This study evaluated the use of the Model of Engaging Communities Collaboratively (MECC) to guide the Jandu Yani U (For All Families) project, in which the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program was collaboratively adapted for use in very remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. The communities’ responses to the MECC processes were evaluated through interview-style or selfadministered surveys, semiformal interviews, focus group discussions and storytelling. The MECC processes were acceptable across all groups (mean score 3.86 on a 5-point acceptability scale). Qualitative data supported and gave context to the quantitative findings, demonstrating the acceptability and utility of the approach. The MECC provided a valuable framework for Aboriginal community engagement, program dissemination and implementation of research.
This theoretical Kaupapa Māori writing inquiry study seeks to explore the settler colonial nature of Aotearoa New Zealand. The research finds that biculturalism, as a neo-liberal and settler-colonial construct does not provide for either tino rangatiratanga or mana motuhake. Indeed, biculturalism fails to provide for indigenous inclusion and actively suppresses the recognition of mana motuhake. Biculturalism is found to fit Beck’s definition of Zombie Concepts. These are social concepts that are dead and yet kept alive in their use by scholars and society to describe the growing fiction of traditional social institutions and in being kept alive maintain, in this case, settler colonial and colonial power structures. The main argument is that Biculturalism is neoliberal and settler colonial public discourse, that needs to be unpacked and then discarded because it does not provide for tino rangatiranga or mana motuhake.
Indigenous peoples worldwide continue to face health inequities compared to non-Indigenous populations. Frameworks like cultural safety can be used to mitigate these inequities; however, this is not widely implemented in healthcare settings. Thus, additional research into barriers to providing culturally safe care are critical. To address this need, we examined the existing barriers to culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples in Canada, and Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, through the perspectives of key informants. Major issues identified by key informants included systemic racism, lack of organisational accountability and/or buy-in, ineffective health-provider education, funding, health system structure, undervaluing Indigenous knowledge, negative framing, terminology, and changes to the concept of cultural safety over time. When examined closely, systemic racism and ongoing settler colonialism are the key driving forces underpinning many of the barriers identified. Findings from this research point to barriers at every level and require a system-wide, intersectoral approach in order to provide culturally safe care for Indigenous peoples and advance Indigenous health equity.
Compelling evidence continues to demonstrate that racism is a modifiable determinant of health inequities. Despite growing recognition of this it is less clear how from a human resource perspective to engage in effective anti-racism. Through a review of human resource and anti-racism literature, the white, Indigenous and racialised authors examined existing approaches to anti-racism applicable to the health system in Aotearoa. Two systemic organisational approaches were identified: diversity training and dismantling institutional racism. Recruitment processes, talent management and retention were human resource specific sites for interventions. Insights from anti-racism scholarship including upholding te Tiriti o Waitangi and engaging in decolonising to enable transformative change. Power-sharing remains at the heart of anti-racism praxis. A health sector response needs to be co-created with Māori and those with the political will to enable transformation. Given racism has a geographic specificity, solutions need to be informed by the cultural, political, social, and historical context.
The reader does not need to have copious concepts to grasp the tribal problems. It is about the land issue and the debate over how it arose and persisted; it exposes the problems in tribal societies.The central and state governments have the actual power to ensure tribal development. Furthermore, the land rights and protection problems are under the government's commitment to provide legal safeguards. However, neither the federal government nor state or local governments have exhibited much interest in the land troubles that tribal communities face. The paper focuses on tribal land issues and debates in the Bodoland Territorial Region of Assam. In the region, 97.88 per cent of the tribal people live in rural households and face uncertainty. The findings show that tribal people consider the government process insecure and intended to safeguard tribal members while ensuring the secure use of land in the region.
The largest school division in Winnipeg, Canada—the Winnipeg School Division—is undertaking several initiatives in the teaching for reconciliation and in meeting the educational mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action. These initiatives are being implemented in many of the division’s K-12 schools and a variety of subject areas. This articleexamines the reconciliatory initiatives that provide Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners alike with meaningful information about traditional practices and opportunities to engage in relationshipbuilding and cross-cultural understanding. The literature review section examines the historical and societal injustices perpetrated upon Indigenous peoples, newcomers’ needs around Indigenous issues, and the important role that Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers have in the reconciliation process. The methodology section focuses on document analysis and its relevance as a research method. The article concludes with an examination of the potential and resistance of teaching for reconciliation in Canada.
This article examines two case studies of unsettling settler colonialism in the far north of California: the inclusion of Yurok language electives in public high schools, and land return to the Wiyot Tribe. These two cases demonstrate repertoires of Indigenous resistance to historic and ongoing culturecide—the killing of culture—and show what unsettling settler colonialism looks like in the region. The central research question in this article is: How does unsettling happen in settler colonial-controlled public institutionalised spaces in far northern California? I argue that acts of Indigenous voice-raising and place-making constitute forms of resistance to ongoing erasure of Indigenous peoples in settler-colonised spaces. Concretely, both Yurok language course inclusion in public schools and land return of Duluwat Island to the Wiyot Tribe disrupt patterns of culturecide and promote new kinds of settler-Indigenous relations in the region.
