Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis analyses the concept of indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination within the international human rights system and explores viable avenues for the fulfilment of indigenous claims to self–determination through the design, implementation and evaluation of development policies. The thesis argues that development policy plays a crucial role in determining the level of enjoyment of self–determination for indigenous peoples. Development policy can offer an avenue to bypass nation states’ political unwillingness to recognize and promote indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination, when adequate principles and criteria are embedded in the whole policy process. The theoretical foundations of the thesis are drawn from two different areas of scholarship: indigenous human rights discourse and development economics. The indigenous human rights discourse provides the articulation of the debate concerning the concept of indigenous self–determination, whereas development economics is the field within which Amartya Sen’s capability approach is adopted as a theoretical framework of thought to explore the interface between indigenous rights and development policy. Foundational concepts of the capability approach will be adopted to construct a normative system and a practical methodological approach to interpret and implement indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination. In brief, the thesis brings together two bodies of knowledge and amalgamates foundational theoretical underpinnings of both to construct a normative and practical framework. At the normative level, the thesis offers a conceptual apparatus that allows us to identify an indigenous capability rights–based normative framework that encapsulates the essence of the principle of indigenous self–determination. At the practical level, the normative framework enables a methodological approach to indigenous development policies that serves as a vehicle for the fulfilment of indigenous aspirations for self–determination. This thesis analyses Australia’s health policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as an example to explore the application of the proposed normative and practical framework. The assessment of Australia’s health policy for Indigenous Australians against the proposed normative framework and methodological approach to development policy, allows us to identify a significant vacuum: the omission of Aboriginal traditional medicine in national health policy frameworks and, as a result, the devaluing and relative demise of Aboriginal traditional healing practices and traditional healers.

This thesis explores the ontological content of the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in biomedical education, through a critical exploration of “CAM" policy related documents from the World Bank, the World Health Organization and Health Canada, as a means of contextualizing "CAM" in biomedical education. It also interrogates curriculum documents from a project that seeks to standardize “CAM” in biomedical education. This thesis suggests that there are ontological parallels to the colonial era conversion of indigenous medicine evoked in the contemporary 'integration' of CAM in biomedical education.

Doctor of Philosophy / This thesis analyses the concept of indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination within the international human rights system and explores viable avenues for the fulfilment of indigenous claims to self–determination through the design, implementation and evaluation of development policies. The thesis argues that development policy plays a crucial role in determining the level of enjoyment of self–determination for indigenous peoples. Development policy can offer an avenue to bypass nation states’ political unwillingness to recognize and promote indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination, when adequate principles and criteria are embedded in the whole policy process. The theoretical foundations of the thesis are drawn from two different areas of scholarship: indigenous human rights discourse and development economics. The indigenous human rights discourse provides the articulation of the debate concerning the concept of indigenous self–determination, whereas development economics is the field within which Amartya Sen’s capability approach is adopted as a theoretical framework of thought to explore the interface between indigenous rights and development policy. Foundational concepts of the capability approach will be adopted to construct a normative system and a practical methodological approach to interpret and implement indigenous peoples’ right to self–determination. In brief, the thesis brings together two bodies of knowledge and amalgamates foundational theoretical underpinnings of both to construct a normative and practical framework. At the normative level, the thesis offers a conceptual apparatus that allows us to identify an indigenous capability rights–based normative framework that encapsulates the essence of the principle of indigenous self–determination. At the practical level, the normative framework enables a methodological approach to indigenous development policies that serves as a vehicle for the fulfilment of indigenous aspirations for self–determination. This thesis analyses Australia’s health policy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as an example to explore the application of the proposed normative and practical framework. The assessment of Australia’s health policy for Indigenous Australians against the proposed normative framework and methodological approach to development policy, allows us to identify a significant vacuum: the omission of Aboriginal traditional medicine in national health policy frameworks and, as a result, the devaluing and relative demise of Aboriginal traditional healing practices and traditional healers.

Le diabète de type 2 et l’obésité affectent la population mondiale et, de façon disproportionnelle, chez la population adulte crie d’Eeyou Istchee. Afin de contribuer à la documentation des activités antidiabétiques de 17 plantes médicinales de la forêt boréale traditionnellement recommandées pour traiter les symptômes du diabète, cette étude procède à l’évaluation de l’activité enzymatique de la lipase pancréatique par différentes espèces de plantes. De plus, une évaluation de l’activité enzymatique de la lipase pancréatique est réalisée avec des espèces antidiabétiques de la pharmacopée urbaine de Niamey (Niger) ainsi qu’avec des baies québécoises. Enfin, des composés phénoliques sont identifiés chez ces deux derniers groupes d’espèces végétales. Les résultats de ces études démontrent que la majorité des espèces évaluées ont un effet inhibiteur sur la lipase pancréatique in vitro. Les espèces ayant démontré les plus fortes activités inhibitrices sur la lipase pancréatique sont Kalmia angustifolia, Gaultheria hispidula et Acacia nilotica. Ainsi, cette étude permet d’appuyer la justesse des connaissances traditionnelles en ajoutant la documentation d’une activité antidiabétique des espèces végétales au répertoire scientifique. / Type 2 diabetes and obesity affect the global population and, disproportionately, the adult population of the Eeyou Istchee Cree. In order to contribute to the documentation of the antidiabetic activities of 17 medicinal plants of the boreal forest traditionally recommended for treating the symptoms of diabetes, this study evaluates the pancreatic lipase enzymatic activity of different plant species. In addition, an evaluation of the enzymatic activity of the pancreatic lipase is carried out with antidiabetic species of the urban pharmacopoeia of Niamey (Niger) as well as with Quebec berries. Finally, phenolic compounds are identified in these last two groups of plant species. Results of these studies demonstrate that the majority of the evaluated species have an inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase in vitro. Species showing the strongest inhibitory activities towards pancreatic lipase are Kalmia angustifolia, Gaultheria hispidula and Acacia nilotica. Thus, this study supports the accuracy of traditionnal knowledge by adding the documentation of an antidiabetic activity of plant species to the scientific repertoire.