Self-determination Versus the Determination of Self: A Critical Reading of the Colonial Ethics Inherent to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The United Nations' (UN) adoption of a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is intended to mark a fundamental ethical turn in the relationships between indigenous peoples and the community of sovereign states. This moment is the result of decades of discussion and negotiation, largely revolving around states' discomfort with notion of indigenous self-determination. Member states of the UN have feared that an ethic of indigenous self-determination would undermine the principles of state sovereignty on which the UN is itself grounded. However, such fears are the result of very poor understandings of the ethical principles under which the relations between indigenous peoples and nation-states already have been formed under centuries of European colonialism. The principle of self-determination embraced in this Declaration does not diverge from colonial norms; it entrenches these norms as international policy. Without doubt, indigenous peoples are more likely to benefit than suffer from states' observance of the Articles within this Declaration. Reducing the challenge of indigenous peoples' rights to the notion of self-determination set out in this document, though, misses an extraordinarily important opportunity to critically investigate the ethic of rights that has produced an opposition between nation-states and indigenous peoples to begin with. A true turn in the ethics of this relationship would see not simply the institution of a right to self-determination but, rather, indigenous peoples' right to first determine the nature of self for themselves.     

Religious Affiliation, Ethnicity, and Child Mortality in Chiapas, México

We investigate whether there is a relationship between religious affiliation and child mortality among indigenous and nonindigenous groups in Chiapas, México. Our analysis relies on Brass-type estimates of child mortality by ethnicity and religious affiliation and multivariate analyses that adjust for various socioeconomic and demographic factors. The data are from the 2000 Mexican Census 10 percent sample. Among indigenous people, Presbyterians have lower rates of child mortality than Catholics. However, no significant differentials are found in child mortality by religious affiliation among nonindigenous people. The indigenous health ministry of the Presbyterian Church and the social and cultural transformations that tend to accompany religious conversion may have an impact on child survival among disadvantaged populations such as the indigenous people in Chiapas.     

Appropriating the Didjeridu and the Sweat Lodge: New Age Baddies and Indigenous Victims?

The article focuses upon the New Age and new age Pagan appropriation of the Aboriginal Australian didjeridu and the American Indian sweat lodge tradition. Against a background of colonialism, it addresses the issues that surround the dissemination of information concerning indigenous culture and knowledge among individuals involved in the New Age and new age Pagan movements via academia, Western fiction, and the Internet. Further, by looking at the representation of the 'Other' by the West, it explores the effects of such portrayal upon Western perceptions of indigeneity and upon indigenous people's perception of themselves. Issues, such as indigenous agency, inter- and intra-cultural appropriation, the lack of New Age and new age Pagan involvement in indigenous politics, and the arguments that surround the question who should teach indigenous knowledge and to whom, are also addressed.     

The Integration of Behavior,Vol. III by Thomas M. French

This article presents a model for understanding development within children's psychotherapy groups. It is proposed that two complementary cultures exist within children's groups, one, indigenous peer culture, strictly of the children's making and the other, therapeutic group culture, created by the therapist in collaboration with group members. The therapist is wise to approach indigenous peer culture as an ethnographer might a native culture, with an emphasis on observation and seeking understanding rather than on intervention. The therapist can use the indigenous peer culture to speak to the children in their own language and eventually to engage them in collaboratively building a meaning system that is uniquely designed to address their psychotherapeutic needs. The article defines these concepts, develops them theoretically, and illustrates them clinically.     

Indigenous Theology: Sources and Resources Perspectives from the Philippines

This article proposes an approach to doing theology with and for the indigenous communities in the Philippines, specifically the Ygollotes/Igorots of the Cordillera region, in their struggle for identity and self‐determination. It proceeds from a protest ritual that is representative and celebrative of the culture and identity; the religious and spiritual resources; the emancipatory stories; the vision, hopes and struggles of these northern Philippines indigenous communities. The article focuses on rereading the land‐centred culture, spirituality, and life of indigenous communities in the context of their struggles for fullness of life, with the perspective of identifying several sources and resources for a liberative, ecumenical, and indigenous peoples' theology of struggle.     

Western Theology in Africa: Christian Mission in the Light of the Undermining of Scientific Hegemony

Comprehension of the Old Testament in indigenous African Christianity can draw deeply on, confirm, and uphold tribal traditions designed to prevent death, calamity, and infertility. Deep spirituality demonstrated in such comprehension contrasts with “remnant spirituality” in the West. Western people's awareness of their own religious underpinnings has lapsed. As a result, how well are Western Christians able to engage with holistic African communities? Holistic or integral mission can fall short through being a holistic means of introducing dualism. This article questions the legitimacy of science's intrusion on the Christian faith, and draws practical implications for the Western mission enterprise, such as the fact that it generates dependency.     

Mapping an emotional topography of an ecological homeland: The case of Sakhalin Island,Russia

Attachment to local environments occurs worldwide, but especially where people use natural resources for everyday survival. On sub-arctic Sakhalin Island, Russia, subsistence and semi-subsistence resource use are increasingly important for many local and indigenous people since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. These people continue to struggle through socioeconomic, political and environmental transformation with minimal aid from the federal center while transnational hydrocarbon extraction in Sakhalin's offshore regions has transformed on- and offshore environments valued by the people of Sakhalin since the mid-1990s. Here, I explore and analyze narratives about emotions expressed about ecologies and resources from indigenous (Nivkh, Evenk) and local viewpoints. Through constant invocation and imagination of Sakhalin's ecological setting as an all-providing, nurturing environment by indigenous and local peoples, negative emotions are attached to current ecological transformation. Here, I argue that the concept of homeland – often explored culturally and politically in local contexts – must expand to include ecological aspects. Long-term subsistence use of Sakhalin's resources gives rise to understandings of the island as an ecological homeland with a specific emotional topography that can be mapped cognitively, providing new conceptualizations of emotional, ecological topographies.     

The interface of mental and emotional health and pregnancy in urban indigenous women: Research in progress

Research among indigenous women in Australia has shown that a number of lifestyle factors are associated with poor obstetric outcomes; however, little evidence appears in the literature about the role of social stressors and mental health among indigenous women. The not‐for‐profit organization beyondblue established a “Depression Initiative” in Australia. As part of this they provided funding to the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service in the “Mums and Babies” clinic. The aim of this was to establish a project to (a) describe the mental health and level of social stressors among antenatal indigenous women and (b) assess the impact of social stressors and mental health on perinatal outcome. A purposive sample of 92 indigenous women was carried out. Culturally appropriate research instruments were developed through consultations with indigenous women's reference groups. The participants reported a range of psychosocial stressors during the pregnancy or within the last 12 months. Significant, positive correlations emerged between the participants' Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; J. Cox, J. Holden, & R. Sagovsky, 1987) score and the mothers' history of child abuse and a history of exposure to domestic violence. A more conservative cutoff point for the EPDS (>9 vs. >12) led to 28 versus 17% of women being identified as “at risk” for depression. Maternal depression and stress during pregnancy and early parenthood are now recognized as having multiple negative sequelae for the fetus and infant, especially in early brain development and self‐regulation of stress and emotions. Because of the cumulative cultural losses experienced by Australian indigenous women, there is a reduced buffer to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy; thus, it is important for health professionals to monitor the women's emotional and mental well‐being.     

Indigenous Theology in its Latin American Setting

This article explores the emergence of Indian theology at the Latin American level. Indian theology appeared in the church of Latin America over the last 20 years. This branch of theology is a rethinking or reshaping of what existed there during the pre‐Columbian period and incorporating the most valuable contributions of the Christian faith. These were brought to the people during the first 50 years of the evangelism. ‘Indian theology’ therefore comes down to us from the distant past, a collective movement by the indigenous grassroots, indigenous leaders, and supporters of the indigenous cause within the church. Indian theology has taken different forms in Latin America: within the churches; within the people's own traditions, independently of the churches; and within indigenous social movements. Building bridges between people of diverse views through dialogue is leading to increased understanding and respect.     

Fodor's information semantics between naturalism and mentalism∗

Political theorists have begun to re-examine claims by indigenous peoples to lands which were expropriated in the course of sixteenth-eighteenth century European expansionism. In Australia, these issues have captured public attention as they emerged in two central High Court cases: Mabo (1992) and Wik (1996), which recognize pre-existing common law rights of native title held by indigenous people prior to European contact and, in some cases, continue to be held to the present day. The theoretical significance of the two Australian cases is examined and the links drawn out between the current debate about Aboriginal land rights in Australia and the wider philosophical debate about indigenous land rights, property rights, and indigenous justice as characterized by Jeremy Waldron and James Tully. Justice towards indigenous groups requires substantial acknowledgement and recognition of the values and institutions of the relevant indigenous group; yet, these values and institutions may not readily fall under the framework of existing state structures. Attempts to redress injustice towards indigenous groups which do not question the justice of existing state institutions will therefore prove to be inadequate responses to indigenous peoples' demands for substantive justice.     

