bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socially Constructed Teen Motherhood: A Review
Authors: Fonda Marc , Eni Rachel , Guimond Eric
Published: August 2015

This article reviews literature on the gradual construction of teenage pregnancy as a social issue in North America. It shows how teen motherhood emerged not as an issue unto itself, but as a microcosm of numerous, closely intertwined phenomena including: the evolution of Western views on human sexuality and gender roles; the place of religious values in society; and the emergence of various modern technologies, the social and medical sciences, and how such disciplines view childhood, motherhood, and women in society. In particular, it shows that even as teen pregnancy is today viewed primarily through public health and/or socioeconomic lenses, it has never been completely divorced from its original construction – as an indicator of failure to adhere to social, religious, and moral values. The article closes with an informal content analysis of several First Nations-related documents that highlight both similarities and differences to the non-Aboriginal perspective.
The Socio-Economic Characteristics of First Nation Teen Mothers
Authors: Garner Rochelle , Guimond Eric , Senécal Sacha
Published: August 2015

Using data from the 2006 Census, this study examines the socio-economic characteristics of First Nations and non-Aboriginal teenage mothers, and compares these to those of non-teenage mothers in a cohort of women aged 25 to 29 years old. Results indicated that First Nations women were more likely than non-Aboriginal women to be teenage mothers. In general, teenage mothers were less likely to have graduated high school, more likely to live in overcrowded housing, and in a home in need of major repair. Furthermore, teenage mothers had lower household incomes after adjusting for the composition the household. Characteristics also differed significantly between First Nations and non-Aboriginal women, as well as between Registered Indian women living on- and off-reserve.
Evaluation of Aboriginal Programs: What Place is Given to Participation and Cultural Sensitivity?
Authors: Jacob Steve , Desautels Geoffroy
Published: August 2015

Aboriginal populations in Northern Canada have, for many years, been confronted with socio-economic problems affecting their development. In the early 1990s, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996) report concluded that it was important to integrate Aboriginal people into the management of public policies that concern them and to encourage their autonomy. In order to produce a quality evaluation that is useful in particular cultural contexts, measures have been developed to assure that the evaluation highly regards cultural sensitivity while integrating local participants in the evaluation process. This study, based on the systematic analysis of a non-probability sample of 27 program evaluation reports, presents an inventory of evaluation practice in Aboriginal contexts and estimates in what measure a culturally sensitive and participatory approach was applied. It was apparent that cultural sensitivity is gradually being integrated into Aboriginal program evaluation and that certain indicators show that there has been a positive evolution in this direction. Finally, the study shows an occasional recourse to participatory approaches, but this is not a strong tendency as systematically technocratic approaches are more broadly employed.
Policy (Mis)Alignment: Addressing Type 2 Diabetes in Aboriginal Communities in Canada
Authors: Brooks Lauren A. , Darroch Francine E. , Giles Audrey R
Published: August 2015

In this article, we employ Bacchi’s (1999) What’s the Problem approach to policy analysis to examine Health Canada’s Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI) and the ways in which it articulates with existing federal policies that relate to three Aboriginal social determinants of health: colonialism, education, and health care. Focusing our analysis on the Aboriginal population with the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes, First Nations, we argue that the ADI produces type 2 diabetes as a problem related to First Nations peoples’ apparently poor health decision making and lifestyle choices. Such a framing of the problem ignores the ways in which current federal policies are aligned in a way that undermines attempts, like the ADI, to improve First Nations peoples’ health. We argue that for rates of type 2 diabetes to decrease in First Nations communities, the federal government needs to re-align policies that affect all of the Aboriginal social determinants of health so that the startling inequities in health that exist between First Nations peoples and non-First Nations peoples, particularly those related to type 2 diabetes, can be addressed in a more effective fashion.
H1N1 in Retrospect: A Review of Risk Factors and Policy Recommendations
Authors: Mousseau Mark
Published: August 2015

The H1N1 pandemic of 2009 devastated Indigenous communities worldwide. In order to explain infection patterns and prevent repeating history in future pandemics, associations with infection were investigated. This revealed that the vulnerability of Indigenous communities to infection was associated with poor performance on measurements of social determinants of health. Several policy recommendations pertaining to non-pharmaceutical interventions, prioritization of scarce health care resources, and pandemic planning are made to improve this situation. The best approach would be to empower Indigenous communities to take control over and improve local conditions. Success of such strategies in the battle against other Indigenous health issues suggests that these interventions would be invaluable against emerging infectious disease.
Effects of Labour Mobility: An Analysis of Recent International Development Literature
Authors: Abella Manolo
Published: August 2015

