end-of-life (EOL) issues. The Indigenous component of the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) includes opportunities for Indigenous health practitioners to develop skills in the palliative approach by undertaking a supervised clinical placement of up to 5 days within specialist palliative care services. This paper presents the evaluative findings of the components of an experiential learning programme and considers the broader implications for delivery of successful palliative care education programme for Indigenous people. Semistructured interviews were conducted with PEPA staff and Indigenous PEPA participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and key themes identified. Participants reported that placements increased their confidence about engaging in conversations about EOL care and facilitated relationships and ongoing work collaboration with palliative care services. Management support was critical and placements undertaken in settings which had more experience caring for Indigenous people were preferred. Better engagement occurred where the programme included Indigenous staffing and leadership and where preplacement and postplacement preparation and mentoring were provided. Opportunities for programme improvement included building on existing postplacement and follow-up activities. A culturally respectful experiential learning education programme has the potential to upskill Indigenous health practitioners in EOL care. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  7. Developing a postgraduate program in Indigenous mental health and wellbeing at University of Southern Queensland.

    PubMed

    Hampton, Ron; McCann, William

    2007-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to explain the development of an innovative postgraduate program in Indigenous Australian Mental Health and Well-Being for non-Indigenous health and allied health practitioners. The historical background is explored, together with details of the approach to, and the management of, the new program. The establishment of the new program has been achieved and the interest level in the new directions being undertaken has been gauged as very high. Judging by the number of enquiries, the enrolments so far achieved and the Department of Education, Science and Training granting of 20 HECS places for the new program, it is clear that the program will be viable and the future development of a Master's in Indigenous Mental Health and Well-Being assured.

  8. Dissection of niche competition between introduced and indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with respect to soybean yield responses.

    PubMed

    Niwa, Rieko; Koyama, Takuya; Sato, Takumi; Adachi, Katsuki; Tawaraya, Keitaro; Sato, Shusei; Hirakawa, Hideki; Yoshida, Shigenobu; Ezawa, Tatsuhiro

    2018-05-09

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associate with most land plants and deliver phosphorus to the host. Identification of biotic/abiotic factors that determine crop responses to AM fungal inoculation is an essential step for successful application of the fungi in sustainable agriculture. We conducted three field trials on soybean with a commercial inoculum and developed a new molecular tool to dissect interactions between the inoculum and indigenous fungi on the MiSeq sequencing platform. Regression analysis indicated that sequence read abundance of the inoculum fungus was the most significant factor that determined soybean yield responses to the inoculation, suggesting that dominance of the inoculum fungus is a necessary condition for positive yield responses. Agricultural practices (fallow/cropping in the previous year) greatly affected the colonization levels (i.e. read abundances) of the inoculum fungus via altering the propagule density of indigenous AM fungi. Analysis of niche competition revealed that the inoculum fungus competed mainly with the indigenous fungi that are commonly distributed in the trial sites, probably because their life-history strategy is the same as that of the inoculum fungus. In conclusion, we provide a new framework for evaluating the significance of environmental factors towards successful application of AM fungi in agriculture.

  9. Building an Indigenous Elementary Social Studies Curriculum: A Look at What's Happening in Liberia, West Africa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adesiyan, H. Rose

    Prior to the advancement of western education, Liberia had a system of indigenous education, taught by chiefs and respected village elders, and designed to perpetuate the Liberian culture. Formal or western education was introduced in 1830 when the Board of Managers of the American Colonization Society passed a resolution and later passed a public…

  10. Exploring the Downside of Open Knowledge Resources: The Case of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices in the Philippines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flor, Alexander Gonzalez

    2013-01-01

    The paper is based on the challenges encountered by the researcher while conducting a study titled "Design, Development and Testing of an Indigenous Knowledge Management System Using Mobile Device Video Capture and Web 2.0 Protocols." During the conduct of the study the researcher observed a marked reluctance from organized indigenous…

  11. Childhood disability in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: a literature review

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have higher rates of disability than non-Indigenous children and are considered doubly disadvantaged, yet there is very little data reflecting prevalence and service access to inform design and delivery of services. Failing to address physical, social, and psychological factors can have life-long consequences and perpetuate longstanding health disparities. Methods A narrative literature review was undertaken to identify peer reviewed literature describing factors impacting on the prevention, recognition, and access to support and management of disability in Indigenous Australian children. Results Twenty-seven peer-reviewed journal articles met inclusion criteria. The majority of articles focused on the hearing loss and learning disabilities consequent of otitis media. Few articles reported data on urban or metropolitan Indigenous populations or described interventions. Individual/community-, provider-, and systems level factors were identified as impacting on recognition and management of disability in young Indigenous children. Conclusions Given the burden of childhood disability, the limited literature retrieved is concerning as this is a barometer of activity and investment. Solutions addressing childhood disability will require collaboration between health, social and educational disciplines as well as an increased investment in prevention, identification and promotion of access. PMID:23327694

  12. Colors, humors and evil eye: indigenous classification and treatment of childhood diarrhea in highland Guatemala.

    PubMed

    Burleigh, E; Dardano, C; Cruz, J R

    1990-11-01

    Focal group interviews on indigenous perceptions and reported management of childhood diarrhea were conducted in 1987-88 in Guatemala as a part of a prospective epidemiological field study of chronic diarrhea. Six cognitive schemata were identified, each with specific causes, a linked progression of concepts, symptoms, signs, and diagnostic characteristics. Nearly all were related to the humoral theory of disease, including the concept of evil eye. Diarrheal disease was conceptualized in the village as a set of processes which could be either "hot" or "cold" rather than as an unchanging single-symptom entity occupying only one spot on the humoral continuum. Clarification of the temporal relationship between concepts was found to be essential to the understanding of these indigenously-defined schemata. Stool color reflecting humoral theory was the primary concept used in household-level diagnosis. Reported behavior associated with these cognitive schemata (traditional treatments, pharmaceutical and dietary management) showed remarkable constancy, and adhered for the most part to the humoral concept of equilibrium. These included the use of oral rehydration solutions (ORS) and liquids. The applied importance of humoral theory to home-based use of ORS is discussed briefly as is the indigenous definition of dehydration.

  13. Oppression in Argentina: The Mataco Case. IWGIA Document No. 21.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodriguez, Nemesio J.

    The Mataco Indians are members of the Mataco-Mataguayo family which included several different groups that to some extent were related culturally speaking. According to the National Indigenous Census, there are 21,800 Mataco in Argentina today. The six Mataco settlements, situated in the land belt which extends from Pozo del Mortero to Laguna Yema…

  14. The Evolution and Evaluation of an Online Role Play through Design-Based Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beckmann, Elizabeth A.; Mahanty, Sango

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents selected findings from a 5-year design-based research case study of the evolution of an online role play that allows postgraduate students to explore the complexities inherent in land rights negotiations between indigenous peoples and others. In the context of Laurillard's (2002) conversational framework and a design-based…

  15. Putting History in Its Place: Grounding the Australian Curriculum--History in Local Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Neil

    2012-01-01

    This position paper develops the case for a greater focus on the teaching of local histories in the Australian Curriculum: History. It takes as its starting point an Indigenous epistemology that understands knowledge to be embedded in the land. This connection between knowledge and country is used to examine recent literature on whether the…

  16. Sustainable development education, practice, and research: an indigenous model of sustainable development at the College of Menominee Nation, Keshena, WI, USA

    Treesearch

    Michael J. Dockry; Katherine Hall; William Van Lopik; Christopher M. Caldwell

    2015-01-01

    The College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute's theoretical model (SDI model) conceptualizes sustainable development as the process of maintaining the balance and reconciling the inherent tensions among six dimensions of sustainability: land and sovereignty; natural environment #including human beings); institutions; technology; economy; and...

  17. Stories from an Appalachian Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cirillo, Marie

    Fifty-one years of working in Appalachia on land resettlement and preservation of local values have taught Marie Cirillo the importance of not thinking in terms of either/or. It is not science/technology versus indigenous knowledge; it is how one connects the two so there can be proper balance. It is not capital versus labor; it is not…

  18. Talking Books for Children's Home Use in a Minority Indigenous Australian Language Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auld, Glenn

    2007-01-01

    Members of the Kunibidji community are the traditional owners of the lands and seas around Maningrida, a remote community in Northern Australia. Most of the 200 members of the Kunibidji Community speak Ndjebbana as their first language. This study reports on the complexities of transforming technology to provide Kunibidji children with access to…

  19. Coastal climate change in Southeast Alaska – Students aid in documenting local observations and experiences

    Treesearch

    Linda E. Kruger; Adelaide Johnson

    2017-01-01

    Coastal indigenous people around the world have depended on natural resources from land and sea since time immemorial. However, assessments of potential resource change resulting from ongoing physical change, like we are experiencing today, are rare. Such summaries could increase our understanding of ecosystem dynamics and implications for important resources and could...

  20. Rabbits and Flying Warriors: The Postindian Imagery of Jim Denomie

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez, David

    2011-01-01

    In an art world dominated by non-Indian curators and experts, being "Indian" was confined to an ethnographic fiction of storytellers, dancers, and medicine men attired in traditional clothing and regalia, in which the colonization of indigenous lands and peoples is left to the margins like an Edward S. Curtis portrait. These are the…

  1. Narratives of Dynamic Lands: Science Education, Indigenous Knowledge and Possible Futures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGinty, Megan; Bang, Megan

    2016-01-01

    We aim to share some of our work currently focused on understanding and unearthing the multiplicities of ways the denial of culture in relation to science and knowledge construction is embedded in issues of climate change and climate change education. The issues become more troubling when we consider how effects of climate change are manifesting…

  2. The Saskatchewan River Basin - a large scale observatory for water security research (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wheater, H. S.

    2013-12-01

    The 336,000 km2 Saskatchewan River Basin (SaskRB) in Western Canada illustrates many of the issues of Water Security faced world-wide. It poses globally-important science challenges due to the diversity in its hydro-climate and ecological zones. With one of the world's more extreme climates, it embodies environments of global significance, including the Rocky Mountains (source of the major rivers in Western Canada), the Boreal Forest (representing 30% of Canada's land area) and the Prairies (home to 80% of Canada's agriculture). Management concerns include: provision of water resources to more than three million inhabitants, including indigenous communities; balancing competing needs for water between different uses, such as urban centres, industry, agriculture, hydropower and environmental flows; issues of water allocation between upstream and downstream users in the three prairie provinces; managing the risks of flood and droughts; and assessing water quality impacts of discharges from major cities and intensive agricultural production. Superimposed on these issues is the need to understand and manage uncertain water futures, including effects of economic growth and environmental change, in a highly fragmented water governance environment. Key science questions focus on understanding and predicting the effects of land and water management and environmental change on water quantity and quality. To address the science challenges, observational data are necessary across multiple scales. This requires focussed research at intensively monitored sites and small watersheds to improve process understanding and fine-scale models. To understand large-scale effects on river flows and quality, land-atmosphere feedbacks, and regional climate, integrated monitoring, modelling and analysis is needed at large basin scale. And to support water management, new tools are needed for operational management and scenario-based planning that can be implemented across multiple scales and multiple jurisdictions. The SaskRB has therefore been developed as a large scale observatory, now a Regional Hydroclimate Project of the World Climate Research Programme's GEWEX project, and is available to contribute to the emerging North American Water Program. State-of-the-art hydro-ecological experimental sites have been developed for the key biomes, and a river and lake biogeochemical research facility, focussed on impacts of nutrients and exotic chemicals. Data are integrated at SaskRB scale to support the development of improved large scale climate and hydrological modelling products, the development of DSS systems for local, provincial and basin-scale management, and the development of related social science research, engaging stakeholders in the research and exploring their values and priorities for water security. The observatory provides multiple scales of observation and modelling required to develop: a) new climate, hydrological and ecological science and modelling tools to address environmental change in key environments, and their integrated effects and feedbacks at large catchment scale, b) new tools needed to support river basin management under uncertainty, including anthropogenic controls on land and water management and c) the place-based focus for the development of new transdisciplinary science.

  3. Building partnerships with Indigenous communities around climate change: A new UCAR initiative.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandya, R. E.

    2008-12-01

    The atmospheric and related sciences have one of the lowest rates of participation by American Indians of any physical science. This not only disadvantages the atmospheric sciences by isolating them from a rich and relevant intellectual heritage, it disadvantages tribal communities who seek to apply the insights from atmospheric sciences to planning their own future. In a time of rapid environmental change and its impact on tribal lands and all lands, the need for connection between these two communities is especially urgent. In 2007, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research launched a new Community Building Program, in order to catalyze and coordinate activities that contribute to UCAR's strategic goal of developing a diverse atmospheric science workforce. A key goal of this program has been to look for partnerships with the American Indian community around climate change issues. The goal of these partnerships is to support North American tribal efforts to enhance their own scientific and adaptive capacity around climate change. In the early stages of this partnership, we have listened to some important messages from Indigenous communities: •Climate change, like all things related to the landscape, is intimately connected to identity and sovereignty • Scientific expertise is one among many skills indigenous people employ in their relation with their homelands • Climate change research and education are embedded in decision-making about economic development, energy, public health as well as cultural preservation, language, and tribal sovereignty This presentation will be an opportunity to check and extend these insights discuss and use them as a basis for a long-term partnership between UCAR and tribal communities.

  4. Collaborating on Climate: The Signs of the Land Camp as a Model for Meaningful Learning Between Indigenous Communities and Western Climate Scientists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chase, M.; Brunacini, J.; Sparrow, E. B.

    2016-12-01

    As interest in Indigenous Knowledge (IK) grows, how can researchers ensure that collaboration is meaningful, relevant, and valuable for those involved? The Signs of the Land: Reaching Arctic Communities Facing Climate Change Camp is a collaborative project developed by the Association for Interior Native Educators (AINE), the International Arctic Research Center (IARC), and the PoLAR Partnership. Modeled on AINE's Elder Academy and supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the camp facilitates in-depth dialogue about climate change and explores causes, impacts, and solutions through the cultural lens of Alaska Native communities. The project integrates local observations, IK, and western climate science. Participants engage with Alaska Native Elders, local climate researchers, and learn about climate communication tools and resources for responding. Following camps in 2014 and 2016, project partners identified a variety of questions about the challenges and opportunities of the collaboration that will be discussed in this presentation. For instance, what does it mean to equitably integrate IK, and in what ways are Native communities able to participate in research project design, delivery, and evaluation? How are decisions made and consensus built within cultural practices, project goals, and funding expectations? How do opportunities available to Indigenous communities to engage with western climate science broaden understanding and response? And, how does the ability to connect with and learn from Alaska Native Elders affect motivation, engagement, and community action? Finally, what is the effect of learning about climate change in a cultural camp setting?

  5. Establishment of an innovative specialist cardiac indigenous outreach service in rural and remote Queensland.

    PubMed

    Tibby, David; Corpus, Rohan; Walters, Darren L

    2010-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality in Indigenous Australians. Indigneous Australians present at a younger age and have a greater incidence of cardiac risk including smoking and diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians. Access to specialist health services is an important determinant of health care outcomes for these patients. We describe an innovative and successful for model for providing Outreach Cardiac Specialist services to Indigenous communities in rural and remote locations. The approach involves a step-wise process of a) community engagement, b) delivering recovery interventions to improve health outcomes, c) building community capacity to self manage chronic illness and promoting health and well being with the aim of d) community self governance of chronic disease and health promotion. Key elements to this process are community participation in the program, disease self-management led by local health care workers, open access that is all-inclusive utilising community-generated referral, and the translation of scientific knowledge of disease processes into community understanding and making culturally relevant connections. Specialist cardiac services and point of care diagnostics have been provided to 18 sites across rural and remote Queensland. More than 1400 episodes of care have been provided to Indigenous Australians with rheumatic heart disease, ischaemic heart disease and congenital heart conditions. Traditional values can work harmoniously with an inclusive medical approach in this relational model. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Extending Business Education beyond Traditional Boundaries: A Case Study in Negotiated Problem Resolution in a Remote Regional Indigenous Community in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearson, Cecil A. L.; Chatterjee, Samir Ranjan

    2010-01-01

    It is widely accepted that the concepts and practices of management can only be of benefit when they are anchored to the contextual architecture of people, processes, structures, and technologies. The challenge of establishing a bridging program for providing managerial competencies to Australian Indigenous people has become a serious one for…

  7. Genetic structure and diversity of indigenous rice (Oryza sativa) varieties in the Eastern Himalayan region of Northeast India.

    PubMed

    Choudhury, Baharul; Khan, Mohamed Latif; Dayanandan, Selvadurai

    2013-12-01

    The Eastern Himalayan region of Northeast (NE) India is home to a large number of indigenous rice varieties, which may serve as a valuable genetic resource for future crop improvement to meet the ever-increasing demand for food production. However, these varieties are rapidly being lost due to changes in land-use and agricultural practices, which favor agronomically improved varieties. A detailed understanding of the genetic structure and diversity of indigenous rice varieties is crucial for efficient utilization of rice genetic resources and for developing suitable conservation strategies. To explore the genetic structure and diversity of rice varieties in NE India, we genotyped 300 individuals of 24 indigenous rice varieties representing sali, boro, jum and glutinous types, 5 agronomically improved varieties, and one wild rice species (O. rufipogon) using seven SSR markers. A total of 85 alleles and a very high level of gene diversity (0.776) were detected among the indigenous rice varieties of the region. Considerable level of genetic variation was found within indigenous varieties whereas improved varieties were monoporphic across all loci. The comparison of genetic diversity among different types of rice revealed that sali type possessed the highest gene diversity (0.747) followed by jum (0.627), glutinous (0.602) and boro (0.596) types of indigenous rice varieties, while the lowest diversity was detected in agronomically improved varieties (0.459). The AMOVA results showed that 66% of the variation was distributed among varieties indicating a very high level of genetic differentiation in rice varieties in the region. Two major genetically defined clusters corresponding to indica and japonica groups were detected in rice varieties of the region. Overall, traditionally cultivated indigenous rice varieties in NE India showed high levels of genetic diversity comparable to levels of genetic diversity reported from wild rice populations in various parts of the world. The efforts for conservation of rice germplasm in NE India should consider saving rice varieties representing different types with specific emphasis given to sali and jum types. The protection against the loss of vast genetic diversity found in indigenous rice varieties in NE India is crucial for maintaining future food security in the changing world.

