Meaningfully engaging with Indigenous children in planning: protocols, relationships and lessons learned

Decolonising planning and integrating Indigenous values can support a sense of identity, attachment and belonging, contributing to the well-being of Indigenous children and the environment. Despite this, little is known about how Indigenous children's voices can be meaningfully integrated into planning, including the voices of Māori [the Indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand]. Drawing on a series of workshops with a youth group of tamariki Māori [Māori children, aged 8-10 years], this paper reports how they understand and use the Whakahekerau-Rakiātea (St Clair-St Kilda) coastline in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, Aotearoa/New Zealand. Key learnings for researchers and planners arising from the engagement process are highlighted, with potential implications for other planning contexts. We argue that to meaningfully engage tamariki Māori in planning, three aspects should be considered: building and maintaining relationships, following an Indigenous protocol throughout the engagement process, and fostering the cultural competency of planners.