Search Results (233)

This paper examines the intersection of global climate governance, carbon markets, and Indigenous Peoples’ rights under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It critically analyses how Indigenous Peoples have contested the Article 6 market mechanisms of the Paris Agreement at the height of their negotiation during COP25 and COP26 by drawing attention to their role in perpetuating “carbon colonialism,” thereby revealing deeper power dynamics in global climate governance. Utilising a political ecology framework, this study explores these power dynamics at play during the climate negotiations, focusing on the instrumental, structural, and discursive forms of power that enable or limit Indigenous participation. Through a qualitative case study approach, the research reveals that while Indigenous Peoples have successfully used discursive strategies to challenge market-based solutions, their influence remains limited due to entrenched structural and instrumental power imbalances within the UNFCCC process. This study highlights the need for equitable policies that integrate human rights safeguards and prioritise Indigenous-led, non-market-based approaches to ecological restoration. Full article

The article examines possible amendments to the Australian legislative regime regulating and protecting Indigenous cultural heritage in an offshore, including underwater, context. It suggests that there are significant reforms that are needed to bring the existing domestic legislative regime into conformity with the expectations of contemporary international law, particularly as manifested in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). In reaching this conclusion, the article proceeds by examining recent Australian jurisprudence and archaeological studies, considering offshore Indigenous cultural heritage as well as the current Australian domestic legislative framework. It then proceeds to examine the relevant provisions of both UNDRIP and the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH Convention). The article identifies that the UCH Convention operates to ignore any legitimate role for Indigenous peoples and does not provide an appropriate foundation for legislative reform. The article concludes by suggesting the content of appropriate legislative reforms that accord with the expectations in UNDRIP. Full article

Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commits nations to protecting and conserving at least 30% of the world’s terrestrial and inland water areas and coastal and marine areas by 2030 (30 × 30). There can be significant overlap with Indigenous and traditional territories (ITTs) and protected areas. We explore if and/or how ITTs are currently recognized and reported as contributors to national protection targets by analyzing whether these territories are counted as standalone conservation areas, integrated into government-led protected and conserved area networks or systems, or neither, in 18 countries. Our analysis reveals critical linkages between tenure regimes, ITTs and their recognition in reporting to global area-based conservation databases. Legal recognition of tenure rights, particularly ownership and stewardship rights, emerged as the strongest predictor of whether ITTs are formally being accounted for in these databases. Our findings also reveal that the contribution of ITTs to national protection targets not only depend on tenure type but also on governance rights, despite the way it is reported. We categorize systemic barriers and opportunities that have implications for the contribution of ITTs to 30 × 30 goals. Full article

This article identifies the nature of Traditional Owners’ interests in Sea Country and addresses issues associated with all offshore energy projects—gas and wind. Exploring the impacts of offshore development on First Nations’ cultural heritage, the article proposes integration of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), into the regulatory and legislative offshore environment. In the Australian context, this particularly regards administrative and regulatory reforms to overcome uncertainty arising from recent decisions in the Federal Court. The international focus on new energy has fast-tracked many processes that sideline First Nations’ rights, hitherto understood within the onshore minerals extraction regimes. The reforms proposed in this article recognise an international commitment to enact the principles contained in the UNDRIP and other relevant international law. Full article

Scientific research in Amazonia plays a fundamental role in identifying pathways to sustainable development for the region, addressing the challenges posed by climate change, preserving its unique ecosystems, and aligning with societal challenges and rights advocated by its diverse populations. This paper encompasses a broad range of scientific publications, spanning from 1977 to 2024, and highlights key research areas, analyzing their results and trends to inform future developments. It also identifies areas that require deeper investigation. The results emphasize a focus on agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences. On the other hand, there is a need for more extensive research within the social sciences. As shown, research on indigenous land rights, cultural heritage, and the socio-economic impacts of environmental disruptions is essential for developing comprehensive conservation strategies. Furthermore, research on governance, policy, and socio-political dynamics in Amazonia can provide innovative approaches to addressing the challenges and opportunities for its people, biodiversity, and role in climate regulation, as demonstrated by the findings. The strategic research fields identified in this paper provide a guide for future studies and policy development aimed at protecting the forest and its inhabitants. This study emphasizes the need for approaches that integrate both natural and social sciences as essential for addressing the complex ecological and socio-economic challenges that continue to shape the contemporary research landscape. Furthermore, this paper highlights the importance of unity and cooperation among Amazonian countries and research institutions in achieving these goals. In this context, reinforcing long-term, large-scale research programs such as the LBA (Large-Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) and the Scientific Panel for the Amazon (SPA) are crucial to advancing integrated, policy-relevant science for the sustainable future of the region. Full article

