T6 The Founding of Medical Geology: The Contributions and Legacy of Dr. Olle Selinus

Sunday, 22 September 2024
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
209A

HOW INDIGENOUS RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES ALIGN WITH A MEDICAL GEOLOGY APPROACH

Paper number: T6-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:30 AM – 8:45 AM

Authors

Abstract

Currently in the United States there are 574 Federally Recognized Tribes. Many of these tribes
have environmental issues that have impacted the health of Indigenous peoples. Some tribes
have their lands located on naturally occurring mineral resources which could and have impacted health,
such as uranium in the southwestern USA. Others may have anthropogenic sources such as
unlined landfills in Alaska which may be impacting health due to changes from accelerated
climate change and rapidly thawing permafrost. Co-producing knowledge with these
communities and utilizing Indigenous research methodologies align with a medical Geology
approach. The medical geology approach looks at the place as a place-based approach to
studying the issues. Indigenous research methodologies are not strictly linear as many western
science studies have traditionally been conducted and look at the place and everything that is
related in a connected, often-circular flowing path. This presentation will discuss how
Indigenous research methodologies align with a medical geology or one health approach. Using
western scientific method and blending Indigenous research methodologies can be a medical
geologic approach to exploring health impacts related to environmental issues impacting many
Indigenous communities in the United States and the world.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-405569

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