Chinese clients' belief systems about psychological problems in Singapore

This study explores Singaporean Chinese clients' beliefs about psychological problems by comparing their beliefs with those of non-clients and professional counsellors. These three samples were asked to indicate the extent to which they would agree with three belief models, the Chinese indigenous model, the Western psychological model, and the other model. It was found that clients and non-clients were more likely than therapists to endorse the indigenous belief model. Amongst the indigenous sub-models, Chinese medicine was the most endorsed across the three samples; and clients and non-clients endorsed Chinese medicine more than therapists did. The indigenous belief model, especially Chinese medicine was endorsed more by Buddhist and Taoist clients than Christian or non-religionist clients; and by clients holding lower educational qualifications.     

Indigenizing CBPR: Evaluation of a Community-Based and Participatory Research Process Implementation of the Elluam Tungiinun (Towards Wellness) Program in Alaska

The process that community based participatory research (CBPR) implementation takes in indigenous community contexts has serious implications for health intervention outcomes and sustainability. An evaluation of the Elluam Tungiinun (Towards Wellness) Project aimed to explore the experience of a Yup'ik Alaska Native community engaged within a CBPR process and describe the effects of CBPR process implementation from an indigenous community member perspective. CBPR is acknowledged as an effective strategy for engaging American Indian and Alaska Native communities in research process, but we still know very little about the experience from a local, community member perspective. What are the perceived outcomes of participation in CBPR from a local, community member perspective? Qualitative methods were used to elicit community member perspectives of participation in a CBPR process engaged with one Yup'ik community in southwest Alaska. Results focus on community member perceptions of CBPR implementation, involvement in the process and partnership, ownership of the project with outcomes observed and perceived at the community, family and individual levels, and challenges. A discussion of findings demonstrates how ownership of the intervention arose from a translational and indigenizing process initiated by the community that was supported and enhanced through the implementation of CBPR. Community member perspectives of their participation in the research reveal important process points that stand to contribute meaningfully to implementation science for interventions developed by and for indigenous and other minority and culturally diverse peoples.     

Nonshamanic Native American Healing

This article focuses on making clearer distinctions between nonshamanic and shamanic indigenous healing practices. Not all indigenous healing is shamanic in nature. Shamanic healing relies on the powers of the shaman to heal/cure/take away the illness, and many rely on the use of consciousness-altering substances. In contrast, nonshamanic indigenous approaches, such as the Navajo, are much more psychodynamically based and offer wisdom and techniques that can be more directly adapted and applied by Western practitioners. The author employs his theory of borderland consciousness as a bridge between depth psychology and Navajo healing. The latter is most reflective of Jungian clinical theory and techniques and therein offers a depth of wisdom and a psychological perspective that can be of significant clinical import. Clinical examples from the author's practice are offered.     

The Past is a Foreigners' Country: Goddess Feminists,Archaeologists, and the Appropriation of Prehistory

Feminist archaeologists and others have criticised the Goddess movement, and Marija Gimbutas in particular, for producing 'Golden Age' theories about the past, claiming that there is no convincing archaeological evidence that Old Europe was universally peopled by matrifocal, peaceful, egalitarian societies who worshipped a Great Goddess. Goddess feminists are accused of appropriating and mythologising the past to serve their contemporary political agenda. This paper considers such criticisms and argues that archaeologists, too, can be shown to have agendas of their own in relation to the past. Following a theoretical discussion, the issues of appropriation and colonisation are considered with respect to Malta's neolithic 'Temple Culture', and the agendas and activities of Goddess feminists in relation to it. The discussion is based on recent anthropological fieldwork in Malta.     

The Effects of a Common In‐group Prime on Intentions to Help Indigenous and Homeless Australians

The article reports on research designed to test Australian attitudes towards helping impoverished members of the Australian society, in particular, indigenous and homeless people. Australian university students completed a questionnaire to measure their attitudes towards helping homeless and indigenous people under conditions that primed a common Australian identity. The findings showed that priming an inclusive identity led to relatively stronger intentions to help indigenous Australians but not homeless people. It was also found that participants preferred to endorse more autonomy than dependency help to both indigenous and homeless Australians. Whereas the findings indicate that helping intentions towards those living with poverty may be accentuated by priming a common in‐group, they also imply that helping attitudes vary with the type of help being sought and the way people perceive the cause of someone's poverty.     