  8. Study Protocol--Alcohol Management Plans (AMPs) in remote indigenous communities in Queensland: their impacts on injury, violence, health and social indicators and their cost-effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Clough, Alan R; Fitts, Michelle S; Robertson, Jan A; Shakeshaft, Anthony; Miller, Adrian; Doran, Christopher M; Muller, Reinhold; Ypinazar, Valmae; Martin, David; McDermott, Robyn; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Towle, Simon; Margolis, Stephen A; West, Caryn

    2014-01-09

    In 2002/03 the Queensland Government responded to high rates of alcohol-related harm in discrete Indigenous communities by implementing alcohol management plans (AMPs), designed to include supply and harm reduction and treatment measures. Tighter alcohol supply and carriage restrictions followed in 2008 following indications of reductions in violence and injury. Despite the plans being in place for over a decade, no comprehensive independent review has assessed to what level the designed aims were achieved and what effect the plans have had on Indigenous community residents and service providers. This study will describe the long-term impacts on important health, economic and social outcomes of Queensland's AMPs. The project has two main studies, 1) outcome evaluation using de-identified epidemiological data on injury, violence and other health and social indicators for across Queensland, including de-identified databases compiled from relevant routinely-available administrative data sets, and 2) a process evaluation to map the nature, timing and content of intervention components targeting alcohol. Process evaluation will also be used to assess the fidelity with which the designed intervention components have been implemented, their uptake and community responses to them and their perceived impacts on alcohol supply and consumption, injury, violence and community health. Interviews and focus groups with Indigenous residents and service providers will be used. The study will be conducted in all 24 of Queensland's Indigenous communities affected by alcohol management plans. This evaluation will report on the impacts of the original aims for AMPs, what impact they have had on Indigenous residents and service providers. A central outcome will be the establishment of relevant databases describing the parameters of the changes seen. This will permit comprehensive and rigorous surveillance systems to be put in place and provided to communities empowering them with the best credible evidence to judge future policy and program requirements for themselves. The project will inform impending alcohol policy and program adjustments in Queensland and other Australian jurisdictions.The project has been approved by the James Cook University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number H4967 & H5241).

  9. A systematic review of adherence in Indigenous Australians: an opportunity to improve chronic condition management.

    PubMed

    de Dassel, Jessica Langloh; Ralph, Anna P; Cass, Alan

    2017-12-27

    Indigenous Australians experience high rates of chronic conditions. It is often asserted Indigenous Australians have low adherence to medication; however there has not been a comprehensive examination of the evidence. This systematic literature review presents data from studies of Indigenous Australians on adherence rates and identifies supporting factors and impediments from the perspective of health professionals and patients. Search strategies were used to identify literature in electronic databases and websites. The following databases were searched: Scopus, Medline, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Library, Trove, Indigenous Health infonet and Grey Lit.org . Articles in English, reporting original data on adherence to long-term, self-administered medicines in Australia's Indigenous populations were included. Data were extracted into a standard template and a quality assessment was undertaken. Forty-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Varied study methodologies prevented the use of meta-analysis. health professionals believe adherence is a significant problem for Indigenous Australians; however, adherence rates are rarely measured. Health professionals and patients often reported the same barriers and facilitators, providing a framework for improvement. There is no evidence that medication adherence amongst Indigenous Australians is lower than for the general population. Nevertheless, the heavy burden of morbidity and mortality faced by Indigenous Australians with chronic conditions could be alleviated by enhancing medication adherence. Some evidence supports strategies to improve adherence, including the use of dose administration aids. This evidence should be used by clinicians when prescribing, and to implement and evaluate programs using standard measures to quantify adherence, to drive improvement in health outcomes.

  10. Ageing well from an urban Indigenous Australian perspective.

    PubMed

    Waugh, Elizabeth; Mackenzie, Lynette

    2011-02-01

    The poor health status of Indigenous Australians as demonstrated by high rates of morbidity and mortality compared with non-Indigenous Australians has been of concern to health providers for decades. Largely because of low life expectancy, Indigenous Australians are considered to be ageing from the age of 45 years. However, little is known about the needs and views of this unique group as they age. The aim of the study was to explore perspectives of older Indigenous Australians about their health and wellbeing. A qualitative study was conducted using data from face-to-face interviews with six Indigenous people aged over 45 years living in southwest Sydney, Australia. Data were analysed using a phenomenological approach. Participants described important considerations for ageing well that related to the four main themes of: personal identity, family, community and perception of health and ageing. Engaging in meaningful occupations to support culturally valued roles were key elements in strengthening identity and facilitating personal, family and community health. Health and wellbeing were perceived as multidimensional concepts by participants, which did not always match available services primarily developed for non-Indigenous populations. Culturally sensitive health services are needed to meet the needs of older Indigenous people. Ageing well was associated with participating in family and community roles, connection with community networks and managing the effects of chronic health problems. Further research is needed to determine how health services can support, identity and promote health for older Indigenous Australians. © 2011 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2011 Australian Association of Occupational Therapists.

  11. Ecosystem model of the entire Beaufort Sea marine ecosystem: a tool for assessing food-web structure and ecosystem changes from 1970 to 2014

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suprenand, P. M.; Hoover, C.

    2016-02-01

    The Beaufort Sea coastal-marine ecosystem is approximately a 476,000 km2 area in the Arctic Ocean, which extends from -112.5 to -158° longitude to 67.5 to 75° latitude. Within this Arctic Ocean area the United States (Alaskan) indigenous communities of Barrow, Kaktovik, and Nuiqsut, and the Canadian (Northwest Territories) indigenous communities of Aklavik, Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Ulukhaktok, and Sachs Harbour, subsist by harvesting marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates from the Beaufort Sea to provide the majority of their community foods annually. The ecosystem in which the indigenous communities harvest is considered a polar habitat that includes many specialized species, such as polar bears that rely on sea-ice for foraging activities and denning, or ice algae that are attached to the cryosphere. However, the polar habitat has been experiencing a diminishing sea-ice extent, age, and seasonal duration, with concomitant increases in sea surface temperatures (SSTs), since the 1970s. Changes in sea-ice and SST have consequences to the Beaufort Sea coastal-marine ecosystem, which includes animal habitat losses, alterations to trophodynamics, and impacts to subsistence community harvesting. The present study was aimed at capturing trophodynamic changes in the Beaufort Sea coastal-marine ecosystem from 1970 to 2014 using a fitted spatial-temporal model (Ecopath with Ecosim and Ecospace) that utilizes forcing and mediation functions to describe animal/trophodynamic relationships with sea-ice and sea surface temperature, as well as individual community harvesting efforts. Model outputs reveals similar trends in animals population changes (e.g., increasing bowhead whale stock), changes in apex predator diets (e.g., polar bears eating less ringed seal), and changes in animal distributions (e.g., polar bears remaining closer to land over time). The Beaufort Sea model is a dynamic tool for Arctic Ocean natural resource management in the years to come.

  12. Protecting indigenous rights. Guatemala.

    PubMed

    1996-01-01

    Guatemala's recent ratification of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention regarding indigenous and tribal peoples (1989, No. 169) represents a commitment to guarantee the rights of the country's majority Mayan population. Ratifying governments are obligated to respect the traditional values and land rights of tribal and indigenous peoples and to consult with them on any decisions affecting their economic or social development. Ratification of this Convention was a key element in an eight-part UN-sponsored negotiation aimed at ending the civil war in Guatemala. Efforts are underway to promote dialogue between organized civil society and government. Negotiations in May 1996, conducted with ILO assistance, resulted in a socioeconomic agreement under which Guatemala will increase social investment in education, undertake agrarian reform, and institute tripartite consultation on all major social and economic issues. However, two key issues in the peace negotiations--the role of the army in civil society and constitutional reform--remain unresolved. The final global peace accord is expected to be signed in September 1996. UN organizations are already working to mobilize international support for transforming these agreements into political and social realities for the Guatemalan people.

  13. ISRU: An Overview of NASA'S Current Development Activities and Long-Term Goals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sanders, Gerald B.; Nicholson, Leonard S. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The concept of "living off the land" by utilizing the indigenous resources of the Moon, Mars, or other potential sites of robotic and human exploration has been termed In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). It is fundamental to any program of extended human presence and operation on other extraterrestrial bodies that we learn how to utilize the indigenous resources. The chief benefits of ISRU are that it can reduce the mass, cost, and risk of robotic and human exploration while providing capabilities that enable the commercial development of space. In January 1997, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Processing Technical Committee released a position paper entitled, "Need for A NASA Indigenous Space Resource Utilization (ISRU) Program". Besides outlining some of the potential advantages of incorporating ISRU into Lunar and Mars human mission plans and providing an overview of technologies and processes of interest, the position paper concluded with a list of seven recommendations to NASA. This paper will examine the seven recommendations proposed and provide an overview of NASA's current ISRU development activities and possible long term goals with respect to these recommendations.

  14. Biodegradation of MTBE by indigenous aquifer microorganisms under artificial oxic conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Landmeyer, J.E.; Bradley, P.M.

    2001-01-01

    The hypothesis that artificial oxic conditions will lead to MTBE biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms in anoxic, gasoline-contaminated aquifers was examined by adding oxygen in the form of a metal peroxide slurry to an anoxic part of gasoline-contaminated aquifer in South Carolina. Field observations of relatively rapid aerobic MTBE biodegradation following oxygen addition suggest that the indigenous bacteria have become acclimated not only to mg/L concentrations of MTBE in the gasoline plume, but also to periodic delivery of oxygen by recharge events. Significant natural attenuation of MTBE could occur if the oxygen limitations naturally associated with gasoline releases can be removed, either under natural conditions where discharging anoxic groundwater comes into contact with oxygen, or artificial conditions where oxygen can be added to aquifers containing mg/L concentrations of MTBE. This final solution might be an effective strategy for intercepting characteristically long MTBE plumes, particularly at sites not characterized by groundwater discharge to land surface. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 222nd ACS National Meting (Chicago, IL 8/26-30/2001).

  15. The peopling of the Americas and the origin of the Beringian occupation model.

    PubMed

    Mulligan, Connie J; Szathmáry, Emőke J E

    2017-03-01

    The current model for peopling of the Americas involves divergence from an ancestral Asian population followed by a period of population isolation and genetic diversification in Beringia, and finally, a rapid expansion into and throughout the Americas. Studies in the 1970s sought to characterize the biological relationships between different indigenous populations and first proposed an occupation of Beringia. More recent studies using molecular genetic markers often neglect to reference early works that laid the groundwork for current colonization models. We address this matter, and briefly summarize the literature and technological advances that contributed to our current understanding of the peopling of the Americas. Furthermore, we argue that describing the process of peopling of the Americas as "migrations from Asia" minimizes the significant genetic diversification that occurred outside of Asia, and offends indigenous Americans by discounting their origin narratives and land rights. Rather than referring to the indigenous peoples of the Americas as "migrants" or "immigrants," we recommend consistency in the language used to describe all post-glacial expansions of people into Asia, Europe and the Americas. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Sea Country: Navigating Indigenous and Colonial Ontologies in Australian Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitehouse, Hilary; Watkin Lui, Felecia; Sellwood, Juanita; Barrett, M. J.; Chigeza, Philemon

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we contribute to land education research by focusing on the Torres Strait Islands in the Coral Sea at the far north of tip of Cape York, Australia. We describe the Torres Strait Islander concept of Sea Country and Torres Strait "Ailan Kastom" (translated as "Island Custom"). We then analyse some of the ways in…

  17. We Are the New Nation (Nous Sommes La Nouvelle Nation). The Metis and National Native Policy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniels, Harry W.

    A compilation of six policy statements, the booklet is intended to draw attention to the suppression of the rights of indigenous peoples (specifically, the Canadian Metis) by an inflexible federalist system of government, misguided national policies, and land claim settlements such as the 1978 COPE settlement. It is also intended to propose…

  18. The Lumad and Moro of Mindanao. Minority Rights Group International Report 93/2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodil, B. R.

    This document analyzes the two main indigenous groups in the south of the Philippines. It outlines the history of the Lumad and Moro communities of Mindanao. The document discusses the effects of development and business interests in the region, and their campaigns around land issues. The Lumad and Moro accept the need to develop new sources of…

  19. The Colonial North: Histories of Women and Violence from before the U.S. Invasion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heidenreich, Linda

    2005-01-01

    Histories of three nineteenth-century women, a landed Californiana, a soldier's wife and an indigenous woman who lived in northern Alta California prior to the U.S. invasion is presented using census records, newspapers, oral histories and stories. Their lives in relation to each other and in relation to the larger social-economic order at the…

  20. Epidemiology of high blood pressure among the Kaingang people on the Xapecó Indigenous Land in Santa Catarina State, Brazil, 2013.

    PubMed

    Bresan, Deise; Bastos, João Luiz; Leite, Maurício Soares

    2015-02-01

    This cross-sectional study describes the prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP; measured at one setting, and suggestive of a clinical diagnosis of arterial hypertension) and mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and their associations with socio-demographic and anthropometric variables among 355 Kaingang adults (≥ 20 years) on the Xapecó Indigenous Land in Brazil. Weight, height, waist circumference (WC), SBP, and DBP were measured and socio-demographic data were collected. Prevalence of HBP was 53.2% (95%CI: 45.3; 61.1) in men and 40.7% (95%CI: 33.8; 47.6) in women. In women, age and WC were directly associated with HBP; age was associated with SBP and schooling with DBP. In men, HBP was statistically associated with high body mass index (BMI) and tile floor in the home (as a socioeconomic proxy); BMI and WC were associated with SBP; BMI and WC were associated with DBP. The study highlights the need for measures to control risk factors for HBP, especially due to its relevance for cardiovascular diseases and their consequences.

  1. The Power of Storytelling: A Native Hawaiian Approach to Science Communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frank, K. L.

    2016-12-01

    Generational assimilation of observational data enabled Native Hawaiians to preserve a holistic understanding of the connectivity, structure and function - from mountain to sea - within their island ecosystems. Their intimate understandings of the geographic and temporal variability in winds, rains, and currents, and how these factors governed the extent and distribution of biodiversity were perpetuated through stories, songs and chants. Many of these oral histories - which conveyed information via anthropomorphized characters in entertaining and engaging plots - preserved the scientific integrity of traditional phenomenological observations and remain shockingly consistent with contemporary biogeochemical and geophysical observations. These indigenous methods of communicating scientific knowledge are clear models for contemporary best practices in geoscience communication. Storytelling is a tried and true mechanism that both engages and teaches diverse audiences of all ages, ethnicities and skill levels. Scientific storytelling - which can either be examinations of indigenous stories through scientific lenses, or generations of new stories based on scientific observation - enables multiple layers of meaning and levels of knowledge acquisition that bridge cultural and historical place-based knowledge with contemporary knowledge systems. Here, I will share my journey of optimizing the engagement of Native Hawaiian communities (students, land managers, stewards, practitioners, etc…) with my biogeochemical research on a Native Hawaiian coastal estuarine environment (Héeia Fishpond). I will speak about the importance and effectiveness of disseminating research in culturally accessible formats by framing research in the context of traditional knowledge to help elevate the perception of "science" in the Hawaiian community.

  2. Using breath carbon monoxide to validate self-reported tobacco smoking in remote Australian Indigenous communities.

    PubMed

    Maclaren, David J; Conigrave, Katherine M; Robertson, Jan A; Ivers, Rowena G; Eades, Sandra; Clough, Alan R

    2010-02-20

    This paper examines the specificity and sensitivity of a breath carbon monoxide (BCO) test and optimum BCO cutoff level for validating self-reported tobacco smoking in Indigenous Australians in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory (NT). In a sample of 400 people (>/=16 years) interviewed about tobacco use in three communities, both self-reported smoking and BCO data were recorded for 309 study participants. Of these, 249 reported smoking tobacco within the preceding 24 hours, and 60 reported they had never smoked or had not smoked tobacco for >/=6 months. The sample was opportunistically recruited using quotas to reflect age and gender balances in the communities where the combined Indigenous populations comprised 1,104 males and 1,215 females (>/=16 years). Local Indigenous research workers assisted researchers in interviewing participants and facilitating BCO tests using a portable hand-held analyzer. A BCO cutoff of >/=7 parts per million (ppm) provided good agreement between self-report and BCO (96.0% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity). An alternative cutoff of >/=5 ppm increased sensitivity from 96.0% to 99.6% with no change in specificity (93.3%). With data for two self-reported nonsmokers who also reported that they smoked cannabis removed from the analysis, specificity increased to 96.6%. In these disadvantaged Indigenous populations, where data describing smoking are few, testing for BCO provides a practical, noninvasive, and immediate method to validate self-reported smoking. In further studies of tobacco smoking in these populations, cannabis use should be considered where self-reported nonsmokers show high BCO.

  3. Seasonal variation of food security among the Batwa of Kanungu, Uganda.

    PubMed

    Patterson, Kaitlin; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Lwasa, Shuaib; Namanya, Didacus B; Ford, James; Twebaze, Fortunate; Clark, Sierra; Donnelly, Blánaid; Harper, Sherilee L

    2017-01-01

    Climate change is projected to increase the burden of food insecurity (FI) globally, particularly among populations that depend on subsistence agriculture. The impacts of climate change will have disproportionate effects on populations with higher existing vulnerability. Indigenous people consistently experience higher levels of FI than their non-Indigenous counterparts and are more likely to be dependent upon land-based resources. The present study aimed to understand the sensitivity of the food system of an Indigenous African population, the Batwa of Kanungu District, Uganda, to seasonal variation. A concurrent, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) design was used. Six cross-sectional retrospective surveys, conducted between January 2013 and April 2014, provided quantitative data to examine the seasonal variation of self-reported household FI. This was complemented by qualitative data from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews collected between June and August 2014. Ten rural Indigenous communities in Kanungu District, Uganda. FI data were collected from 130 Indigenous Batwa Pygmy households. Qualitative methods involved Batwa community members, local key informants, health workers and governmental representatives. The dry season was associated with increased FI among the Batwa in the quantitative surveys and in the qualitative interviews. During the dry season, the majority of Batwa households reported greater difficulty in acquiring sufficient quantities and quality of food. However, the qualitative data indicated that the effect of seasonal variation on FI was modified by employment, wealth and community location. These findings highlight the role social factors play in mediating seasonal impacts on FI and support calls to treat climate associations with health outcomes as non-stationary and mediated by social sensitivity.

