Hello,
I looked at several alternative, progressive databases of magazine/newspaper articles for critical analysis of the Genographic Project. These included Alternative Press Index, AltPress Watch, Ethnic NewsWatch and Gender Watch. Nothing useful turned up. The only articles found were from mainstream publications and they were brief and "newsy" in nature. Since this is a very new initiative from National Geographic, I believe we are dealing with a time lag in article publication. Perhaps in a few months time, you'll see more in the popular and alternative press.
At this point, I would recommend using the Web for what it does best: Weblogs and Discussion groups. These are places where you can find what people are saying about your topic - both regular folks and pundits. Blogs are basically personal websites that are updated frequently (oftentimes daily) and usually include commentary/analysis on current events. Some are general, others deal with specific subjects. Discussion groups are online communities where people come together to discuss topics of common interest. They are almost always subject oriented.
For searching blogs try entering "Genographic Project" into the search boxes of the foilowing blog search engines:
http://www.daypop.com/
http://www.feedster.com/
http://www.technorati.com
For searching discussion groups:
http://groups-beta.google.com/
http://www.boardreader.com
Here is a group you might want to consider researching. They are critical of the Genographic Project.
(last i checked, their site was down)
The Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB)
http://www.ipcb.org/
Criticism of Genographic Project
Greetings.
I want to state immediately that I am NOT answering this question per se, indeed, I am highly biased. As a professional librarian, I would not take such a question on but refer it to others.
I am a participant in the Genographic Project, which seeks to chart the migration of human beings from Africa by examining changes in their DNA. The objection of some Native Americans and other aboriginal peoples is that this is "biopiracy" or "genetic colonialism" because it contradicts creation myths and/or violates religious feeling regarding blood or DNA. I am completely unsympathetic. My Catholic Church would have similar objections. This is not about "colonialism" but trying to discover our essential commonality as HUMAN BEINGS. Every society has a creation myth, but unless they include a massive explosion of energy about 20 billion years ago, they are just that: myths, which help define an individual people. As a children's librarian some years ago, I delighted in sharing such tales from around the world with kids, but certainly not because I believed they were the "truth". A Lakota said, "We don't need genetic testing to tell us where we come from." My reply: Too bad for you. But as I said, I am complete biased against this point of view. It is nice but it will not help any indigenous culture maintain their identity by living in ignorance. Indeed, I would add that the migration so far described (and the creation of universe as posited by science, natch) is a MUCH more exciting creation story than any I've encountered from any continent.
Some of the opposition to this project might be due to the personality of Dr. Spencer Wells, who for those who remember "The Journey of Man" was a gregarious scientist not interested in debating his assumptions. Although I would say I am even more pro-science/anti-religion than him, I usually keep it to myself. This project is too much in the face of those who like to draw a thick line between scientific truth and religious faith. Too bad.
Here is the protest page referred to by "infostat":
http://www.ipcb.org/issues/human_genetics/htmls/action_geno.html
I am happy to tell you that I have used the e-mails provided by this page to protest AGAINST the protesters, thanks.
Here is another article on the controversy:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00271.htm
If you do a search of "Google Groups" on "genographic", you get some interesting results, including some real BS from the Raelians, the UFO cult in Canada that apparently believes all human beings were the product of 7 ancient alien experiments. They see the results of the project as bolstering their own beliefs. Good for them.
There is a legitimate question about how the genetic material will be used beyond tracing the migration of the human species. For this I would refer you the websites at IBM and the National Geographic related to the project. I am satisfied with my own anonymity in the project, although I can certainly see the potential for abuse. I am much more concerned about privacy with my healthcare provider (Kaiser Permanente) than with the National Geographic. As I've stated to others, if we can't even trust the National Geographic, our problems go far beyond having our DNA chopped up and analyzed by scientists.
Joel J. Rane, Reference Librarian
Literature and Fiction Department
Los Angeles Public Library
http://www.joelrane.com/
Read the Screed at: http://www.californialibre.com/
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