Wayfinding Through the Human Genome

Overheard at National Geographic

National Geographic

Science, Society & Culture

4.5 • 10.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 November 2022

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

National Geographic Explorer Keolu Fox grew up hearing stories about his ancestors, Polynesian navigators, and the men who in the late 1970s led the first Hōkūleʻa voyage to Tahiti. As the first Native Hawaiian with a Ph.D. in genomic sciences, Fox tells us how genetic data can help reveal powerful narratives about the history of Indigenous people and their achievements, and empower communities to use data to improve public health and preserve their culture. For more information on this episode, visit natgeo.com/overheard. Want more? Less than one percent of genome studies include Indigenous people. Watch Keolu Fox’s Ted Talk on why genetic research needs to be more diverse. Also, check out his essay in Scientific American on what genomic research could potentially reveal about the history and accomplishments of Indigenous people. Also explore: If you are working on an idea that promotes Indigenous futurism and environmental health, Keolu is collaborating with Footprint Coalition Science Engine to encourage people to apply for grants to help execute their projects. For subscribers: You can read our magazine profile on Keolu and how he hopes to find clues that lead to new medicines, better health care, and even land reclamation. Read about how the Polynesian Voyaging Society is trying to keep the art of Polynesian wayfinding alive by sailing around the world on traditional voyaging canoes—and you can also get to know the Hōkūleʻa’s first female captain, National Geographic Explorer Lehua Kamalu. If you like what you hear and want to support more content like this, please consider a National Geographic subscription. Go to natgeo.com/exploremore to subscribe today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	My name is Kay Olufox and I'm an indigenous futurist and genome scientist of all kinds
0:12.9	of varieties, humans, bacteria, you name it.
0:16.2	Kay Olufox is a national geographic explorer.
0:19.4	He's also the first native Hawaiian to get a PhD in genome science.
0:24.7	This idea of indigenous futurism.
0:29.2	Where did that come from?
0:30.4	The first time I arrived at the idea was at University of Hawaii in Manoa because there
0:36.9	was a sign on the wall, somebody drew a poster and it said Hawaiian futurism.
0:41.6	And I was like, what is that?
0:46.6	And it got me really thinking about that deeply.
0:48.6	And I'm a technologist.
0:49.9	I love developing things.
0:51.7	I like thinking about what that looks like when we are in control and we are using this.
0:59.0	What does that future look like?
1:00.0	How does it empower our communities?
1:02.8	That's indigenous futurism.
1:09.8	I'm Peter Gwynn, Editor at Large at National Geographic Magazine and you're listening to Overheard,
1:14.8	a show where we eavesdrop on the wild conversations we have here at Nat Geo and follow them to
1:19.9	the edges of our big, weird, beautiful world.
1:23.6	This week we're going on a way funding journey with Kay Olufox.
1:27.2	We'll start with the stories he heard growing up in Hawaii about his ancestors and the knowledge
1:32.9	they used to find islands throughout the Pacific and then learn how he's working with Polynesian
	...

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