Indigenous children’s voices on well-being: Belonging and connection
Background: Despite growing recognition of the importance of listening to children’s voices, Indigenous children’s perspectives remain marginalised in research and policy concerning well-being. Listening to Indigenous children is crucial, as they can define what well-being means within their own sociocultural contexts. Research on Indigenous children’s well-being, therefore, contributes not only to broader discussions of childhood well-being but also to the development of more culturally responsive policies and practices.
Aim: This research explores Indigenous children’s understandings of well-being in one remote Indigenous community in Indonesia, with particular attention to how children describe well-being through their own voices and experiences.
Method/approach: This study employed a socioculturally-oriented narrative research design (Squire, 2013). Data were collected through an adapted mosaic approach (Clark & Moss, 2001, 2005), using art-based activities in children’s art classes as a culturally appropriate tool for listening to Indigenous children’s voices. The participants of this study are 60 children from the Suku Lauje ethnic group in Indonesia. To ensure trustworthiness in this study, ethical approval was obtained from the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (Ref. UAHPEC26295) on 24 August 2023.
Results/findings: The study found that Indigenous children understood well-being primarily through experiences of belonging and connection, particularly in relation to people, places, and ideas. Rather than viewing well-being as an individual achievement, children described it as a process achieved through relational and collective experiences embedded in their community and everyday lives.
Conclusion: Listening to Indigenous children provides important insights into how well-being is understood within Indigenous contexts. The findings highlight that belonging and connection are central to Indigenous children’s well-being.
Implications for children and families: This study offers you a deeper understanding of how children’s sense of belonging and connection shapes their well-being and highlights the importance of listening to children’s perspectives in everyday family and community life.
Implications for practitioners: This study provides you with a relational framework for understanding Indigenous children’s well-being by recognising the importance of children’s belonging and connections to people, places, and ideas in well-being assessment.
Funding: This research is supported by the Indonesia Endowment Funds for Education (LPDP).
Keywords:Indigenous children’s voices, indigenous children’s well-being, belonging and connection, Indonesia
This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: