The preservation of the identity and culture of the Indigenous Lanninese people of West Papua, Indonesia, through education (Preservación de la identidad y la cultura del pueblo Lani, comunidad indígena de la provincia Indonesia de Papúa Occidental, a través de la educación)

ABSTRACT

Indigenous West Papuan children live with the political legacy of the Indonesian colonization of their region, which shapes their beliefs and attitudes towards their identity and culture. Working with three Indigenous Lanninese children in West Papua within a qualitative case study methodology, we explored the role education can play in preserving Lanninese culture and identity by increasing students’ sense of place. The increasing use of labels of worthlessness among Indigenous West Papuans, along with feelings of being distinct from Indonesians — who contribute to the devaluation of the West Papuan identity — were unconsciously taken up by children. Initially, the stigma of having black skin and curly hair triggered the students’ feelings of racial discrepancy and worthlessness, causing Lanninese students to imitate Indonesians. However, the implementation of a place-based education curriculum titled ‘Who is Papuan’ helped them acknowledge their identity and culture. This curriculum was designed in collaboration with elders and a native teacher to utilize the funds of knowledge centred on local place characteristics and cultural values and was delivered using bilingual and culturally responsive teaching and learning approaches.