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This study aimed to investigate the impact of a place-based education curriculum (PBE) on the indigenous teacher empowerment and improvement of indigenous students' learning achievement. This study applied mixed method research particularly concurrent triangulation design. The study took place in a remote indigenous elementary school in Papua, Indonesia. The participants were an indigenous teacher and eleven indigenous students. The PBE curriculum entitled "Who is Papuans" was developed by integrating the indigenous students' place. Findings of the study revealed an effective teaching for the indigenous teacher provided by developing and practicing the PBE curriculum. In order to teach indigenous students effectively, there is a need for indigenous teacher to: (a) focussing on the curriculum; (b) starting from day to day of students' life; (c) emphasizing the use of dialogs, pictures, story, writing, and telling; and (d) utilizing the cultural approach to enable students' learning achievement. By developing and practicing the PBE curriculum, indigenous teacher also obtained a new sight of culture awareness.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]