Indigenous Knowledge and the Microbiome—Bridging the Disconnect between Colonized Places, Peoples, and the Unseen Influences That Shape Our Health and Well-Being

Warbrick, Isaac; Heke, Deborah; Breed, Martin F.

doi:10.1128/msystems.00875-22

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although Māori worldviews vary from Iwi to Iwi, a common thread is the importance placed on ancestry in both the material and ethereal realms, where sites of environmental significance, recognized as T ūpuna (ancestors), are consistent with previous Indigenous epistemological writings that acknowledge the significance of its more-thanhuman relatives, referring to ancestors in the mountains, mists, rivers, rocks, plants, and the unseen (Mika 2017;Smith 2020). These natural features have familial and genealogical links to humankind (Warbrick et al 2023a).…”

Section: Whakapapa To Taiaomentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Durie (2006) said, "human wellbeing is inseparable from the natural environment" (p. 12) and is a fundamental tenet of Indigenousness, indicating wellbeing as multidimensional and interdependent in relationship to all forms of life (Mika 2017;Pere and Nicholson 1991). Health, in fact, is the environment (Rereata Makiha cited in (Warbrick et al 2023a). Understanding these indigenous perspectives is essential for developing culturally competent healthcare approaches, potentially reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes among Māori populations (Ministry of Health 2019;Cormack et al 2018;Reid et al 2019).…”

Section: Whakapapa To Taiao and The Academymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“Kauaka e kōrero mō te Awa, kōrero ki te Awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology” (Don’t Talk about the Awa, Talk with the Awa)

Johnson

2024

Genealogy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Indigenous people continue to develop methods to strengthen and empower genealogical knowledge as a means of conveying histories, illuminating current and past values, and providing important cultural frameworks for understanding their nuanced identities and worlds across time and space. Genealogies are more than simply a record of a family tree; they are a rich tapestry of ancestral links, representing a tradition of thought and connection to entities beyond the human. This article proposes an Iwi-specific methodological approach to conducting research based on the specific paradigms (ontological and epistemological) of Māori (Indigenous peoples of New Zealand) from the region of Te Awa Tupua in the North Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. A Whanganui world view can be actioned as an operating system within research by developing a bespoke place-based methodology drawing on kōrero tuku iho (ancestral wisdom) to conduct research amongst a genealogical group with whakapapa (genealogical connection) to a distinct geographic locale. This methodological shift allows the inclusion of human research participants and more-than-human, including Te Awa Tupua (an interconnected environment around the Whanganui River) and Te Kāhui Maunga (ancestral mountains that feed the Whanganui river) as living ancestors. Whanganui ways of knowing, doing, and being underpin a worldview that situates Te Awa Tupua and tāngata (people) as inter-related beings that cannot maintain their health and wellbeing without the support of one another.

show abstract

Section: Whakapapa To Taiaomentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Whakapapa To Taiao and The Academymentioning

confidence: 99%

“Kauaka e kōrero mō te Awa, kōrero ki te Awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology” (Don’t Talk about the Awa, Talk with the Awa)

Johnson

2024

Genealogy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Here we highlight the importance of assessing the consistency of farmer beliefs and scientific evidence which can be used to address farmer misconceptions and promote sustainable agriculture (Jabbour et al, 2013). Future research could study the origins of farmer microbiome beliefs to identify the ecological knowledge that is most helpful for promoting microbiome conservation (Warbrick, Heke and Breed, 2023). When inconsistencies occur between scientific evidence and beliefs, we refer practitioners to learning theory which suggests engaging initial beliefs to promote the adoption of new concepts and information (NRC, 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivating organic farmers to adopt practices that support the pest-suppressive microbiome relies on understanding their beliefs