  4. Indigenous perspectives on active living in remote Australia: a qualitative exploration of the socio-cultural link between health, the environment and economics.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Sharon L; Chenhall, Richard D; Brimblecombe, Julie K

    2013-05-15

    The burden of chronic disease in Indigenous Australia is more than double that of non-Indigenous populations and even higher in remote Northern Territory (NT) communities. Sufficient levels of physical activity are known to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve the health of those already suffering from chronic disease. It has been identified that effective promotion of physical activity in Indigenous settings requires the diverse cultural perspectives and participation of Indigenous people. However, Indigenous concepts of physical activity are not represented in the public health literature and examples of Indigenous involvement in physical activity promotion are scarce. This study aimed to explore and describe local perspectives, experiences and meanings of physical activity in two remote NT Indigenous communities. Qualitative research methods guided by ethnographic and participatory action research principles were used. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 23 purposively selected community members were the main source of data, augmented by five commissioned paintings by community-based artists and observations recorded in a journal by the first author. The findings reveal that in this cultural context the meaning of physical activity is embedded in socially significant and economically necessary physical engagement with the environment. Participants described physical activities associated with Indigenous natural and cultural resource management, customary spaces, seasonal timing and traditional education as creating and protecting health. These activities were viewed not only as culturally appropriate physical activities that contribute to health but as legitimate, physically active forms of social organisation, education and employment that help to build and maintain relationships, wealth, resources and the environment. This different construction of physical activity in remote Indigenous communities highlights the importance of involving Indigenous people in the development and implementation of physical activity promotion. Physical activities associated with traditional Indigenous cultural practices and being active 'on country' need to be viewed as legitimate health promotion activities. Exploring further ways to enable Indigenous people in remote NT to be involved in creating viable active livelihoods on 'traditional country' needs to be considered as imperative to health improvement.

  5. Indigenous perspectives on active living in remote Australia: a qualitative exploration of the socio-cultural link between health, the environment and economics

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The burden of chronic disease in Indigenous Australia is more than double that of non-Indigenous populations and even higher in remote Northern Territory (NT) communities. Sufficient levels of physical activity are known to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve the health of those already suffering from chronic disease. It has been identified that effective promotion of physical activity in Indigenous settings requires the diverse cultural perspectives and participation of Indigenous people. However, Indigenous concepts of physical activity are not represented in the public health literature and examples of Indigenous involvement in physical activity promotion are scarce. This study aimed to explore and describe local perspectives, experiences and meanings of physical activity in two remote NT Indigenous communities. Methods Qualitative research methods guided by ethnographic and participatory action research principles were used. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 23 purposively selected community members were the main source of data, augmented by five commissioned paintings by community-based artists and observations recorded in a journal by the first author. Results The findings reveal that in this cultural context the meaning of physical activity is embedded in socially significant and economically necessary physical engagement with the environment. Participants described physical activities associated with Indigenous natural and cultural resource management, customary spaces, seasonal timing and traditional education as creating and protecting health. These activities were viewed not only as culturally appropriate physical activities that contribute to health but as legitimate, physically active forms of social organisation, education and employment that help to build and maintain relationships, wealth, resources and the environment. Conclusion This different construction of physical activity in remote Indigenous communities highlights the importance of involving Indigenous people in the development and implementation of physical activity promotion. Physical activities associated with traditional Indigenous cultural practices and being active ‘on country’ need to be viewed as legitimate health promotion activities. Exploring further ways to enable Indigenous people in remote NT to be involved in creating viable active livelihoods on ‘traditional country’ needs to be considered as imperative to health improvement. PMID:23672247

  6. Managing the livestock– Wildlife interface on rangelands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    du Toit, Johan T.; Cross, Paul C.; Valeix, Marion

    2017-01-01

    On rangelands the livestock–wildlife interface is mostly characterized by management actions aimed at controlling problems associated with competition, disease, and depredation. Wildlife communities (especially the large vertebrate species) are typically incompatible with agricultural development because the opportunity costs of wildlife conservation are unaffordable except in arid and semi-arid regions. Ecological factors including the provision of supplementary food and water for livestock, together with the persecution of large predators, result in livestock replacing wildlife at biomass densities far exceeding those of indigenous ungulates. Diseases are difficult to eradicate from free-ranging wildlife populations and so veterinary controls usually focus on separating commercial livestock herds from wildlife. Persecution of large carnivores due to their depredation of livestock has caused the virtual eradication of apex predators from most rangelands. However, recent research points to a broad range of solutions to reduce conflict at the livestock–wildlife interface. Conserving wildlife bolsters the adaptive capacity of a rangeland by providing stakeholders with options for dealing with environmental change. This is contingent upon local communities being empowered to benefit directly from their wildlife resources within a management framework that integrates land-use sectors at the landscape scale. As rangelands undergo irreversible changes caused by species invasions and climate forcings, the future perspective favors a proactive shift in attitude towards the livestock–wildlife interface, from problem control to asset management.

  7. An evaluation of the 'Yaka Ŋarali'' Tackling Indigenous Smoking program in East Arnhem Land: Yolŋu people and their connection to ŋarali'.

    PubMed

    Tane, Moana P; Hefler, Marita; Thomas, David P

    2018-04-01

    Smoking prevalence estimated between 65% and 84% has been reported among the Yolŋu peoples of East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. We report on findings of an evaluation of the Yaka Ŋarali' Tackling Indigenous Smoking program in East Arnhem Land. Qualitative interviews with Yolŋu (N = 23) and non-Yolŋu (N = 7) informants were conducted in seven communities between June 2014 and September 2015, with the support of Cultural Mentors, in homeland communities throughout East Arnhem Land. The data was coded using NVivo software, analysed line-by-line and categorised by the researcher (MT) under three a priori categories established as evaluation parameters. In addition, the meanings of ŋarali' and Yolŋu cultural obligations to ŋarali' were analysed using an inductive process. Data were coded under three a priori themes: Yolŋu trying to quit smoking (interest in quitting, access to support); the Yaka Ŋarali program (efficacy and recognition); Yolŋu workforce (roles and responsibilities). Yolŋu informants, including Elders and leaders, both smokers and non-smokers uniformly acknowledged the deep cultural and traditional connection with ŋarali' attributing this relationship with its introduction by the Macassans and its subsequent adoption into ceremony. Given the strong cultural and traditional connection to ŋarali', care must be taken to ensure tobacco control measures maintain congruence with local values and expectations. SO WHAT?: Tailored, localised programs, developed in consultation with communities, Elders and leaders are needed to respect and accommodate the tight connection that the Yolŋu have with ŋarali', maintained over hundreds of years. © 2017 Australian Health Promotion Association.

  8. Heart failure among Indigenous Australians: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Cardiovascular diseases contribute substantially to the poor health and reduced life expectancy of Indigenous Australians. Heart failure is a common, disabling, progressive and costly complication of these disorders. The epidemiology of heart failure and the adequacy of relevant health service provision in Indigenous Australians are not well delineated. Methods A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cinahl Plus, Informit and Google Scholar was undertaken in April 2012 for peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to the topic of heart failure in Indigenous Australians. Additionally, a website search was done to identify other pertinent publications, particularly government reports. Results There was a paucity of relevant peer-reviewed research, and government reports dominated the results. Ten journal articles, 1 published conference abstract and 10 reports were eligible for inclusion. Indigenous Australians reportedly have higher morbidity and mortality from heart failure than their non-Indigenous counterparts (age-standardised prevalence ratio 1.7; age-standardised hospital separation ratio ≥3; crude per capita hospital expenditure ratio 1.58; age-adjusted mortality ratio >2). Despite the evident disproportionate burden of heart failure in Indigenous Australians, the accuracy of estimation from administrative data is limited by poor indigenous identification, inadequate case ascertainment and exclusion of younger subjects from mortality statistics. A recent journal article specifically documented a high prevalence of heart failure in Central Australian Aboriginal adults (5.3%), noting frequent undiagnosed disease. One study examined barriers to health service provision for Indigenous Australians in the context of heart failure. Conclusions Despite the shortcomings of available published data, it is clear that Indigenous Australians have an excess burden of heart failure. Emerging data suggest that undiagnosed cases may be common in this population. In order to optimise management and to inform policy, high quality research on heart failure in Indigenous Australians is required to delineate accurate epidemiological indicators and to appraise health service provision. PMID:23116367

  9. Communal goat production in Southern Africa: a review.

    PubMed

    Rumosa Gwaze, F; Chimonyo, M; Dzama, K

    2009-10-01

    Despite the fact that about 64% of goats in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are located in rural arid (38%) and semi-arid (26%) agro-ecological zones and that more than 90% of goats in these zones are indigenous, information on indigenous breeds is inadequate. This paper reviews the social and economic importance of goats to the communal farmer and assesses the potential of using goats in rural development in Southern Africa. Farmers in Southern Africa largely use the village goat management system. There are various goat breeds in Southern Africa, of which the Mashona, Matabele, Tswana, Nguni and the Landim are the dominant ones. It is, however, not clear if these breeds are distinct. Major constraints to goat production include high disease and parasite prevalence, low levels of management, limited forage availability and poor marketing management. Potential research areas that are required to ensure that goats are vehicles for rural development include evaluation of constraints to goat production, assessing the contribution of goats to household economies and food securities throughout the year, genetic and phenotypic characterisation of the indigenous breeds to identify appropriate strains and sustainable methods of goat improvement through either selection or crossbreeding.

  10. Indigenous Knowledge and Long-term Ecological Change: Detection, Interpretation, and Responses to Changing Ecological Conditions in Pacific Island Communities

    PubMed Central

    Aswani, Shankar

    2010-01-01

    When local resource users detect, understand, and respond to environmental change they can more effectively manage environmental resources. This article assesses these abilities among artisanal fishers in Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands. In a comparison of two villages, it documents local resource users’ abilities to monitor long-term ecological change occurring to seagrass meadows near their communities, their understandings of the drivers of change, and their conceptualizations of seagrass ecology. Local observations of ecological change are compared with historical aerial photography and IKONOS satellite images that show 56 years of actual changes in seagrass meadows from 1947 to 2003. Results suggest that villagers detect long-term changes in the spatial cover of rapidly expanding seagrass meadows. However, for seagrass meadows that showed no long-term expansion or contraction in spatial cover over one-third of respondents incorrectly assumed changes had occurred. Examples from a community-based management initiative designed around indigenous ecological knowledge and customary sea tenure governance show how local observations of ecological change shape marine resource use and practices which, in turn, can increase the management adaptability of indigenous or hybrid governance systems. PMID:20336296

  11. Re-thinking the health benefits of outstations in remote Indigenous Australia.

    PubMed

    Senior, Kate; Chenhall, Richard; Hall, Julie; Daniels, Daphne

    2018-05-11

    The small, decentralised communities, known as outstations which satellite larger Indigenous Australian remote communities have often been conceptualised as places that are beneficial to health and well-being. This paper provides an exploration of the meaning of an outstation for one family and the benefits that this connection brings to them, which are expressed in a deep connection to the land, continuing relationships with ancestors and a safe refuge from the stresses of the larger community. We argue that the outstation provides a place for people to be in control of their lives and form hopes and plans for the future. These benefits are positioned in a context where the future liveability and sustainability of the outstation is both fragile and vulnerable. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Permafrost and indigenous land use in the northern Urals: Komi and Nenets reindeer husbandry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Istomin, Kirill V.; Habeck, Joachim Otto

    2016-09-01

    Permafrost is an integral part of the environmental conditions that frame indigenous peoples' livelihoods in many parts of the circumpolar region. On the basis of their long-term ethnographic field researches, the authors describe the various ways in which permafrost dynamics influence the lives and economic activities of two groups of reindeer-herding nomads in North-Eastern Europe and Western Siberia: Komi and Nenets. Permafrost affects the herders directly, for the herders have to take into account the probability of thermokarst while choosing the campsite and performing certain herding procedures. It also affects the herders indirectly, through its influence on landscape and vegetation and thus on reindeer behavior. More rapid permafrost degradation will have a range of adverse effects on reindeer herding.

  13. Management of Indigenous Plant-Microbe Symbioses Aids Restoration of Desertified Ecosystems

    PubMed Central

    Requena, Natalia; Perez-Solis, Estefania; Azcón-Aguilar, Concepción; Jeffries, Peter; Barea, José-Miguel

    2001-01-01

    Disturbance of natural plant communities is the first visible indication of a desertification process, but damage to physical, chemical, and biological soil properties is known to occur simultaneously. Such soil degradation limits reestablishment of the natural plant cover. In particular, desertification causes disturbance of plant-microbe symbioses which are a critical ecological factor in helping further plant growth in degraded ecosystems. Here we demonstrate, in two long-term experiments in a desertified Mediterranean ecosystem, that inoculation with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and with rhizobial nitrogen-fixing bacteria not only enhanced the establishment of key plant species but also increased soil fertility and quality. The dual symbiosis increased the soil nitrogen (N) content, organic matter, and hydrostable soil aggregates and enhanced N transfer from N-fixing to nonfixing species associated within the natural succession. We conclude that the introduction of target indigenous species of plants associated with a managed community of microbial symbionts is a successful biotechnological tool to aid the recovery of desertified ecosystems. PMID:11157208

  14. The Management of isiZulu as a Language of Teaching and Learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's College of Humanities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ndebele, Hloniphani; Zulu, Nogwaja S.

    2017-01-01

    Over the past few decades, there has been an increased awareness of the strategic role of indigenous African languages in multilingual South Africa. This article discusses the strategic role that indigenous languages could and should play in the promotion of multilingual South Africa. The article pays attention to bilingual education and the…

  15. A Special Issue of the Journal of Forestry—Tribal Forest Management: Innovations for Sustainable Forest Management

    Treesearch

    Michael J. Dockry; Serra J. Hoagland

    2017-01-01

    Native American forests and tribal forest management practices have sustained indigenous communities, economies, and resources for millennia. These systems provide a wealth of knowledge and successful applications of long-term environmental stewardship and integrated, sustainable forest management. Tribal forestry has received an increasing amount of attention from...

  16. Communicating Climate Change: the Problem of Knowing and Doing.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wildcat, D.

    2008-12-01

    The challenge of global warming and climate change may illustrate better than any recent phenomenon that quite independent of the science associated with our assessment, modeling, mitigation strategies and adaptation to the multiple complex processes that characterize this phenomenon, our greatest challenge resides in creating systems where knowledge can be usefully communicated to the general public. Knowledge transfer will pose significant challenges when addressing a topic that often leaves the ill-informed and non-scientist overwhelmed with pieces of information and paralyzed with a sense that there is nothing to be done to address this global problem. This communication problem is very acute in North American indigenous communities where a first-hand, on-the-ground, experience of climate change is indisputable, but where the charts, graphs and sophisticated models presented by scientists are treated with suspicion and often not explained very well. This presentation will discuss the efforts of the American Indian and Alaska Native Climate Change Working Group to prepare future generations of AI/AN geoscience professionals, educators, and a geoscience literate AI/AN workforce, while insuring that our Indigenous tribal knowledges of land- and sea-scapes, and climates are valued, used and incorporated into our tribal exercise of geoscience education and research. The Working Group's efforts are already suggesting the communication problem for Indigenous communities will best be solved by 'growing' our own culturally competent Indigenous geoscience professionals.

  17. [The household economy: a determinant of maternal death among indigenous women in Chiapas, Mexico].

    PubMed

    Herrera Torres, María del Carmen; Cruz Burguete, Jorge Luis; Robledo Hernández, Gabriela Patricia; Montoya Gómez, Guillermo

    2006-02-01

    To assess the determining role of financial situation and gender relations on maternal mortality among Indigenous women in Chiapas, Mexico. A quantitative/qualitative study was performed by means of a survey of 158 families, as well as in-depth interviews of persons linked to cases of maternal death, community leaders from throughout the region, and focal groups composed of traditional birth attendants. Decision-making surrounding women's health within the household is a critical problem because it is entirely in the hands of the husband and his relatives. In cases of high-risk pregnancy or birth, options for seeking care outside the community become limited, so that 48.7% of all obstetric cases are assisted by traditional birth attendants, 45.3% by relatives, and 6% by the mate. The problem is compounded by the high level of marginalization and very low human development index that characterize the region under study, by women's exclusion from the ownership of goods, including land, and by the fact that 97.7% of women only speak indigenous languages. Gender inequities within Indigenous families, together with a household economy that does not cover the basic necessities, are among the factors that keep women from receiving the necessary care during their reproductive processes. Because of the low socioeconomic status these women have, decisions surrounding care during pregnancy, birth, and the puerperium take a large toll on their health and their lives.

  18. Shared Knowledge for Decision-making on Environment and Health Issues in the Arctic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maynard, Nancy G.

    2003-01-01

    This paper will describe a remote sensing and GIs-based system to bring indigenous traditional knowledge together with contemporary scientific knowledge to address impacts resulting from changes in climate, environment, weather and pollution in the Arctic. As scientists and policy-makers from both indigenous and non-indigenous communities continue to build closer partnerships to address common sustainability issues such as the health impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities, it becomes increasingly important to create shared information management systems which integrate all relevant factors for optimal information sharing and decision-making. This system is being designed to bring together remotely sensed, indigenous and other data and observations for analysis, measuring, and monitoring parameters of interest (e.g., snow cover, rainfall, temperature, ice conditions, vegetation, infrastructure, fires). A description of the system and its components as well as a preliminary application of the system in the Arctic will be presented.

  19. [Impact of traditionally managed forest units on the landscape connectivity of Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Mexico].