The aim of the article is to analyze the relationship between the Christian faith and the spiritual traditions of the indigenous peoples of Latin America, seeking to identify elements that make it possible to trace paths of dialogue and mutual cooperation. It shows that historically, there have been tensions and conflicts between these traditions, but today, there is a path towards overcoming this reality through social solidarity, which serves as a basis for dialogue between the ways of believing. The research method is comparative and involves a qualitative analysis of the bibliography dealing with the relationship between the Church and Latin American indigenous spiritualities. The bibliographic base is documental, with emphasis on the conferences of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), the Synod for the Amazon (2019) and the magisterium of Pope Francis, read from the perspective of the Second Vatican Council and the current theology of religions. The conclusion is that the Church is developing an important social dialogue to promote justice and the rights of indigenous peoples. This dialogue serves as the basis for a dialogue with the beliefs and spiritualities of these peoples. The challenge for this is to review mission objectives and methods in order to overcome the conversionist perspective in the relationship with indigenous peoples, taking paths of mutual respect and acceptance and valuing them beyond being the recipients of evangelization. In this way, indigenous spiritual traditions can be recognized not only as “seeds” of the Word to be developed by evangelization but as an already mature fruit of God’s relationship with these peoples. Full article

Buried in 1858, Cornelis Kok II’s grave lay undisturbed in Campbell, Northern Cape, until 1961 when a multiracial coalition, driven by their own sets of interests, unearthed the Griqua leader’s remains. The bones again took centre stage with the collapse of apartheid when different groups called for their return and reburial, with an assertion, variously, of ascendant Griqua, indigenous, Khoisan, and Khoikhoi identities. The 2007 reinterment again courted controversy and protest, while the contemporary neglect of the new gravesite symbolizes feelings of exclusion and marginalization among some Campbell Griqua today. By tracing the life history of Kok II’s remains, well past his natural life, we demonstrate how they serve as a flashpoint mobilized by actors with different aims and objectives at different moments. These motivations range from scientistic confirmation of genealogy and identity under apartheid rule, to post-apartheid calls for repatriation anchored to a global indigenous rights framework, to factional contestations over ownership. Marshalled towards different political projects, for all these actors, the bones nonetheless serve as a resource and link to a 19th century frontier past. Full article

This paper explores the tensions between hydropower and sustainable development to critically examine how hydropower, often promoted as a strategy for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, may not align with the values and needs of local communities. Research in Costa Rica highlights a key issue: For whom and for what is hydropower sustainable? While hydropower may support global energy and climate goals, it often undermines the autonomy, cultural practices, and ecological relationships of Indigenous peoples. This disconnect raises further questions: what social, economic, and ecological trade-offs are acceptable, and for whom? This paper discusses how these trade-offs—climate mitigation versus the loss of land, resources, and autonomy—are often imposed without meaningful consultation or participation from affected communities. Furthermore, it asks who makes the decisions, and how can these decisions be more just? By analyzing the power dynamics within hydrosocial territories, this paper argues for water governance that applies an environmental justice framework to address power asymmetries and centers marginalized voices to ensure that sustainability efforts do not reproduce the very injustices they seek to solve. Full article