Successive censuses have shown that the Aboriginal populations of Canada are very mobile with strong tendencies to move to urban areas, but little is known about the consequences of these circular movements on the development of First Nations, the welfare of individual members and their families, and the costs and benefits to their larger communities. This article reviews the large body of literature on the nexus between mobility and development of countries in the developing world with a view to developing insights that may be relevant to the development of First Nation communities. While there are clear differences, the two contexts may be similar enough – in terms of socio-economic well-being, service levels, and institutional barriers to socio-economic development – for such analysis to contribute to understanding the effects of migration on the migrants themselves, their households, and their communities and countries of origin. The experience of developing countries suggest that there are positive gains not only in earnings but also in education and health for those who move internally and more so for those able to move internationally, even if there remain some concerns about negative effects on migrants’ families left behind, especially on the children. What seems clear is that migration plays an important role in family survival strategies. Money migrants send home finance the education of children, enable better health care, and improve housing. They shield migrants’ families against all kinds of “shocks”. However, emigration may reduce the human capital stock (brain drain), thus adversely affecting productivity. The loss of health professionals can set back critical medical services in remote communities, and disrupt formal and informal systems for transferring know-how. These “spill-over effects” or externalities on origin communities can be significant, imposing burdens on those left behind. Finally, the article looks at how diaspora communities have served as sources of information, linkages, or networks with businesses, markets for sovereign bonds, mediums for the transfer of technology and know-how, and a market for tourism.
Book Review: Mascarenhas, M. (2012). Where the Waters Divide: Neoliberalism, White Privilege, and Environmental Racism in Canada
Authors: Simms Rosie B.
Published: August 2015

This article provides a critical review of Michael Mascarenhas' book, Where the Waters Divide: Neoliberalism, White Privilege, and Environmental Racism in Canada.
Along the Road: The Ngäbe-Buglé Struggle to Protect Environmental Resources in Panama
Authors: Cansari Rogelio , Gausset Quentin
Published: August 2015

Indigenous people in Panama do not enjoy full autonomy within their comarcas (traditional land reserves): they only control surface resources, while the state retains control of underground resources. This article analyses direct action by the Ngäbe-Buglé, who successfully defeated the latest attempt by the government to exploit underground resources within their comarcas. It describes government strategies for retaining control over Indigenous people’s land and analyses how the Ngäbe-Buglé counteracted these strategies with support from burgeoning civil society movements. We argue that this is due to an unprecedented alliance between Indigenous people and other social movements in Panama, as well as to the fact that Indigenous people have succeeded in federating all major civil society organizations around their discourses and actions.
Do Factors Other than SES Explain Differences in Child Outcomes Between Children of Teenage and Older Mothers for Off-Reserve First Nations Children?
Authors: Guèvremont Anne , Kohen Dafna
Published: August 2015

This study used data from the Aboriginal Children’s Survey (ACS) to explore differences in behavioural outcomes for First Nations children born to teen and older mothers living off-reserve in Canada. Of particular interest was an examination of socio-economic and contextual influences, and their contributions to differences in child outcomes. Findings from this study demonstrate that off-reserve First Nations children born to teen mothers (aged 12 - 19 years when they started childbearing) had poorer behavioural outcomes compared to off-reserve First Nations children born to older mothers (aged 25 and over when they started childbearing). These differences were found for emotional symptoms, inattention and hyperactivity, and conduct disorder scores, but not for prosocial behaviours. Contextual factors differed for children born to teen mothers as compared to older mothers, but parenting behaviors and the number of people involved in raising the child was similar for both groups. While differences in the behaviour of children born to teen mothers are often attributed to poorer socio-economic conditions, this study demonstrates that other contextual factors (e.g., breastfeeding, social support, screen time, residential mobility) may be as important as socio-economic factors in their contribution to the behavioural outcomes of children of teen mothers.
Hua Oranga: Service Utility Pilot of a Mental Health Outcome Measurement for an Indigenous Population
Authors: McClintock Kahu , Sokratov Ana , Mellsop Graham , Kingi Te Kani
Published: August 2015

The key areas of development in this study were the criteria for the use of the Hua Oranga, an Indigenous mental health outcome measurement tool for use with Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand). The application of the Hua Oranga was expected to improve the care and treatment of tangata whaiora (consumers) in partnership with whānau (family) and clinicians. The Outcomes Recording Analysis (ORA) database (www.ORAdatabase.co.nz), which receives the Hua Oranga data and generates the Hua Oranga reports was essential to this improvement. This development contributes to the skill and expertise of clinicians in interpreting Māori health information that benefit Māori.
Pathways to Higher Education for Native Hawaiian Individual Development Account Participants
Authors: Rothwell David W.
Published: August 2015

