'From being me to becoming us': exploring ways of social working for Truku people

Yabung・Haning, a Truku scholar and social worker from the Qowgan community in Hualien, Taiwan shares her reflections on developing an alternative Truku approach to social work grounded in self-narrative and collective storytelling. 

This talk explores alternative social work approaches for Truku People. Moving beyond theory, the presenter uses family stories to externalise the traumatic emotions, labels, and stigma rooted in colonial history.

The core methodology involves developing an alternative Truku social work through self-narrative and collective narrative. This process creates a space to explore identity and reinterpret labels. By weaving these narratives together with the Truku Youth Association, a collective narrative is formed that critiques mainstream social work education. 

This talk emphasises that encouraging indigenous students to learn and interweave their own family stories is essential for empowerment, self-awareness, and, crucially, for reclaiming their voice to resist colonial relations.