    PubMed

    Aguilar Vásquez, Yunin; Aliphat Fernández, Mario Manuel; Caso Barrera, Laura; Del Amo Rodríguez, Silvia; Sánchez Gómez, Maria De Lourdes; Martínez-Carrera, Daniel

    2014-09-01

    The ever-increasing establishment of landscape mosaics is expressed as a surrounding matrix of agricultural activities, which frames patches or remnants of the original vegetation cover. Conservation actions should be aimed to establish or to increase those interactive systems, which help to maintain the land- scape flow through linkages. Spaces occupied by traditional management systems retain and support this func- tion. In this paper, we used Geographic Information Systems to evaluate the importance of traditionally managed forest units ('acahuales'-coffee plantations) and to assess landscape connectivity in the indigenous Popoluca area of Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Mexico. The cartographic material used to establish the types of vegetation and their coverture included the period 1991-2008. At landscape level, four indices were used to assess the general situation of the habitat network, and to identify the patches of high priority. Individually, indices evaluated if patches were important for their area, their potential flow or their connecting function. Results showed that the landscape is functioning as a single system, but having low connectivity. Values improved when traditionally managed forest patches were considered as viable habitat. We detected 367 patches of very high priority, 80% belonging to forests managed traditionally. Patches were important for their potential flow (size and topologi- cal relationships). Only 70 patches were significant for their function as biological corridors between largest forests located at the top of the volcanoes, and are mostly managed forest (75%). We concluded that the units of traditionally managed forest play a significant role in landscape connectivity maintenance.

  20. Pressed flowers: notions of indigenous and alien vegetation in South Africa's Western Cape, c. 1902-1945.

    PubMed

    Pooley, Simon

    2010-01-01

    In the early twentieth century, botanists in South Africa's Western Cape sought urgently to popularise and protect the region's unique indigenous Fynbos flora. Plants imported from the 1840s, some of which proved invasive, became a physical and symbolic focus for their advocacy. The botanists' efforts resonated with political attempts to forge a common white South African national identity that drew on notions of landscape and the indigenous flora for symbolism and that consciously exploited the politically integrative potential of the new science of ecology. Introduced by overseas-trained experts, ecological theory was, however, inappropriate for the local flora, and had unfortunate consequences for the scientifically-informed research and management particularly of the fire-maintained Fynbos. While botanists and conservationists were united in defending the local flora against invasive introduced plants, they drew distinctions between what was 'indigenous' and what was 'natural' that further complicated their attitudes to the local flora. These historical debates illuminate agendas and policies on introduced ('alien') and indigenous flora in the region today.

  1. Land use change emissions from oil palm expansion in Pará, Brazil depend on proper policy enforcement on deforested lands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yui, Sahoko; Yeh, Sonia

    2013-12-01

    Brazil aims to increase palm oil production to meet the growing national and global demand for edible oil and biodiesel while preserving environmentally and culturally significant areas. As land use change (LUC) is the result of complex interactions between socio-economic and biophysical drivers operating at multiple temporal and spatial scales, the type and location of LUC depend on drivers such as neighboring land use, conversion elasticity, access to infrastructure, distance to markets, and land suitability. The purpose of this study is to develop scenarios to measure the impact of land conversion under three different enforcement scenarios (none, some, and strict enforcement). We found that converting 22.5 million hectares of land can produce approximately 29 billion gallons (110 billion liters) of biodiesel a year. Of that, 22-71% of the area can come from forest land, conservation units, wetland and indigenous areas, emitting 14-84 gCO2e MJ-1. This direct land use emission alone can be higher than the carbon intensity of diesel that it intends to displace for lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This letter focuses narrowly on GHG emissions and does not address socio-economic-ecological prospects for these degraded lands for palm oil or for other purposes. Future studies should carefully evaluate these tradeoffs.

  2. Lake Winnipeg Basin: Advocacy, challenges and progress for sustainable phosphorus and eutrophication control.

    PubMed

    Ulrich, Andrea E; Malley, Diane F; Watts, Paul D

    2016-01-15

    Intensification of agricultural production worldwide has altered cycles of phosphorus (P) and water. In particular, loading of P on land in fertilizer applications is a global water quality concern. The Lake Winnipeg Basin (LWB) is a major agricultural area displaying extreme eutrophication. We examined the eutrophication problem in the context of the reemerging global concern about future accessibility of phosphate rock for fertilizer production and sustainable phosphorus management. An exploratory action research participatory design was applied to study options for proactivity within the LWB. The multiple methods, including stakeholder interviews and surveys, demonstrate emerging synergies between the goals of reversing eutrophication and promoting food security. Furthermore, shifting the prevalent pollutant-driven eutrophication management paradigm in the basin toward a systemic, holistic and ecocentric approach, integrating global resource challenges, requires a mutual learning process among stakeholders in the basin to act on and adapt to ecosystem vulnerabilities. It is suggested to continue aspects of this research in a transdisciplinary format, i.e., science with society, in response to globally-expanding needs and concerns, with a possible focus on enhanced engagement of indigenous peoples and elders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Lighting a dark corner.

    PubMed

    Choto, R

    1998-01-01

    In Karanga community, 410 km south of Harare, Zimbabwe, the Intermediate Technology Development Group's (ITDG) farming project has successfully improved household food security through its farming project. The ITDG encouraged the formation of 35 women's garden clubs that have allowed women to reduce their individual labor, become closer to each other, and incorporate improved farming methods to increase crop production. The ITDG started work in 1991, just before a severe drought in 1992 forced over 770,000 people to rely on aid for food. ITDG changed the unsuccessful, top-down approach of state agricultural workers to a more successful, bottom-up approach. It also reintroduced intercropping and integrated farming systems to compensate for the fact that the average number of households of six people manages with only about a hectare of land. Indigenous methods, such as intercropping onions for pest management, are reducing reliance on chemicals, and chicken and goal manure is used for fertilizer. In addition to improving food security and nutrition, the gardens are producing enough surplus vegetables for sale. ITDG has also assisted the drought-prone community in developing water conservation techniques that use infiltration pits and gravity to nourish the soil after the rains have stopped.

  4. Social and economic causes of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon basin: Natives and colonists. Working paper

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garland, E.B.

    1991-03-01

    The people in the Peruvian Amazon directly engaged in agriculture are the leading cause of deforestation; and can be divided into two groups, colonists and indigenous groups. The factors affecting the rate at which each group causes deforestation differ. The paper explores these differences in Peru's Upper Huallaga Valley (the principal coca producing region in the world), focusing on the interrelationships between land availability, land tenure laws, and market forces on one hand, and agricultural intensification and deforestation on the other. The study concludes that the technological decisions of the two groups are guided by diverse sets of socioeconomic factors.

  5. Delineating managed land for reporting national greenhouse gas emissions and removals to the United Nations framework convention on climate change.

    PubMed

    Ogle, Stephen M; Domke, Grant; Kurz, Werner A; Rocha, Marcelo T; Huffman, Ted; Swan, Amy; Smith, James E; Woodall, Christopher; Krug, Thelma

    2018-05-29

    Land use and management activities have a substantial impact on carbon stocks and associated greenhouse gas emissions and removals. However, it is challenging to discriminate between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic sources and sinks from land. To address this problem, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change developed a managed land proxy to determine which lands are contributing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Governments report all emissions and removals from managed land to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change based on this proxy, and policy interventions to reduce emissions from land use are expected to focus on managed lands. Our objective was to review the use of the managed land proxy, and summarize the criteria that governments have applied to classify land as managed and unmanaged. We found that the large majority of governments are not reporting on their application of the managed land proxy. Among the governments that do provide information, most have assigned all area in specific land uses as managed, while designating all remaining lands as unmanaged. This designation as managed land is intuitive for croplands and settlements, which would not exist without management interventions, but a portion of forest land, grassland, and wetlands may not be managed in a country. Consequently, Brazil, Canada and the United States have taken the concept further and delineated managed and unmanaged forest land, grassland and wetlands, using additional criteria such as functional use of the land and accessibility of the land to anthropogenic activity. The managed land proxy is imperfect because reported emissions from any area can include non-anthropogenic sources, such as natural disturbances. However, the managed land proxy does make reporting of GHG emissions and removals from land use more tractable and comparable by excluding fluxes from areas that are not directly influenced by anthropogenic activity. Moreover, application of the managed land proxy can be improved by incorporating additional criteria that allow for further discrimination between managed and unmanaged land.

  6. (Re)Mapping the Colonized Body: The Creative Interventions of Rebecca Belmore in the Cityscape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagam, Julie

    2011-01-01

    The cityscape holds the memories of indigenous bones and bodies that resurrect a deep sense of place that exists in the landscape of the city of Toronto. This deep sense of place is part of a connection to the land and stories of place. In this article, the author bridges the creative work of Anishinaabe artist Rebecca Belmore with the living…

  7. Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. USAF Control of Airstrikes in Support of Indigenous Lao Ground Forces

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1972-07-19

    a low pass over the "airstrip" to clear the area of vehicles, children , and animals, and then return and land before the locals 287/ had a chance...II I • • • - SECit!T NO PORN - validating authority not given to other USAF FACs in Laos. The X-Ray per- sonnel were selected by local Lao

  8. Sanitation investments in Ghana: An ethnographic investigation of the role of tenure security, land ownership and livelihoods.

    PubMed

    Awunyo-Akaba, Y; Awunyo-Akaba, J; Gyapong, M; Senah, K; Konradsen, F; Rheinländer, T

    2016-07-18

    Ghana's low investment in household sanitation is evident from the low rates of improved sanitation. This study analysed how land ownership, tenancy security and livelihood patterns are related to sanitation investments in three adjacent rural and peri-urban communities in a district close to Accra, Ghana's capital. Qualitative data was gathered for this comparative ethnographic study over seven months, (June, 2011-January, 2012) using an average of 43 (bi-weekly) participant observation per community and 56 in-depth interviews. Detailed observational data from study communities were triangulated with multiple interview material and contextual knowledge on social structures, history of settlement, land use, livelihoods, and access to and perceptions about sanitation. This study shows that the history of settlement and land ownership issues are highly correlated with people's willingness and ability to invest in household sanitation across all communities. The status of being a stranger i.e. migrant in the area left some populations without rights over the land they occupied and with low incentives to invest in sanitation, while indigenous communities were challenged by the increasing appropriation of their land for commercial enterprises and for governmental development projects. Interview responses suggest that increasing migrant population and the high demand for housing in the face of limited available space has resulted in general unwillingness and inability to establish private sanitation facilities in the communities. The increasing population has also created high demand for cheap accommodation, pushing tenants to accept informal tenancy agreements that provided for poor sanitation facilities. In addition, poor knowledge of tenancy rights leaves tenants in no position to demand sanitation improvements and therefore landlords feel no obligation or motivation to provide and maintain domestic sanitation facilities. The study states that poor land rights, the history of settlements, in-migration and insecure tenancy are key components that are associated with local livelihoods and investments in private sanitation in rapidly changing rural and peri-urban communities of Ghana. Sanitation policy makers and programme managers must acknowledge that these profound local, ethnic and economic forces are shaping people's abilities and motivations for sanitation investments.

  9. A challenge for land and risk managers: differents stakeholders, differents definitions of the risks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez, M.; Ruegg, J.

    2012-04-01

    In developing countries, mountain populations and territories are subject to multiple risks and vulnerabilities. In addition, they face even greater challenges than developed countries due to lack of knowledge, resources and technology. There are many different types of actors in society that manage risk at various scales and levels (i.e. engineers, geologists, administrators, land use planners, merchants and local indigenous and non-indigenous people). Because of limited resources and possibilities to reduce all types of risk, these different actors, or 'risk managers' have to choose and compete to prioritize which types of risks to address. This paper addresses a case study from San Cristobal Altaverapaz, Guatemala where a large landslide "Los Chorros", a catastrophic collapse of 6 millions cubic meters of rock, is affecting several communities and one of the country's main west-east access highways. In this case, the government established that the "primary" risk is the landslide, whereas other local stakeholders consider the primary risks to be economic This paper, situated at the cross section between political science, geography and disaster risk management, addresses the social conflict and competition for priorities and solutions for risk management, depending on the group of actors based on the on-going Los Chorros, Guatemala landslide mitigation process. This work is based on the analysis of practices, (Practical Science), policies and institutions in order to understand how the inclusion of multiple stakeholders in determining risk priorities can lead to more sustainable risk management in a given territory. The main objective of this investigation is first to identify and understand the juxtaposition of different readings of the risk equation, usually considered the interface between vulnerability, exposure and hazards. Secondly, it is to analyze the mechanisms of actions taken by various stakeholders, or risk managers. The analysis focuses on the various solutions proposed for reducing vulnerabilities (and consequentially their risks). To resolve a post-disaster situation, the actors prioritize one main type of vulnerability to address a set of vulnerabilities (in a multi-vulnerability context). With this choice, they define their own acceptable risk limits and the type of action that is most relevant. In doing so, they have to determine what elements can be changed and improved and which elements must be considered essential and preserved or the priority variables. These may include: equipment, production facilities, networks, services, modes of production and organizations, etc. or various economic and social capitals upon which individuals and groups rely for recovering from a post-disaster situation. Depending on the actor, certain factors will be will be emphasized over others and these may change over time. Linked with this political, institutional and geographical analysis of risk management, this work also questions who are the legitimate actors and the right criteria to prioritize risk reduction actions using public funds criteria and finally, which motivations are satisfied. In this sense, the challenge for managers of natural hazards is to move from risk management in the strict sense, which focuses mainly on hazards only, to a broader risks management, taking into consideration what is important for society and for the functioning of systems (what have not be vulnerable in a territorial system). In a context where risk and risk management is produced and managed by both formal and informal stakeholders, the main issue is how to engage the various stakeholders and evaluate different priorities of risk in order to determine which actions are best suited for a more balanced approach to risk management. This case study demonstrates that reducing landslide risk is subject to interpretation depending on the stakeholder and the result of priorities, providing on the role of each actor, their needs and range of action with a territory.

  10. Community Data Management and the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duerr, R.; Pulsifer, P. L.; Strawhacker, C.; Mccann, H. S.

    2016-12-01

    The mission of the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) is to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge by Indigenous communities in the Arctic by providing data management services and user support, and by fostering collaboration between resident Arctic experts and visiting researchers. ELOKA's overarching philosophy is that Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK) and scientific data and expertise are complementary and reinforcing ways of understanding the Arctic system. Collecting, documenting, preserving, and sharing knowledge is a cooperative endeavor, and ELOKA is dedicated to fostering ethical knowledge sharing among Arctic residents and communities, scientists, educators, policy makers, and the general public. But what does that mean in practice and what are the next steps for ELOKA in the coming years? In this presentation, we discuss the ethical issues involved with data management for LTK and community-based projects, some of the tools ELOKA has developed for interacting with communities and researchers and for managing LTK data, and our plans for the future. These include a discussion of the considerations local and community-based projects should make when planning and conducting research. It is clear, for example, that research projects should either include Indigenous voices at the outset of the project or have a prominent Indigenous voice so that appropriate methods or approaches can be adopted. Discussion of data access and funder obligations will be included. The data management tools that ELOKA employs and is developing for the future that can manage the wide range of data types typical of a community or LTK project will also be described, as will ELOKA's program for transferring long-term data management skills to communities that wish to take that on. Finally, ELOKA's plans for the future will be described.

  11. The role of Indigenous knowledge in environmental health risk management in Yukon, Canada

    PubMed Central

    Friendship, Katelyn A.; Furgal, Chris M.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives This project aimed to gain better understandings of northern Indigenous risk perception related to food safety and to identify the role that Indigenous knowledge (IK) plays in risk management processes to support more effective and culturally relevant benefit-risk (B-R) management strategies. Study design The project used an exploratory qualitative case study design to investigate the role and place of IK in the management of environmental contaminants exposure via consumption of traditional foods in Yukon First Nations (YFNs). Methods Forty-one semi-directive interviews with Traditional Food Knowledge Holders and Health and Environment Decision-makers were conducted. A review and analysis of organizational documents related to past risk management events for the issue was conducted. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze transcripts and documents for key themes related to the research question. Results There was a recognized need by all participants for better collaboration between scientists and YFN communities. YFNs have been involved in identifying and defining community concerns about past risk issues, setting a local context, and participating in communications strategies. Interviewees stressed the need to commit adequate time for building relationships, physically being in the community, and facilitating open communication. Conducting community-based projects was identified as critical for collaboration and for cooperative learning and management of these issues. Conclusions The perception of “effective” benefit-risk management is significantly influenced by the efforts made to include local communities in the process. A set of common guiding principles within a process that brings together people and knowledge systems may provide a more effective way forward in cross-cultural, multiple knowledge system contexts for complex benefit-risk issues than a prescriptive rigid framework. PMID:22868192

  12. Effects of Introduced and Indigenous Viruses on Native Plants: Exploring Their Disease Causing Potential at the Agro-Ecological Interface

    PubMed Central

    Vincent, Stuart J.; Coutts, Brenda A.; Jones, Roger A. C.

