Dr. José Arias Bustamante

PhD Candidate

Project

CONTESTED LANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: a case study of adaptation to change in the context of Mapuche People.

Themes

Indigenous forest-dependent communities; Indigenous knowledge; Climate change; Forest conservation; Adaptation management; Land access; ILO 169

Interests

My research interests revolve around Indigenous forest-dependent communities victims of land seizures and environmental decline by transnational companies and the Nation States. I have a particular interest in the Mapuche Nation, the largest indigenous people of Chile. The Mapuche culture, knowledge and worldview have been jeopardized by the named stakeholders, and therefore concerted action and new knowledge are needed in order to find peaceful solutions regarding land access. In the Mapuche ancestral lands, violent conflicts have been escalating in the last years, and as a result of this, several Mapuche and non-Mapuche lives have been taken.

On top of all that I have mentioned, these Mapuche communities, as other Indigenous communities around the globe, are experiencing the impacts of climate change. For instance, drought and forest fires, which in combination with the impacts of logging operations and introduced forest plantations, make a very complex scenario for the communities in general.

I am also interested in Indigenous knowledge, and the possibilities it could provide not only in solving land conflicts, but also in dealing with the impacts of climate change; I believe that this ancient knowledge could play an important role in developing new strategies to both provide solutions to the land conflict, and develop adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change impacts. This is why I am planning to follow an integrative approach to support collective decision-making processes within the Mapuche ancestral lands, and thus find peaceful solutions to the conflict over land access.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Academic Qualifications

2022 (expected) Ph.D. in Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia

2013 M.Sc. in Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia

2009 Diploma in Socio-Environmental Management, Complexity and Sustainability, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Chile

2009 Forest Engineer, Faculty of Forestry, University of Chile

2007 B.Sc. in Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, University of Chile

Research Experience

August 2018 – Present, Research Assistant. GF Strong Rehabilitation Research Lab, Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada.

February 2019 – July 2019, Graduate Academic Assistant. Physics and Astronomy Education Research, (PHASER) group. University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada.

September 2018 – April 2019, Graduate Academic Assistant. First Nations & Indigenous Studies, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada.

November 2009 – July 2010, Research Assistant at the Forest Institute of Chile (INFOR) Diaguita Office. La Serena, Chile.

July 2008 – August 2008, Research assistant. University of Chile, Forest Resources Management Department. Santiago, Chile.

March 2007 – August 2007, Research Assistant, University of Chile & INDAP. Native Forest characterization of two Indigenous communities from Lonquimay and Melipeuco, Chile.

Professional Experience

September 2016 – August 2018, Qualitative Data Analysis Graduate Assistant. Walter C. Koerner Library, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada.

September 2014 – March 2016, Graduate Academic Assistant for NVivo support. Walter C. Koerner Library, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada.

January 2009 – February 2009, Ranger. Quebrada de Macul Park, Municipality of Peñalolén. Santiago, Chile.

January 2008 – February 2008, Internship. NGO Foresters for the Development of the Native Forests of Southern Chile (AIFBN). Valdivia, Chile.

Awards, Grants and Scholarships

2017-2018 UBC Public Scholars Award (UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies)

2017 Society of Ethnobiology’s Student Conference Travel Award

2015-2016 Rufford Small Grants for Nature Conservation (The Rufford Foundation)

2014-2017 Chilean Government Doctoral Scholarship (Becas Chile–CONICYT)

2013-2014 Faculty of Forestry Graduate Award (UBC Faculty of Forestry)

2012-2013 Kloshe Tillicum Aboriginal Health Research Master’s Award

2012 Asa Johal Graduate Fellowship in Forestry (UBC Faculty of Forestry)

2012 Mary and David Macaree Fellowship  (UBC Faculty of Forestry)

2012 Terrestrial Research on Ecosystem & World-wide Education and Broadcast (TerreWeb) Travel Fund

2010-2012 Chilean Government Master Scholarship (Becas Chile – CONICYT)

Professional Affiliations

2017 – Present UBC Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) Network

2017 – Present Society of Ethnobiology

2014 – Present Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Network (iGSN)

2014 – Present  Liu Institute for Global Issues

2013 – Present  Network of Chile-Canada Research  (REDICEC)

PUBLICATIONS

Peer reviewed

Arias-Bustamante, J. and Innes, J. 2021. Mapuche spirituality and its contribution to climate change mitigation. In: Leal Filho W., Luetz J., Ayal D. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57281-5_119

Arias-Bustamante, J. and Innes, J. 2021. Adapting forest management to climate change: experiences of the Nisga’a people. International Forestry Review. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1505/146554821832140402.

Ives, J., Stang, J., Arias-Bustamante, J., Dubois, P. and Hofmann, A. 2020. Exploratory Factor Analysis of a survey on group-exam experiences and subsequent investigation of the role of group familiarity. 2020 PERC Proceedings edited by Wolf, Bennett, and Frank. American Association of Physics Teachers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1119/perc.2020.pr.Ives

Non peer reviewed

Arias-Bustamante, J. 2019. The Criminalization of Mapuche Land Defenders in Chile. Impakter: https://impakter.com/the-criminalization-of-mapuche-land-defenders-in-chile/

Arias-Bustamante, J. 2013. Indigenous knowledge, climate change and forest management: the Nisga’a Nation approach. MSc thesis in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of British Columbia. Vancouver, Canada. 203 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14288/1.0166831.

Arias-Bustamante, J. 2012.  Working with Indigenous communities. Branchlines UBC Forestry, Vancouver. Canada. 23 (3): 15-16.

Perret, S., Arias Bustamante, J., Villalobos Volpi, E. (2010). Aprendamos a vivir con la naturaleza. La colmena productos y procesos de Ella. La Serena, Chile: INFOR : CORFO. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52904/20.500.12220/17833

Arias, J. & Gálvez, J. 2010. Typification of certified wood producers, from the communes of Mariquina, Corral and Valdivia, Los Rios Region. Chile [In Spanish]. Native Forest; Num. 46. P. 3-11

Arias, J. 2009.  Associative networks proposal for small forest landholders producing certified firewood, from the communes of Mariquina, Corral and Valdivia, Los Rios Region. Chile [In Spanish]. Undergraduate thesis in the Faculty of Forestry, University of Chile. Santiago, Chile. 61 p. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.27593.77925

Bannister, J.; Carcamo, P.; Medel, I. and Arias, J.2009. Characterization of Water Sources of Three Rural Community Drafts, Province of Valdivia. Chile. Native Forest; Num.44. P.  9

PRESENTATIONS

Conference Presentations