Colonial Legacies and Body Commodification in Genetic Studies among the Shuar
Location
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2024 11:30 AM
Poster Number
178
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
William Duncan
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Sociology and Anthropology
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Abstract or Artist's Statement
In this study, we ask whether or not current genetic studies of the Shuar people of Ecuador (an indigenous culture) recreate or echo colonial practices that characterized early interest in Shuar tsantsas (shrunken heads) with respect to manufacture, practice, or narrative. The relationship between science and indigenous peoples historically has been fraught and characterized by colonial power dynamics. This includes 1) extraction of data and knowledge without a return for indigenous peoples, 2) decision making and research agendas that were not collaboratively determined, and 3) the creation of narratives that either paternalize or exoticize indigenous people and cultures. These are long term processes that scientists are currently working to rectify. Examining cases to identify ongoing practices and frames of mind that reflect earlier colonial themes is the first step to building a more community facing science that better serves us all. The decimation of indigenous cultures of the New World with regard to contact and conquest is well documented. However, researchers are still uncovering facets of how thoroughly pernicious colonial legacies have been for indigenous peoples, including the impact they had and continue to have on indigenous bodies. Shuar tsantsas were commodified in early encounters with the Spanish explorers. Spanish interest in the shrunken heads was met with increased production of tsantsas explicitly for trade purposes, which ultimately changed their meaning within Shuar culture. Here we ask whether or not recent scientific efforts (specifically in genetics) have repeated or mirrored these colonial themes. Recent high-profile examples of genetics research, such as the case of Henrietta Lacks, has demonstrated the potential threat of such work. We have found no direct evidence that genetic studies of the Shuar have commodified their DNA. However, it is clear that interest in their DNA stems from their lack of admixture and “purity", which is to say the motivation for the research stems from a colonial lens. Additionally, we do not see evidence that the agenda for genetic studies was created in collaboration with the Shuar. We note that while scientists cannot undo colonialism, they can work to diminish colonial legacies that recreate power dynamics detrimental to indigenous groups. Studies like this are a first step to that end. The second step is to include the voices and values of local indigenous peoples. There is an inevitable degree of subjectivity when researchers are disconnected from local settings and deal with sites marked by highly asymmetric power struggles and historical injustices. Utilizing the perspectives of descendant communities in research reduces the risk of exoticizing cultures and ensures a more equitable exchange of information.
Colonial Legacies and Body Commodification in Genetic Studies among the Shuar
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
In this study, we ask whether or not current genetic studies of the Shuar people of Ecuador (an indigenous culture) recreate or echo colonial practices that characterized early interest in Shuar tsantsas (shrunken heads) with respect to manufacture, practice, or narrative. The relationship between science and indigenous peoples historically has been fraught and characterized by colonial power dynamics. This includes 1) extraction of data and knowledge without a return for indigenous peoples, 2) decision making and research agendas that were not collaboratively determined, and 3) the creation of narratives that either paternalize or exoticize indigenous people and cultures. These are long term processes that scientists are currently working to rectify. Examining cases to identify ongoing practices and frames of mind that reflect earlier colonial themes is the first step to building a more community facing science that better serves us all. The decimation of indigenous cultures of the New World with regard to contact and conquest is well documented. However, researchers are still uncovering facets of how thoroughly pernicious colonial legacies have been for indigenous peoples, including the impact they had and continue to have on indigenous bodies. Shuar tsantsas were commodified in early encounters with the Spanish explorers. Spanish interest in the shrunken heads was met with increased production of tsantsas explicitly for trade purposes, which ultimately changed their meaning within Shuar culture. Here we ask whether or not recent scientific efforts (specifically in genetics) have repeated or mirrored these colonial themes. Recent high-profile examples of genetics research, such as the case of Henrietta Lacks, has demonstrated the potential threat of such work. We have found no direct evidence that genetic studies of the Shuar have commodified their DNA. However, it is clear that interest in their DNA stems from their lack of admixture and “purity", which is to say the motivation for the research stems from a colonial lens. Additionally, we do not see evidence that the agenda for genetic studies was created in collaboration with the Shuar. We note that while scientists cannot undo colonialism, they can work to diminish colonial legacies that recreate power dynamics detrimental to indigenous groups. Studies like this are a first step to that end. The second step is to include the voices and values of local indigenous peoples. There is an inevitable degree of subjectivity when researchers are disconnected from local settings and deal with sites marked by highly asymmetric power struggles and historical injustices. Utilizing the perspectives of descendant communities in research reduces the risk of exoticizing cultures and ensures a more equitable exchange of information.