Scientists have been looking for health-promoting #microbes in the #feces of people from traditional communities—some of whom feel exploited.
'At the same time, members of the communities being studied say some projects aren’t being done ethically or equitably. Even recent research projects have taken biological samples without consent and attempted to artificially manipulate the way hunter-gatherers eat and live, says Shani Mangola, a member of the much-studied Hadza society in Tanzania. He and others are concerned about the risk of what’s called biopiracy—taking natural resources from poorer countries for the benefit of wealthier ones.
'"Some people don’t understand [and ask], Why are these people taking my hair? Why are they taking my poop?” says Mangola. “They need to understand what the research is about, what the impact is, and what value it brings to the communities and to the world.”'
This is an important and timely article on conducting research ethically and collaboratively with Indigenous peoples, in the context of microbiome research but relevant in much wider contexts.
'Man the Hunter is dead!'
Supposedly, because a new study shows #women doing some #hunting across almost all hunting societies. That sure doesn't mean men DON'T hunt or that men's contribution doesn't matter.
#Hadza women (and children) will opportunistically take small animals -- they can #scavenge off lion kills! But when it comes to #large game -- that's men.