    2014-01-01

    The ever increasing movement of viruses around the world poses a major threat to plants growing in cultivated and natural ecosystems. Both generalist and specialist viruses move via trade in plants and plant products. Their potential to damage cultivated plants is well understood, but little attention has been given to the threat such viruses pose to plant biodiversity. To address this, we studied their impact, and that of indigenous viruses, on native plants from a global biodiversity hot spot in an isolated region where agriculture is very recent (<185 years), making it possible to distinguish between introduced and indigenous viruses readily. To establish their potential to cause severe or mild systemic symptoms in different native plant species, we used introduced generalist and specialist viruses, and indigenous viruses, to inoculate plants of 15 native species belonging to eight families. We also measured resulting losses in biomass and reproductive ability for some host–virus combinations. In addition, we sampled native plants growing over a wide area to increase knowledge of natural infection with introduced viruses. The results suggest that generalist introduced viruses and indigenous viruses from other hosts pose a greater potential threat than introduced specialist viruses to populations of native plants encountered for the first time. Some introduced generalist viruses infected plants in more families than others and so pose a greater potential threat to biodiversity. The indigenous viruses tested were often surprisingly virulent when they infected native plant species they were not adapted to. These results are relevant to managing virus disease in new encounter scenarios at the agro-ecological interface between managed and natural vegetation, and within other disturbed natural vegetation situations. They are also relevant for establishing conservation policies for endangered plant species and avoiding spread of damaging viruses to undisturbed natural vegetation beyond the agro-ecological interface. PMID:24621926

  13. The Importance of Training for Environmental Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furtado, Jose I.

    1984-01-01

    Discusses an appropriate framework for sustainable development in the Third World that concurrently addresses the efficient utilization and management of natural resources. Areas considered include: human dimension; sustainable development; complexity of inputs; kinds of training; indigenous scientific capability; transnational issues;…

  14. Deriving Multiple Benefits from Carbon Market-Based Savanna Fire Management: An Australian Example.

    PubMed

    Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Yates, Cameron P; Edwards, Andrew C; Whitehead, Peter J; Murphy, Brett P; Lawes, Michael J

    2015-01-01

    Carbon markets afford potentially useful opportunities for supporting socially and environmentally sustainable land management programs but, to date, have been little applied in globally significant fire-prone savanna settings. While fire is intrinsic to regulating the composition, structure and dynamics of savanna systems, in north Australian savannas frequent and extensive late dry season wildfires incur significant environmental, production and social impacts. Here we assess the potential of market-based savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement and allied carbon biosequestration projects to deliver compatible environmental and broader socio-economic benefits in a highly biodiverse north Australian setting. Drawing on extensive regional ecological knowledge of fire regime effects on fire-vulnerable taxa and communities, we compare three fire regime metrics (seasonal fire frequency, proportion of long-unburnt vegetation, fire patch-size distribution) over a 15-year period for three national parks with an indigenously (Aboriginal) owned and managed market-based emissions abatement enterprise. Our assessment indicates improved fire management outcomes under the emissions abatement program, and mostly little change or declining outcomes on the parks. We attribute improved outcomes and putative biodiversity benefits under the abatement program to enhanced strategic management made possible by the market-based mitigation arrangement. For these same sites we estimate quanta of carbon credits that could be delivered under realistic enhanced fire management practice, using currently available and developing accredited Australian savanna burning accounting methods. We conclude that, in appropriate situations, market-based savanna burning activities can provide transformative climate change mitigation, ecosystem health, and community benefits in northern Australia, and, despite significant challenges, potentially in other fire-prone savanna settings.

  15. Deriving Multiple Benefits from Carbon Market-Based Savanna Fire Management: An Australian Example

    PubMed Central

    Russell-Smith, Jeremy; Yates, Cameron P.; Edwards, Andrew C.; Whitehead, Peter J.; Murphy, Brett P.; Lawes, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    Carbon markets afford potentially useful opportunities for supporting socially and environmentally sustainable land management programs but, to date, have been little applied in globally significant fire-prone savanna settings. While fire is intrinsic to regulating the composition, structure and dynamics of savanna systems, in north Australian savannas frequent and extensive late dry season wildfires incur significant environmental, production and social impacts. Here we assess the potential of market-based savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement and allied carbon biosequestration projects to deliver compatible environmental and broader socio-economic benefits in a highly biodiverse north Australian setting. Drawing on extensive regional ecological knowledge of fire regime effects on fire-vulnerable taxa and communities, we compare three fire regime metrics (seasonal fire frequency, proportion of long-unburnt vegetation, fire patch-size distribution) over a 15-year period for three national parks with an indigenously (Aboriginal) owned and managed market-based emissions abatement enterprise. Our assessment indicates improved fire management outcomes under the emissions abatement program, and mostly little change or declining outcomes on the parks. We attribute improved outcomes and putative biodiversity benefits under the abatement program to enhanced strategic management made possible by the market-based mitigation arrangement. For these same sites we estimate quanta of carbon credits that could be delivered under realistic enhanced fire management practice, using currently available and developing accredited Australian savanna burning accounting methods. We conclude that, in appropriate situations, market-based savanna burning activities can provide transformative climate change mitigation, ecosystem health, and community benefits in northern Australia, and, despite significant challenges, potentially in other fire-prone savanna settings. PMID:26630453

  16. Characterization of indigenous chicken production systems in Rwanda.

    PubMed

    Mahoro, J; Muasya, T K; Mbuza, F; Habimana, R; Kahi, A K

    2017-12-01

    Characterization of indigenous chicken (IC) production systems in Rwanda was conducted from November 2015 to January 2016 with the aim of understanding socio-economic characteristics, management of IC, production parameters, feed resources, and constraints faced by farmers rearing IC. A survey involving 206 households was carried out in 5 districts with the highest populations of IC using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SAS software. The results showed that the majority of respondents (62.4%) were males and 37.6% were females. The majority of respondents (83.6%) had formal education. All family members were involved in the chicken husbandry practices. However, women (78%) were highly responsible for IC management activities. The family size averaged 5 persons (ranging 2 to 13) per household. Land was privately owned by farmers (84%) with a mean holding of 0.87 ha per household. The production system was mainly extensive with minimum provision of supplementary feeds. Chickens were being housed in separate houses at night and mating was uncontrolled. Breeding and replacement stocks were mainly sourced from the hatching of eggs using broody hens (60.68% of respondents). There were no vaccination programs, and ecto- and endo-parasites control was done when need arose. Egg production, income generation, meat production, and production of breeding stock were the main reasons of keeping IC. The first 3 main challenges facing IC production were diseases outbreaks, lack of investment capital, and predators. Others challenges, such as feed shortage, thieves, fluctuation of market price, lack of information on poultry rearing, and lack of chicken houses, also were mentioned. The IC production constraints mentioned need urgent mitigation measures to sustain utilization of IC against the changing climatic and economic conditions. Therefore, individual, public institution, and non-governmental organization efforts are required to develop sustainable breeding objectives directed to functions of IC and production challenges faced in the systems. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  17. Risk Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Helminths among Indigenous Donkeys (Equus asinus) in Northeastern Nigeria

    PubMed Central

    Mohammed Jajere, Saleh; Rabana Lawal, Jallailudeen; Mohammed Bello, Amina; Wakil, Yakaka; Aliyu Turaki, Usman; Waziri, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    Aim. This survey study was conducted from April 2014 through March 2015 in Bauchi, Yobe, and Gombe states, northeastern Nigeria, to explore the risk factors associated with the occurrence of gastrointestinal helminthosis among indigenous donkeys (Equus asinus). Materials and Methods. A total of six hundred fresh faecal samples were randomly collected from indigenous donkeys of varying age, sex, and settlements. Simple flotation and sedimentation techniques were used for the detection of helminths eggs. Results. Three gastrointestinal nematode parasites were encountered including Strongyle, Parascaris equorum, and Oxyuris equi. An overall prevalence of 98.3% was obtained, of which 78.3%, 40.3%, and 17.5% were, respectively, from Strongyle, Parascaris equorum, and Oxyuris equi. Age, sex, and season were not statistically associated with the risk of helminth infection as were the different study areas (p > 0.05). However, body condition score, settlement, anthelminthic medication history, and management practices were significantly associated with the risk of gastrointestinal helminthosis. Statistically high prevalence of helminthic infections was observed in donkeys, with poor (thin) body condition, from rural settlements, that were not dewormed and raised under poor management systems (p < 0.001). Conclusion. It is concluded from the study that gastrointestinal helminths particularly Strongyle were endemic among the indigenous donkeys in northeastern Nigeria. Further control and preventive measures were discussed. PMID:27366344

  18. Risk Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Helminths among Indigenous Donkeys (Equus asinus) in Northeastern Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Mohammed Jajere, Saleh; Rabana Lawal, Jallailudeen; Mohammed Bello, Amina; Wakil, Yakaka; Aliyu Turaki, Usman; Waziri, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    Aim. This survey study was conducted from April 2014 through March 2015 in Bauchi, Yobe, and Gombe states, northeastern Nigeria, to explore the risk factors associated with the occurrence of gastrointestinal helminthosis among indigenous donkeys (Equus asinus). Materials and Methods. A total of six hundred fresh faecal samples were randomly collected from indigenous donkeys of varying age, sex, and settlements. Simple flotation and sedimentation techniques were used for the detection of helminths eggs. Results. Three gastrointestinal nematode parasites were encountered including Strongyle, Parascaris equorum, and Oxyuris equi. An overall prevalence of 98.3% was obtained, of which 78.3%, 40.3%, and 17.5% were, respectively, from Strongyle, Parascaris equorum, and Oxyuris equi. Age, sex, and season were not statistically associated with the risk of helminth infection as were the different study areas (p > 0.05). However, body condition score, settlement, anthelminthic medication history, and management practices were significantly associated with the risk of gastrointestinal helminthosis. Statistically high prevalence of helminthic infections was observed in donkeys, with poor (thin) body condition, from rural settlements, that were not dewormed and raised under poor management systems (p < 0.001). Conclusion. It is concluded from the study that gastrointestinal helminths particularly Strongyle were endemic among the indigenous donkeys in northeastern Nigeria. Further control and preventive measures were discussed.

  19. Maynard Participation in Alaska Forum on the Environment Panel Discussion on Increasing Input to the US National Climate Assessment (NCA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Processes from Alaska, with Emphasis on Indigenous Peoples Issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maynard, Nancy G.

    2012-01-01

    Dr. Nancy Maynard was invited by the Alaska Forum on the Environment to participate in a Panel Discussion to discuss (1) background about what the US NCA and International IPCC assessments are, (2) the impact the assessments have on policy-making, (3) the process for participation in both assessments, (4) how we can increase participation by Indigenous Peoples such as Native Americans and Alaska Natives, (5) How we can increase historical and current impacts input from Native communities through stories, oral history, "grey" literature, etc. The session will be chaired by Dr. Bull Bennett, a cochair of the US NCA's chapter on "Native and Tribal Lands and Resources" and Dr. Maynard is the other co-chair of that chapter and they will discuss the latest activities under the NCA process relevant to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Dr. Maynard is also a Lead Author of the "Polar Regions" chapter of the IPCC WG2 (5th Assessment) and she will describes some of the latest approaches by the IPCC to entrain more Indigenous peoples into the IPCC process.

  20. Remote sensing and conservation of isolated indigenous villages in Amazonia.

    PubMed

    Walker, Robert S; Hamilton, Marcus J; Groth, Aaron A

    2014-11-01

    The vast forests on the border between Brazil and Peru harbour a number of indigenous groups that have limited contact with the outside world. Accurate estimates of population sizes and village areas are essential to begin assessing the immediate conservation needs of such isolated groups. In contrast to overflights and encounters on the ground, remote sensing with satellite imagery offers a safe, inexpensive, non-invasive and systematic approach to provide demographic and land-use information for isolated peoples. Satellite imagery can also be used to understand the growth of isolated villages over time. There are five isolated villages in the headwaters of the Envira River confirmed by overflights that are visible with recent satellite imagery further confirming their locations and allowing measurement of their cleared gardens, village areas and thatch roofed houses. These isolated villages appear to have population densities that are an order of magnitude higher than averages for other Brazilian indigenous villages. Here, we report on initial results of a remote surveillance programme designed to monitor movements and assess the demographic health of isolated peoples as a means to better mitigate against external threats to their long-term survival.

  1. China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities - Background and Issues for Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-02-08

    27 Sizzler (carried by 8 of China’s 12 Russian-made Kilo-class submarines). China’s large inventory of ASCMs also includes several indigenous designs...substantial inventory of mines.40 39 Lyle Goldstein and Shannon Knight, “Coming...or will be armed with modern ASCMs. China’s land-based naval aircraft inventory includes, among other things, 24 Russian- made Su-30 MKK 2 Flanker

  2. The Treatment of in Kenya's Pre- And Post-Independent Education Com- Missions and in the Constitution of 2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Njoroge, Martin C.; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki

    2017-01-01

    An indigenous or community language is the language that nurtures the child in the early years of his or her life. The UNESCO land mark publication in 1953 underscores the importance of educating children in their community languages: an education that is packaged in a language which the child does not understand is simply difficult for the child.…

  3. Modernization and the Emergence of a Landless Peasantry: Essays on the Integration of Peripheries to Socioeconomic Centers. Studies in Third World Societies Publication No. 33.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Appell, G. N., Ed.

    Many developing nations are engaged in efforts to transform the traditional agricultural sectors of their economies into modern forms that are more closely linked to the national economy and the export market. Almost universally, the traditional rights to land of the indigenous populations are ignored. The 12 essays in this book examine the…

  4. Healing the Wounds of School by Returning to the Land: Cree Elders Come to the Rescue of a Lost Generation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roue, Marie

    2006-01-01

    How can indigenous peoples react to a situation of change that has a particularly strong effect on their youth? This article attempts to understand whether young Crees, who today find themselves all too often in a situation of double social exclusion, can complete their schooling, thus qualifying for work in the dominant society, while at the same…

  5. Increased mortality among Indigenous persons in a multisite cohort of people living with HIV in Canada.

    PubMed

    Benoit, Anita C; Younger, Jaime; Beaver, Kerrigan; Jackson, Randy; Loutfy, Mona; Masching, Renée; Nobis, Tony; Nowgesic, Earl; O'Brien-Teengs, Doe; Whitebird, Wanda; Zoccole, Art; Hull, Mark; Jaworsky, Denise; Benson, Elizabeth; Rachlis, Anita; Rourke, Sean B; Burchell, Ann N; Cooper, Curtis; Hogg, Robert S; Klein, Marina B; Machouf, Nima; Montaner, Julio S G; Tsoukas, Chris; Raboud, Janet

    2017-06-16

    Compare all-cause mortality between Indigenous participants and participants of other ethnicities living with HIV initiating combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in an interprovincial multi-site cohort. The Canadian Observational Cohort is a collaboration of 8 cohorts of treatment-naïve persons with HIV initiating cART after January 1, 2000. Participants were followed from the cART initiation date until death or last viral load (VL) test date on or before December 31, 2012. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the effect of ethnicity on time until death after adjusting for age, gender, injection drug use, being a man who has sex with men, hepatitis C, province of origin, baseline VL and CD4 count, year of cART initiation and class of antiretroviral medication. The study sample consisted of 7080 participants (497 Indigenous, 2471 Caucasian, 787 African/Caribbean/Black (ACB), 629 other, and 2696 unknown ethnicity). Most Indigenous persons were from British Columbia (BC) (83%), with smaller numbers from Ontario (13%) and Québec (4%). During the study period, 714 (10%) participants died. The five-year survival probability was lower for Indigenous persons (0.77) than for Caucasian (0.94), ACB (0.98), other ethnicities (0.96) and unknown ethnicities (0.85) (p < 0.0001). In an adjusted proportional hazard model for which missing data were imputed, Indigenous persons were more likely to die than Caucasian participants (hazard ratio = 2.69, p < 0.0001). The mortality rate for Indigenous persons was higher than for other ethnicities and is largely reflective of the BC population. Addressing treatment challenges and identifying HIV- and non-HIV-related causes for mortality among Indigenous persons is required to optimize their clinical management.

  6. Nuclear thermal rockets using indigenous extraterrestrial propellants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zubrin, Robert M.

    1990-01-01

    A preliminary examination of a concept for a Mars and outer solar system exploratory vehicle is presented. Propulsion is provided by utilizing a nuclear thermal reactor to heat a propellant volatile indigenous to the destination world to form a high thrust rocket exhaust. Candidate propellants, whose performance, materials compatibility, and ease of acquisition are examined and include carbon dioxide, water, methane, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and argon. Ballistics and winged supersonic configurations are discussed. It is shown that the use of this method of propulsion potentially offers high payoff to a manned Mars mission. This is accomplished by sharply reducing the initial mission mass required in low earth orbit, and by providing Mars explorers with greatly enhanced mobility in traveling about the planet through the use of a vehicle that can refuel itself each time it lands. Thus, the nuclear landing craft is utilized in combination with a hydrogen-fueled nuclear-thermal interplanetary launch. By utilizing such a system in the outer solar system, a low level aerial reconnaissance of Titan combined with a multiple sample return from nearly every satellite of Saturn can be accomplished in a single launch of a Titan 4 or the Space Transportation System (STS). Similarly a multiple sample return from Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa can also be accomplished in one launch of a Titan 4 or the STS.

  7. Collection and characterization of grapevine genetic resources (Vitis vinifera) in the Holy Land, towards the renewal of ancient winemaking practices.

    PubMed

    Drori, Elyashiv; Rahimi, Oshrit; Marrano, Annarita; Henig, Yakov; Brauner, Hodaya; Salmon-Divon, Mali; Netzer, Yishay; Prazzoli, Maria Lucia; Stanevsky, Maria; Failla, Osvaldo; Weiss, Ehud; Grando, Maria Stella

    2017-03-17

    The importance and extent of wine consumption in all life aspects at the Holy Land is well documented. The Muslim influence in this region led to the abandonment of winemaking practices, and possible loss of indigenous wine varieties. Here we present a country wide collection of the local grapevine population including wild and cultivated forms, and its characterization by genetic, ampelographic and enological methods. The ampelographic analysis shows clear differences between Sativa and Sylvestris groups in flower, leaf and cluster parameters, and that most Sativa belong to proles orientalis. Genetic population analysis was conducted by analyzing 22 common SSR markers, determining first the unique genotypes, and internally assessing the population's structure, showing the existence of two distinct Sativa and Sylvestris populations, and a third mixed one. Likewise, the relationship between the Israeli grapevine population and grapevine populations in Europe and parts of Asia was investigated, showing that the Israeli Sativa and Sylvestris populations cluster closely together, suggesting a common genetic source. Lastly, the enological characteristics of selected Sativa and Sylvestris genotypes are presented, demonstrating their potential for quality wine production. This research significantly contributes toward the re-establishment of indigenous and traditional local grapevine varieties into the modern international wine industry.

  8. Growth performance of indigenous sheep fed Sporobolus virginicus grass hay grown in saline desert lands and irrigated with high salt content ground water.

    PubMed

    Alhadrami, G A; Al-Shorepy, S A; Yousef, A M

    2010-12-01

    Twenty-eight indigenous ewe lambs (6 months of age and 14.4 kg body weight (BW)) were used to evaluate the effect of feeding Sporobolus grass hay (SGH) as the only source of forage on growth, and feed and water intakes. The ewe lambs were randomly and equally allocated to two treatment groups (14 lambs/group). The ewe lambs in group 1 (treatment 1) received SGH, while lambs in group 2 (treatment 2) received Rhodes grass hay (RGH) as the only source of forage. Water was available at all times for both treatment groups. Sporobolus grass was irrigated with brackish water of high salt content (20,000 ppm) and grown in saline desert lands (sabkha) in the United Arab Emirates. The average daily dry matter intake was significantly (P < .05) higher for the animals fed SGH than those fed RGH at all stages. Both water intakes per unit body gain and water intake per unit feed intake were significant (P < .05) between the two treatments group at all stages. Average daily gain did not differ significantly (P > .05) between the two groups at all stages. From these data, we conclude that SGH can replace Rhodes hay in sheep diet without significant effect on sheep performance.