As the cost of higher education rises, a growing body of theory and research suggests that asset holding in the form of savings and net worth positively influence education expectations and outcomes. Native Hawaiians, like other Indigenous peoples, have disproportionately low college enrollment and graduation rates tied to a history of colonization. Using data from an Individual Development Account (IDA) program for Native Hawaiians, I examine the trajectories through the program and find: (a) welfare receipt and unemployment reduces the chances of IDA enrollment; (b) net worth increases the probability of IDA graduation; and (c) IDA graduates were more likely to gain a college degree over time compared to non-graduates. The study provides empirical evidence to the debate on asset-based interventions for Indigenous peoples.
Aboriginal Perspectives on Social-Emotional Competence in Early Childhood
Authors: Tremblay Melissa , Gokiert Rebecca , Georgis Rebecca , Edwards Karen , Skrypnek Berna
Published: August 2015

Gaining an understanding of how best to support the development of Aboriginal children is important in promoting positive social, emotional, educational, and health outcomes. The purpose of the current study was to identify the most important elements of healthy development for Aboriginal children, with a particular focus on social-emotional development. Focus groups were conducted with 37 Aboriginal Canadians, including parents, service providers, adolescents, and young adults. Five inter-connected themes emerged: cultural wellness, emotional wellness, mental wellness, social wellness, and strong identity, with strong identity described as central and foundational to the other themes. This study strengthens the assertion that Aboriginal children require an additional set of social-emotional skills to successfully navigate different cultural contexts during development. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Supporting Successful Transitions to Post-Secondary Education for Indigenous Students: Lessons from an Institutional Ethnography in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Restoule Jean-Paul , Mashford-Pringle Angela , Chacaby Maya , Smillie Christine , Brunette Candace , Russel Gail
Published: August 2015

This study examines some of the ways institutional policies and practices can support or hinder the successful transition to post-secondary education for Indigenous people. Tracing the path from Indigenous high school student to post-secondary education applicant and utilizing knowledge gained from interviews, focus groups, and online surveys as part of an institutional ethnography approach, we offer recommendations for institutions and applicants to help increase enrollment and enhance the success of Indigenous post-secondary students. We share implications for institutions and post-secondary education applicants utilizing self-identification or cultural identity tracking.
Career Dilemmas among Diné (Navajo) College Graduates: An Exploration of the Dinétah (Navajo Nation) Brain Drain
Authors: McKenzie James , Jackson Aaron P , Yazzie Robert , Smith Steven A , Crotty Amber K , Baum Donny , Denny Avery , Bah'lgai Eldridge Dana
Published: August 2015

Like many Indigenous nations, the Navajo Nation has worked to develop its human and economic potential. It has provided scholarships and other supports to enable its members to pursue post-secondary education. However, relatively few of these college-educated members return to the reservation to contribute directly to its development. This phenomenon has been termed a brain drain. This study explored the experiences of 28 college-educated Navajos who, while raised on the reservation, were living off the reservation after completing their post-secondary education. Participants indicated a number of factors that went into their decision to live off the reservation. These included:

Ké’: Relationships/Connections to Family, Culture, Homeland, People;
Iiná: Lifestyle/Lifeway, Desirable Setting, Learned Work Ethic, Social Atmosphere, Togetherness (Diné) vs. Individualism (Mainstream);
Bee ach’į’ na’hwii’ná: Resources and Roadblocks to Making a Life, Infrastructure, Services, The “System”;
Bee ajit’9: Opportunity, Prosperity and Personal Improvement, Education, Extracurricular, Job Availability, Work Experience.
He Manu Hou: The Transition of Māori Students into Māori Studies
Authors: Hall Meegan , Rata Arama , Adds Peter
Published: August 2015

There are many known factors that can help or hinder Indigenous students undertaking tertiary study, but little is known about how Māori students experience Māori studies courses specifically. Against the backdrop of low Māori student retention in universities and the short history of Māori studies as a field of study, this article shares findings from a thematic analysis of interviews with Māori students in Māori studies. It proposes a framework, Te Ara Mātauranga, which organises new findings about Māori cultural enclaves, aspirations, engagement, learning opportunities, and support. Ultimately, this article distinguishes the experiences of Māori students in Māori studies from previous generic research about Māori students in tertiary education and identifies a set of consequential challenges and opportunities.
Inequities in Diabetes Outcomes among Urban First Nation and Métis Communities: Can Addressing Diversities in Preventive Services Make a Difference?
Authors: Ghosh Hasu , Spitzer Denise
Published: August 2015

