Response to Reading

Contemporary Education Debates, Semester 3 - March 2021

“I’m not Indigenous, so it’s not appropriate for me to teach Indigenous perspectives.”

Provocation 3 claims; “I’m not Indigenous, so it’s not appropriate for me to teach Indigenous perspectives.” This provocation was chosen as this has been an issue of concern for me as a white Australian descendant from a convict who was sent to this country for stealing a loaf of bread. I have often thought about the implications of myself teaching about the experiences of others who were directly affected by my relatives and the cultural group of which I am a part of. However, my role as a visual arts educator gives me an opportunity to influence a new generation of Austalians to consider their country’s history and work towards reconciliation. ‘The centrality of Aboriginal cultural workshops and experiential learning in pre-service teacher education course: a regional Victorian University case study’ by Sara L. Weuffen, Fred Cahir and Aunty Marjorie Pickford (2016) discusses the importance and impact of Indigenous education by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators. Weuffen, Cahir and Pickford argue that there is relevance and success in cross-cultural approaches to Indigenous education. This article will support my counter argument against the provocation. 

Australian educational spaces have previously and traditionally silenced Indigenous voices, evoking the argument that non-Indigenous educators should not teach Indigenous content, and instead that role should be given to someone of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander culture. While Indigenous voices should always be prioritised in regards to Indigenous education (Gillan, Mellor & Krakouer, 2017), Weuffin et al consider the statistical facts behind this idealogy. Only 1.5% of teachers employed in Australian primary and secondary schools identify as Indigenous, and only 0.6% of teachers in Victoria (p. 9). Weuffin et al argue that these numbers suggest there are not enough Indigenous educators to design and deliver Indigenous education units, and as such we must rely on non-Indigenous educators to assist in the development of cross-cultural learning and authentic cultural interface (Nakata, 2007). 

Weuffin et al. asks us to consider not who is teaching the content, but how the content is being taught. Cross-cultural curriculum allows different perspectives and knowledges of Australia’s history and the perspectives and knowledges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians to be “shared and explored on common ground” (p. 2) This approach would see non-Indigenous educators working alongside and collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share an authentic educational experience. Through blending theory and practice-based pedagogies, students can be given an experiential, hands-on learning opportunity. In the visual arts, non-Indigenous educators can facilitate workshops with Indigenous educators who share their knowledge. An example of this is given by Weuffin et al., where author Aunty Marj presents techniques on basket weaving and coiling while discussing the importance of this practice in Aboriginal culture (p. 5). Proceeding the collaborative teaching approach, non-Indigenous teachers continue the conversations from the workshop in future lessons in order to implement cultural understanding into the rest of the curriculum (AITSL 1.4). This approach supports teachers to work with all students in a culturally responsive manner while prioritising place-based knowledge in the classroom (Walter & Butler, 2013).

While the research is primarily focused on the education of pre-service teachers, Weuffin et al. fail to explore how non-Indigenous educators can approach Indigenous content beyond the act of collaboration. Wolfe, Sheppard, Le Rossignol & Somerset (2017) explore the perspectives of non-Indigenous educators and their attitudes towards teaching Indigenous content, and argue that enhancing their cultural capability requires a commitment to ongoing personal development and reflection (p. 650). Quality non-Indigenous educators must possess the skill of being able to critically reflect and evaluate the values and beliefs of the cultural group to which they belong. This requires a deep understanding and respect of Aboriginal and Toress Strait Islander peoples and their histories (AITSL 2.4). Weuffin et al argue that this skill may in fact be more beneficial when developing a cross-cultural understanding of Indigenous education (p. 9). Being able to acknowledge what is wrong with the institution and history that you belong to is what will ultimately deploy change and work towards reconciliation (Goodfellow, 2019). 

My position as a non-Indigenous person provides a different perspective on Indigenous education and can help contribute to an authentic and respectful approach to Indienous content and knowledge. Collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through both the planning and presentation of teaching provides students with access to direct knowledge, while learning how to continue conversations about Indigenous cultures, history and reconciliation in and outside of the classroom. The concern of teaching Indigenous content as a non-Indigenous person comes from a place of respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their history and culture. However, it is my responsibility as an educator to critically examine and reflect upon my position as a non-Indigenous person in order to provide authentic education for my students and a younger generation in order to work towards reconciliation.

REFERENCES

Australian Insititute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2021). Australian Professional 

Standards for Teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Gillan, K., Mellor, S., & Krakouer, J. (2017). Australian Education Review, The Case for 

Urgency:Advocating for Indigenous voice in education. Australian Council for Educational Research.

Goodfellow, M. (2019). Put our colonial history on the curriculum - then we’ll understand who we 

really are. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/05/britain-colonial-history-curriculum-racism-migration

Nakata, M. (2007). The Cultural Interface. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 

36(S1), 7-14. doi:10.1017/S1326011100004646

Walter, M., & Butler, K. (2013). Teaching race to teach Indigeneity. Journal of Sociology, 49(4), 

397-410. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783313504051

Weuffen, S. L., Cahir, F., & Pickford, A. M. (2016). The centrality of Aboriginal cultural 

workshops and experiential learning in pre-service teacher education course: a regional Victorian University case study. Higher Education Research & Development, 36(4), 838-851. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1242557

Wolfe, N., Sheppard, L., Le Rossignol, P., & Somerset, S. (2017). Uncomfortable curricula? A 

survey of academic practices and attitudes to delivering Indigenous content in health professional degrees. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(3), 649-662. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1385595