Indigeneity is a complex social construct that can be defined in multiple ways using diverse markerstraditionally based on the characteristics of individuals. Survey-based studies have used language,self-identification or location information to operationalise Indigeneity. Yet, as suggested by Walterand Andersen (2013), Gillborn et al. (2018) and others, few scholars reflect on how the Indigeneityvariable is specified and whether this operationalisation may impact results. This article examinesthis issue empirically using the case of Indigeneity in Peru. First, survey-based empirical studies areidentified to explore the ways in which Indigeneity has been operationalised. Then, using the YoungLives study, we present diverse operationalisations of Indigeneity and outline how these may lead to different educational outcomes for children. We show that quantitative researchers using surveybased data should engage more deeply with different operationalisations of Indigeneity as these can lead to different educational outcomes for children categorised as Indigenous.
Indigenous suicide rates are high in Canada compared to the total Canadian rate and have been for some time. I argue it is necessary and salient to gather how Indigenous suicide is depicted in Canada. The media has a powerful influence on public perceptions, which can be a driving force that shapes suicide prevention policy. Using content analysis, media articles that reported on Indigenous suicide over the past 10 years were examined. It was found that media depictions represented forms of present colonialism and symbolic violence. The overwhelming portrayal of Indigenous suicide as a result of abnormal mental health diverts attention away from injustices, such as continuing racism and discrimination in healthcare, perhaps allowing these entities to persist. The Canadian media perceives that Indigenous suicide is a phenomenon that can be well understood within the confines of a colonial, dominant view of health.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Franklin/Hiawatha encampment was established in the summer of 2018 only to be forcibly terminated during the winter of 2019, then revived again in 2020. Also called the “Wall of Forgotten Natives” by its inhabitants, this cluster of tents was comprised of houseless residents of the Twin Cities, many of whom were Native American. Recognizing the continued murder, dispossession, removal, forced assimilation, under-resourcing, and invisibility of Indigenous peoples, the moniker “Wall of Forgotten Natives” seems apt. Considering Agamben’s idea of the camp as a space of exclusion that is included within the purview of law, this essay argues that the camp is also a designation of what is forgotten, or what is excluded from settler memory, yet paradoxically included within the settler prerogative of elimination.
In her poem "from turtle island to aotearoa," Anishinaabeg writer Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm writes about travelling to the other side of the world and finding ways to connect. For my part, I have taken the ‘reverse’ journey many times from Aotearoa to Turtle Island, and the poem has both nudged and nurtured my thinking about the promises and limits of Indigenous-Indigenous connections. In Indigenous Studies, we have made really important claims about the need to research our own people, and the limits of work conducted by outsiders. In this article, I reflect on the conundrum of being an Indigenous outsider in much of my current research project in which I, as a Māori scholar, engage the works of Māori writers alongside Indigenous writings from Australia, Fiji and Hawai'i. How does working in Indigenous Studies as a discipline shape my approach to researching others? Does being an Indigenous researcher give me a backstage pass?
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 1993, p. 14) states that "[all] who learn te reo Māori help to secure its future as a living, dynamic, and rich language". However, I will argue here that appearance and reality are very far apart. Close examination of the context in which teachers of the Māori language operate tells a very different story, one characterised byinadequate consultation with teachers and communities, a lack of consistency between the advice provided in the curriculum guidelines document and the resources made available to teachers, and a failure to ensure that adequate pre- and inservice training is provided. Finally, as a way forward to help strengthen policy and inform Indigenous language teachers, a reflection onlessons learnt in the New Zealand context and some useful Indigenous language strategies will be provided.
ABSTRACTAimMāori suffer disproportionately from alcohol-related harm in Aotearoa New Zealand. With the view toward informing potential alcohol interventions for Māori, this study synthesises studies on alcohol and alcohol-related harm. MethodsUsing a Māori-centered approach, a narrative review of qualitative studies of Māori perspectives on alcohol was conducted. Journal databases, repositories, and websites were searched for relevant studies published since 2000. A thematic analysis was conducted and emergent themes were synthesised. ResultsEight studies were identified for inclusion. Whanaungatanga was identified as a contributor to alcohol use in included studies. Other motivations were ‘fitting in’, escape from stress, achieving ‘the buzz’, and coping with historical trauma. Among included literature, a strong cultural identity was a deterrent to alcohol overuse. Māori voiced a desire to be involved with local alcohol policy decisions. ConclusionAlthough Māori are a high-priority group, there remains a substantial gap in research on Māori perspectives toward alcohol interventions which is reflective of an underinvestment in Kaupapa Māori research. Future interventions for Māori may be more effective if these interventions focus on enhancing whanaungatanga without the presence of alcohol, consider the variable motivations for drinking, and utilise culturally appropriate methods to encourage reduced harm from alcohol use.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Franklin/Hiawatha encampment was established in the summer of 2018 only to be forcibly terminated during the winter of 2019, then revived again in 2020. Also called the “Wall of Forgotten Natives” by its inhabitants, this cluster of tents was comprised of houseless residents of the Twin Cities, many of whom were Native American. Recognizing the continued murder, dispossession, removal, forced assimilation, under-resourcing, and invisibility of Indigenous peoples, the moniker “Wall of Forgotten Natives” seems apt. Considering Agamben’s idea of the camp as a space of exclusion that is included within the purview of law, this essay argues that the camp is also a designation of what is forgotten, or what is excluded from settler memory, yet paradoxically included within the settler prerogative of elimination.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Franklin/Hiawatha encampment was established in the summer of 2018 only to be forcibly terminated during the winter of 2019, then revived again in 2020. Also called the “Wall of Forgotten Natives” by its inhabitants, this cluster of tents was comprised of houseless residents of the Twin Cities, many of whom were Native American. Recognizing the continued murder, dispossession, removal, forced assimilation, under-resourcing, and invisibility of Indigenous peoples, the moniker “Wall of Forgotten Natives” seems apt. Considering Agamben’s idea of the camp as a space of exclusion that is included within the purview of law, this essay argues that the camp is also a designation of what is forgotten, or what is excluded from settler memory, yet paradoxically included within the settler prerogative of elimination.
