Indigenous DNA #403

January 06, 2017

This week we take a closer look at the intersection of genetics, politics, identity, and hundreds of years of colonization. We speak with Kim TallBear, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples Technoscience and Environment and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, about her book "Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science". And we speak with Keolu Fox, a post doctoral fellow in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, about IndiGenomics, an NGO aimed at helping create bridges between indigenous communities and genetic research.

Guests:

  • Kim TallBear
  • Keolu Fox

Guest Bios

Kim TallBear

Kim TallBear is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples Technoscience and Environment, and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is a founding advisory board member of the Summer internship for INdigenous peoples in Genomics (SING), based at the University of Illinois Institute for Genomic Biology, and a decolonial bioethics faculty member in the program. She is a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate in South Dakota. She blogs at kimtallbear.com on Indigenous Peoples and Technoscience, and tweets @KimTallBear.

Keolu Fox

Keolu Fox is a post doctoral fellow in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He is a 2016 TED Fellow, and one of the co-founders of IndiGenomics, a tribal non-profit organization with a mission of bringing genomic expertise to indigenous communities, empowering indigenous research capacity and positively contributing to health research with indigenous communities for present and future generations.