This article primarily aims to demonstrate how diversity is reflected among urban Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Secondly, it uncovers if and how preventive health services in the province of Ontario, Canada are responsive to this diversity. Data for this study were gathered from a review of literature on culturally appropriate health service delivery to Aboriginal peoples in Canada and a qualitative exploratory study conducted with urban First Nation and Métis people, and health service providers and policy makers. The findings from review of literature and the exploratory study indicated that the nature of Aboriginal diversity and its trends are complex. From the document review, we can comprehend that socio-economic disparities among First Nations and Métis, compared to non-Aboriginal people, are reducing slowly; however, evidence from the exploratory study suggested otherwise and indicated that there is also a strong need for First Nation and Métis families to overcome barriers in order to improve their quality of live in urban Ontario, Canada. It is evident that health services for urban First Nation and Métis people cannot address existing health inequities by simplistic application of pan-Aboriginal strategies in preventive services. Initiatives for urban First Nation and Métis people require strategies that are targeted at the unique and distinct needs of First Nation and Métis residents regardless of their legal status, cultural pluralities, socio-economic backgrounds, and place of residence in cities.
Consulting Whom? Lessons from the Toronto Urban Aboriginal Strategy
Authors: Nguyen Mai T
Published: August 2015

The research conducted here looks at the current Urban Aboriginal Strategy (UAS) in Toronto. The purpose of this Strategy is to provide long-term investments to support Aboriginal communities in urban settings by focusing on three priority areas: improving life skills; promoting job training, skills, and entrepreneurship; and supporting Aboriginal women, children, and families. This article seeks to answer the following question: Does the UAS provide Aboriginal participants with the ability to effectively participant in the consultation process? It argues that the UAS process of consulting with the urban Aboriginal community does not allow for the effective participation of Aboriginal peoples because of problematics related to consulting in an urban setting and despite the language of partnership, the federal government still reserves the right to make final decisions. These problems diminish the ability to build renewed Aboriginal-State relations based on mutual respect and trust, which has been absent within the Aboriginal-State apparatus and resulted in the political exclusion of Aboriginals in Canada. Though consultation can be a vehicle for empowering participants with decision-making authority, this is not the case in Toronto. The lack of a common vision, political buy-in, and the aura of secrecy leads to a political relationship built on mistrust. Mistrust between members and government renders the consultation process ineffective. This article combines the literature on public consultations with official government documents to identify critical components that must be evident for consultations to be fruitful and participation effective. These criteria are the benchmarks upon which to measure effectiveness. Based on interviews with the Steering Committee, this article finds that the UAS process of consulting with the Toronto Aboriginal community does not enable Aboriginal participants to effectively participate in the democratic process.
The Portrayal of Indigenous Health in Selected Australian Media
Authors: Stoneham Melissa J , Goodman Jodie , Daube Mike
Published: August 2015

It is acknowledged that health outcomes for Australian Indigenous peoples are lower than those of non-Indigenous Australians. Research suggests negative media in relation to Indigenous Australians perpetuates racist stereotypes among the wider population and impacts on the health of Indigenous Australians. This study examined the media portrayal of Indigenous Australian public health issues in selected media over a twelve month period and found that, overwhelmingly, the articles were negative in their portrayal of Indigenous health. A total of 74 percent of the coverage of Australian Indigenous related articles were negative, 15 percent were positive, and 11 percent were neutral. The most common negative subject descriptors related to alcohol, child abuse, petrol sniffing, violence, suicide, deaths in custody, and crime.
Policy and Practice Options for Equitable Access to Primary Healthcare for Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia and Norway
Authors: Lavoie Josée G
Published: August 2015

Over the past three decades, policy reforms have been geared towards improving quality of care, responsiveness, and equitable access to healthcare services for all social groups in general, and individuals living in marginalizing circumstances in particular. The purpose of this study was to document how primary healthcare services (PHC) services are provided in Norway and British Columbia to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples and use this knowledge to critically explore policy alternatives that inform the delivery of PHC for vulnerable populations. Findings show that in British Columbia, Indigenous-specific PHC services have been the preferred mechanism to ensure better care. This is not the case in Norway, where Sámi-centric services exist only in mental health and only in Finnmark.
Collection and Governance of Data: Much to Learn
Authors: White Jerry P.
Published: August 2015

There is an extensive history of research projects with Indigenous communities around the world where the projects were based on Western epistemologies and were neither collaborative, nor community- based.This editorial introduces the International Indigenous Policy Journal's special issue on the governance of Indigenous information. The issue opens a dialog about how data can be collected and governed in a way that empowers Indigenous peoples and communities.
Recommended Mitigation Measures for an Influenza Pandemic in Remote and Isolated First Nations Communities of Ontario, Canada: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach
Authors: Charania Nadia A , Tsuji Leonard JS
Published: August 2015

