Reconciling academicscientific priorities with indigenous HIVAIDS realities

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Reconciling academic/scientific priorities with
indigenous HIV/AIDS realities
Clive Aspin Nga Pae o te Maramatanga University
of Auckland New Zealand
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• Presentation Outline
• 1. Academic/scientific realities
• 2. Indigenous realities
• 3. Indigenous HIV/AIDS realities
• 4. Can indigenous realities be reconciled with
  academic realities?

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(No Transcript)
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• Indigenous peoples have been portrayed as
• Weak
• Uncivilized
• Depraved
• Inferior
• In need of the beneficent civiliser

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Historically, indigenous peoples

• Have been scrutinised by non-indigenous people
  and researchers according to Western and
  colonialist paradigms
• Have been marginalised within society
• And, as a consequence, they have been excluded
  from research and this has contributed to their
  ongoing marginalisation

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Indigenous people have

• Survived hundred years of colonisation
• Shown remarkable resiliency in the face of
  extreme adversity and dispossession of land
• Made significant contributions to the societies
  and cultures of which they are a part
• Shown that there are viable alternatives to the
  dominant Western paradigm that prevails today

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Today, research with indigenous peoples must

• Reflect the genuine needs of indigenous peoples
• Involve communities at all stages of the
  research process
• Seek appropriate ethical approval
• Lead to improvements in well-being
• Contribute to the development of the indigenous
  communities
• Provide workforce development opportunities
• Lead to outcomes that will make a difference

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HIV/AIDS and indigenous peoples

• Disproportionate rates of HIV in some countries
• Indigenous people have been identified as a
  vulnerable group
• Poor data recording mean that we do not have an
  accurate account of impact of AIDS on indigenous
  people
• Indigenous peoples suffer poorer health than
  their non-indigenous peers
• Indigenous people want to be involvede in all
  aspects of the AIDS, including design,
  implementation and delivery of programs

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Australia
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New Zealand
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Canada

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Lessons

• Indigenous control over indigenous health
• Indigenous leadership
• Consolidation of international indigenous
  networks
• Indigenous control of research agenda
• Development of indigenous research capacity
• Involvement of indigenous communities
• Focus on community rather than the individual

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• Megwech
• Kia ora
• Thank you