[Archport] Indigenous Peoples Oppose the 'Genographic Project'

["Marta Diaz-Guardamino" <marta_diaz_guardamino@hotmail.com>]

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Indigenous Peoples Oppose the 'Genographic Project'





Indigenous Peoples Oppose National Geographic & IBM
Genetic Research Project that Seeks Indigenous Peoples'
DNA

Dated: May 20, 2006
Released by: Indigenous Peoples Council on
Biocolonialism
Contact: Debra Harry, Director
Tel: (775) 338-5983

http://www.ipcb.org/issues/human_genetics/htmls/geno_pr.html

(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.

The IPCB, an Indigenous organization that addresses
issues of biopiracy began its work in 1993 to oppose
the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP), a project so
fraught with ethical and scientific problems it failed
to get endorsement from the National Science
Foundation, or UNESCO. Debra Harry, who is Northern
Paiute and serves as IPCB's Executive Director, noting
this new project's similarities with the HGDP, said,
"This is a recurrent nightmare. It's essentially the
same project we defeated years ago. Some of the actors
are different, but also some are the same. With the
founder of the HGDP serving on this new project's
advisory committee, I can't help but think this is
simply a new reiteration of the HGDP."

The HGDP faced international opposition by Indigenous
peoples who considered the project an unconscionable
attempt by genetic researchers to pirate their DNA for
their own means. That experience has led to strong
advocacy by Indigenous peoples to insure human rights
standards are entrenched in research. Cherryl Smith, a
Maori bioethicist from Aotearoa (New Zealand) said,
"Indigenous groups around the world are much more aware
of biopiracy, and our own human and collective rights
in research. In the past ten years, we have developed
extensive networks of Indigenous peoples who are
knowledgeable and active in defense of their rights."

Le'a Kanehe, a Native Hawaiian who serves as the IPCB's
Legal Analyst, gives the example of the Havasupai
Tribe, who filed a lawsuit in 2004 against Arizona
State University for the taking and misuse of their
genetic samples. "Indigenous peoples are holding
scientists accountable for use of their genetic
material without prior informed consent, which is the
accepted legal standard." The tribe authorized diabetes
research, but later discovered their samples were used
for schizophrenia, inbreeding and migration theories.

The Genographic Project press release claims that an
international advisory board will oversee the selection
of Indigenous populations for testing as well as
adhering to strict sampling and research protocols. The
HGDP was unable to secure federal or UN support for
failure to meet ethical concerns and standards. The
Genographic Project has striking similarities to the
HGDP. Dr. Jonathan Marks, genetic anthropologist and
board member of the IPCB, said, "The HGDP was
terminated because of intractable bioethical issues.
Have IBM and National Geographic been able to remedy
those issues? I don't think so." Harry is similarly
concerned that the Genographic Project is an attempt to
escape public and legal scrutiny by going private.

Kanehe says that "It's interesting how in the past
racist scientists, such as those in the eugenics
movement, did studies asserting that we are
biologically inferior to them; and now, they are saying
their research will show that we're all related to each
other and share common origins. Both ventures are based
on racist science and produce invalid, yet damaging
conclusions about Indigenous cultures."

IPCB Chairperson Judy Gobert (Blackfoot), said, "These
kinds of projects have to stretch to claim any tangible
benefits to Indigenous peoples. Somehow, the
Genographic Project has led its Indigenous participants
to believe its work will insure their people's cultural
preservation. There is a huge disconnect between
genetic research and cultural preservation." Smith
says, "If they really want to help promote Indigenous
peoples cultures there are more productive ways and
methods for doing so."

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."

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."

For more information contact:
Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonism
ipcb@ipcb.org
www.ipcb.org
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