Inclusion, Diversity & Equity

 

 

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.”

What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.

— Māori whakataukī

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At the Southern eDNA Society (seDNAs), we are committed to the values of inclusion, diversity, and equity. We operate on the principle that knowledge advancement is greatly enhanced when we work collectively to achieve solutions through different perspectives. Quite simply, diverse teams perform better [1, 2, 3].

 

Our Approach

 

seDNAs aims to provide an inclusive, safe environment where everyone can connect, engage with, and perform science. We welcome diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to: gender, career stage, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, race, ethnicity, ability, language, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, religion, and physical appearance.

We acknowledge that maintaining an inclusive environment is an ongoing endeavour that demands consistent commitment, particularly in the molecular biological sciences. We aspire to make conscious progress on this journey, remaining attentive and proactive. Only by constantly striving for improvement can we achieve the best eDNA outcomes and solutions that work for all.

 

Indigenous Knowledge & First Peoples

 

We acknowledge the vital importance of Indigenous knowledge, frameworks, and holders as First Peoples. We recognize that historically, these knowledge systems and Indigenous cultures have been devalued, displaced, diminished, or erased through the process of colonization. We are dedicated to correcting this imbalance in our field.

 

Our Commitments

 

To uphold these values, the Society and its members commit to the following:

• Fostering Inclusion: We will cultivate an environment with diverse representation where all people are welcome.

• Addressing Barriers: We recognize that traditional career pathways in science can be exclusionary to underrepresented peoples (the “leaky pipeline”). While we work towards long-term solutions, we remain aware of these current challenges.

• Meaningful Engagement: We expect our members to meaningfully engage with the communities they work with, particularly if those communities are Indigenous to the land or historically underrepresented [4].

• Event Diversity: We will foster diversity at our events by aspiring to have equal representation of gender and career stages, as well as people of colour, among keynote speakers and session chairs.

• Respecting Sovereignty: We expect our members to engage with Indigenous knowledge and peoples in all applications of eDNA, respecting their sovereignty over their lands and data.

• Active Participation: We will proactively implement practices to include Traditional Owners and kaitiaki (guardians) in Society activities—for example, through travel awards to attend and present at our annual conference.

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Mission Statement

(Purpose Goal 1)

The Southern eDNA Society Purpose Goal 1 (PG1) Working Group is committed to meaningful and ethical environmental DNA (eDNA) practice in partnership with Indigenous, Māori, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and First Nations communities (hereafter: Indigenous peoples) of Australasia. We acknowledge Indigenous peoples’ enduring connections to and guardianship of lands, waters, and treasured species (i.e. taonga species, totem animals). We aim to support Indigenous-led and community-informed research that upholds Indigenous sovereignty, knowledge systems, governance, and self-determined priorities. Through supporting connection-building, fostering trusted relationships, and promoting ethical scientific practice, we aim to create a safe and inclusive environment where Indigenous and First Nations knowledge systems are valued, integrated, and celebrated together with eDNA methodologies. We seek to promote approaches that are culturally respectful, scientifically rigorous, and grounded in reciprocity, responsibility, and long-term trust. In doing so, we aim to contribute to holistic, impactful, and equitable environmental futures. We strive to demonstrate leading practices, such as integrating the CARE principles for Indigenous Data Governance (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) wherever possible.​

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Current Goals (2025-2028): 

• Consolidate resources and guidelines around best practices in Indigenous engagement for eDNA researchers and add these into the SeDNAS knowledge hub as a resource.

• Write-up two+ case studies of previously successful eDNA-based indigenous/researcher partnerships and promote them as examples of current good practice.

• Explore a pilot matchmaking webinar between Indigenous peoples and eDNA researchers.

 

Medium-term Goals (2028-2035):

• Build Indigenous peoples’ capacity and leadership

  1. Encourage Indigenous leaders to join SeDNAS at all levels of governance, including the Board and PG1 Group.

  2. Aim to enable scholarships/fellowships (sponsored) for Indigenous peoples in the eDNA space.

• Foster the generation of a living document focused on Indigenous-led eDNA-specific guidelines and best practice.

• Aim to enable the development of accessible communication and educational resources to support eDNA implementation by First Nations groups.  

• Develop long-term goals.

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References

1. Sommers S. R. (2006). On racial diversity and group decision making: identifying multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(4), 597–612.

2. McKinsey & Company. (2020). Why diversity matters.

3. Díaz-García C., et al. (2013). Gender diversity within R&D teams: Its impact on radicalness of innovation. Innovation.

4. Adame, F. (2021). Meaningful collaborations can end ‘helicopter research’. Nature Career Column.

5. Global Indigenous Data Alliance. https://www.gida-global.org/