AlterNative

Empowerment’ is a complex concept that draws on educational, psychological, social learning, social-structures and socio-ecological theories from a range of disciplines. It has multiple applications and its approaches can be used to highlight and address power relations, social exclusion, marginalisation and inequity.

Aotearoa/New Zealand is experiencing major changes in its demographic profile, indicating that the proportion of Māori (the indigenous people) will progressively increase (Statistics New Zealand, 2004).

As a Maseko Ngoni this student poses the following research question: Can the personal historical memories of Indigenous governance and responsibilities be an asset to the debilitating and crippling neo-colonial, social-cultural and spiritual lives of the Maseko pfuko (kin-group) in Lizulu?

This article draws upon ethnographic research conducted with an Aboriginal family who own and operate a heritage tourism company, where presentation of space and place promotes environmental awareness, spirituality of place and social justice. It presents this particular example of heritage tourism as a dialogic zone of contemporary resistance inserted into the public realm.

This article analyses the way Australian and United States of America (USA) governments used the notion of the best interest of the child to remove Aboriginal and Native children respectively from their families and communities. Both governments relied on legal means to achieve the assimilation of children within the mainstream culture in order to annihilate Aboriginal and Native culture.

The subject of decolonisation is being discussed among colonised people all over the world today. According to Smith (1999) and Loomba (1998), the process of decolonising embodies how notions of authenticity and interpretations of pre-colonisation intersect in the immediate past (how we became colonised), present and future.

Pangasinan studies as ethnic/area studies needs to be conceptualised to consolidate and promote studies on Pangasinan and to reclaim identity lost in the mainstream ‘national culture’. It is absolutely necessary, however, to lay down first its epistemic foundations.

This paper explores counselling of the indigenous Shona people and provides an argument for multicultural counselling. The vast majority of the Shona people use both traditional (informal) and modern counselling services. The indigenous approach to counselling tactfully captures the importance of the family and the community as a mode of communication for therapy and moral values.

Research among indigenous peoples of the Pacific in the 21st century face a number of challenges. One of the most powerful of these is the unchecked and careless use of frames that do not take into account languages and Indigenous knowledge protocols, philosophies and principles, especially where and when their own knowledges and tribal issues are researched.

Nils-Aslak Valkeapää (1943–2001) was the greatest Sámi multimedia artist. He made his debut as an author in 1971 and is so far the only Sámi who has been awarded the prestigious Nordic Council’s literature prize, for his book of poetry and old photographs Beaivi, áhčážan (1989) (The Sun, My Father [1997]).

Māori and English have been in increasing contact within New Zealand for over 200 years. The impact of each language on the other in vocabulary, which has been borrowed in both directions, is clear. More subtle is the mutual influence in the area of pronunciation.