Influenza pandemics disproportionately impact remote and/or isolated Indigenous communities worldwide. The differential risk experienced by such communities warrants the recommendation of specific mitigation measures. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were conducted with adult key health care informants from three remote and isolated Canadian First Nations communities of sub-Arctic Ontario. Forty-eight mitigation measures (including the setting, pandemic period, trigger, and duration) were questioned. Participants’ responses were summarized and collected data were deductively and inductively coded. The participants recommended 41 of the questioned mitigation measures, and often differed from previous literature and national recommendations. Results revealed that barriers, such as overcrowded housing, limited supplies, and health care infrastructure, impacted the feasibility of implementing mitigation measures. These findings suggest that pandemic plans should recommend control strategies for remote and isolated Canadian First Nations communities that may not be supported in other communities. These findings highlight the importance of engaging locally impacted populations using participatory approaches in policy decision-making processes. Other countries with remote and/or isolated Indigenous communities are encouraged to include recommendations for mitigation measures that specifically address the unique needs of such communities in an effort to improve their health outcomes during the next influenza pandemic.
Empowering Indigenous Youth: Perspectives from a National Service Learning Program in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Leemen , Chen Peiying
Published: August 2015

Issues related to Indigenous higher education have received more attention in recent years. An important aspect has been the adjustment and development of more inclusive regulatory policies. This study explores the policy-enhancing role of non-profit organizations (NPOs) in empowering Indigenous college students through an analysis of a nationwide service learning program initiated by a NPO based in Taiwan. The findings revealed the important role of NPOs in enhancing government policies by leveraging their knowledge base and resource networking in order to develop a service learning program for Indigenous youth, which aimed to develop their self-confidence and strengthen their ethnic identity. The article identified four themes that are essential for non-profit organizations in designing and implementing empowerment-based programs for Indigenous participants: developing resource networking partnerships, emphasizing responsibility, building effective mutual trust, and sustaining endeavors.
Framing Indigenous–Settler Relations within British Columbia's Modern Treaty Context: A Discourse Analysis of the Maa-nulth Treaty in Mainstream Media
Authors: Sloan Morgan Vanessa , Castleden Heather
Published: August 2015

Media plays an integral role in (re)producing our social construction of reality. When viewed in light of Canada’s colonial legacy, media’s power has undoubtedly been implicated in circumscribing Indigenous peoples and Indigenous–settler relations. Employing a discourse analysis of mainstream media covering the recent (2011) implementation of a comprehensive land claims agreement in British Columbia, this study investigates how media has framed contemporary Indigenous–settler relations within the Canadian state. Findings indicate that mainstream media predominantly relies on stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and tends to neglect historical and current political complexities, thereby perpetuating stagnant Indigenous–settler relations. Concluding with empirically derived recommendations, this article points to education reform to create more robust mainstream media able to address stagnated (re)constructions of Indigenous–settler relations.
Implementation of Indigenous Rights in Russia: Shortcomings and Recent Developments
Authors: Tomaselli Alexandra , Koch Anna
Published: August 2015

After more than 20 years of active engagement in Indigenous issues, RAIPON, the umbrella organization of the Indigenous peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East, was ordered to suspend its activities by the Russian Ministry of Justice in November 2012. Eventually, this order was withdrawn provided that RAIPON changed its statute, which subsequently took place in early 2013. Why such sudden and definitive decisions? Apparently, the measures taken against RAIPON were due to its active engagement to defend Indigenous peoples' rights especially vis-à-vis the Russian extractive industry. A starting point for all possible explanations is thus the existing gap between the legal protection of Indigenous peoples' and its enforcement. The aims of this article are thus to gain a deeper understanding of the legal protection of Indigenous peoples’ rights in the Russian Federation, and to explore the interests and the politics lying behind the government attitude vis-à-vis Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Mobilisation and the Law of Consultation in Peru: A Boomerang Pattern?
Authors: Wright Claire
Published: August 2015

Prior to 2009, it was difficult to speak of a national level Indigenous movement in Peru with an impact on national politics. However, the situation changed after the tragic events known as the Baguazo. Little by little, diverse organisations representing different ethnic groups came together to push for a law of consultation, which was promulgated in 2011. Nevertheless, the process has been highly complex and is still ongoing. The aim of this article is to offer some interpretative clues in order to understand how the national level movement came about, as well as how it made an impact on national political processes. Referring to social movement theory and constructivist international relations theory, I analyse several important episodes between 2009 and 2013. I find that both the convergence and the impact of a national level Indigenous movement in Peru are embedded in complex bargaining processes in which issues of ethnicity and political opportunities at the national level have been affected by the leverage of global norms (specifically the International Labour Organisation’s Covenant No. 169) by both international and national actors.
The Cross-Fertilization of Human Rights Norms and Indigenous Peoples in Africa: From Endorois and Beyond
Authors: Inman Derek M K
Published: August 2015

