Indigenous Peoples and Indicators of Well-being: Australian Perspectives on United Nations Global Frameworks

Taylor, John

doi:10.1007/s11205-007-9161-z

Cited by 80 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Many of the indicators and measurements used, developed or explored in large studies have tended to reflect dominant mainstream cultures with little consideration given to the heterogeneity of arctic peoples (Andersen and Poppel 2002;Taylor 2008). There is significant variation in the quality of life or well-being within the Indigenous population, particularly when using alternative indicators of local and cultural significance (Kruse et al 2009;Usher et al 2003;Andersen and Poppel 2002).…”

Section: Theoretical Framework: Concepts Of Well-being-what Does It Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program

Parlee

Furgal

2012

Climatic Change

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The social and cultural dimensions of arctic environmental change were explored through Canada's International Polar Year (IPY) research program. Drawing on concepts of vulnerability, resilience and human security, we discuss preliminary results of 15 IPY research projects (of 52) which dealt with the effects and responses of northern communities to issues of ecological variability, natural resource development and climate change. This paper attempts to determine whether the preliminary results of these projects have contributed to the IPY program goal of building knowledge about well-being in the arctic. The projects were diverse in focus and approach but together offer a valuable pan-northern perspective on many themes including land and resource use, food security, poverty and best practices of northern engagement. Case study research using self-reported measures suggests individual views of their own well-being differ from regional and territorial standardized statistics on quality of life. A large body of work was developed around changes in land and resource use. A decline in land and resource use in some areas and consequent concerns for food security, are directly linked to the effects of climate change, particularly in coastal areas where melting sea ice, erratic weather events and changes in the stability of landscapes (e.g., erosion, slumping) are leading to increased risks for land users. Natural resource development, while creating some new economic opportunities, may be compounding rather than offsetting such stresses of environmental change for vulnerable populations. While the IPY program has contributed to our understanding of some aspects of well-being in the arctic, many other issues of social, economic, cultural and political significance, including those unrelated to environmental change, remain poorly understood.Climatic Change

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Section: Theoretical Framework: Concepts Of Well-being-what Does It Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program

Parlee

Furgal

2012

Climatic Change

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“…Critics argue that this form of 'postcolonial demography' has largely been geared towards meeting the needs of government rather than the needs of Indigenous peoples and communities (see, for example, Altman 2009; Kukutai and Taylor 2013;Prout 2012;Taylor 2008). By focusing policy interventions solely on individual-level behaviour change rather than underlying power inequalities, contemporary forms of inequality are decoupled from the unequal institutional arrangements that structure the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the State, itself a product of colonialism.…”

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confidence: 99%

The field of Indigenous health and the role of colonisation and history

2016

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“…Poor governance also influences the effectiveness of partnerships in collaborative initiatives such as capacity-building activities that take significant effort and time, and require sustained and stable cooperation and funding at regional and national scales. Critically, indigenous knowledge needs to be recognized as a valid form of information for decision making at higher scales of governance, while being protected from exploitation and misapplication through appropriate measures to protect sensitive information (Taylor 2006). Legitimizing indigenous knowledge could help to mitigate against the current rapid transition toward a Western lifestyle of many indigenous communities, to the potential detriment of conservation initiatives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community owned solutions: identifying local best practices for social-ecological sustainability

Mistry¹,

Berardi²,

Tschirhart³

et al. 2016

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Policies and actions that come from higher scale structures, such as international bodies and national governments, are not always compatible with the realities and perspectives of smaller scale units including indigenous communities. Yet, it is at this local social-ecological scale that mechanisms and solutions for dealing with unpredictability and change can be increasingly seen emerging from across the world. Although there is a large body of knowledge specifying the conditions necessary to promote local governance of natural resources, there is a parallel need to develop practical methods for operationalizing the evaluation of local social-ecological systems. In this paper, we report on a systemic, participatory, and visual approach for engaging local communities in an exploration of their own social-ecological system. Working with indigenous communities of the North Rupununi, Guyana, this involved using participatory video and photography within a system viability framework to enable local participants to analyze their own situation by defining indicators of successful strategies that were meaningful to them. Participatory multicriteria analysis was then used to arrive at a short list of best practice strategies. We present six best practices and show how they are intimately linked through the themes of indigenous knowledge, local governance and values, and partnerships and networks. We highlight how developing shared narratives of community owned solutions can help communities to plan governance and management of land and resource systems, while reinforcing sustainable practices by discussing and showcasing them within communities, and by engendering a sense of pride in local solutions.

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Indigenous Peoples and Indicators of Well-being: Australian Perspectives on United Nations Global Frameworks

Abstract: United Nations, Indigenous, Millennium development goals, Well-being,

Cited by 80 publications

References 7 publications

Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program

Well-being and environmental change in the arctic: a synthesis of selected research from Canada’s International Polar Year program

The field of Indigenous health and the role of colonisation and history

Community owned solutions: identifying local best practices for social-ecological sustainability

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