Indicators of well-being among indigenous peoples of the Colombian Amazon: Tensions between participation in public policy making and autonomy

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses application of indicators of well-being in indigenous societies of the Colombian Amazon, addressing benefits and potential drawbacks of indigenous peoples’ participation in developing indicators. Following a social information system perspective, through a case study based on fieldwork, we analyse how Indicators of Well-being among Indigenous Peoples (IWIP) contribute to indigenous peoples assessing the state of their livelihoods, managing information, and negotiating with government agencies. We address the positions of indigenous organizations and research institutions regarding repercussions of such use of indicators on their participation in developing public policy and on their autonomy. While indigenous organizations and government agencies may use information systems and indicators to promote communication and collaboration among local actors in order to counteract inequality in decision-making, use of indicators makes indigenous peoples legible to the State and are promoted in contexts of asymmetrical power relations between indigenous organizations and government agencies.