Self-Determination and Eco-Cultural Competence among Tribal Naga Students in Migration
Pathways to Sustainable Homecoming
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33043/yxbd5ac643Keywords:
eco-cultural competence, indigineous psychology, self-determination, Naga tribal students, higher education, indigenous counselling, socio-cultural adaptionAbstract
This study examined how Indigenous practices of community care and mentoring informed culturally grounded counseling and psychological well-being among Naga tribal students from Nagaland in Northeast India. Guided by Indigenous Psychology and Self-Determination Theory, the research explored how the students navigated their educational migration through community-based counseling systems. These systems provided culturally grounded spaces of care and mentoring, enabling students to sustain their socio-cultural adaptation, strengthen their eco-cultural competence, and prepare them for a sustainable homecoming while maintaining their ancestral identity and ecological belonging. Using qualitative methods rooted in Indigenous methodologies, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and talking circles that foreground collective knowledge. Participants included students, community elders, and Naga mental health practitioners. Findings revealed that student unions and Church fellowships functioned as Indigenous mentoring and counseling systems that integrated ethics of reciprocity, intergenerational narrative practices, and contemporary psychosocial support, thereby fostering empowerment and ecological consciousness. Migration offered a perspective that deepened awareness of cultural and ecological heritage, reinforcing commitment to stewardship and community advocacy. The study demonstrated how Indigenous counseling frameworks could enhance culturally responsive mental health practices by providing contextually relevant approaches that support equity, community well-being, and environmental justice in higher education contexts.
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