Exploring Indigenous adoptees’ stories of reconnection after adoption through the lens of the Indigenous connectedness framework

The Indigenous Connectedness Framework (ICF) describes mechanisms that help or hinder Indigenous children’s development of family, community, environmental, intergenerational, and cultural/spiritual connectedness, or belonging, and healthy identity. It has been applied in considerations of child welfare system-involved youth and alumni and studies of Indigenous mental health, but not yet to Indigenous adoptees who may not have experienced child welfare involvement prior to adoption and are reconnecting to their origins as adults. Although various factors influence the extent of (re)connectedness, Indigenous adoptees’ reunification with biological family, community, land/place, ancestors, and culture is generally linked with increases in their senses of connectedness, or belonging, and Indigenous/Tribal identity. To gain initial insights into the suitability of the ICF to describe components of Indigenous adoptee (re)connectedness, this study used a Two-Eyed Seeing approach with Indigenous storytelling and narrative inquiry methodologies to explore experiences and perceptions of reunification with four Indigenous adults who experienced adoption by non-Indigenous families as children and were raised in non-Indigenous communities. Stories about reconnection with family, community, and land/place after adoption, as well as stories of perceived supports for, and challenges of, reunification were obtained during conversational interviews conducted via Zoom or phone and then mapped onto the ICF. Disconnectedness mechanisms, (re)connectedness mechanisms, and themes related to adoptees’ internal worlds and resilience, relational identity development, and contributions to intergenerational connectedness were revealed. Suggested pathways for social work to support (re)connectedness or belonging for Indigenous adoptees and implications for future research are provided.