|
April 21, 2005
Biocolonialists, Biopiracy, and Big Money
Our creation stories and languages carry information about our genealogy and ancestors. We don’t need genetic testing to tell us where we come from. I'm not sure I needed to stumble onto crackpot racial theories after last night's film. But this is my blog, and I must write it no matter what direction it takes me. Anyway, both opponents of genetic research and of human evolution may have found new allies! There's a movement dedicated to opposing a thing called "Biocolonialism," and the organizers are hopping mad about plans by some people (racists, of course) to analyze the genes of others (described as "indigenous"): (Nixon, NV) The Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB) is alarmed at the launching of new global genetic research project that will focus on the collection of Indigenous peoples DNA. The National Geographic Society and the IBM Corporation announced the launch of the Genographic Project today that purports to “help people better understand their ancient history.” The project, funded by the Waitt Family Foundation, expects to collect 100,000 DNA samples from Indigenous peoples around the world. The taking of samples will be coordinated by ten worldwide regional research centers. With centers in Australia, Brazil, North America and Southeast Asia, Sub-Sahara and South Africa, this project is certain to affect many Indigenous peoples around the world.Got that? Taking DNA to analyze study early patterns of human migration is a form of, well, piracy. And if these crackpots get their way, it will be stopped: The IPCB is calling on all Indigenous peoples, and our friends and colleagues to join in an international boycott of IBM, Gateway Computers (the source of the Waitt family fortune), and National Geographic until it’s demand that this project be abandoned are met. Harry said, “We are prepared to stop projects that treat us as scientific curiosities. We must act to protect our most vulnerable communities from this unwanted intrusion. We resisted the HGDP, and we will defeat this proposal as well.”According to Wired, National Geographic isn't particularly fazed. Groups and individuals can choose to participate in the project or not. It's a collaborative process. Consent has to be given at an individual level and a group level. We're not going to wander into a village and start poking people in the arm and collect samples. We will explain what will be done with samples and what the information could be when it comes back from the lab. I think if those involved in (the Indigenous Peoples Council) really understood what we're trying to do, they would not object to it, even if they might choose not to participate.But should people be allowed to consent to having scientists get hold of their DNA? The Indigeneous Peoples Council thinks not: Noting the project’s goal to map the migratory history of humankind through DNA, Marla Big Boy, a Lakota attorney on IPCB’s board, says, “Our creation stories and languages carry information about our genealogy and ancestors. We don’t need genetic testing to tell us where we come from.” Big Boy notes with concern that the project proposes to do studies on ancient DNA. “We will not stand by while our ancestors are desecrated in the name of scientific discovery.”Ms. Big Boy, it should be noted, was one of the attorneys seeking to prevent the study of the 9200 year old Kennewick Man fossil -- leading to charges of a racist coverup. Obviously, it's in the interest of a lot of political hacks to cover up any evidence of human migration or the common origins of people. Because next thing you know, the genetics scholars will be followed by philosophical hair splitters asking basic questions. They might even ask what the word "indigenous" means if at Some Point, we've all migrated from Somewhere to Somewhere Else. That would be bad. Someone might lose Big Funding. From Someone Else. Personally, I think Biopiracy reparations should be paid for corn! And potatoes. (Without any setoff for damage caused by tobacco!) UPDATE: Aztlan.net (a longtime favorite of this blog) claims that recent DNA testing shows that Ward Churchill is definitely an Indian! The laboratory that performed the tests on Professor Churchill's genetic material specializes on American Indian "Gene Genealogy" and has one of the most extensive Native American mtDNA and y-chromosome databases. The human race consists of approximately 30 major maternal lineages (haplogroups) and Native Americans belong to one of five major maternal lineages (haplogroups). Also, the human population consists of approximately 18 major paternal lineages (haplogroups) and Native Americans belong to one of two major paternal lineages (haplogroups).No word yet on whether Churchill approves of such uses of Biocolonialist technology. posted by Eric on 04.21.05 at 08:56 AM
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://classicalvalues.com/cgi-bin/pings.cgi/2225 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Biocolonialists, Biopiracy, and Big Money:
» 'Biocolonialism' from Darleen's Place
Eric at Classical Values runs down the latest handwringing about scientists gathering and analyzing genetic information in the quest to understand humankind's very migratory past. It was his update on the faux Indian Churchill that caught my attention.... [Read More] Tracked on April 21, 2005 04:17 PM |
|
March 2007
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
March 2007
February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
War For Profit
How trying to prevent genocide becomes genocide I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Wind Boom Isaiah Washington, victim Hippie Shirts A cunning exercise in liberation linguistics? Sometimes unprincipled demagogues are better than principled activists PETA agrees -- with me! The high pitched squeal of small carbon footprints
Links
Site Credits
|
|