Beginning in the 20th century, international law expanded beyond law between nations to eventually embrace the concept of human rights. However, until recently, human rights efforts were focused mostly on individuals, their rights and the obligations of the state in question. Indigenous peoples, on the other hand, have always articulated their collective rights and, to their credit, achieved notable success.
While there is no doubt that these achievements should be applauded, what is also of interest, and deserves further study, are the ways in which human rights jurisprudence concerning Indigenous peoples’ collective rights intermingle, cross-fertilize, and integrate. This dynamic relationship between the various sources of Indigenous rights law has had a tremendous impact locally, changing how states interact with the Indigenous peoples living within its borders.
The first aim of this article will be to explore the above-mentioned topics in detail with a particular eye on the African human rights systems. Secondly, it will examine how they relate to the Endorois case that was recently decided by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. I conclude with an investigation into what this could mean for Indigenous peoples’ rights in the African context.
“What is the Spirit of this Gathering?” Indigenous Sport Policy-Makers and Self-Determination in Canada
Authors: Te Hiwi Braden P
Published: August 2015

In this article, I examine how the process of Indigenous participation in policy-making pertaining to the development of federal sport policy in Canada is connected to Indigenous forms of self-determination. By conducting semi-structured interviews with six Indigenous sport policy-makers, I investigate how their respective thoughts, experiences, and actions shape their perspective on self-determination. My analysis shows that a focus on relationships was at the center of the interviewed Indigenous sport policy-makers’ approaches to the promotion of Indigenous self-determination. Furthermore, the relational nature of Indigenous policy-makers’ identities was also central to their pursuit of self-determination. The promotion of family and community type relationships with government representatives could be used as an outcome of policy-making, in addition to traditional policy directives.
Apologies to Indigenous Peoples in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Tager Michael
Published: August 2015

Australia, Canada, and the United States formally apologized to their Indigenous peoples in February 2008, June 2008, and December 2009, respectively. The Indigenous peoples in these countries are relatively small in size and Indigenous issues usually lack salience in national elections, so these near simultaneous apologies appear somewhat surprising. All three came after years of pressure and incompletely realized apologies. The presence of a focusing event and the level of Indigenous mobilization help explain the variation among the apologies, with Canada and Australia’s apologies stronger than the U.S. one. However, the impact of the apologies on the three governments’ efforts to reconcile with their Indigenous populations remains unclear.
Finding Common Ground: A Critical Review of Land Use and Resource Management Policies in Ontario, Canada and their Intersection with First Nations
Authors: McLeod Fraser , Viswanathan Leela , Whitelaw Graham S. , Macbeth Jared , King Carolyn , McCarthy Daniel D. , Alexiuk Erin
Published: August 2015

This article provides an in-depth analysis of selective land use and resource management policies in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It examines their relative capacity to recognize the rights of First Nations and Aboriginal peoples and their treaty rights, as well as their embodiment of past Crown–First Nations relationships. An analytical framework was developed to evaluate the manifest and latent content of 337 provincial texts, including 32 provincial acts, 269 regulatory documents, 16 policy statements, and 5 provincial plans. This comprehensive document analysis classified and assessed how current provincial policies address First Nation issues and identified common trends and areas of improvement. The authors conclude that there is an immediate need for guidance on how provincial authorities can improve policy to make relationship-building a priority to enhance and sustain relationships between First Nations and other jurisdictions.
Participatory Action Research with a Group of Urban First Nations Grandmothers: Decreasing Inequities through Health Promotion
Authors: Ginn Carla S , Kulig Judith C
Published: August 2015

Inequities experienced by Aboriginal people in Canada due to residual effects of colonization and assimilation are evident; research is needed focusing on positive strategies for health and healing in urban settings. Participatory action research (PAR) is identified as an appropriate method of research for engaging collaboratively with Aboriginal people. This study involved seven First Nations grandmothers in a small urban community in Alberta, Canada. The grandmothers linked personal health with family and community health, and practiced health promotion through maintaining cycles of support between themselves, their families, and communities. These grandmothers recognized their invaluable roles as leaders in health promotion in families and communities. The collective knowledge of Aboriginal grandmothers has potential to affect health inequities on a broader scale.
No Jordan’s Principle Cases in Canada? A Review of the Administrative Response to Jordan’s Principle
Authors: Blumenthal Anne , Sinha Vandna
Published: August 2015

Jordan’s Principle is a child first principle intended to ensure that First Nations children do not experience delay, denial, or disruption of services because of jurisdictional disputes. This article describes the development of a federally-led administrative response to Jordan’s Principle and recent legal challenges to this administrative response. We identify seven major conceptual issues that currently prevent realization of the child first approach at the heart of Jordan’s Principle and may also introduce new inequities for First Nations children. Through content analysis of legislative, administrative, and judicial documents related to Jordan’s Principle, we demonstrate the complexity of policy making processes affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada, and in other countries (like the U.S.) that have similar structural frameworks.
“Wolves Have A Constitution:” Continuities in Indigenous Self-Government
Authors: Cornell Stephen
Published: August 2015