Indigenous Rights in Chile: National Identity and Majority Group Support for Multicultural Policies

We examine support for policies affecting indigenous ethnic minorities in Chile. Specifically, we examine the role of national group definitions that include the largest indigenous group—the Mapuche—in different ways. Based on questionnaire data from nonindigenous Chilean students (N = 338), we empirically distinguish iconic inclusion, whereby the Mapuche are seen as an important part of Chile's history and identity on the one hand, from egalitarian inclusion, which represents the Mapuche as citizens of equal importance to the nonindigenous majority on the other. Both forms of inclusion positively predict support for indigenous rights, independent of participants' political affiliation, strength of national identification, and social distance. A second study (N = 277) replicates this finding whilst controlling for right‐wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, blind patriotism, and constructive patriotism. It also finds iconic inclusion to be predictive of a pro‐Mapuche position regarding the unrest over the issue of ancestral land in 2009. We conclude that understanding how national identity affects attitudes about minority rights necessitates appreciating the importance of particular meanings of nationality, and not only the strength of identification.     

Group cohesiveness in children free-play activity: A social network analysis

Despite the ethnic diversity and presence of Amerindian communities in all Brazilian states, the indigenous population suffers from a long process of invisibility and stereotyping. Aiming to increase interethnic associations, together with Mbya-Guarani leaders we promoted interventions in which indigenous and non-indigenous children shared free playtime. We hypothesised that free play activity would stimulate group cohesiveness, mitigating ethnic group avoidance in children's playgroups. Twenty-one Mbya-Guarani and 61 non-indigenous children participated in two “Encounters for Play.” We recorded children's social interactions during the free playtimes. We selected the first and last 10 minutes of each encounter and performed scans every 30s registering spatial proximity (children who were up to 1 m of each other) and play. Then, we applied Social Network Analysis to explore the children's association pattern at the beginning and end of playtime in each encounter. Our results show free play activity was effective in stimulating group cohesiveness. Children' proximity association pattern and playgroup configuration changed between clips, and there was a significant correlation between both categories' associations. We conclude that the encounters have potential applicability as an intervention to mitigate ethnic group avoidance in children.     

The Stoic Samurai

In Philosophy as a Way of Life, Pierre Hadot discusses the understanding of philosophy held by the Greco-Roman ancients. Philosophy was not understood only as an exegetical or analytical exercise, but as a spiritual practice - a way of life. Becoming a member of a philosophical school was tantamount to a religious conversion involving one's entire self. To make one's doctrines 'ready to hand' required a number of 'spiritual exercises' which, if regularly followed, were intended to evince such a transformation. Hadot discusses the role of such exercises for (among others) Platonists, Epicureans, Christians, and Stoics. I propose that the Samurai should be added to such a consideration. Their respective exercises allowed the adherents genuinely to adopt their system of beliefs. Many beliefs held by Stoics and Samurai are surprisingly similar. After having discussed some of these similarities, the most striking similarity will be revealed: the role of spiritual exercises in preparing both the Stoic and the Samurai for death.     

The Trapezoidal Illusion as a Function of Age,Intellectual Status,Size Constancy,and Form Discrimination

One hundred twenty-two, middle-class white boys and girls aged 3 through 12 years were interviewed to determine the nature and the development of their concepts of death and the impact of experience on those concepts.

Five conclusions were drawn from the results of this inquiry: (a) children's concepts of death were found to be constituted of components which were suggested prior to the study; (b) children's understanding of each of the components developed from absence to incomplete presence to complete presence; (c) children's concepts of death developed as a function of age maturity; (d) children's experiences with death accelerated death concept development only in 6-year-olds and below; and (e) children's concepts of death developed in three stages clearly related to the preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations stages suggested by Piaget. In contrast with Nagy's results, children did not reify death; furthermore, children 8-years-old and above were consistent in showing adult ideas of death.     

Sermons in the Culture of Buddhism—Discussant's Remarks

Our panel's papers show a Buddhism alert to the moment and attuned to local realities. Culture by culture, our panellists capture Buddhism as a living tradition. Invaluable as these ethnographic insights are, seeing Buddhism's larger, enduring culture requires ethnology. In this wider perspective, set alongside Christianity and Islam, sermons distinguish world religions from indigenous religiosities that need no explanation. Over millennia, by preaching, world religions preserve the founder's practice and words, turn clerics to teaching rather than just dispensing sacraments, and protect a highly sophisticated moral understanding of everyday life from dissolving into the spontaneous spirituality and magical thinking that day-to-day living breeds.