title: AI: a new (r)evolution or the new colonizer for Indigenous peoples?

authors: Whaanga, Hēmi

abstract: We are often told that there is one constant in life and that is change; it is inevitable, inescapable. When the forces of power begin to blow and conditions are right, change will happen. As the planet undergoes a period of transformation brought about by the advances of data science and the convergence of technologies, the Internet of All Things and AI, the potential of AI to be change agent for Indigenous peoples is a thought-provoking, and to a certain degree, daunting proposition. The rapid progress of technology and innovation, in terms of its volume, complexity, and exponential growth in computing power, have drastically changed how we socialize, communicate, access, share, distribute and view knowledge and information. Is AI inevitable, inescapable, a fait accompli for Indigenous peoples?

text: AI: a new (r)evolution or the new colonizer for Indigenous peoples? We are often told that there is one constant in life and that is change; it is inevitable, inescapable. When the forces of power begin to blow and conditions are right, change will happen. As the planet undergoes a period of transformation brought about by the advances of data science and the convergence of technologies, the Internet of All Things and AI, the potential of AI to be change agent for Indigenous peoples is a thought-provoking, and to a certain degree, daunting proposition. The rapid progress of technology and innovation, in terms of its volume, complexity, and exponential growth in computing power, have drastically changed how we socialize, communicate, access, share, distribute and view knowledge and information. Is AI inevitable, inescapable, a fait accompli for Indigenous peoples?

year: 2020

title: Upsetting Geographies: Sacred Spaces of Matata

authors: Brown, Keri Aroha Michelle

subjects: sacred

abstract: My research focuses on the emotional experience of the unearthing of ancestral bones for local Māori of Matata. The coastal town of Matata in the Eastern Bay of Plenty provides a central case study location as it is a town that is facing the pressure of coastal residential development as well the added strain of dealing with the 2005 flood which has compounded issues over local waahi tapu.  Local iwi have continued to actively advocate for the protection of these sites especially with regard to the ongoing discovery of ancestral bones.

Cultural and emotional geographies provide the theoretical framework for this research. This framework has been particularly useful as it encourages reflexive commentary and alternative ways of approaching and thinking about, and understanding knowledge. I have incorporated the research paradigm of kaupapa Māori which complements my theoretical framework by producing a research design that is organised and shaped according to tikanga Māori while (in) advertently critiquing and challenging traditional ways of conducting research. The overall aim is to explore the current issues surrounding the discovery of ancestral bones through korero with local iwi members. It is through their perspectives, stories, beliefs and opinions that provide a better understanding of the meanings attributed to waahi tapu and the influence of certain events such as the 2005 flood. I examine, critically the relationship between power, sacred sites, bones and the body. 

It is from these objectives that I contribute to an area of scholarship that has been largely left out from geographical enquiry. I suggest that the importance of sacredness and spirituality has been relatively overlooked as an influential factor in people's perceptions of the world around them. This thesis is intended to demonstrate the value of indigenous perspectives of bones, the body and sacredness as a way of better understanding some of the complexities that can arise when cross-cultural approaches collide in environmental planning.  

There are three main themes that have emerged from this research. The first theme has to do with competing knowledges. To Māori, the location and knowledge of ancestral bones is culturally important and is in its self sacred, therefore certain tikanga is applied as a means of a protection mechanism. However this ideologically clashes with traditional scientific western approaches which are privileged over other alternative ways of understanding knowledge, in this case Māori knowledge. The second related theme concerns the process of boundary making and cross-cultural ways of perceiving 'sacred' and 'everyday' spaces. To better understand these perspectives involves acknowledging the embodied and emotional experience of wāhi tapu to Māori, and the active role of kaitiaki in the protection and careful management of these culturally important spaces.

text: Upsetting Geographies: Sacred Spaces of Matata My research focuses on the emotional experience of the unearthing of ancestral bones for local Māori of Matata. The coastal town of Matata in the Eastern Bay of Plenty provides a central case study location as it is a town that is facing the pressure of coastal residential development as well the added strain of dealing with the 2005 flood which has compounded issues over local waahi tapu.  Local iwi have continued to actively advocate for the protection of these sites especially with regard to the ongoing discovery of ancestral bones.

