Indigenising the Curriculum or Negotiating the Tensions at the Cultural Interface? Embedding Indigenous Perspectives and Pedagogies in a University Curriculum

Abstract

Attempts to Indigenise the curriculum run the risk of implying the application of an “impoverished” version of “Aboriginal pedagogy” and the promotion of corrupted understandings of Indigenous knowledge (Nakata, 2004, p. 11). What is required, Nakata (2004, p. 14) argues, is a recognition of the complexities and tensions at cross-cultural interfaces and the need for negotiation between “Indigenous knowledge, standpoints or perspectives” and Western disciplinary knowledge systems such that meanings are reframed or reinterpreted. Attending to these cross-cultural negotiations and the pedagogical practices they imply are profoundly challenging for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators.This paper focuses on a project at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) which seeks to embed Indigenous perspectives in Humanities and Human Services curricula. It outlines the curriculum framework which was developed to guide the curriculum redesign in its initial phases. This is followed by a discussion of current research that has been concerned to identify material that can support the renegotiations of curricula endorsed by Nakata’s work. The research findings indicate that it is possible to identify a number of pedagogical approaches that can assist that process. Such approaches recognise various levels of engagement beyond the “intellectual”; they insist on a consistent unsettling of Western authority; they acknowledge Indigenous positions/positioning; and require critical self-reflection.

Developing Indigenous Australian cultural competence: A model for implementing Indigenous content into curricula

“…The comments above suggest that IAHC is contributing to students developing an awareness of different cultural communication practices and the need to alter communication in different contexts with different people. Furthermore, units such as IAHC challenge students to reconsider their cultural perspective as one of many as Western authority undergoes a consistent unsettling through privileging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewpoints (Williamson & Dalal, 2007). Students are, consequently, encouraged to develop an understanding of power and knowledge systems in racial terms thus supporting the development of critical thinking.…”

“…What makes embedding cultural competency as a generic graduate attribute challenging is that cultural competency and cross-cultural education are complex and specialised areas of teaching and learning, and few academics have the confidence, skills and ability to teach and assess these capabilities effectively (de la Harpe et al, 2009;Nash, Mieklejohn & Sacre, 2006). Added to this, in the context of postcolonial Australia, a nation founded through colonisation, many academics have a lack of knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and history (Universities Australia, 2011), they frequently cannot make the connection between their unit and Indigenous perspectives and are anxious about undertaking inappropriate activities (Williamson & Dalal, 2007). Furthermore, in some instances, researchers in the field report 'territorial' responses from non-Aboriginal academics who identify an already overcrowded curriculum as a barrier to including Indigenous Australian history, culture and knowledge (Gunstone, 2009;Nakata, Nakata & Chin, 2008).…”

“…One of the key methods adopted in a carefully sequenced approach to the content is one of 'no blame' where students are encouraged to discuss a range of viewpoints in an informal and non-judgemental context. This helps students to explore their views with an understanding that this knowledge is new to them; this approach has been identified by others working in the field as an important element in creating a safe learning environment in which concerns can be raised and addressed whilst seeking to shift understanding (O'Dowd, 2010; Williamson & Dalal, 2007). Students were supported and at the same time challenged to reassess their ideas regarding Indigenous Australians-and how they have been constructed-through round table yarning sessions that model Indigenous cultural pedagogies and protocols, mutual respect and draw the audience into the speaker's circle (Bessarab & Ng'andu, 2010;Yunkaporta & Kirby, 2011).…”

Academic Insights into Promoting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture

“…Urgent action is needed in the building of and strengthening of indigenous studies and indigenous research. Taking the above sentiments in consideration Williamson and Dalal (2007) ascertain that educators and educational institutions need to build bridges between the Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to achieve meaningful outcomes, for Indigenous students in particular and for all students in general. In sum, this study will ascertain the role of CIS in this regard.…”

The Major in Cultural Context: Choosing Liberal Arts in the Marshall Islands

“…Pacific models of teaching and learning integrate field-specific knowledge with practical skill (Williamson & Dalal, 2007). They valorise oral over written communication, integrate ethical with epistemological insights, and understand the community more than the individual as the unit of production of knowledge (McLaughlin & Whatman, 2008).…”