A framework emphasizing interconnected relationality is designed to dismantle human exceptionalism and promote the development of Indigenous childrenHuman exceptionalism – “the belief that humans are separate from and independent of the ecosystems they inhabit” – contrasts sharply with the way Indigenous people view and relate to plants, animals, and the rest of the natural world. This commentary discusses how human exceptionalism has led to the climate crisis with “severe consequences” on the health and well-being of Indigenous children. The commentary issues a call “for a shift from human exceptionalism to an interconnected relationality among people, land, and more-than-human beings.”
The “interconnected relationality” called for in this paper includes “integrating Indigenous and land-based knowledges and relational frameworks into all aspects of child development and developmental science.” A proposed implementation framework consists of an adaptation and expansion of the “six pillars” outlined by the U.S. Surgeon General as a national strategy to advance social connection. The six pillars of this adaptation are: (1) Designing for Collective Continuance in Local Communities, (2) Enact Relational Public Policies, (3) Mobilize Relationality Across the Health and Education Sectors, (4) Repatriating Indigenous Technologies and Digital Environments, (5) Commit to Land-based Education and Healing Practices, and (6) Cultivate a Culture of Interconnected Relationality. “Each pillar aims to enhance children’s development by fostering a sense of belonging, identity, and connection to self, family, community, and environment.”
The paper urges researchers in mainstream developmental science “to challenge perspectives that overlook the broader social and environmental landscape and to reimagine values and beliefs that promote sustainability and collective well-being.” The paper also encourages researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to consider how land and environmental contexts shape the development of children, especially Indigenous children.
The framework presented in this paper – Six Pillars to Advance Indigenous Relationality Among Children – is designed to promote responsible relationships with the land and support healthy Indigenous child development. The implementation of this framework may also contribute to the dismantling of inequitable systems and ensure a sustainable future for generations.
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