  9. "Five hundred years of medicine gone to waste"? Negotiating the implementation of an intercultural health policy in the Ecuadorian Andes.

    PubMed

    Llamas, Ana; Mayhew, Susannah

    2018-06-04

    In Ecuador, indigenous women have poorer maternal health outcomes and access to maternity services. This is partly due to cultural barriers. A hospital in Ecuador implemented the Vertical Birth (VB) policy to address such inequities by adapting services to the local culture. This included conducting upright deliveries, introducing Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and making physical adaptations to hospital facilities. Using qualitative methods, we studied the VB policy implementation in an Ecuadorian hospital to analyse the factors that affect effective implementation of intercultural health policies at the local level. We collected data through observation, in-depth interviews, a focus group discussion, and documentation review. We conducted 46 interviews with healthcare workers, managers, TBAs, key informants and policy-makers involved in maternal health. Data analysis was guided by grounded theory and drew heavily on concepts of "street-level bureaucracy" to interpret policy implementation. The VB policy was highly controversial; actors' values (including concerns over patient safety) motivated their support or opposition to the Vertical Birth policy. For those who supported the policy, managers, policy-makers, indigenous actors and a minority of healthcare workers supported the policy, it was critical to address ethnic discrimination to improve indigenous women's access to the health service. Most healthcare workers initially resisted the policy because they believed vertical births led to poorer clinical outcomes and because they resented working alongside TBAs. Healthcare workers developed coping strategies and effectively modified the policy. Managers accepted these as a compromise to enable implementation. Although contentious, intercultural health policies such as the VB policy have the potential to improve maternity services and access for indigenous women. Evidence-base medicine should be used as a lever to facilitate the dialogue between healthcare workers and TBAs and to promote best practice and patient safety. Actors' values influenced policy implementation; policy implementation resulted from an ongoing negotiation between healthcare workers and managers.

  10. Hierarchical demographic approaches for assessing invasion dynamics of non-indigenous species: An example using northern snakehead (Channa argus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jiao, Y.; Lapointe, N.W.R.; Angermeier, P.L.; Murphy, B.R.

    2009-01-01

    Models of species' demographic features are commonly used to understand population dynamics and inform management tactics. Hierarchical demographic models are ideal for the assessment of non-indigenous species because our knowledge of non-indigenous populations is usually limited, data on demographic traits often come from a species' native range, these traits vary among populations, and traits are likely to vary considerably over time as species adapt to new environments. Hierarchical models readily incorporate this spatiotemporal variation in species' demographic traits by representing demographic parameters as multi-level hierarchies. As is done for traditional non-hierarchical matrix models, sensitivity and elasticity analyses are used to evaluate the contributions of different life stages and parameters to estimates of population growth rate. We applied a hierarchical model to northern snakehead (Channa argus), a fish currently invading the eastern United States. We used a Monte Carlo approach to simulate uncertainties in the sensitivity and elasticity analyses and to project future population persistence under selected management tactics. We gathered key biological information on northern snakehead natural mortality, maturity and recruitment in its native Asian environment. We compared the model performance with and without hierarchy of parameters. Our results suggest that ignoring the hierarchy of parameters in demographic models may result in poor estimates of population size and growth and may lead to erroneous management advice. In our case, the hierarchy used multi-level distributions to simulate the heterogeneity of demographic parameters across different locations or situations. The probability that the northern snakehead population will increase and harm the native fauna is considerable. Our elasticity and prognostic analyses showed that intensive control efforts immediately prior to spawning and/or juvenile-dispersal periods would be more effective (and probably require less effort) than year-round control efforts. Our study demonstrates the importance of considering the hierarchy of parameters in estimating population growth rate and evaluating different management strategies for non-indigenous invasive species. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V.

  11. Burns first aid treatment in remote Northern Australia.

    PubMed

    Read, David J; Tan, Swee Chin; Ward, Linda; McDermott, Kathleen

    2018-03-01

    It is well demonstrated that adequate burns first aid treatment (BFAT) improves clinical outcomes for the injured but adequacy remains low in many studies. This study presents a twelve month assessment of the adequacy of burns first aid treatment for patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). Prospective study design of all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital. Data were collated from two sources; RDH Burns Registry, and the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ). Inclusion criterion was all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital for the period 1 January 2014-31 December 2014. Variables collected and analysed include: demographics, burn mechanism, burn wound depth and adequacy of and circumstances around first aid. Overall 310 cases were analysed. Most injuries involved adults (68%), 19% Indigenous persons and 70% of all patients had their burn injury occur in the urban region. Adequate BFAT occurred in 41% of cases. Adults, contact burns and those where the burn injury occurred in the remote regions were less likely to receive adequate BFAT. Indigenous persons were less likely to attempt any BFAT at all and when they did receive BFAT it was more likely applied by an emergency responder or health professional. Overall adequacy of BFAT is low in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Remote dwellers and Indigenous persons are at increased risk of not applying or receiving adequate BFAT. The poor level of adequate BFAT demonstrated in this study suggests that the Top End community particularly remote and Indigenous persons would benefit from targeted BFAT education programs that are delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate fashion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  12. Harvest patterns and effort dynamics of indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the eastern Torres Strait reef line fishery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Ashley J.; Ballagh, Aaron C.; Begg, Gavin A.; Murchie, Cameron D.; Currey, Leanne M.

    2008-09-01

    The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait.

  13. Close the gap for vision: The key is to invest on coordination.

    PubMed

    Hsueh, Ya-seng Arthur; Dunt, David; Anjou, Mitchell D; Boudville, Andrea; Taylor, Hugh

    2013-12-01

    The study aims to estimate costs required for coordination and case management activities support access to treatment for the three most common eye conditions among Indigenous Australians, cataract, refractive error and diabetic retinopathy. Coordination activities were identified using in-depth interviews, focus groups and face-to-face consultations. Data were collected at 21 sites across Australia. The estimation of costs used salary data from relevant government websites and was organised by diagnosis and type of coordination activity. Urban and remote regions of Australia. Needs-based provision support services to facilitate access to eye care for cataract, refractive error and diabetic retinopathy to Indigenous Australians. Cost (AUD$ in 2011) of equivalent full time (EFT) coordination staff. The annual coordination workforce required for the three eye conditions was 8.3 EFT staff per 10 000 Indigenous Australians. The annual cost of eye care coordination workforce is estimated to be AUD$21 337 012 in 2011. This innovative, 'activity-based' model identified the workforce required to support the provision of eye care for Indigenous Australians and estimated their costs. The findings are of clear value to government funders and other decision makers. The model can potentially be used to estimate staffing and associated costs for other Indigenous and non-Indigenous health needs. © 2013 The Authors. Australian Journal of Rural Health © National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  14. Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment in the United States and Implications for Sustainability

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quattrochi, Dale A.

    2012-01-01

    As an integral part of the National Climate Assessment (NCA), technical assessment reports for 13 regions in the U.S. that describe the scientific rationale to support climate change impacts within the purview of these regions, and provide adaptation or mitigation measures in response to these impacts. These technical assessments focus on climate change impacts on sectors that are important environmental, biophysical, and social and economic aspects of sustainability within the U.S.: Climate change science, Ecosystems and biodiversity, Water resources, Human health, Energy supply and use, Water/energy/land use, Transportation, Urban/infrastructure/vulnerability, Agriculture, Impacts of climate change on tribal/indigenous and native lands and resources, Forestry, Land use/land cover change, Rural communities development, and Impacts on biogeochemical cycles, with implications for ecosystems and biodiversity. There is a critical and timely need for the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to climate change by the policy and decision making communities, to insure resiliency and sustainability of the built environment in the future.

  15. High burden of diabetic foot infections in the top end of Australia: An emerging health crisis (DEFINE study)

    PubMed Central

    Commons, Robert J.; Robinson, Claire H.; Gawler, David; Davis, Joshua S.; Price, Ric N.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction The risk of diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide, and is particularly high in Indigenous Australians. Complicated foot infection is one of the most common sequelae of diabetes. We describe the incidence and associations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous inpatients with diabetic foot infections at Royal Darwin Hospital. Methods All adult Royal Darwin Hospital inpatients with diabetic foot infections were enrolled prospectively from September 2012 to November 2013. Incidence, demographics, microbiology, management and clinical outcomes were analysed by Indigenous status, and association with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results There were 245 separate hospital admissions in 177 patients with an incidence of 79 admissions per 100,000 person years. Patients occupied a mean of 19.4 hospital beds each day. Compared to the non-Indigenous population, Indigenous patients had a greater incidence of admission (Rate Ratio (RR) = 5.1, [95%CI = 3.8, 7.0]), were younger (mean difference of 11.1 years; p < 0.001), and more likely to undergo major and minor amputations (RR = 4.1 [95%CI = 1.6, 10.7], and 6.2 [95%CI = 3.5, 11.1] respectively). Non-multiresistant methicillin resistant S. aureus was present in 44.7% of wounds from Indigenous patients versus 20.6% of non-Indigenous patients (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.1, [95%CI = 1.5, 6.4]), whereas P. aeruginosa presence was significantly lower (15.8% versus 46.0%; OR = 0.22; [95%CI = 0.11, 0.45]). Methicillin resistant S. aureus or P. aeruginosa infections were associated with longer antibiotic courses and durations of stay. Conclusions This study highlights a rising burden of diabetic foot infections in the Top End of Australia, with a four-fold increase in bed days since 2002 and an overrepresentation in the Indigenous population. PMID:26453263

  16. Indigenous Digital Collections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakata, N. M.

    2007-01-01

    The intersection of public institutions managing large amounts of information and knowledge and new information and communication technologies has brought forward exciting and innovative changes to the ways information and knowledge have been traditionally managed. This paper provides a brief snapshot of some of the key issues facing the library…

  17. More than a Marriage of Convenience: The Convergence of Management and Indigenous Educational Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nursey-Bray, Melissa; Haugstetter, Hilary

    2011-01-01

    In today's globalized world, there is an increasing imperative to operate in multiple and culturally diverse contexts. An intercultural approach to management education prepares students to work anywhere in the world. What lessons can be learned from other cultures that can enhance how managers operate in international forums? The authors seek to…

  18. The Indigenous Counselling and Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy Pilot Study protocol: a feasibility step-wedge cluster randomised trial to improve health providers' management of smoking during pregnancy

    PubMed Central

    Bonevski, Billie; Bovill, Michelle; Gruppetta, Maree; Oldmeadow, Chris; Palazzi, Kerrin; Atkins, Lou; Reath, Jennifer

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Indigenous women have the highest smoking prevalence during pregnancy (47%) in Australia. Health professionals report lack of knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively manage smoking among pregnant women in general. We developed a behaviour change intervention aimed to improve health professionals’ management of smoking in Indigenous pregnant women—the Indigenous Counselling And Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy. This intervention includes webinar training for health professionals, an educational resources package for health professionals and pregnant women, free oral nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for pregnant women, and audit and feedback on health professionals' performance. The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of the ICAN QUIT in Pregnancy intervention to improve health professionals' provision of evidence-based culturally responsive smoking cessation care to Australian Indigenous pregnant smokers. Methods and analysis This protocol describes the design of a step-wedge cluster randomised pilot study. Six Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs) are randomised into three clusters. Clusters receive the intervention staggered by 1 month. Health professionals report on their knowledge and skills pretraining and post-training and at the end of the study. Pregnant women are recruited and followed up for 3 months. The primary outcome is the recruitment rate of pregnant women. Secondary outcomes include feasibility of recruitment and follow-up of participating women, and webinar training of health professionals, measured using a designated log; and measures of effectiveness outcomes, including quit rates and NRT prescription rates. Ethics and dissemination In accordance with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council guidelines, this study has been developed in collaboration with a Stakeholder and Consumer Aboriginal Advisory Panel (SCAAP). The SCAAP provides cultural consultation, advice and direction to ensure that implementation is acceptable and respectful to the Aboriginal communities involved. Results will be disseminated to AMSs, Aboriginal communities and national Aboriginal bodies. Registration details This protocol (version 4, 14 October 2016) is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Ref #: ACTRN12616001603404). PMID:28780551

  19. Participatory, Multi-Criteria Evaluation Methods as a Means to Increase the Legitimacy and Sustainability of Land Use Planning Processes. The Case of the Chaco Region in Salta, Argentina.

    PubMed

    Seghezzo, Lucas; Venencia, Cristian; Buliubasich, E Catalina; Iribarnegaray, Martín A; Volante, José N

    2017-02-01

    Conflicts over land use and ownership are common in South America and generate frequent confrontations among indigenous peoples, small-scale farmers, and large-scale agricultural producers. We argue in this paper that an accurate identification of these conflicts, together with a participatory evaluation of their importance, will increase the social legitimacy of land use planning processes, rendering decision-making more sustainable in the long term. We describe here a participatory, multi-criteria conflict assessment model developed to identify, locate, and categorize land tenure and use conflicts. The model was applied to the case of the "Chaco" region of the province of Salta, in northwestern Argentina. Basic geographic, cadastral, and social information needed to apply the model was made spatially explicit on a Geographic Information System. Results illustrate the contrasting perceptions of different stakeholders (government officials, social and environmental non-governmental organizations, large-scale agricultural producers, and scholars) on the intensity of land use conflicts in the study area. These results can help better understand and address land tenure conflicts in areas with different cultures and conflicting social and enviornmental interests.

  20. Participatory, Multi-Criteria Evaluation Methods as a Means to Increase the Legitimacy and Sustainability of Land Use Planning Processes. The Case of the Chaco Region in Salta, Argentina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seghezzo, Lucas; Venencia, Cristian; Buliubasich, E. Catalina; Iribarnegaray, Martín A.; Volante, José N.

    2017-02-01

    Conflicts over land use and ownership are common in South America and generate frequent confrontations among indigenous peoples, small-scale farmers, and large-scale agricultural producers. We argue in this paper that an accurate identification of these conflicts, together with a participatory evaluation of their importance, will increase the social legitimacy of land use planning processes, rendering decision-making more sustainable in the long term. We describe here a participatory, multi-criteria conflict assessment model developed to identify, locate, and categorize land tenure and use conflicts. The model was applied to the case of the "Chaco" region of the province of Salta, in northwestern Argentina. Basic geographic, cadastral, and social information needed to apply the model was made spatially explicit on a Geographic Information System. Results illustrate the contrasting perceptions of different stakeholders (government officials, social and environmental non-governmental organizations, large-scale agricultural producers, and scholars) on the intensity of land use conflicts in the study area. These results can help better understand and address land tenure conflicts in areas with different cultures and conflicting social and enviornmental interests.

  1. The seed and the earth. Biotechnology and the colonisation of regeneration.

    PubMed

    Shiva, V

    1992-01-01

    Regeneration must take place in order for a society to be sustainable. Patriarchal systems and ways of thinking deny this, however, and hamper or prevent regeneration. Regeneration became devalued when it was assigned the so-called "female and animal" characteristics of passivity, materiality, and nature and, thus, distinguished from the "male and distinctly human" characteristics of activity, spirituality, culture. An example of this patriarchal construct at work is the colonization of the "new world," which was assigned the characteristic "terra nullius," empty land; indigenous people were thus considered part of the scenery and not quite human; invaders were described as "discoverers," pirates as "traders," and exterminating and enslaving became "civilizing" endeavors. When patriarchal thinkers turned their attention to agriculture, the living earth was seen as an inert substance which could be manipulated by usurping the very fertility of the soil and reassigning it to manmade, chemical fertilizers. Instead of augmenting land, these techniques have degraded and destroyed it. New varieties of seeds were designed, and the contributions of 10,000 years of farming were ignored. Indigenous seeds, called landraces, were considered valueless, like indigenous peoples before them. Value was added to seeds only after an investment of time and money. The economic impact of this artificial value assigned to a gift of nature will be seen in Third World countries as plant breeders demand "rights" under new utility patents. The plant breeders, who are attempting to substitute local plant diversity with patented seeds throughout the world, go so far as to want laws to prevent farmers from using seeds gleaned from patented plants they have cultivated. Biotechnology is now treating human reproduction in the same proprietary way. Childbirth has been mechanized, and knowledge and skills are considered to be lodged with physicians, not with mothers. By transforming pregnancy into a medical disease, professional management, once confined to abnormal cases, is now considered necessary in every case. In cases of "abnormal" infertility, physicians believe they "create" babies, using the woman's body as so much raw material. The absurdity of this notion of man as creator can be seen by the patent application for the gene sequence coding for the hormone relaxin, which is produced in female ovaries but is being treated as an "invention" which can be owned. This attempt on the part of man to totally engineer the world, including the basic regenerative functions of the seed and women's bodies, is brought into question by the current crisis in health and ecology. Thus, the ecology movement is trying to provide an alternative based on a partnership with nature and fostering natural agriculture and natural childbirth.

  2. 75 FR 32968 - Final Supplementary Rules for Public Land Administered by the Bureau of Land Management in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCO910000, L71220000.PN0000, LVTFC002CO00] Final Supplementary Rules for Public Land Administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado Relating to Camping and Occupancy of Public Lands AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION...

