Molecular Decolonization: An Indigenous Microcosm Perspective of Planetary Health

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jun 25;17(12):4586. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124586.

Abstract

Indigenous peoples are resilient peoples with deep traditional knowledge and scientific thought spanning millennia. Global discourse on climate change however has identified Indigenous populations as being a highly vulnerable group due to the habitation in regions undergoing rapid change, and the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality already faced by this population. Therefore, the need for Indigenous self-determination and the formal recognition of Indigenous knowledges, including micro-level molecular and microbial knowledges, as a critical foundation for planetary health is in urgent need. Through the process of Indigenous decolonization, even at the smallest molecular scale, we define a method back to our original selves and therefore to our planetary origin story. Our health and well-being is directly reflected at the planetary scale, and we suggest, can be rooted through the concept of molecular decolonization, which through the English language emerged from the 'First 1000 Days Australia' and otherwise collectively synthesized globally. It is through our evolving understanding of decolonization at a molecular level, which many of our Indigenous cultural and healing practices subtly embody, that we are better able to translate the intricacies within the current Indigenous scientific worldview through Western forms of discourse.

Keywords: Indigenous health; climate change; ecology; environmental health; environmental stewardship; health equity; knowledge translation; microbiome; planetary health.

MeSH terms

  • Australia
  • Climate Change*
  • Humans
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Population Groups*
  • Science
  • Vulnerable Populations