There are important efforts being made to revitalise Aboriginal languages in Australia, which are both pedagogically and culturally appropriate. This research seeks to expand the current knowledge of the effectiveness of gesturing as a teaching strategy for young children learning the Gathang language. An experimental method was used to investigate the effectiveness of gesture by employing a context in which other variables (e.g., other teaching pedagogies) could be held constant. Participants, age range 4–5.2 years, were taught Gathang nouns with gesture and without gesture, alongside verbal and pictorial instruction. After the teaching sessions, each child was assessed for their receptive and expressive knowledge of the Gathang nouns, at two time points, two days after instruction (post-test 1) and one week after (post-test 2). At post-test 2, children had stronger receptive knowledge for words they had learned with gesture than without. These findings contribute to a growing body of research attesting to the effectiveness of gesture for improving knowledge acquisition amongst learners. In the context of Aboriginal language revitalisation, gesture also aligns with traditional teaching practices and offers a relatively low-cost strategy for helping teachers assist their students in acquiring Aboriginal languages.

Aboriginal weaving is used as a method to explore new understandings and extend on the notions of insider-outsider in the research space. Just as weaving requires different strands of fibres, the insider-outsider researcher finds ways to enable the co-existence of differing authorities, roles, and responsibilities as community Elder and emerging researcher alongside the development of culturally resonant research approaches and methodologies.This paper weaves together strands that are a representation of Aboriginal knowing, being, and doing: cultural practices that influence Indigenous language revitalisation research. As an Indigenous Australian researcher, community Elder, language teacher and activist, the lead author Radley is experienced in the complexity of performing multiple roles while undertaking research. She relays the tensions inherent in an insideroutsider researcher identity through her research into the revitalised Gathang language (Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia). Aboriginal academics, co-authors Ryan and Dowse explore Indigenising academic spaces, the politics of elevating Aboriginal protocols to transform research ethics, and the importance of listening and telling our stories in our own ways. Together, the authors interweave their stories to demonstrate partnerships between research and culture and speak of the importance of Indigenising the academy.