  3. Development of an ATP assay for rapid onboard testing to detect living microorganisms in ballast water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyun, Bonggil; Cha, Hyung-Gon; Lee, Nayoung; Yum, Seungshic; Baek, Seung Ho; Shin, Kyoungsoon

    2018-03-01

    Ballast water is a principal pathway for the introduction of pathogens and non-indigenous species to ports worldwide. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) have adopted ballast water management regulations that require, e.g., the installation of shipboard ballast water management systems (BWMS). Rapid and simple analytical methods are needed to monitor whether ballast water disinfection ensures compliance with the discharge standards. In this study laboratory and full scale land-based testing was used to investigate the suitability of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay for quantifying living organisms (≥ 10 and < 50 μm minimum dimension) in ballast water. In laboratory experiments the ATP assay was highly sensitive, with a detection limit of < 5 cells 0.1 mL- 1. Diatom species (Chaetoceros simplex and Skeletonema costatum) had low ATP concentrations compared with dinoflagellate, Raphidophyceae, and Chrysophyceae species. This was because of differences in cell volume, as the ATP concentration increased exponentially with increasing cell volume. Using a regression model between ATP concentration and cell volume, an estimated the pass and fail ATP concentration in this study (788-98,610 pg mL- 1) was developed for the discharge of ballast water. In land-based testing the ATP assay also showed a good correlation with the presence of living natural plankton cells in control samples, but the ATP concentration (137 pg mL- 1) was much lower than the ATP guideline. The low ATP concentration in natural plankton cells may reflect a decline in their biological activity because of extended exposure to dark conditions. Although our results need further validation, the ATP assay is a suitable tool for monitoring compliance of ballast water treatment.

  4. 43 CFR 2400.0-2 - Objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LAND CLASSIFICATION Land Classification; General... basis, to classify public lands for retention and management, subject to requirements of the applicable...

  5. 43 CFR 2400.0-2 - Objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LAND CLASSIFICATION Land Classification; General... basis, to classify public lands for retention and management, subject to requirements of the applicable...

  6. 43 CFR 2400.0-2 - Objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LAND CLASSIFICATION Land Classification; General... basis, to classify public lands for retention and management, subject to requirements of the applicable...

  7. 43 CFR 2400.0-2 - Objectives.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Public Lands: Interior Regulations Relating to Public Lands (Continued) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (2000) LAND CLASSIFICATION Land Classification; General... basis, to classify public lands for retention and management, subject to requirements of the applicable...

  8. Translation of tobacco policy into practice in disadvantaged and marginalized subpopulations: a study of challenges and opportunities in remote Australian Indigenous communities

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background In Australia generally, smoking prevalence more than halved after 1980 and recently commenced to decline among Australia's disadvantaged Indigenous peoples. However, in some remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory (NT), extremely high rates of up to 83% have not changed over the past 25 years. The World Health Organisation has called for public health and political leadership to address a global tobacco epidemic. For Indigenous Australians, unprecedented policies aim to overcome disadvantage and close the 'health gap' with reducing tobacco use the top priority. This study identifies challenges and opportunities to implementing these important new tobacco initiatives in remote Indigenous communities. Methods: With little empirical evidence available, we interviewed 82 key stakeholders across the NT representing operational- and management-level service providers, local Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants to identify challenges and opportunities for translating new policies into successful tobacco interventions. Data were analysed using qualitative approaches to identify emergent themes. Results The 20 emergent themes were classified using counts of occasions each theme occurred in the transcribed data as challenge or opportunity. The 'smoke-free policies' theme occurred most frequently as opportunity but infrequently as challenge while 'health workforce capacity' occurred most frequently as challenge but less frequently as opportunity, suggesting that policy implementation is constrained by lack of a skilled workforce. 'Smoking cessation support' occurred frequently as opportunity but also frequently as challenge suggesting that support for individuals requires additional input and attention. Conclusions These results from interviews with local and operational-level participants indicate that current tobacco policies in Australia targeting Indigenous smoking are sound and comprehensive. However, for remote Indigenous Australian communities, local and operational-level participants' views point to an 'implementation gap'. Their views should be heard because they are in a position to provide practical recommendations for effective policy implementation faithful to its design, thereby translating sound policy into meaningful action. Some recommendations may also find a place in culturally diverse low- and middle-income countries. Key words: tobacco policy implementation, challenges, opportunities, remote Indigenous Australian communities. PMID:22839197

  9. Menopause and the influence of culture: another gap for Indigenous Australian women?

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background There is great variation in experience of menopause in women around the world. The purpose of this study was to review current understanding of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) women’s experiences of menopause. The literature pertaining to the perception, significance and experience of menopause from a number of cultural groups around the world has been included to provide context for why Indigenous women’s experience might be important for their health and differ from that reported in other studies of Australian women and menopause. Methods A search of databases including Ovid Medline, Pubmed, Web of Science, AUSThealth, AMED, EMBASE, Global Health and PsychINFO was undertaken from January 2011 to April 2011 using the search terms menopause, Indigenous, Aboriginal, attitudes, and perceptions and repeated in September 2012. Results Considerable research shows significant variation across cultures in the menopausal experience. Biological, psychological, social and cultural factors are associated with either positive or negative attitudes, perceptions or experiences of menopause in various cultures. Comparative international literature shows that neither biological nor social factors alone are sufficient to explain the variation in experiences of the menopausal transition. However, a strong influence of culture on the menopause experience can be found. The variation in women’s experience of menopause indicates that different cultural groups of women may have different understandings and needs during the menopausal transition. While considerable literature exists for Australian women as a whole, there has been little investigation of Australian Indigenous women, with only two research studies related to Indigenous women’s experiences of menopause identified. Conclusions Differences in biocultural experience of menopause around the world suggest the importance of biocultural research. For the Indigenous women of Australia, the relative contribution of culture, social disadvantage and poor general health compared with non-Indigenous women to the experience of menopause is unknown. As such, further research and understanding of the experience of Indigenous women around Australia is needed. This information could assist individuals, families, cultural groups and healthcare providers to enhance management and support for Indigenous Australian women. PMID:23234340

  10. Menopause and the influence of culture: another gap for Indigenous Australian women?

    PubMed

    Jones, Emma K; Jurgenson, Janelle R; Katzenellenbogen, Judith M; Thompson, Sandra C

    2012-12-12

    There is great variation in experience of menopause in women around the world. The purpose of this study was to review current understanding of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) women's experiences of menopause. The literature pertaining to the perception, significance and experience of menopause from a number of cultural groups around the world has been included to provide context for why Indigenous women's experience might be important for their health and differ from that reported in other studies of Australian women and menopause. A search of databases including Ovid Medline, Pubmed, Web of Science, AUSThealth, AMED, EMBASE, Global Health and PsychINFO was undertaken from January 2011 to April 2011 using the search terms menopause, Indigenous, Aboriginal, attitudes, and perceptions and repeated in September 2012. Considerable research shows significant variation across cultures in the menopausal experience. Biological, psychological, social and cultural factors are associated with either positive or negative attitudes, perceptions or experiences of menopause in various cultures. Comparative international literature shows that neither biological nor social factors alone are sufficient to explain the variation in experiences of the menopausal transition. However, a strong influence of culture on the menopause experience can be found. The variation in women's experience of menopause indicates that different cultural groups of women may have different understandings and needs during the menopausal transition. While considerable literature exists for Australian women as a whole, there has been little investigation of Australian Indigenous women, with only two research studies related to Indigenous women's experiences of menopause identified. Differences in biocultural experience of menopause around the world suggest the importance of biocultural research. For the Indigenous women of Australia, the relative contribution of culture, social disadvantage and poor general health compared with non-Indigenous women to the experience of menopause is unknown. As such, further research and understanding of the experience of Indigenous women around Australia is needed. This information could assist individuals, families, cultural groups and healthcare providers to enhance management and support for Indigenous Australian women.

  11. Indigenous cosmology, art forms and past medicinal practices: towards an interpretation of ancient Koma Land sites in northern Ghana.

    PubMed

    Kankpeyeng, Benjamin W; Nkumbaan, Samuel N; Insoll, Timothy

    2011-08-01

    The ancient cultural tradition in the middle belt region of northern Ghana, with its stone circle and house mounds, contains varied material culture. The unique contextual arrangements of the material culture within the stone circle mounds and the diverse ceramic art forms, as well as their ethnographic analogues in West Africa, indicate the mounds' association with past shrines that have multiple functions, including curative purposes. The archaeology of the mounds and ethnographic associations related to past indigenous medical practices is reviewed and discussed. This paper will also consider how some of the figurines through which the Koma tradition has achieved 'fame' possibly functioned as physical representations of disease, perhaps underpinned by intentions of transference from afflicted to image. The notions of protection and healing are also examined with reference to the resorted and disarticulated human remains sometimes recovered from the sites.

  12. Biodegradation of MTBE by indigenous aquifer microorganisms under artificial oxic conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Landmeyer, J.E.; Bradley, P.M.

    2001-01-01

    Oxygen in the form of a metal peroxide slurry (MgO2 and water) was added to an anoxic part of a gasoline-contaminated aquifer in South Carolina to test the hypothesis that artificial oxic conditions will lead to MTBE biodegradation by indigenous microorganisms in anoxic, gasoline-contaminated aquifers. The slurry slowly released dissolved oxygen upon hydrolysis with groundwater, and was a proprietary mixture consisting of ??? 25-35 wt % MgO2. Significant natural attenuation of MTBE could occur if the oxygen limitations naturally associated with gasoline releases could be removed, either under natural conditions where discharging anoxic groundwater comes into contact with oxygen, or artificial conditions where oxygen could be added to aquifers containing milligram per liter concentrations of MTBE. This final solution might be an effective strategy for intercepting characteristically long MTBE plumes, particularly at those sites not characterized by groundwater discharge to land surface.

  13. Returning to Our Small Wars Roots: Preparing Marine Advisors to Help Other Lands Meet Future Threats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-26

    1918 uprising. Not surprisingly, the best qualified Marines like Smedley Butler were sent to France, adding to these challenges. When confronted... Robert S. McNamara authorized advisors for each province and advisory teams for each combat battalion. In addition to the increased role advisors...University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009), 51. 17 Ibid, 40. 18 Ibid. 19 Ramsey III, Robert D., Advising Indigenous Forces: American Advisors in

  14. Corps of Engineers Land Treatment of Wastewater Research Program, An Annotated Bibliography.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-04-01

    engineering) Waste treatment Waste water 4 20. ABST14ACT (Eacabsue an reverse oh It necwwey mad tdertlfy by block number) *This bibliography contains...1982) Distribution of phosphorus in soils irri ated with municipal waste- water effluent: A 5-year study. Journal of Environmental Quality, vol. 11...vol. 44, p. 383-394. The removal of seeded coliphage f2 and indigenous enteroviruses from primary and secondary wastewaters applied by spray

  15. Failure to End the Kivu Conflict: Is Rwanda’s Security and Stability at Stake?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-16

    massacres of Hutu and Tutsi Banyarwanda occurred in Masisi, their houses burnt and their cows stolen. . . . Both parties (the indigenous and immigrants...Though the Rwandan government expressed its worries to the international community, no concrete solution was rendered. The Rwandan defense apparel...who needed the land for food crop cultivation, often ending in battles where houses are burnt and other acts of aggression (Reyntjens 2009, 15). It

  16. Elderly Adi women of Arunachal Pradesh: "living encyclopedias" and cultural refugia in biodiversity conservation of the Eastern Himalaya, India.

    PubMed

    Singh, Ranjay K; Rallen, Orik; Padung, Egul

    2013-09-01

    Elderly women of a particular socioecological system are considered to be "living encyclopedias" in biocultural knowledge systems. These women play a pivotal role in retaining and passing on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge to the next generations. Unfortunately the fast changing sociocultural values and the impact of modernity have rendered their knowledge somewhat less valuable and they are being treated as "cultural refugia." Our study on the importance of these women in the conservation of indigenous biodiversity was conducted in 14 randomly selected villages dominated by the Adi tribe of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast India). Data were collected from 531 women (381 elderly and 150 young to middle aged) during 2003-2008 using conventional social science methods and participatory rural appraisal. One innovative method, namely "recipe contest," was devised to mobilize Adi women of each village in order to energies them and explore their knowledge relating to traditional foods, ethnomedicines, and conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Results indicated that 55 plant species are being used by elderly Adi women in their food systems, while 34 plant species are integral parts of ethnomedicinal practices. These women identified different plant species found under multistory canopies of community forests. Elderly women were particularly skilled in preparing traditional foods including beverages and held significantly greater knowledge of indigenous plants than younger women. Lifelong experiences and cultural diversity were found to influence the significance of biodiversity use and conservation. The conservation of biodiversity occurs in three different habitats: jhum lands (shifting cultivation), Morang forest (community managed forests), and home gardens. The knowledge and practice of elderly women about habitats and multistory vegetations, regenerative techniques, selective harvesting, and cultivation practices contribute significantly to food and livelihood security while sustaining an array of threatened plant species. Basically, knowledge of elderly women on using biodiversity in food and medicinal systems was found in three categories namely: "individual," "community," and "refined." We identified a need to develop holistic policies to recognize and integrate knowledge and practices of elderly women with local level of planning on sustainable conservation of biodiversity as well as community-based adaptations.

  17. Elderly Adi Women of Arunachal Pradesh: "Living Encyclopedias" and Cultural Refugia in Biodiversity Conservation of the Eastern Himalaya, India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Ranjay K.; Rallen, Orik; Padung, Egul

    2013-09-01

    Elderly women of a particular socioecological system are considered to be "living encyclopedias" in biocultural knowledge systems. These women play a pivotal role in retaining and passing on biodiversity-related traditional knowledge to the next generations. Unfortunately the fast changing sociocultural values and the impact of modernity have rendered their knowledge somewhat less valuable and they are being treated as "cultural refugia." Our study on the importance of these women in the conservation of indigenous biodiversity was conducted in 14 randomly selected villages dominated by the Adi tribe of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh (northeast India). Data were collected from 531 women (381 elderly and 150 young to middle aged) during 2003-2008 using conventional social science methods and participatory rural appraisal. One innovative method, namely "recipe contest," was devised to mobilize Adi women of each village in order to energies them and explore their knowledge relating to traditional foods, ethnomedicines, and conservation of indigenous biodiversity. Results indicated that 55 plant species are being used by elderly Adi women in their food systems, while 34 plant species are integral parts of ethnomedicinal practices. These women identified different plant species found under multistory canopies of community forests. Elderly women were particularly skilled in preparing traditional foods including beverages and held significantly greater knowledge of indigenous plants than younger women. Lifelong experiences and cultural diversity were found to influence the significance of biodiversity use and conservation. The conservation of biodiversity occurs in three different habitats: jhum lands (shifting cultivation), Morang forest (community managed forests), and home gardens. The knowledge and practice of elderly women about habitats and multistory vegetations, regenerative techniques, selective harvesting, and cultivation practices contribute significantly to food and livelihood security while sustaining an array of threatened plant species. Basically, knowledge of elderly women on using biodiversity in food and medicinal systems was found in three categories namely: "individual," "community," and "refined." We identified a need to develop holistic policies to recognize and integrate knowledge and practices of elderly women with local level of planning on sustainable conservation of biodiversity as well as community-based adaptations.

  18. A conceptual framework for managing modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in Fiji.

    PubMed

    Witter, Trevor; Poudevigne, Melanie; Lambrick, Danielle M; Faulkner, James; Lucero, Adam A; Page, Rachel; Perry, Lane G; Tarrant, Michael A; Stoner, Lee

    2015-03-01

    The current review will look at modifiable lifestyle (physical inactivity, poor nutrition, risky alcohol behavior and cigarette smoking) and cardio-metabolic (obesity, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol and high blood pressure) cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among Indigenous-Fijian and Indo-Fijian subgroups. A framework for monitoring and managing these risk factors will be presented. National health surveys were identified where available. Electronic databases identified sources for filling missing data. The most relevant data were identified, organized and synthesized. Compared to Indo-Fijians, Indigenous-Fijians have higher rates of obesity (17% vs 11%) and hypertension (21% vs 16%), but lower rates of diabetes mellitus (12% vs 21%) and high cholesterol (33% vs 39%). Indigenous-Fijians report higher rates of prescribed physical activity (25% vs 21%), but poorer recommended vegetable intake (48% vs 56%), greater risky alcohol behavior (17% vs 15%) and a much greater prevalence of cigarette smoking (45% vs 24%). Both Indigenous-Fijians and Indo-Fijians report a low prevalence of recommended fruit intake (17% vs 15%). Fiji is progressing through demographic and epidemiological transitions, including a decline in infectious diseases and improved life expectancy. However, in concert with other developing nations, 'modernization' is accompanied by increased mortality from non-communicable diseases, with CVD being the most prevalent. This transition has been associated with changes to socio-cultural aspects of Fiji, including poor lifestyle choices that may contribute to a cluster of cardio-metabolic conditions which precede CVD. © Royal Society for Public Health 2013.

  19. 76 FR 33342 - Final Supplementary Rules for Public Lands Managed by the California Desert District

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [L12200000.NO0000.LLCAD00000] Final Supplementary Rules for Public Lands Managed by the California Desert District AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management... Land Management (BLM), CDD office and the five field offices within the CDD, are issuing Final...

  20. Land use impacts of low-carbon energy system transition - the case of UK bioenergy deployment under the Carbon Plan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konadu, D. D.; Sobral Mourao, Z.; Lupton, R.; Skelton, S.

    2015-12-01

    The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change has developed four low-carbon energy transition pathways - the Carbon Plan - towards achieving the legally binding 80% territorial greenhouse gas emissions reduction, stipulated in the 2008 Climate Change Act by 2050. All the pathways require increase in bioenergy deployment, of which a significant amount could be indigenously sourced from crops. But will increased domestic production of energy crops conflict with other land use and ecosystem priorities? To address this question, a coupled analysis of the four energy transition pathways and land use has been developed using an integrated resource accounting platform called ForeseerTM. The two systems are connected by the bioenergy component, and are projected forward in time to 2050, under different scenarios of energy crop composition and yield, and accounting for various constraints on land use for agriculture and ecosystem services. The results show between 7 and 61% of UK agricultural land could be required to meet bioenergy deployment projections under different combinations of crop yield and compositions for the transition pathways. This could result in competition for land for food production and other socio-economic and ecological land uses. Consequently, the potential role of bioenergy in achieving UK emissions reduction targets may face significant deployment challenges.

