Northern Research Policy Contributions to Canadian Arctic Sustainability

Academic research plays a key role in developing understanding of sustainability issues in the Canadian Arctic, yet northern organizations and governments struggle to find research that is relevant, respectful of local interests, and that builds local capacity. Northern science and research policies communicate expectations for how research should be prioritized, planned, conducted, and disseminated. They discuss northern leadership of research and outline the diverse roles that northerners and northern organizations could fill in research programs and projects. Many of these documents are founded on the need for research to improve environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the Canadian North and provide insight into how academia can support a northern-led Arctic sustainability research agenda. The goal of this study is to examine northern research-policy documents to identify commonalities amongst the goals and priorities of northern organizations and their shared expectations for research in northern Canada. The objectives are to understand how organizations expect researchers to engage in and conduct research, how research programs can align with northern science policy objectives, and how academic research can support policy and decision-making related to sustainability. Through a quantitative content analysis combined with a qualitative thematic analysis, this comprehensive review examines research policy, strategy, guidance, and program documents produced by northern and northern-focused governments and Indigenous organizations. Relationships, partnership, and communication are the foundations of relevant and applicable research, requiring both resources and time for local and partner participation. Our analysis shows that researchers should consider potential policy applications for sustainability research early on in the development of research projects, ensuring that relevant local and policy partners are involved in designing the project and communicating results.

Creating a map of Arctic Indigenous languages and revitalization

In 2019 the University Library at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway partnered with the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat to create Ságastallamin - Telling the Story of Arctic Indigenous Languages, an interactive multi-media exhibition commemorating the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages. An Arctic Indigenous language map was updated for use in the exhibition, but the print format proved to be limiting, and the exhibition time frame did not allow for a thorough linguistic review. Therefore a follow-up project “Arctic Indigenous languages and revitalization: an online educational resource” was started in 2021 to further develop the map and convert it to an openly available online educational resource in GIS format. One key aspect of the new map is that it will feature individual language names in their Indigenous names, as well as in English and Russian. The project team consists of representatives from Higher Educational Institutions, Indigenous organizations, and Government departments from Canada, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia and the United States. The work on the map has just begun and this spring and summer the goal is to collect feedback from Indigenous language experts on the original exhibition print map before designing a new GIS version in the fall. We would like to present the current print map to the Arctic Knot conference in order to receive feedback about additional languages to include, creative ways to present language information in different layers, and suggestions for innovative language revitalization initiatives to feature on the map. There is an online form to collect feedback, and so the lightning talk would be used to present the project goals briefly and then encourage conference participants to submit feedback using the form after the talk.

Balinese Indigenous Knowledge about Water : A Way to Achieve Water Sustainability

For the Balinese, water is essential for their ritual-based culture. Water is an entity to complete Balinese everyday life, especially the spiritual aspects that need holy water for rituals. This study aims to analyze the influence of Balinese indigenous knowledge about groundwater management, membership of the indigenous organizations, perception of the catchment areas, and water resources alternatives to groundwater resource conservation amongst Balinese. To address this, a survey of a representative sample of 139 Balinese adults in SARBAGITA (Denpasar Regency, Badung Regency, Gianyar Regency, and Tabanan Regency) has been conducted. With logistic regression model, this study found that knowledge and method used in respondents' households when water is limited are the most significant factor that affects respondents' willingness to participate in sacred springs conservation program.

The Contribution of National Indigenous Organizations in Addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Canada

The problem of missing and murdered indigenous women & girls (MMIWG) in Canada. This issue is one of the most pressing issues in Canada. MMIWG will be defined as a sociological phenomenon in which indigenous women's racial and gender identities characterize them as a marginalized group leading to increased violence, including a disproportionate rate at which indigenous women disappear and become victims of murder and sexual harassment. Using the concept of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the concept of Human Rights Non-Governmental Organizations (HRNGOs), this study aims to determine the contribution of National Indigenous organizations in overcoming Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in Canada.

Cuando se tejen los sueños. La voz de la mujer sapara y su pueblo

This article analyzes the relationship between the extractivist model in Ecuador and state violence against Amazonian women defenders based on the case of Nema Grefa, President of the Sapara Nation of Ecuador (NASE), who has been intimidated and threatened with death on several occasions. From the demand for protective action and request for precautionary measures in favor of the leader and the Sapara people. The analysis of this case discusses collective and women’s rights in a local justice scenario, where the articulation of indigenous organizations, organizations for the defense of women’s rights, ecofeminists and the Ombudsman’s Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) will be key.

Canada’s Welcomers Building Relationships Between Newcomer Settlement Organizations and Indigenous Organizations and Peoples

Multiculturalism, part of Canada’s national identity, continues to integrate newcomers into mainstream society, which excludes Indigenous people. If Indigenous people became the welcomers of Canada by replacing multiculturalism with Treaties, they would be placed at the forefront of Canada’s national identity and acknowledged for being the First People of Canada rather than ignored. The purpose of my paper is to argue that settlement services should have to build relationships with Indigenous organizations and people in order to build relationships between Indigenous people and newcomers, that would allow newcomers to be better informed about Canada’s history and Canada’s Indigenous people. Within my research I will be critically analyzing six settlement organizations that have begun the process of building these relationships and present the benefits and challenges to building these relationships as well as what their next steps are for moving forward with this relationship. My findings will help to present recommendations for the government of Canada to assist in building these relationships. Keywords: Indigenous, newcomer, settlement services, decolonization, Indigenous resurgence, multiculturalism, colonialism, settler colonialism

