How do Yolŋu recognise and understand their children’s learning? Nhaltjan ŋuli ga Yolŋuy nhäma ga märr-dharaŋan djamarrkuḻiw marŋgithinyawuy?

Abstract

Indigenous families have culturally-specific strengths, priorities, and methods for assessing their children’s development. Recognition and support of children’s and families’ strengths are important for identity, health and wellbeing. However, strengths can be missed in assessment processes developed in non-Indigenous contexts. Yolŋu are First Nations Australian peoples from North-East Arnhem Land. This study was conducted to explore Yolŋu early childhood development, assessment and support in response to concerns that Yolŋu strengths and priorities are often not recognised. The cultural and linguistic expertise of Yolŋu researchers was central in this qualitative study. Rich empirical data were collected through a form of video reflexive ethnography with six children and their extended families over seven years and through in-depth interviews with 38 other community members. An iterative process of data collection and analysis engaged Yolŋu families and researchers in a collaborative, culturally responsive research process which drew on constructivist grounded theory methods. Findings illustrate how Yolŋu children are immersed in complex layers of intertwined and continuous testing and teaching processes integrating holistic frameworks of cultural identity and connection, knowledge and practices. Yolŋu families monitor and recognise a child’s development through both direct and explicit testing and through observing children closely so that children can be supported to keep learning and growing into their knowledge, strengths and identity. Yolŋu expressed concern that such learning is invisible when the child is viewed through non-Yolŋu lenses and assessed with processes and tools from outside the community. Indigenous peoples have a right to culturally congruent assessment of their children. Those who share the child’s culture and language have the expertise to ensure that cultural strengths and priorities are recognised and understood.

Pockets of promise: exploring innovation and complexity of remote ECEC service delivery in Australia

“…In this way, the findings about community-led delivery, quality and local workforce challenges and solutions are intertwined. These findings very much align with previous research about community-led delivery and pedagogical practice that have been undertaken in the Northern Territory (Fasoli and Moss, 2007;Armstrong et al, 2022). Stakeholders identified the importance of Aboriginal-owned organizations to have representation from across their communities, touching on gender, age and different family groups as cohorts that were sometimes underrepresented.…”

“…The common gaps that were prioritized by stakeholders centered on workforce issues (Stakeholders 1, 2), community-controlled approaches (Stakeholder 5) and the need for Aboriginal-led research (Stakeholder 4). It is integral that communities are involved not only in research about the everyday practice and pedagogy to support children's development (Lowell et al, 2018;Armstrong et al, 2022), but also in research about how these practices can inform the design of policy and research to monitor how these programs are working (Children's Ground, 2020).…”

A Holistic Approach to Early Relational Health: Cultivating Culture, Diversity, and Equity

“…Given that it is a relational, revitalizing praxis, "Etuaptmumk"-"Two-Eyed Seeing" could fundamentally change the ways in which ERH scholarship, practice, research, and advocacy operate by facilitating the co-creation of ethical spaces for co-production of new knowledge. It can be an approach to inclusive, equitable, and trustworthy collaborations with diverse families and communities [9,33,37,[53][54][55][56][57]. "Etuaptmumk"-"Two-Eyed Seeing", "M's1t No'kmaq"-"All our relations," and shared healing stories can be brought forward to revitalize teaching and learning about ERH in early childhood education, social sciences, pediatric, family, and public health certificate and degree programs [33,53].…”

“…It can be an approach to inclusive, equitable, and trustworthy collaborations with diverse families and communities [9,33,37,[53][54][55][56][57]. "Etuaptmumk"-"Two-Eyed Seeing", "M's1t No'kmaq"-"All our relations," and shared healing stories can be brought forward to revitalize teaching and learning about ERH in early childhood education, social sciences, pediatric, family, and public health certificate and degree programs [33,53].…”

Intersectionality and Its Relevance in the Context of Aboriginal People with Brain Injury in Australia

“…An extremely relevant parallel in the field of pediatric practice is illuminated in Armstrong Maypilama et al (2022b) where Yolngu researchers (Aboriginal researchers from northeastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia) express concern that aspects of children's development and learning are invisible when the child is viewed through non-Yolngu lenses and assessed with processes and tools from outside the community. The concerns and the critical underpinning questions are clearly evoked when the researchers ask "whose values and beliefs are being centered and privileged?"…”