title: The enowning of thought and whakapapa: Heidegger's fourfold

authors: Mika, Carl Te Hira

subjects: Maori

abstract: Throughout colonization, Maori have been constantly urged to think of their terminology, and the objects it relates to, along constrained lines. In this practice, the self and other things are arguably restricted and impoverished. However, certain frequently used Maori terms – such as “whakapapa” and “whakaaro” – may be read alongside Heidegger’s “Ereignis,” revealing a completely other sense to them than their orthodox, respective translations of “genealogy” and “to think” allow. This kind of thinking in concert with an existential philosophy is an active process that allows for the “freeing up” of entities and a colonized group. With Heidegger’s assistance, the terms, and the original sources they refer to, reflect a kind of “Geviert”/Fourfold that ensures a continual strife and interplay between things in the world and self.

text: The enowning of thought and whakapapa: Heidegger's fourfold Throughout colonization, Maori have been constantly urged to think of their terminology, and the objects it relates to, along constrained lines. In this practice, the self and other things are arguably restricted and impoverished. However, certain frequently used Maori terms – such as “whakapapa” and “whakaaro” – may be read alongside Heidegger’s “Ereignis,” revealing a completely other sense to them than their orthodox, respective translations of “genealogy” and “to think” allow. This kind of thinking in concert with an existential philosophy is an active process that allows for the “freeing up” of entities and a colonized group. With Heidegger’s assistance, the terms, and the original sources they refer to, reflect a kind of “Geviert”/Fourfold that ensures a continual strife and interplay between things in the world and self.

year: 2014

title: Distributed agent-centric system for indigenous data sovereignty

authors: Noovao, Setephano

subjects: holochain

abstract: The sovereignty of indigenous data is a key issue facing indigenous communities. Holochain, a distributed ledger technology, has the potential to address some of the challenges indigenous communities face with respect to data sovereignty. The purpose of this thesis is to critically evaluate the feasibility of using holochain technology to support indigenous data sovereignty. This paper first explores the literature on holochain technology, examining its underlying architecture and features. The research employs a three-phase design science research methodology, conducting an experiment to explore the integration of a decentralized application, holochain, with a prominent cloud service provider. The first phase concentrates on emulating real data-sharing platforms that may utilize data at its disposal, following the principles of indigenous data sovereignty, where a centralized platform could be hosted on a cloud computing service with multiple services in operation. The second phase involves developing a holochain application guided by the principles of indigenous data sovereignty. The final phase seeks to combine the established centralized platform from the first phase with the outcomes of the holochain application from the second phase to experimentally assess whether both technologies can create a data sovereignty solution that aligns with the needs of indigenous data sovereignty. The results of the experiment will provide a solid foundation for understanding the current state of the field and identifying areas where holochain can potentially offer solutions. Furthermore, the results of our research indicate that holochain shows significant promise in tackling the issue of indigenous data sovereignty, although there are considerable limitations that must be addressed and resolved to achieve improved results.

text: Distributed agent-centric system for indigenous data sovereignty The sovereignty of indigenous data is a key issue facing indigenous communities. Holochain, a distributed ledger technology, has the potential to address some of the challenges indigenous communities face with respect to data sovereignty. The purpose of this thesis is to critically evaluate the feasibility of using holochain technology to support indigenous data sovereignty. This paper first explores the literature on holochain technology, examining its underlying architecture and features. The research employs a three-phase design science research methodology, conducting an experiment to explore the integration of a decentralized application, holochain, with a prominent cloud service provider. The first phase concentrates on emulating real data-sharing platforms that may utilize data at its disposal, following the principles of indigenous data sovereignty, where a centralized platform could be hosted on a cloud computing service with multiple services in operation. The second phase involves developing a holochain application guided by the principles of indigenous data sovereignty. The final phase seeks to combine the established centralized platform from the first phase with the outcomes of the holochain application from the second phase to experimentally assess whether both technologies can create a data sovereignty solution that aligns with the needs of indigenous data sovereignty. The results of the experiment will provide a solid foundation for understanding the current state of the field and identifying areas where holochain can potentially offer solutions. Furthermore, the results of our research indicate that holochain shows significant promise in tackling the issue of indigenous data sovereignty, although there are considerable limitations that must be addressed and resolved to achieve improved results.

year: 2024

title: The tradition of facial tattoo in Taiwan: The case of the 'Truku' people

authors: Johnson, Diane

subjects: Taiwan

abstract: The art of body marking (tattoo), is a traditional pan-Austronesian tradition that has been lost or partially lost in many countries. In the case of the Truku tribe in north eastern Taiwan, the traditional practice of facial tattoo ceased around the 1 930s and there are now only a few tribal elders (both male and female) who still bear the characteristic tribal markings. This paper reports on a research project in which a questionnaire was administered to 100 members of the Si-La-An sub-tribe of the Truku people. The findings indicate that although the respondents know that this was once a significant cultural practice within the tribe, detailed knowledge and understanding of the traditional customs and practices associated with facial tattoo is inconsistent and opinions about the value of continuing the custom vary considerably.

text: The tradition of facial tattoo in Taiwan: The case of the 'Truku' people The art of body marking (tattoo), is a traditional pan-Austronesian tradition that has been lost or partially lost in many countries. In the case of the Truku tribe in north eastern Taiwan, the traditional practice of facial tattoo ceased around the 1 930s and there are now only a few tribal elders (both male and female) who still bear the characteristic tribal markings. This paper reports on a research project in which a questionnaire was administered to 100 members of the Si-La-An sub-tribe of the Truku people. The findings indicate that although the respondents know that this was once a significant cultural practice within the tribe, detailed knowledge and understanding of the traditional customs and practices associated with facial tattoo is inconsistent and opinions about the value of continuing the custom vary considerably.

year: 2009