Canada’s Welcomers Building Relationships Between Newcomer Settlement Organizations and Indigenous Organizations and Peoples

Multiculturalism, part of Canada’s national identity, continues to integrate newcomers into mainstream society, which excludes Indigenous people. If Indigenous people became the welcomers of Canada by replacing multiculturalism with Treaties, they would be placed at the forefront of Canada’s national identity and acknowledged for being the First People of Canada rather than ignored. The purpose of my paper is to argue that settlement services should have to build relationships with Indigenous organizations and people in order to build relationships between Indigenous people and newcomers, that would allow newcomers to be better informed about Canada’s history and Canada’s Indigenous people. Within my research I will be critically analyzing six settlement organizations that have begun the process of building these relationships and present the benefits and challenges to building these relationships as well as what their next steps are for moving forward with this relationship. My findings will help to present recommendations for the government of Canada to assist in building these relationships. Keywords: Indigenous, newcomer, settlement services, decolonization, Indigenous resurgence, multiculturalism, colonialism, settler colonialism

Under-Reporting of COVID-19 Cases Among Indigenous Peoples in Brazil: A New Expression of Old Inequalities

Objective: To estimate the incidence, mortality and lethality rates of COVID-19 among Indigenous Peoples in the Brazilian Amazon. Additionally, to analyze how external threats can contribute to spread the disease in Indigenous Lands (IL).Methods: The Brazilian Amazon is home to nearly half a million Indigenous persons, representing more than 170 ethnic groups. As a pioneer in heading Indigenous community-based surveillance (I-CBS) in Brazil, the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB) started to monitor Indigenous COVID-19 cases in March of 2020. Brazil's Ministry of Health (MOH) was the main source of data regarding non-Indigenous cases and deaths; to contrast the government's tally, we used the information collected by I-CBS covering 25 Special Indigenous Sanitary Districts (DSEI) in the Brazilian Amazon. The incidence and mortality rates of COVID-19 were calculated using the total number of new cases and deaths accumulated between the 9th and 40th epidemiological weeks. We studied (a) the availability of health care facilities to attend to Indigenous Peoples; (b) illegal mines, land grabbing, and deforestation to perform a geospatial analysis to assess how external threats affect Indigenous incidence and mortality rates. We used the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with Poisson regression to show the results.Results: MOH registered 22,127 cases and 330 deaths, while COIAB's survey recorded 25,356 confirmed cases and 670 deaths, indicating an under-reporting of 14 and 103%, respectively. Likewise, the incidence and mortality rates were 136 and 110% higher among Indigenous when compared with the national average. In terms of mortality, the most critical DSEIs were Alto Rio Solimões, Cuiabá, Xavante, Vilhena and Kaiapó do Pará. The GLM model reveals a direct correlation between deforestation, land grabbing and mining, and the incidence of cases among the Indigenous.Conclusion: Through this investigation it was possible to verify that not only the incidence and mortality rates due to COVID-19 among Indigenous Peoples are higher than those observed in the general population, but also that the data presented by the federal government are underreported. Additionally, it was evident that the presence of illegal economic activities increased the risk of spreading COVID-19 in ILs.

Environmental and Collective Rights: Differences between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous ngo s Involved with the United Nations Human Rights Council

Scholarship on human rights and environmental justice suggests that organizations vary in their messaging regarding outcomes related to environmental protection and sustainability, differences often found in the divide between the Global North and Global South. The literature also suggests that Indigenous organizations represent groups that traditionally focus on issues of sovereignty, while grappling with unique problems related to assimilation, cultural preservation, and oppression. This study utilizes empirical data gathered from 333 non-governmental organizations affiliated with the United Nations Human Rights Council to explore whether Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations, which share many aspects of their mission with one another at the transnational level, differ on issues related to environment sustainability and collective identity rights. Our results indicate that Indigenous organizations take a more holistic approach in addressing the relationship between humans and the natural world, centring marginalized perspectives through restorative justice and the needs of current and future generations.

The Articulation of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil in Facing the Covid-19 Pandemic

This article aims to analyze how the indigenous communities of Brazil have organized autonomous actions and strategies to confront the Covid-19 pandemic based on the articulation among their own historical experiences, their health conceptions, partnerships with scientific communities and other segments of society that support the indigenous struggle. The research articulates the political and theoretical modernity/coloniality/decoloniality movement with indigenous experiences and conceptions of health, body/spirituality and territory. For this task, we adopted an undisciplined methodology based on conversation, solidarity and analysis of discussions, sites, lives, bibliographic productions and official documents prepared by indigenous organizations and partner entities. The research has pointed out that the situation of greater vulnerability of indigenous populations is not only due to biological factors. Also, indigenous people have denounced the invasion of their territories, racism, the lack of sanitation policies, food insecurity, the circulation of people not belonging to the community (missionaries, miners, loggers, army), the difficult access to hospitals and the precariousness of the necessary resources for individual and collective asepsis have worsen the spread and lethality of the virus. Likewise the current indigenous struggle in this pandemic scenario, this article is not limited to a health discussion, yet it aims to contribute to think about the relationship between the pandemic and the dissemination of anti-democratic policies that simultaneously affect the right to health and the territory of these populations.