This article introduces the Third Space of Indian child welfare to theorize how Indigenous nations simultaneously engage and disrupt settler legal systems while building sovereign, care-based alternatives. Drawing from legal analysis, Indigenous political thought, and sociohistorical synthesis, I trace the historical continuity from boarding schools to today’s foster care removals, showing how child welfare operates as a colonial apparatus of family separation. In response, Native nations enact governance through three interrelated strategies: strategic legal engagement, kinship-based care, and tribally controlled family collectives. Building on Bruyneel’s theory of third space sovereignty, Simpson’s nested sovereignty, and Lightfoot’s global Indigenous rights framework, I conceptualize the Third Space as a dynamic field of Indigenous governance that transcends binary settler logics. These practices constitute sovereign abolitionist praxis. They reclaim kinship, resist carceral systems, and build collective futures beyond settler rule. Thus, rather than treating the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) as a federal safeguard, I argue that tribes have repurposed ICWA as a legal and political vehicle for relational governance. This reframing challenges dominant crisis-based narratives and positions Indigenous child welfare as the center of a “global Indigenous politics of care” with implications for theories of sovereignty, family, and abolitionist futures across disciplines, geographies, and social groups. The article concludes by reflecting on the broader implications of the Third Space for other Indigenous and minoritized communities navigating state control and asserting self-determined care. Full article

Māori, the Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, experience wide-ranging inequities compared with non-Māori. This survey aimed to explore the holistic health, wellbeing, and disability experiences of New Zealand’s Indigenous Māori population from a Māori worldview, addressing gaps in culturally relevant data often overlooked by standard health surveys. A robust cross-sectional survey was conducted with 7359 participants of Māori descent using Kaupapa Māori Research principles. Data were analysed using the Te Pae Māhutonga framework, a Māori health promotion model. Participants demonstrated strong cultural identity, with 32.3% understanding spoken Māori fairly well and 97.3% defining a broad non-nuclear concept of whānau (family). While over half reported high life satisfaction, 58.4% experienced discrimination, mainly based on ethnicity and appearance. Access to healthcare revealed that 32.6% were unable to contact a general practitioner due to cost. Socioeconomic challenges were prevalent; nearly a quarter borrowed from family or friends to meet daily living costs, and over a third economized on fresh produce to save money. This study reveals significant gaps in mainstream health data and demonstrates that a culturally aligned, methodological approach is feasible and crucial for informing policies that address the needs and rights of Māori, as guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. These results could inform global, indigenous research addressing culturally relevant health, wellbeing and disability inequities. Full article

Objective: This study explores the impact of public policies that promote social equity and rights to nature on subjective well-being (SWB). The focus is on how sustainability policies, particularly environmental protection and poverty reduction, have influenced life satisfaction in Ecuador. Design/methodology/approach: The research uses ordinal logistic regression models to analyze data from Ecuador’s National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment. Life satisfaction is the dependent variable, while independent variables include income, education, job satisfaction, concern for the environment, and regional differences. The analysis covers data from 2007 and 2014, representing periods before and after Ecuador’s 2008 constitutional reform. This highlights the study’s temporal focus on changes in subjective well-being. Findings: The results indicate that implementing public social investment policies increases life satisfaction, particularly in regions such as the Coast. After the policy was implemented, income, higher education, job satisfaction, and concern for the environment were associated with higher levels of subjective well-being. However, disparities persist, with lower life satisfaction among Indigenous groups, women, the elderly, and those living in poverty. Originality/value: This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between sustainable policies and subjective well-being, highlighting Ecuador’s unique constitutional framework. It offers lessons for other developing nations seeking to balance social equity, economic growth, and environmental sustainability to improve overall quality of life. Full article

This paper argues for the need to rethink lithium mining and, more broadly, for the so-called sustainable development policies grounded upon it, especially in Chile. Based on perspectives from integral ecology and Pope Francis’ critique of the technocratic paradigm, this paper questions the ways in which lithium mining is currently done, taking into account its disregard for the environment and Indigenous people’s ancestral rights. After explaining the current and future tendencies of lithium mining and their environmental impact, the paper deepens our understanding of integral ecology, particularly through its critique of the technocratic paradigm, which Pope Francis identifies as the root cause of the current socio-environmental crisis. It also argues that the leadership of the Catholic church takes a proactive stance by understanding and enriching integral ecology with Indigenous wisdom. Such efforts could build a common project to protect the environment with dwellers of the land where lithium mining takes place. Though cooperation is needed to drive lithium mining firms to pursue environmentally friendly practices, collaboration between these groups remains scarce at the grassroots level. Full article

