Mentoring as Two-Way Learning: An Australian First Nations/Non-indigenous Collaboration

Abstract

In this paper we explore how we are using the principles of two-way learning in a collaboration between two academics coming from different worldviews: an Australian First Nations scholar and a White, non-Indigenous scholar working together to promote First Nations Australian perspectives into the curriculum. This collaboration involves supporting each other, learning from each other, opening each other's hearts and minds to each other's worldviews. We act as each other's mentors at different times, we are each other's translators, have each other's backs, and see each other as equals with different views to offer in order to create critical and sustainable change in all areas of education.

Raising an Indigenous academic community: a strength-based approach to Indigenous early career mentoring in higher education

“…Hidden in plain sight have been issues of systemic inequity in mentoring policies, characterised by racial neutrality (Alarcón et al, 2017 ), discrimination and exclusionary practices that disenfranchise those early career academics who may not share the values of economically aligned goals of an enterprise university (Sutherland-Smith et al, 2011 ), the symbolic violence enacted on those who are unfamiliar with the dominant reproductive codes of culture and power (McDonough et al, 2021 ) and neoliberal values of individuality and competitiveness (Baice et al, 2021 ). Indigenous scholars’ determination and audacity has provoked a rejection of these formalistic mentoring models, with much needed and increasing research focussing on relational, inclusive, culturally responsive and diverse paradigms of mentoring practices and policies for Indigenous students and faculty in higher education (Brayboy et al, 2014 ; Coff et al, 2019 ; Endo, 2020 ; Liou et al, 2016 ; Loban, 2014 ). Indigenous led critical analysis is increasingly challenging the ideological foundations of institutional mentoring, revealing the negative implications for Indigenous academics, especially for ECRs.…”

Indigenous knowledge in conservation science and the process of a two‐way research collaboration

“…In many parts of the world, researchers do, or at least could, work with Indigenous people on country they have occupied for millennia, even in places where the connections of Indigenous people have been disrupted by colonialism (Garnett et al, 2018). However, if academic researchers work in a region for just a few years it can make it difficult to form relationships with Traditional Owners or custodians to establish meaningful research collaborations (Bessarab & Ng'andu, 2010; Coff & Lampert, 2019) or establish research goals with shared values and co‐benefits (Berkes, 2009; Castleden et al, 2012; Jackson, 2019). Often Indigenous People are interested in a particular problem at a particular place which affects their community (Christie, 2006), and sometimes view problems through a holistic lens that does not separate human concerns from those of the environment.…”

Narrative Reconsiderations of Teaching as Negotiated Curriculum for Social Justice and Equity

“…We acknowledge here that the very act of mentoring might be seen as a form of banking pedagogy (Freire, 1970). We further note that within mentoring relationships there is often a hierarchical and paternalistic stance, which must be modified as an issue of social justice and equity (Coff and Lampert, 2019). Due to this fact, we included Candace's student mentee, Charles, in this research text.…”