This article is about constitutionalism as an Indigenous tradition. The political idea of constitutionalism is the idea that the process of governing is itself governed by a set of foundational laws or rules. There is ample evidence that Indigenous nations in North America—and in Australia and New Zealand as well—were in this sense constitutionalists. Customary law, cultural norms, and shared protocols provided well understood guidelines for key aspects of governance by shaping both personal and collective action, the behavior of leaders, decision-making, dispute resolution, and relationships with the human, material, and spirit worlds. Today, many of these nations have governing systems imposed by outsiders. As they move to change these systems, they also are reclaiming their own constitutional traditions.
Introduction to the Future of Traditional Knowledge Research
Authors: Matsui Kenichi
Published: August 2015

This introductory essay to the special issue, "The Future of Traditional Knowledge Research: Building Partnership and Capacity," discusses some of the fundamental issues about what researchers and Indigenous peoples face in collaborating research. It also discusses how contributing authors have dealt with these problems in the past.
Indigenous Engagement in Tropical River Research in Australia: The TRaCK Program
Authors: Jackson Sue E , Douglas Michael
Published: August 2015

The literature on scientific-Indigenous ecological knowledge collaborations rarely analyses programmatic efforts undertaken by multi-disciplinary research groups over very large geographic scales. The TRaCK (Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge) research program was established to provide the science and knowledge needed by governments, industries, and communities to sustainably manage northern Australia’s rivers and estuaries. A number of policies and procedures were developed to ensure that the needs of Indigenous people of the multi-jurisdictional region were addressed and to enhance the benefits they might derive from participating in the research. An overarching Indigenous Engagement Strategy undergirded the program’s engagement activities, providing guidance on matters relating to the protection of intellectual property, negotiation of research agreements, remuneration for Indigenous expertise, and communications standards. This article reviews the achievements and shortcomings of the TRaCK experience of Indigenous engagement and highlights lessons for researchers and research organisations contemplating applied environmental science initiatives of this scale and scope.
Research as Cultural Renewal: Applying Two-Eyed Seeing in a Research Project about Cultural Interventions in First Nations Addictions Treatment
Authors: Hall Laura , Dell Colleen A , Fornssler Barb , Hopkins Carol , Mushquash Christopher , Rowan Margo
Published: August 2015

This article explores the application of two-eyed seeing in the first year of a three-year study about the effectiveness of cultural interventions in First Nations alcohol and drug treatment in Canada. Two-eyed seeing is recognized by Canada’s major health research funder as a starting point for bringing together the strengths of Indigenous and Western ways of knowing. With the aim of developing a culture-based measurement tool, our team carried out an Indigenous-centred research process with our interpretation of two-eyed seeing as a guiding principle. This enabled us to engage in a decolonizing project that prioritized Indigenous methodologies and ways of knowing and knowledge alongside those of Western science. By concentrating on Indigenous governance in the research process, our project supported efforts at Indigenous cultural renewal. Two illustrations are offered, our team’s reconceptualization of Western derived understandings of data collection through Indigenous storytelling and our research grant timeframe with Indigenous knowledge gardening. This article contributes to the Indigenous research and policy literature which is lacking documentation about how Indigenous communities and research teams are benefitting from two-eyed seeing.
Traditional Knowledge and Social Science on Trial: Battles over Evidence in Indigenous Rights Litigation in Canada and Australia
Authors: Ray Arthur J.
Published: August 2015

Traditional knowledge and oral traditions history are crucial lines of evidence in Aboriginal claims litigation and alternative forms of resolution, most notably claims commissions. This article explores the ways in which these lines of evidence pose numerous challenges in terms of how and where they can be presented, who is qualified to present it, questions about whether this evidence can stand on its own, and the problems of developing appropriate measures to protect it from inappropriate use by outsiders while not unduly restricting access by the traditional owners.
Renewing "That Which Was Almost Lost or Forgotten": The Implications of Old Ethnologies for Present-Day Traditional Ecological Knowledge Among Canada's Pacific Coast Peoples
Authors: Newell Dianne C.
Published: August 2015