Bloom,

Atallah,

Casteel

2024

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Certified organic farming is a suite of regulated practices that can support social, economic, and ecological sustainability in agriculture. Despite the standardization and regulation of certifying bodies, practices adopted by organic farmers vary with potential heterogeneous effects on environmental outcomes. While it is accepted that beliefs can enable or constrain the adoption of farming practices, it remains unclear if variation in organic farmer beliefs mediates observed heterogeneity in practices and the ecology of farms. Communities of soil microorganisms that induce plant resistance and regulate insect herbivores offer a lens to explore the relationship between beliefs and practice adoption. Variation in insect herbivores across organic farms is common but none have studied the role of farmer beliefs in regulating pests through the soil microbiome. Herein, we hypothesized that variation in adoption of microbiome-supportive practices by organic farmers is driven by heterogeneity in their microbiome beliefs. We also investigate the importance of demographic variables and farm characteristics, compared to farmer beliefs, for adoption of practices that support the microbiome. To test our hypothesis, we surveyed the microbiome beliefs, farming practices, and motivations of 85 organic farmers in New York State, USA. We used affinity propagation to cluster farmers by their beliefs, and statistical models to evaluate variation in farming practice adoption and farmer motivations. Our survey received a 30.5% response rate, most organic farmers (≈96%) believed the soil microbiome was important for supporting plant defenses and reducing pests, and <16% believed their farming practices were unimportant for promoting beneficial microbiomes. Seven clusters of farmers were identified that varied in their microbiome beliefs. Among the clusters ≈42% of farmers believed on-farm management and external factors (e.g., climate change) were important for promoting the microbiome. These farmers used fewer pesticides and synthetic mulches, more pre-planting practices (e.g., solarization), and were more motivated to adopt new practices to support the microbiome than their peers. The most important factors motivating adoption were reductions in pests, increased yields, and biodiversity benefits. Beliefs, demographics, and farm characteristics (e.g., time in organic management) were correlated with similar suites of farming practices, but only beliefs predicted farmer motivations. Our study suggests beliefs are key to understanding farmer motivations and promoting organic farming system sustainability via the pest-suppressive microbiome. More broadly, we suggest the need for socio-ecological approaches that account for farmer beliefs when studying the adoption of conservation practices in agroecosystems.

show abstract

“…Nonetheless, indigenous peoples continue to have a deep and enduring connection to their natural environment, one that frequently appears to have its roots in the ancestral homeland. This relationship represents a deep and multifaceted knowledge of the complex relationship between human well-being and the environment 20 . Due to their remote geographical isolated present at 6% in the south and west, dropping to less than 1% in central African regions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Diversity of Human Gut Microbes in Indigenous Populations Across the World

Mollick,

Maji

2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The microbial population of the human gut plays an important role in maintaining host homeostasis. The human digestive Microbiota is a diverse domain that lies behind the colorful fabric of indigenous civilizations. High-throughput 16S targeted amplicon sequencing has delineated the structural configuration of the gut metagenome in world indigenous populations. The gut microbiota of the indigenous populations holds a wide diversity due to their strategic geopolitical habitat, environment dependent lifestyles, adaptive strategies and unique cultural practices. People's dietary choices and preferences, as well as cultural norms and regulations of the society, shape the overall composition of their gut microbiota. . In this study we employed 16S sequencing data of the gut microbiota samples from 464 individuals of 21 indigenous populations with different socio-demographic background across diverse geographic locations. The study overall display the significant role of geography over the diet and lifestyle of a community. Moreover hunter-gatherers and pastoralists of different geographical location have unique gut microbial composition, suggesting the influence of environment over their subsistence economy. Specific bacterial groups like Prevotellaand Bacteroides are key players in shaping these gut landscapes, identifying the complex interplay between man-environment relationships.

show abstract

Indigenous Knowledge and the Microbiome—Bridging the Disconnect between Colonized Places, Peoples, and the Unseen Influences That Shape Our Health and Well-Being

Cited by 13 publications

References 50 publications

“Kauaka e kōrero mō te Awa, kōrero ki te Awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology” (Don’t Talk about the Awa, Talk with the Awa)

“Kauaka e kōrero mō te Awa, kōrero ki te Awa: An Awa-Led Research Methodology” (Don’t Talk about the Awa, Talk with the Awa)

Motivating organic farmers to adopt practices that support the pest-suppressive microbiome relies on understanding their beliefs

Understanding the Diversity of Human Gut Microbes in Indigenous Populations Across the World

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About