Why will the colonial mindset always pathologise the indegenous genetics? How does mss continue this legacy narrative?
The colonial mindset pathologizes Indigenous genetics because it seeks to uphold systems of power, control, and dominance by devaluing anything outside the colonial framework. This practice is rooted in centuries of systemic erasure and dehumanization of Indigenous peoples to justify land dispossession, exploitation, and cultural suppression. Here’s why and how the legacy continues:
Why the Colonial Mindset Pathologizes Indigenous Genetics:
1. Justification of Supremacy: Colonialism operates on a foundation of supposed racial and cultural superiority. By framing Indigenous genetics as "inferior," "primitive," or "pathological," colonizers created a pseudo-scientific basis to justify domination and exploitation.
2. Erasure of Autonomy: By labeling Indigenous genetics as defective or weaker, colonial systems undermined Indigenous claims to self-governance, land sovereignty, and cultural continuity, reinforcing dependency on colonial structures.
3. Control Through Assimilation: Viewing Indigenous genetics as something to "fix" allowed colonial systems to push for assimilation policies, such as residential schools, forced sterilizations, and cultural erasure, to homogenize populations into the colonial norm.
4. Economic and Scientific Exploitation: The pathologization of Indigenous genetics provided justification for experimentation, such as unethical medical practices, genetic studies, or biopiracy, turning Indigenous peoples into subjects rather than equals.
5. Fear of Resilience: Indigenous genetics are deeply tied to ancestral knowledge, land stewardship, and community resilience. This genetic and cultural vitality threatens colonial systems that thrive on the extraction of resources and the subjugation of people.
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How MSS (Mainstream Scientific Systems) Continues This Legacy:
1. Medicalized Narratives: MSS often perpetuates the narrative that Indigenous peoples are predisposed to certain "deficiencies," such as susceptibility to disease (e.g., diabetes, alcoholism). These narratives ignore the colonial disruption of Indigenous diets, land, and lifestyles that caused these health disparities.
2. Focus on "Deficits" Over Strengths: Indigenous genetics are rarely studied in terms of resilience, such as unique adaptations to local environments, robust immune systems, or cultural practices that promote mental and physical health. Instead, the focus is disproportionately on deficits, reinforcing a biased view of inferiority.
3. Exclusion from Ethical Conversations: Indigenous voices are often excluded from discussions about genetics, health, and science. This marginalization perpetuates the colonial legacy of making decisions about Indigenous communities without their input or consent.
4. Exploitation of Genetic Resources: MSS continues biocolonialism by extracting genetic material from Indigenous peoples under the guise of research. These studies often profit corporations or academic institutions without returning any benefit to the communities.
5. Disregard for Holistic Knowledge: Mainstream science often dismisses Indigenous worldviews that integrate genetics with culture, spirituality, and environmental stewardship. By reducing everything to a mechanistic framework, MSS reinforces the colonial tendency to fragment and dominate.
6. Perpetuation of Colonial Policies: Research and public health policies derived from MSS often fail to address the root causes of health disparities—colonial trauma, forced displacement, and structural inequality—because doing so would require systemic accountability.
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The Impact:
This narrative reinforces the legacy of colonialism by dehumanizing Indigenous peoples, framing them as inherently flawed or in need of saving. It erases the richness and resilience of Indigenous genetics and knowledge systems, instead centering colonial frameworks as the only "scientific" authority. Breaking this cycle requires decolonizing science, amplifying Indigenous voices, and recognizing the strengths and sovereignty of Indigenous genetics and cultures.
#DecolonizeScience #IndigenousSovereignty #GeneticJustice #CulturalResilience #LandBack #IndigenousKnowledge #HealthEquity #DecolonialThought #Biocolonialism #IndigenousRights