The pressure on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to solve socio-economic issues globally begs the question: What is the state of TEK today, given the economic, social, and cultural ruptures it has endured during the past 200 years? The author traces how historical collaborative work between ethnographic pairings of “insiders” and “outsiders” created partnerships between some prominent anthropologists and local Indigenous research collaborators. Indeed, most of the ground-breaking anthropological work of Franz Boas and others concerning Canada’s Pacific Northwest coast culture area depended on collaborations with George Hunt and other trained Indigenous field workers. Much of their long-standing fieldwork data collection and writings involved their female relatives and anonymous women’s collaboration, lending an accumulated, but unacknowledged, thoroughness to present-day TEK. Future policy concerning collaboration between non-Indigenous academics and Indigenous communities should take into account the lessons to be learned from these historical practices.
Bridging Parallel Rows: Epistemic Difference and Relational Accountability in Cross-Cultural Research
Authors: Latulippe Nicole
Published: August 2015

To what extent are non-Indigenous researchers invited to engage the knowledges of Indigenous peoples? For those working within a western paradigm, what is an ethical approach to traditional knowledge (TK) research? While these questions are not openly addressed in the burgeoning literature on TK, scholarship on Indigenous research methodologies provides guidance. Reflexive self-study - what Margaret Kovach calls researcher preparation - subtends an ethical approach. It makes relational, contextual, and mutually beneficial research possible. In my work on contested fisheries knowledge and decision-making systems in Ontario, Canada, a treaty perspective orients my mixed methodological approach. It reflects my relationships to Indigenous lands, peoples, and histories, and enables an ethical space of engagement through which relational accountability and respect for epistemic difference can be realized.
Traditional Communities as "Subjects of Rights" and the Commoditization of Knowledge in Brazil
Authors: Porro Noemi M , Shiraishi Joaquim , Porro Roberto
Published: August 2015

The International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 169 and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) led signatory state-members to recognize traditional communities as subjects of rights, and no longer as objects of tutelage. However, their implementation may bring new challenges in states adopting market-based decision-making to rule social life. In pluri-ethnic societies in which power differentials are structurally embedded, traditional communities and companies exploring their resources and knowledge have been, historically, unequal and opposed parties. In processes of benefit sharing, these unequal social actors are wrongfully considered equally free subjects of rights in negotiating contracts in supposedly free markets. Erasing historical and structural differences, and assuming equality in an unequal world will only reproduce the inequality that CBD has aimed to address.
Partnerships between Aboriginal Organizations and Academics
Authors: Chartier Clément
Published: August 2015

The article addresses the importance of the partnership between university professors and the Métis community. The Métis are a distinct nation and people that emerged in the northwest of what is now Canada and a bit into the United States through a process of ethnogenesis. The Métis Nation expressed its nationhood and defended its territory militarily in 1870 and again in 1885. Subsequently, Canada dealt with the Métis as individuals by implementing a scrip system, which displaced the Métis from their lands. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Métis Nation, along with other Aboriginal peoples, engaged in a constitutional process that witnessed limited success. Following that process, in 1993, the Métis moved their fight to the courts as many of their citizens were being charged with hunting and fishing infractions. This process necessitated the need for historical research and expert testimony, so the already emerging relationships with academia became more pronounced with progressive professors engaging in preparing expert reports and testifying at trial. Outside of the courts, research alliances were also engaged in. The outlook for the Métis Nation is more and more positive. The partnerships with academia has been a key contributor to this movement forward.
Engaging Maori in Biobanking and Genetic Research: Legal, Ethical, and Policy Challenges
Authors: Beaton Angela , Smith Barry , Toki Valmaine , Southey Kim , Hudson Maui
Published: August 2015

Publically funded biobanking initiatives and genetic research should contribute towards reducing inequalities in health by reducing the prevalence and burden of disease. It is essential that Maori and other Indigenous populations share in health gains derived from these activities. The Health Research Council of New Zealand has funded a research project (2012-2015) to identify Maori perspectives on biobanking and genetic research, and to develop cultural guidelines for ethical biobanking and genetic research involving biospecimens. This review describes relevant values and ethics embedded in Maori indigenous knowledge, and how they may be applied to culturally safe interactions between biobanks, researchers, individual participants, and communities. Key issues of ownership, privacy, and consent are also considered within the legal and policy context that guides biobanking and genetic research practices within New Zealand. Areas of concern are highlighted and recommendations of international relevance are provided. To develop a productive environment for "next-generation" biobanking and genomic research,"‘next-generation" regulatory solutions will be required.
Biocultural Rights: A New Paradigm for Protecting Natural and Cultural Resources of Indigenous Communities
Authors: Chen Cher Weixia , Gilmore Michael
Published: August 2015

This article proposes a new concept of “biocultural rights” that justly reflects a broader intellectual and policy trend to holistically address the protection of Indigenous natural and cultural resources. The concept of biocultural rights combines nature with culture; takes into consideration the past, the present, and the future; and values “special” Indigenous elements that are indispensable to the diversity of our universe. It aims at protecting Indigenous resources holistically and more effectively.