  1. Land cover and land use mapping of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa: comparison of oblique and orthogonal random forest algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bassa, Zaakirah; Bob, Urmilla; Szantoi, Zoltan; Ismail, Riyad

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, the popularity of tree-based ensemble methods for land cover classification has increased significantly. Using WorldView-2 image data, we evaluate the potential of the oblique random forest algorithm (oRF) to classify a highly heterogeneous protected area. In contrast to the random forest (RF) algorithm, the oRF algorithm builds multivariate trees by learning the optimal split using a supervised model. The oRF binary algorithm is adapted to a multiclass land cover and land use application using both the "one-against-one" and "one-against-all" combination approaches. Results show that the oRF algorithms are capable of achieving high classification accuracies (>80%). However, there was no statistical difference in classification accuracies obtained by the oRF algorithms and the more popular RF algorithm. For all the algorithms, user accuracies (UAs) and producer accuracies (PAs) >80% were recorded for most of the classes. Both the RF and oRF algorithms poorly classified the indigenous forest class as indicated by the low UAs and PAs. Finally, the results from this study advocate and support the utility of the oRF algorithm for land cover and land use mapping of protected areas using WorldView-2 image data.

  2. "Only your blood can tell the story"--a qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews to explore the hepatitis B related knowledge, perceptions and experiences of remote dwelling Indigenous Australians and their health care providers in northern Australia.

    PubMed

    Davies, Jane; Bukulatjpi, Sarah; Sharma, Suresh; Davis, Joshua; Johnston, Vanessa

    2014-11-28

    Hepatitis B is endemic in the Indigenous communities of the Northern Territory of Australia and significantly contributes to liver-related morbidity and mortality. It is recognised that low health literacy levels, different worldviews and English as a second language all contribute to the difficulties health workers often have in explaining biomedical health concepts, relevant to hepatitis B infection, to patients. The aim of this research project was to explore the knowledge, perceptions and experiences of remote dwelling Indigenous adults and their health care providers relating to hepatitis B infection with a view to using this as the evidence base to develop a culturally appropriate educational tool. The impetus for this project came from health clinic staff at a remote community in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, in partnership with a visiting specialist liver clinic from the Royal Darwin Hospital. Participants were clinic patients with hepatitis B (n = 12), community members (n = 9) and key informants (n = 13); 25 were Indigenous individuals.A participatory action research project design was used with purposive sampling to identify participants. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to explore: current understanding of hepatitis B, desire for knowledge, and perspectives on how people could acquire the information needed. All individuals were offered the use of an interpreter. The data were examined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Low levels of biomedical knowledge about Hepatitis B, negative perceptions of Hepatitis B, communication (particularly language) and culture were the major themes that emerged from the data. Accurate concepts grounded in Indigenous culture such as "only your blood can tell the story" were present but accompanied by a feeling of disempowerment due to perceived lack of "medical" understanding, and informed partnerships between caregiver and patient. Culturally appropriate discussions in a patient's first language using visual aids were identified as vital to improving communication. Having an educational tool in Indigenous patient's first language is crucial in developing treatment partnerships for Indigenous patients with hepatitis B. Using a culturally appropriate worldview as the foundation for development should help to reduce disempowerment and improve health literacy.

  3. Near-Field Population Response During the 2 April 2007 Solomon Islands Tsunami

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McAdoo, B. G.; Moore, A. L.; Baumwoll, J.

    2007-12-01

    When the magnitude 8.1 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the Solomon Islands on 2 April 2007 it killed 52 people. On Ghizo Island, home of the capital of the Western Province, Gizo, waves approaching 4 m in height inundated the south coast villages. Eyewitness accounts supported by geologic data from the offshore coral reef and sediment deposited on land suggest a wave that came in as the shaking stopped as a rapidly-rising tide rather than a turbulent bore- vehicles and houses were floated inland with very little damage. Those that survived in villages affected by the tsunami had indigenous knowledge of prior events, whereas immigrant populations died in higher proportions. While buoy-based early warning systems are necessary to mitigate the effects of teletsunamis, they would have done little good in this near-field environment. In Pailongge, a village of 76 indigenous Solomon Islanders on Ghizo's south coast, there were no deaths. Village elders directed the people inland following the shaking and the almost immediate withdrawal of water from the lagoon, and heads of household made sure that children were accounted for and evacuated. Of the 366 Gilbertese living in Titiana, however, 13 people died, 8 of which were children who were exploring the emptied lagoon. A large proportion of the dead were children (24) as they were likely too weak to swim against the non-bore flow. The Gilbertese migrated from Kiribati in the 1950"s, and had not experienced a major earthquake and tsunami, hence had no cultural memory. In the case of the Solomon Islands tsunami, as was the case in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, indigenous knowledge served the people in the near-field well. In the case of the Indian Ocean where there was 10-20 minutes separation between the time the shaking began and the waves arrived, the combination of an in-place plan and a suitable physical geography allowed the population of Simeulue Island and the Moken people of Thailand to escape before the waves hit. In the Solomons, there was less than 3 minutes separation time, and the populations with indigenous knowledge were able to save themselves. Mitigation strategies for those that live adjacent to tsunamigenic subduction zones must include a community-based disaster management plan to educate a variety of populations with different cultural knowledges. This education can be in concert with development of an basin-wide early warning system.

  4. Didgeridoos, songs and boomerangs for asthma management.

    PubMed

    Eley, Robert; Gorman, Don; Gately, Jane

    2010-04-01

    In Australia, asthma is more prevalent among Indigenous than non-Indigenous people. Awareness of asthma and compliance with management plans are poor, as is engagement with health services in general. The study explored whether offering culturally appropriate music lessons could enhance asthma awareness and engagement to improve asthma and general wellbeing. Two studies undertaken in 2007 and 2009 offered music lessons to Indigenous asthmatics in a junior school and a senior school, an Aboriginal Medical Service and a community centre. Males were taught the didgeridoo and females singing and clap sticks. Associated activities of painting and boomerang throwing were offered. At regular intervals participants were assessed for their asthma status. At completion participants reported on the benefits of the study. Excellent retention occurred in Study 1 for adolescents and junior males but was poor for junior females and adults. Contributory factors to retention were parental and school support for minors and other health factors for adults. Respiratory function improved in males and both males and females reported increased wellbeing. In Study 2 retention of all participants was excellent. In addition there was increased engagement of both participants and their families with medical services. In both studies awareness of asthma and compliance with asthma management plans increased. Social skills improved as did cultural awareness. The offering of music lessons is a culturally appropriate and enjoyable intervention to promote asthma, general health awareness and engagement with medical services.

  5. Recommendations for developing and applying genetic tools to assess and manage biological invasions in marine ecosystems

    EPA Science Inventory

    The European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to adopt integrated ecosystem management approaches to achieve or maintain “Good Environmental Status” for marine waters, habitats and resources, including mitigation of the negative effects of non-indigenous sp...

  6. Integrating traditional ecological knowledge with western science for optimal natural resource management

    Treesearch

    Serra J. Hoagland

    2017-01-01

    Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been recognized within indigenous communities for millennia; however, traditional ecological knowledge has received growing attention within the western science (WS) paradigm over the past twenty-five years. Federal agencies, national organizations, and university programs dedicated to natural resource management are beginning...

  7. 75 FR 17955 - Public Land Order No. 7736; Partial Revocation of the Bureau of Reclamation Order Dated February...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-08

    ...: Bureau of Land Management. ACTION: Correction. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management published a... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCA930000; CACA 7817] Public Land Order No... Dated February 19, 1952, and Concurred in by the Bureau of Land Management on February 26, 1952...

  8. 75 FR 44981 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Vegetation Treatments...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-30

    ... Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management Lands in Oregon AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management... Impact Statement (EIS) for Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on Bureau of Land Management lands in... herbicides currently in use on BLM- managed lands in Oregon and increase the number of objectives for which...

  9. Prevalence and pattern of use of indigenous medicines in diabetic patients attending a tertiary care centre.

    PubMed

    Sethi, Ankur; Srivastava, Saurabh; Madhu, S V

    2011-07-01

    The aim of the study was to see the pattern of use of indigenous medicines in diabetic patients and to find out its correlation with various demographic variables in patients of type 2 diabetes. A sample of 113 patients with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) was interviewed using a structured questionnaire by trained medical personnel about the intake of indigenous medicines. Correlation of intake of indigenous medicines with various demographic variables was assessed using appropriate statistical tests. Male to female ratio in the present study was 1:3. Mean duration of diabetes was 5.2 +/- 2 years. It was found that majority of patients 101/113 (89.4%) attending diabetic clinic were using indigenous medicines in one form or the other. Most common drugs used were karela (78.8%), jamun (65.5%), methi (38.9%) and neem (28.3%). Majority were taking on advice from fellow diabetics (41.6%) and were not sure (39.8%) about the effect. No significant correlation was found with their intake and demographic variables as age, sex, per capita income, duration of diabtes, occupation, cultural background and antidiabetic medicine used. There is a high percentage of indigenous drug use in patients with diabetes which is often not reported. Treating physicians need to be alert to this possibility while managing diabetic patients in order to correctly interpret glycaemic control, hypoglycaemic episodes and other unexplained comorbidities that might arise in them.

  10. Canadian University Acknowledgment of Indigenous Lands, Treaties, and Peoples.

    PubMed

    Wilkes, Rima; Duong, Aaron; Kesler, Linc; Ramos, Howard

    2017-02-01

    At many Canadian universities it is now common to publicly acknowledge Indigenous lands, treaties, and peoples. Yet, this practice has yet to be considered as a subject of scholarly inquiry. How does this practice vary and why? In this paper we describe the content and practice of acknowledgment, linking this content to treaty relationships (or lack thereof). We show that acknowledgment tends to be one of five general types: of land and title (British Columbia), of specific treaties and political relationships (Prairies), of multiculturalism and heterogeneity (Ontario), of no practice (most of Quebec), and of people, territory, and openness to doing more (Atlantic). Based on these results, we conclude that the fluidity of acknowledgment as a practice, including changing meanings depending on the positionality of the acknowledger, need to be taken into account. Plusieurs universités Canadien pratique une reconnaissance des territoires, des traités, et des peoples autochtone en publique. Cette pratique, cependant, n'a jamais été considérée comme une enquête savante. Dans ce projet nous regardons comment les reconnaissances varie par institution et pourquoi. Nous trouvons qu'il y a un lien entre le contenu des reconnaissances et les relations traité. On démontre cinq forme des reconnaissances: territoire et titre (Colombie britannique); traité spécifique and les relations politiques (Prairies); multiculturalisme et hétérogénéité (Ontario); l'absence (la majorité du Québec); et des peoples, territoire et volonté a plus faire (Atlantique). Nous concluons que la fluidité de la reconnaissance, comme pratique, est fluide et doit prendre en considération la position de la personne qui le fait. © 2017 Canadian Sociological Association/La Société canadienne de sociologie.

  11. Do physical activity interventions in Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand improve activity levels and health outcomes? A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Sushames, Ashleigh; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Gebel, Klaus

    2016-12-21

    Indigenous Australians and New Zealanders have a significantly shorter life expectancy than non-Indigenous people, mainly due to differences in prevalence of chronic diseases. Physical activity helps in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, however, activity levels are lower in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous people. To synthesise the literature on the effects of physical activity interventions for Indigenous people in Australia and New Zealand on activity levels and health outcomes. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, SPORTSDiscus and PsycINFO were searched for peer-reviewed articles and grey literature was searched. Interventions targeted Indigenous people in Australia or New Zealand aged 18+ years and their primary or secondary aim was to increase activity levels. Data were extracted by one author and verified by another. Risk of bias was assessed independently by two authors. Data were synthesised narratively. 407 records were screened and 13 studies included. Interventions included individual and group based exercise programs and community lifestyle interventions of four weeks to two years. Six studies assessed physical activity via subjective (n = 4) or objective (n = 2) measures, with significant improvements in one study. Weight and BMI were assessed in all but one study, with significant reductions reported in seven of 12 studies. All five studies that used fitness tests reported improvements, as did four out of eight measuring blood pressure and seven out of nine in clinical markers. There was no clear evidence for an effect of physical activity interventions on activity levels, however, there were positive effects on activity related fitness and health outcomes. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42015016915 ).

  12. Indigenous Carbon Embedded in Apollo 17 Black Volcanic Glass Surface Deposits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thomas-Keprta, Kathie L.; Ross, D. K.; Le, L.; Gonzalez, C.; McKay, D. S.; Gibson, E. K.

    2012-01-01

    The assessment of indigenous organic matter in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program. The levels of such organic material were expected to be and found to be small. Previous work on this topic includes Murphy et al. [1] who reported the presence of anthropogenic organics with sub-ppm concentrations in Apollo 11 fines. In Apollo 12 samples, Preti et al. [2] detected low levels, < 10 ppb or below, of more complex organic material that may have been synthesized by abrupt heating during analysis. Kvenvolden et al. [3] detected porphyrin-like pigments at the ng to pg level in an Apollo 11 bulk sample. Hodgson et al. [4] and Ponnamperuma et al. [5] suggested that most if not all porphyrins were synthesized from rocket fuel during module landing. Chang et al. [6] reported indigenous carbon ranging from 5-20 g/g in the form of metal carbides in Apollo 11 fines. Hare et al. [7] reported amino acids at he 50 ng/g level in Apollo 11 samples but suggested the results may be explained as contamination. More recently, Clemett et al. [8] reported simple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at concentrations of < 1ppm in an Apollo 16 soil. Low concentrations of lunar organics may be a consequence not only of its paucity, but also its heterogeneous distribution. If the sample size required for a measurement is large relative to the localization of organics, detection is limited not by ultimate sensitivity but rather by the ability to distinguish an indigenous signature from background contamination [9].

  13. Two approaches, one problem: Cultural constructions of type II diabetes in an indigenous community in Yucatán, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Frank, Sarah M; Durden, T Elizabeth

    2017-01-01

    The emerging epidemic of obesity and type II diabetes in Mexico has recently propelled the nation into the public health spotlight. In the state of Yucatán, the experience of diabetes is greatly impacted by two cultural constructions of disease. In this setting, elements of Yucatec Mayan health practices as well as the biomedical model affect the approach to type II diabetes. Both frameworks offer unique understandings of the etiology of diabetes and recommend different ways to manage the condition. Based on in-depth and semi-structured interviews with both community members and clinicians, the present study seeks to understand how diabetes is understood and treated in indigenous settings in rural Yucatán. We explore the context in which community members navigate between locally available healthcare options, choose one over the other, or incorporate strategies from both into their diabetes care regimens. The tension between indigenous community members and their biomedical healthcare providers, the changing food environment of this community, and the persistence of traditional gender constructions affect the management of type II diabetes and its associated symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 43 CFR 3471.1-1 - Land description and coal deposit in application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Land description and coal deposit in...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) COAL MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS AND LIMITATIONS Coal Management Provisions and Limitations § 3471.1-1 Land description and coal...

  15. 43 CFR 3471.1-1 - Land description and coal deposit in application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Land description and coal deposit in...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) COAL MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS AND LIMITATIONS Coal Management Provisions and Limitations § 3471.1-1 Land description and coal...

  16. 43 CFR 3471.1-1 - Land description and coal deposit in application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Land description and coal deposit in...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) COAL MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS AND LIMITATIONS Coal Management Provisions and Limitations § 3471.1-1 Land description and coal...

  17. 43 CFR 3471.1-1 - Land description and coal deposit in application.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Land description and coal deposit in...) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT (3000) COAL MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS AND LIMITATIONS Coal Management Provisions and Limitations § 3471.1-1 Land description and coal...

  18. 75 FR 77691 - Douglas and Nolichucky Tributary Reservoirs Land Management Plan, in Cocke, Greene, Hamblen...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-13

    ... reservoirs on public and private land include TVA project operations, developed and dispersed recreation... TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY Douglas and Nolichucky Tributary Reservoirs Land Management Plan, in... Reservoirs Land Management Plan for the 3,191 acres of TVA-managed public land on these reservoirs in...

  19. A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth.

    PubMed

    MacDonald, Joanna Petrasek; Ford, James D; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Ross, Nancy A

    2013-12-09

    To review the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English-language research was conducted to systematically examine the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with elements of a realist review. From 160 records identified in the initial search of 3 databases, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for full review. Data were extracted using a codebook to organize and synthesize relevant information from the articles. More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature. More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature. Healthy communities and families foster and support youth who are resilient to mental health challenges and able to adapt and cope with multiple stressors, be they social, economic, or environmental. Creating opportunities and environments where youth can successfully navigate challenges and enhance their resilience can in turn contribute to fostering healthy Circumpolar communities. Looking at the role of new social media in the way youth communicate and interact is one way of understanding how to create such opportunities. Youth perspectives of mental health programmes are crucial to developing appropriate mental health support and meaningful engagement of youth can inform locally appropriate and culturally relevant mental health resources, programmes and community resilience strategies.

  20. A review of protective factors and causal mechanisms that enhance the mental health of Indigenous Circumpolar youth

    PubMed Central

    MacDonald, Joanna Petrasek; Ford, James D.; Willox, Ashlee Cunsolo; Ross, Nancy A.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives To review the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Study design A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English-language research was conducted to systematically examine the protective factors and causal mechanisms which promote and enhance Indigenous youth mental health in the Circumpolar North. Methods This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, with elements of a realist review. From 160 records identified in the initial search of 3 databases, 15 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for full review. Data were extracted using a codebook to organize and synthesize relevant information from the articles. Results More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature. More than 40 protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels were identified as enhancing Indigenous youth mental health. These included practicing and holding traditional knowledge and skills, the desire to be useful and to contribute meaningfully to one's community, having positive role models, and believing in one's self. Broadly, protective factors at the family and community levels were identified as positively creating and impacting one's social environment, which interacts with factors at the individual level to enhance resilience. An emphasis on the roles of cultural and land-based activities, history, and language, as well as on the importance of social and family supports, also emerged throughout the literature. Conclusions Healthy communities and families foster and support youth who are resilient to mental health challenges and able to adapt and cope with multiple stressors, be they social, economic, or environmental. Creating opportunities and environments where youth can successfully navigate challenges and enhance their resilience can in turn contribute to fostering healthy Circumpolar communities. Looking at the role of new social media in the way youth communicate and interact is one way of understanding how to create such opportunities. Youth perspectives of mental health programmes are crucial to developing appropriate mental health support and meaningful engagement of youth can inform locally appropriate and culturally relevant mental health resources, programmes and community resilience strategies. PMID:24350066

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