For decades, Indigenous education in Canada has implemented policies that provide a more culturally relevant curriculum for Indigenous students. It is thought that such a curriculum will improve morale and academic success in Indigenous students. Despite these efforts, a gap still exists between Indigenous students and their counterparts. Little attention has been given to the role that race and racism plays in the lives of Indigenous students. This study examines whether a need exists for race and racism to be addressed in the public school system. Using an Indigenous research methodology, a survey was administered to elicit non-Indigenous attitudes towards the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It was found that in the absence of an antiracist education, nonIndigenous students held negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples, as well as lacked an understanding of racism and its significance.
This article examines the intergenerational effects of hydropower expansion on Sámi living conditions. In-depth conversations were conducted with five research participants from three different generations living in a hydropower impacted area on the Swedish side of Sápmi. The aim is to analyse how natural resource extraction has affected living conditions for the Indigenous Sámi people, using an intergenerational approach. The questions cover how to deal with the consequences and how coping strategies have affected the living conditions for the research participants and the participants’ families: older and younger generations. Historical unresolved grief connected to large-scale resource extraction is an important component for understanding experiences of colonialism in a Nordic Indigenous context. Furthermore, an intergenerational approach is essential for studying long-term impacts on Indigenous communities. From the conversations, four main themes are crystallized: bereavement, fear and worries, agreements with the energy company, and reconciliation and strategies for the future.
Viewing Métis identity not as a natural, essential, or fixed phenomenon, but as an experience formed through internal and external factors, this article examines the mechanisms by which people residing in British Columbia identify as Métis. Through interviewing Métis Peoples and engaging in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Narrative Analysis (NA), this research demonstrates how Métis narratives centre on and replicate three hegemonic discourses based on racial mixedness, Métis cultural values, and Métis nationalism. The ‘Métis subject’ is then not an easily described coherent subject, but rather a co-constructed description based on transient identification with multiple and sometimes contradictory texts, which are themselves made meaningful through discourses. Understanding ‘Métis’ in this way allows for an exploration of the role of power in producing meanings of ‘Métis’ and how individuals, groups, and institutions can strategically mobilize particular meanings and resist definitions of Métis prescribed by Eurocentric perspectives embedded in colonial institutions.
The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act (1989) heralded family group conferences as an innovative mechanism to reinforce the role of family in child welfare decision-making. While many have regarded family group conferences as a culturally appropriate response, continued managerialism reflected a guise of cultural responsiveness and family involvement that has actively disempowered whānau and the young person in decision-making processes. Similar to concerns that led to the formation of the 1989 Act, institutional racism inspired Rangitāne o Wairarapa (Rangitāne) to reclaim the family group conference process, and child welfare decision-making, as an iwi function. The current study reports on the development of a family group conference practice model of one iwi (Rangitāne) as a case study of cultural reclamation. The success of the approach is juxtaposed against the iwi practice model, critical success factors and opportunities for the development of such practice models across Aotearoa New Zealand.
This article studies the Evenki experiences and memories bound to past and present changes in their modes of living in Sakha-Yakutia. An endemic understanding of the community reflections on de-placing, or lived displacement, is advanced, both theoretically and empirically. The empirical part starts with a description of the Evenki traditions sustained in everyday life today. This is followed by a threefold reading of the Evenki reflections of displacement, focusing on 1) routines of brigades and obchinas, 2) transitions of traditions and place names and 3) disturbances due to industrial land-rule. The analysis is based on Evenki interviews in Yiengra between 2005-2020 and related empirical material gathered for the Evenki Atlas completed by the first of the authors of this article. A major result of the study is an in-depth Evenki view on the phases of displacement. In addition, the article demonstrates the value of endemic ethnography which favours research commitments that are both sensitive to epistemic differentiation and help in identifying the actual costs of forced and unruly de-placing.