Cultural and emotional geographies provide the theoretical framework for this research. This framework has been particularly useful as it encourages reflexive commentary and alternative ways of approaching and thinking about, and understanding knowledge. I have incorporated the research paradigm of kaupapa Māori which complements my theoretical framework by producing a research design that is organised and shaped according to tikanga Māori while (in) advertently critiquing and challenging traditional ways of conducting research. The overall aim is to explore the current issues surrounding the discovery of ancestral bones through korero with local iwi members. It is through their perspectives, stories, beliefs and opinions that provide a better understanding of the meanings attributed to waahi tapu and the influence of certain events such as the 2005 flood. I examine, critically the relationship between power, sacred sites, bones and the body. 

It is from these objectives that I contribute to an area of scholarship that has been largely left out from geographical enquiry. I suggest that the importance of sacredness and spirituality has been relatively overlooked as an influential factor in people's perceptions of the world around them. This thesis is intended to demonstrate the value of indigenous perspectives of bones, the body and sacredness as a way of better understanding some of the complexities that can arise when cross-cultural approaches collide in environmental planning.  

There are three main themes that have emerged from this research. The first theme has to do with competing knowledges. To Māori, the location and knowledge of ancestral bones is culturally important and is in its self sacred, therefore certain tikanga is applied as a means of a protection mechanism. However this ideologically clashes with traditional scientific western approaches which are privileged over other alternative ways of understanding knowledge, in this case Māori knowledge. The second related theme concerns the process of boundary making and cross-cultural ways of perceiving 'sacred' and 'everyday' spaces. To better understand these perspectives involves acknowledging the embodied and emotional experience of wāhi tapu to Māori, and the active role of kaitiaki in the protection and careful management of these culturally important spaces.

year: 2008

title: Application of generalizability theory to evaluate the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress

authors: Yan, Vivienne Yu-X.

abstract: Objectives: Nowadays, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, both in absolute figures and as a proportion of the population, which makes the maintenance of psychological well-being among aging population imperative. Neuropsychological distress may promote cognitive impairment and impact on the health of older people, which makes accurate assessment of distress an important clinical and research issue. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) is a widely used instrument used to measure individual distress. However, the ability of K-10 to distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress symptoms, and the generalizability of its scores, have not been investigated in older populations using appropriate methodology. Method: Generalizability theory (G-theory) was applied to differentiate enduring and dynamic distress and examine the reliability of K-10 in a sample of 201 adults (43% males) aged 70 to 90 years old who participated in Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. The data were collected biennially over ten years. Results: The K-10 scale showed strong reliability (Ga=0.81, Gr=0.89) in assessing enduring distress and its assessment scores were generalizable across occasions and older adults. Most of distress symptoms represented by K-10 items were enduring. Limitations: Generalizability of these findings may be limited to older adults. Conclusions: The K-10 appears more suitable to evaluate enduring distress in aging populations over time, which is important for interventions targeting older adults’ mental health given its scores will likely capture enduring changes in neuropsychological health before and after interventions.

text: Application of generalizability theory to evaluate the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress Objectives: Nowadays, the number of older people is increasing rapidly, both in absolute figures and as a proportion of the population, which makes the maintenance of psychological well-being among aging population imperative. Neuropsychological distress may promote cognitive impairment and impact on the health of older people, which makes accurate assessment of distress an important clinical and research issue. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) is a widely used instrument used to measure individual distress. However, the ability of K-10 to distinguish between enduring and dynamic distress symptoms, and the generalizability of its scores, have not been investigated in older populations using appropriate methodology. Method: Generalizability theory (G-theory) was applied to differentiate enduring and dynamic distress and examine the reliability of K-10 in a sample of 201 adults (43% males) aged 70 to 90 years old who participated in Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. The data were collected biennially over ten years. Results: The K-10 scale showed strong reliability (Ga=0.81, Gr=0.89) in assessing enduring distress and its assessment scores were generalizable across occasions and older adults. Most of distress symptoms represented by K-10 items were enduring. Limitations: Generalizability of these findings may be limited to older adults. Conclusions: The K-10 appears more suitable to evaluate enduring distress in aging populations over time, which is important for interventions targeting older adults’ mental health given its scores will likely capture enduring changes in neuropsychological health before and after interventions.

year: 2023-12-01