Developing culturally relevant indicators of wellbeing: operationalising the recognition space - a Yawuru case study

The tension between the aspirations and worldviews of indigenous peoples and government reporting frameworks on Indigenous wellbeing has been termed 'the recognition or translation space' (Taylor 2008). Building on Taylor's recognition space, Kukutai and Walter (2015) identify five recognition principles to address statistical functionality for indigenous peoples - geographical diversity, cultural diversity, other ways of knowing, mutual capability building, and indigenous decision making. Whilst achieving wellbeing is an important goal in itself, the participation of Indigenous peoples in defining and setting wellbeing measures goes to the essence of self-determination as set out in the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

At the international level, groups such as the UNPFII contribute to the higher level discussions around how the international agenda can and should consider indicators which are culturally appropriate and reflect Indigenous worldviews. At the local level, Indigenous communities are have also begun the process of setting their own wellbeing agenda and priorities. 

The Yawuru people's own agenda to measure wellbeing according to their worldviews and a PhD proposal on developing culturally relevant measures of wellbeing provided a common ground for a collaborative partnership. Starting with mabu liyan (good liyan) as the central focus of Yawuru's wellbeing, a sequential mixed-methods approach is utilised to ground the Yawuru Wellbeing Survey with knowledge and stories of wellbeing from Yawuru women and men. 

Biographies:

Mandy Yap joined the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) in 2007. She is currently working on Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments funded Indigenous Population Project.

Prior to joining ANU, she worked at the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). As a researcher, Mandy has worked on a range of issues including social exclusion, ageing, diabetes modelling, women and fertility, income distribution and Australia's Indigenous peoples' socioeconomic outcomes. Her research interests include the role of gender equality in Indigenous development and the methodologies around constructing indicators of quality of life and wellbeing.

Mandy is currently undertaking her doctoral research on developing culture and gender sensitive indicators of wellbeing working with the Yawuru in Broome.

Eunice Yu is a Yawuru woman from Broome area. She has been employed at the Kimberley Institute in Broome since 2008 working to facilitate change through strategic research and innovative policy development.

Prior to this Ms Yu worked for the Australian Government in various administrative and managerial positions for 28 years, all based in Broome. Ms Yu has lengthy experience and involvement at a community level. She is currently involved with local community organisations as a volunteer in the areas of culture, sport and previously education, child care and youth.

Eunice is a former Councillor with the Shire of Broome.  She serves as a Board Member of the Kimberley Development Commission and sits on the Round Table for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics with the Australian Bureau of Statistics.