Comunicación del taller: ciencias genómicas y saberes de los pueblos originarios (Provincia del Chubut, Argentina)

Camila Tamburrini; Rubén Ricardo Romero Saihueque; Silvia Lucrecia Dahinten; María Laura Parolin

doi:10.31048/1852.4826.v16.n2.39239

Authors

Camila Tamburrini Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8197-973X
Rubén Ricardo Romero Saihueque Directorate of Indigenous Affairs. Undersecretary of Human Rights. Ministry of Government and Justice of Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, U9130, Argentina
Silvia Lucrecia Dahinten Institute of Diversity and Austral Evolution (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9969-7674
María Laura Parolin Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6726-2943

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v16.n2.39239

Keywords:

Central Patagonia, Genomic studies, Community engagement, Mapuche-Tehuelche people

Abstract

On July 2, 2022, the first exchange meeting between genomic sciences and indigenous knowledge was held in Trelew, Chubut, Argentina. This event was carried out within the framework of an agreement between IDEAus-CONICET and the Directorate of Indigenous Affairs of the province that seeks to establish a genetic science that is aligned with the ethical standards of scientific work in relation to ancestral Indigenous communities and their descendants. The workshop included presentations and round table discussions on genetic studies in cosmopolitan and ancestral populations based on the study of archaeological remains stored in the Bioanthropological Repository at IDEAus-CONICET. An anonymous survey was carried out to know the participants’ perception of genetic sciences, the terms with which they recognize themselves and the forms and frequency of dissemination of scientific advances, among other points investigated. The analysis of this first workshop showed, amongst other findings, that there are failures in scientific communication and that the interest of the Indigenous communities in these meetings is closely linked to the struggle for the vindication and recognition of these communities. The importance of disseminating this information in the educational sphere from a decolonized perspective was highlighted.

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Author Biographies

Camila Tamburrini, Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina.

She graduated from the UNPSJB in Biology sciences and is currently a CONICET doctoral fellow under the supervision of Dr. María Laura Parolin and Dr. Silvia Dahinten. The main objective of her Ph.D. project is to carry out a bioanthropological study of the ancient human populations that inhabited the current Argentine central Patagonia through the generation and bioinformatic analysis of archaeogenomic data obtained by next-generation sequencing techniques (NGS). To carry out her project, she did a research fellowship with Dr. María Ávila-Arcos at the International Human Genome Research Laboratory (LIIGH, UNAM) in Mexico and has conducted seminars and courses abroad virtually and in person. Given the implications of genomic studies regarding the current descendant populations, she has focused on working and discussing the ethical aspects of scientific work locally in the last two years. For this, she has started implementing a community engagement approach in her research through agreed-on meetings and direct communication with the Directorate of Indigenous Affairs of the province of Chubut and has held talks and meetings to disseminate the results. The project's impact is important in reconstructing the current theories of the Population of the South of the American Continent. Knowing the genetic particularities of the present and past populations has particular applications in biomedicine and forensic sciences.
Rubén Ricardo Romero Saihueque, Directorate of Indigenous Affairs. Undersecretary of Human Rights. Ministry of Government and Justice of Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, U9130, Argentina

He works in recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples as Director of Indigenous Affairs of the Province of Chubut. As a member of the Mapuche-Tehuelche Ceferino Namuncurá-Valentín Sayhueque community of Gaiman city, he is committed to good faith in fulfilling the obligations assumed by his work in respecting the cultural diversity and the rights of indigenous people of Chubut. For many years, he has worked closely on the scientific archaeological studies of the ancestral populations of the Province, seeking to assert the ancestry of his people. In the last year, he has focused on the ethical implications of genetics and genomics applied to ancestral populations while protecting other particular interests of his work as a government official and as a member of an Indigenous community of the Province of Chubut.
Silvia Lucrecia Dahinten, Institute of Diversity and Austral Evolution (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina

She has a degree in Anthropology (biological orientation) and a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences with a mention in Anthropology from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Museum of the National University of La Plata. She completed a diploma in Archeology and Forensic Anthropology (University of Karnfield -England, and Universidad Manuela Beltrán Colombia). For years she developed as an Associate Professor by competition of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the National University of Patagonia (Puerto Madryn Headquarters) and is a Member of the Scientific-Technological Researcher Career of CONICET (Independent category). She was a fellow of the Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires, CONICET, and the Spanish Government. She was a founding member, Secretary, Vice President (1996-97), and President of the Argentine Association of Biological Anthropology (2001-2003). She has published works on experimental biological anthropology, the biology of prehistoric populations of Patagonia, and their morphogenetic relationship with American populations, on child and adolescent growth in urban populations and variation in height with a historical perspective. She published more than 80 papers at national and international conferences and has given lectures on her lines of research. She has been the editor of the Argentine Biological Anthropology Association (AABA) declaration concerning the ethics of the study of human bone remains. Currently, her interests focus on the biological response of human populations to urban environments in the evolutionary context of the so-called "demographic and nutritional transition," taking individual growth as an indicator. She has directed doctoral theses, fellows, and dissertations.
She has been granted funding from ANPCYT, CONICET, the Ministry of Health and Environment of the Nation, and the University of Patagonia SJB. For many years she was responsible for the High-Level Technological Services (STAN 2999)- CONICET for carrying out Expertise in Forensic Anthropology and coordinator of the Technical Assistance Agreement for the provision of Forensic Services. CENPAT-CONICET and Superior Court of Justice of the province of Chubut.
María Laura Parolin, Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral (IDEAus CCT CONICET-CENPAT), Puerto Madryn, Chubut, U9120, Argentina.

She graduated in Biology from the UNPSJB and Doctor in Biological Anthropology from the FFyL-UBA. Since 2003 she has been working on aspects related to miscegenation, migrations, and genetic diversity of rural and urban populations in Argentina and its application to Anthropological sciences. He worked as a legal expert and geneticist in the Ministry of Justice of Buenos Aires and the Favaloro Foundation. Since 2012 she has collaborated with the IDEAus Genetic Identification Laboratory (IDEGEN). Currently, she directs research projects with an interdisciplinary team of national and international anthropologists, biologists, and archaeologists for the diachronic study of the genetic diversity and ancestral origin of the current and ancient populations (archaeo-genetics) of the Argentine Patagonia.

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