IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i17p6886-d403477.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using Traditional Methods for Collaborative Fieldwork in a Uranium Food Chain Study on Diné Lands in the US Southwest

Author

Listed:
  • Christine Samuel-Nakamura

    (School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 4-246 Factor Bldg., Mailcode 691821, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA)

Abstract

Collaborative research between scientists and local community members is often required to collect needed study samples and inform the overall study. This is particularly true in Indigenous communities where local knowledge and practices are integral to data collection, analysis, and dissemination. This study reports on a traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) collaborative methodological approach utilized for data collection in this unique community. In collaboration with Diné (Navajo) tribal harvesters and leaders in northwestern New Mexico, participants were recruited utilizing chain-referral recruitment and selection from a preexisting cohort. The research examined the extent of metal(loid) contamination in the primary food chain in a uranium (U) mining impacted area. Key food chain items (sheep, squash, herbal tea plants), water, and livestock forage samples were collected and determined for metal(loid)s (cesium, cadmium, molybdenum, lead, thorium, U, vanadium, arsenic, and selenium). This paper reports on the five-step process employed that involved local Diné food harvesters incorporating indigenous TEK and practices with Western science-based knowledge and practices. The five steps of harvest-based monitoring are: (1) identify goal and research questions, (2) design the study according to Diné and scientific protocols, (3) determine respective collaborative roles during fieldwork, (4) implement the fieldwork, and (5) analyze and disseminate the findings. Collaborative work supported constructs of respectfulness, trust, kinship, enhanced communication, and provided better understanding of contamination by researchers, community members, and leaders. The study allowed for the collection of baseline data and realistic reassessment goal recommendations for the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Samuel-Nakamura, 2020. "Using Traditional Methods for Collaborative Fieldwork in a Uranium Food Chain Study on Diné Lands in the US Southwest," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-12, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6886-:d:403477
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6886/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6886/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Arun Agrawal, 1995. "Dismantling the Divide Between Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 26(3), pages 413-439, July.
    2. Eric Frohmberg & Robert Goble & Virginia Sanchez & Dianne Quigley, 2000. "The Assessment of Radiation Exposures in Native American Communities from Nuclear Weapons Testing in Nevada," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 101-112, February.
    3. Nadzirah Hosen & Hitoshi Nakamura & Amran Hamzah, 2020. "Adaptation to Climate Change: Does Traditional Ecological Knowledge Hold the Key?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Lauren Hund & Edward J. Bedrick & Curtis Miller & Gabriel Huerta & Teddy Nez & Sandy Ramone & Chris Shuey & Miranda Cajero & Johnnye Lewis, 2015. "A Bayesian framework for estimating disease risk due to exposure to uranium mine and mill waste on the Navajo Nation," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 178(4), pages 1069-1091, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Piers Blaikie, 2000. "Development, Post-, Anti-, and Populist: A Critical Review," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 32(6), pages 1033-1050, June.
    2. Hardy, Derrylea J. & Patterson, Murray G., 2012. "Cross-cultural environmental research in New Zealand: Insights for ecological economics research practice," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 75-85.
    3. Arts, Bas & de Koning, Jessica, 2017. "Community Forest Management: An Assessment and Explanation of its Performance Through QCA," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 315-325.
    4. Cuestas-Caza, Javier & Toledo, Lucía & Rodríguez, Fabricio, 2024. "Transcultural bioeconomy governance in a plurinational state: Sumak Kawsay and bio-based production in two Kichwa territories of Ecuador," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    5. Priya Gupta, 2021. "Conservation is Development in the Forests of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, India," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 16(1), pages 54-74, April.
    6. Xudan Lin & Hong Zhu & Duo Yin, 2022. "Enhancing Rural Resilience in a Tea Town of China: Exploring Tea Farmers’ Knowledge Production for Tea Planting, Tea Processing and Tea Tasting," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Dalitso Mvula & Chrispin Hamooya, 2022. "An investigation of the acquisition, transfer and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge by traditional healers in Chibombo District of Zambia," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(7), pages 502-509, July.
    8. Christine Samuel-Nakamura & Wendie A. Robbins & Felicia S. Hodge, 2017. "Uranium and Associated Heavy Metals in Ovis aries in a Mining Impacted Area in Northwestern New Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Christian Kuhlicke, 2010. "The dynamics of vulnerability: some preliminary thoughts about the occurrence of ‘radical surprises’ and a case study on the 2002 flood (Germany)," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 55(3), pages 671-688, December.
    10. Jarvis, Diane & Stoeckl, Natalie & Larson, Silva & Grainger, Daniel & Addison, Jane & Larson, Anna, 2021. "The Learning Generated Through Indigenous Natural Resources Management Programs Increases Quality of Life for Indigenous People – Improving Numerous Contributors to Wellbeing," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    11. Marcellus Mbah & Sandra Ajaps & Petra Molthan-Hill, 2021. "A Systematic Review of the Deployment of Indigenous Knowledge Systems towards Climate Change Adaptation in Developing World Contexts: Implications for Climate Change Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-24, April.
    12. Ken Silver & Richard Clapp, 2006. "Environmental Surveillance at Los Alamos: An Independent Reassessment of Historical Data," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 893-906, August.
    13. Richard A. Niesenbaum, 2019. "The Integration of Conservation, Biodiversity, and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-11, August.
    14. Saurabh Arora & Barbara Dyck, 2021. "Refusal as Radical Care? Moving Beyond Modern Industrial Agriculture," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 64(3), pages 252-258, December.
    15. Jude L. Fernando, 2003. "NGOs and Production of Indigenous Knowledge Under the Condition of Postmodernity," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 590(1), pages 54-72, November.
    16. Ivan S. Adolwa & Stefan Schwarze & Imogen Bellwood-Howard & Nikolaus Schareika & Andreas Buerkert, 2017. "A comparative analysis of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems in Kenya and Ghana: sustainable agricultural intensification in the rural–urban interface," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(2), pages 453-472, June.
    17. Julian Ramirez-Villegas & Colin Khoury, 2013. "Reconciling approaches to climate change adaptation for Colombian agriculture," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(3), pages 575-583, August.
    18. Joanna Burger & Michael Gochfeld & Karen Pletnikoff & Ronald Snigaroff & Daniel Snigaroff & Tim Stamm, 2008. "Ecocultural Attributes: Evaluating Ecological Degradation in Terms of Ecological Goods and Services Versus Subsistence and Tribal Values," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(5), pages 1261-1272, October.
    19. Elizabeth Carabine & Emily Wilkinson, 2016. "How Can Local Governance Systems Strengthen Community Resilience? A Social-Ecological Systems Approach," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 62-73.
    20. Henrietta N. Onwuegbuzie & Oluwasoye P. Mafimisebi & Adun Okupe & Eseroghene Orighoyegha, 2022. "Indigenous Knowledge and Africapitalism: An Unexploited Source for Sustainable Development," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 8(2), pages 244-257, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6886-:d:403477. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.