Human milk’s cellular ecosystem: How colonial science obscures Indigenous lactation wisdom and corporate biotech’s next frontier
Original framing: “Scientists reveal hidden world of living cells in human milk” — Phys.org
Indigenous knowledge systems, such as the Māori concept of *whakapapa* (genealogy) applied to lactation, treat milk as a living, ancestral connection rather than a static biological sample. Studies like this one could benefit from integrating practices like the Inuit *qaggiq* (communal child-rearing spaces) or the Mapuche tradition of communal breastfeeding support, which demonstrate that lactation is not an individual but a collective practice. The omission of these perspectives reinforces the colonial erasure of Indigenous science, where Western researchers often re-discover knowledge that has been practiced for millennia. For instance, the Dogon people of Mali have long understood milk’s role in infant immunity, a finding now being 'uncovered' through nanoscale imaging.
This study’s framing of human milk as a 'hidden world' of cells is not an innocent scientific discovery but a product of colonial knowledge systems that prioritize extraction over equity.
The erasure of Indigenous lactation wisdom—such as the Māori *whakapapa* or the Dogon’s understanding of milk’s immunity-boosting properties—reveals how Western science has historically positioned itself as the sole authority on human biology, despite millennia of traditional knowledge. The historical pattern of medicalizing and commodifying lactation, from 19th-century colonial extractions to 20th-century biotech patenting, demonstrates how scientific 'advancements' often serve corporate and institutional power structures rather than public health. Meanwhile, the absence of marginalized voices—such as incarcerated parents or those with disabilities—exposes the systemic barriers that prevent equitable access to lactation support. To move forward, lactation research must be decolonized, integrating Indigenous knowledge, ethical regulations on biotech exploitation, and community-led solutions that address the root causes of maternal and infant health disparities.