Mystus gulio and Mystus cavasius are small indigenous fish species (SIFs) found throughout the year at the various stretches of the river Ganga and contribute significantly to the commercial fishery. The current study was conducted with a total of 609 specimens of M. gulio with a total length ranging from 84 to 190 mm and 377 specimens of M. cavasius with a total length ranging from 51 to 232 mm, collected from eight selected sites of lower stretches of the river Ganga between July 2018 and October 2019 to analyse their growth, mortality, and exploitation status. The sample specimens’ length-frequency distribution, primarily taken from bag nets and set barrier nets used in artisanal fisheries, was assessed using the FiSAT II programme. For M. gulio, the estimated asymptotic length (L_∞), growth coefficient (K), and initial condition factor (t₀) were 183.23 mm, 0.31 yr⁻¹, and −0.486 years, and for M. cavasius, these values were 246.23 mm, 0.19 yr⁻¹, and −0.302 years, respectively. The estimates for the total (Z), natural (M), and fishing (F) mortality rates were 1.78, 0.49, and 1.29 yr⁻¹ for M. gulio and 0.68, 0.33, and 0.35 yr⁻¹ for M. cavasius, respectively. Both M. gulio (May to July) and M. cavasius (June to August) experienced a single spawning peak. The estimated exploitation ratio (E) for M. gulio was 0.72, which is higher than the optimal level of exploitation (E_opt) and the maximum level of exploitation (E_max). On the other hand, the E value for M. cavasius was 0.52, which means that it was exploited at the right level. The fishing pressure was found to be slightly excessive for the current stocks of M. gulio, which should be considered for proper management of the fishery in the river Ganga. The present study, the first of its kind, highlights the stock status of these two commercially important species and the management measures taken to revive the stock along the lower stretches of the Ganga in India. The environmental parameters of the lower stretches of the river Ganga show favourable conditions for the optimum growth of M. gulio and M. cavasius. Full article

Our children are our future. As noted in the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), “There is no resource that is more vital to the continued existence and integrity of Indian tribes than their children”. Native Americans have always fought for and prioritized child wellbeing and will continue to strive for self-determination. Primarily focusing on Indigenous people in the area now known as the United States, this article first discusses the historical underpinnings of Native American experiences in child welfare systems and the ways Native Americans have historically exercised self-determination in child protection matters, including resistance to boarding schools and child removal, and strategies to retain authority with ICWA. Next, it offers examples of exerting self-determination to repair past harms of child welfare systems and relational severance, and prevent future harms, through efforts involving truth and reconciliation, homecoming ceremonies, child-environment reconnection and protection, legal systems, and social work education initiatives. Centering content in ways that are relevant for Indigenous Peoples, it then explores how child welfare systems can be transformed to ensure Native Peoples’ rights to raise our children within our families, cultures, and communities, with emphases on cultural strengths and relational understandings. Full article

In forested watersheds, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) is an important parameter that impacts water quality and beneficial use. Water quality also has impacts beyond the stream channel, as elevated SSC can violate Indigenous sovereignty, treaty rights, and environmental law. To address elevated SSC, watershed partners must understand the dynamics of the sediment regime in the basins they steward. Collection of additional data is expensive, so this study presents modeling and analysis techniques to leverage existing data on SSC. Using data from the South Fork Clearwater River in Idaho County, Idaho, USA, we modeled SSC over water years 1986–2011 and we applied regression techniques to evaluate correlations between SSC and natural disturbances (channel-building flow events) and anthropogenic disturbances (timber harvesting, hazardous fuel management, controlled burns, and wildfire). Analysis shows that SSC did not change over the period of record. This study provides a monitoring program design to support future decision making leading to reductions in SSC. Full article