Amy

Sugars

Teaching and Learning in Aboriginal Education: Essay

It is crucial that teachers educate students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture, history and issues in order for them to have a clear
understanding of Australia and how it came to be the way it is today (Price 2012,
p. 152). The aim of incorporating Aboriginal studies into the curriculum is to give
students a deeper understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture (ACARA 2015). Craven (2011) states that the study of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities incorporates acquiring knowledge about
the ‘histories, cultures, values, beliefs, languages, lifestyles and roles, both prior
to and following invasion’ (p.3). The Australian Curriculum incorporates a
conceptual framework that highlights the importance of ‘Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples’ unique sense of identity’ (ACARA 2015). It is crucial that
students are taught about issues such as Stolen Generations, self-determination,
reconciliation, the referendum, the National Apology and racism in order for
them to gain an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture and people. It is not only important that educators are able to
teach students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture but it is also
important that they are able to teach Aboriginal students effectively by having an
in depth understanding of their culture.

As previously mentioned the Australian Curriculum has developed a conceptual
framework that focuses on the identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people and communities which incorporates three key, interconnected elements
which are culture, country and place and people (ACARA 2015). This framework
provides areas within these three components that must be taught as part of the
Australian Curriculum (ACARA 2015). Culture includes awareness of the large
number of language groups within the Indigenous population, the importance of
‘being, knowing, thinking and doing’ and the ways in which this culture can be
seen historically, socially and politically (ACARA 2015). The second component
of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity is people, which includes the
recognition of the impact that Indigenous people have had on Australia and
around the world, the importance of family and connection within Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities and the diversity amongst Indigenous
communities (ACARA 2015). The final component of the conceptual framework
is the country and place which involves an understanding of the connection
between Indigenous people and the land on which they live, the duty of care that
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to the land and the recognition
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as two separate Indigenous
groups (ACARA 2015).

The best way to authentically teach students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture is to bring in guest speakers and teach with a person of
Aboriginal background or consult with them to ensure you are teaching ethically
and providing the correct information to students. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people are the traditional owners of Australia therefore, ‘they have the
right to be consulted when aspects of Aboriginal history and culture are being
incorporated into the school curriculum’ (Board of Studies NSW 2008, p. 2). It is
of upmost importance that teaching students about the Aboriginal and Torres
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Strait Islander population encourages equality and respect for all individuals
(Craven 2011, p.3). In order to work together with Aboriginal communities to
ensure that students receive the best teaching about Indigenous culture it is
crucial that strong and respectful relationships are established (Board of Studies
NSW 2008, p. 3-4). By consulting with Aboriginal communities and individuals of
an Indigenous background educators are able to identify sensitive topics or
issues that they must be aware of when teaching about Aboriginal culture and
history (Board of Studies NSW 2008, p. 4). It is difficult to effectively teach about
a culture other than your own without experiencing it first hand therefore, it is
crucial that teachers continually develop their knowledge of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander culture. The continual growth of knowledge and
understanding of this culture’s history and issues is crucial to ensure that
students are receiving the most recent and reliable information and through
consultation and co-teaching with people of Indigenous backgrounds this can be
achieved (Board of Studies NSW 2008, p.2). It is also important to discuss
Aboriginal education with local Aboriginal communities because then the
teaching you provide is more relatable to students and will be more engaging
(Board of Studies NSW 2008, p.4). ‘Aboriginal spirituality, belief systems and the
Dreaming’ are all topics that should be taught alongside people of an Aboriginal
background in order for students to gain an in depth ‘understanding of what
Dreaming truly means to Aboriginal people today’ (Board of Studies NSW 2008,
p. 23). Inviting guest speakers into the classroom would be highly beneficial for
students’ learning because it enables them to hear personal stories and interact
with people of an Aboriginal background rather than receiving information from
a person who has never experienced the culture before (Board of Studies NSW
2008, p. 5). For example, a guest speaker could talk about the spiritual
connection that Aboriginal people have with the land that they live on, as
outlined in the Australian Curriculum’s conceptual framework (ACARA 2015).
This experience would allow for students to hear personal stories and views
rather than hearing what a teacher may have learnt from a book or the Internet.

There are a number of organisations in South Australia that provide courses or
training, conducted by people of an Aboriginal background, that help individuals
to gain a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
and such courses could be useful for teachers or even for students at school
(Government of South Australia Department of State Development 2015). Camp
Coorong is one of the organisations discussed by the Government of South
Australia’s Department of State Development (2015) and it provides individuals
with a means for gaining a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture and their
ancestor’s lifestyle and history. This camp is located in Meningie in South
Australia, therefore, it may be a suitable location for a school camp and would
provide students with the opportunity to learn directly from people of an
Aboriginal background (Government of South Australia Department of State
Development 2015). Marra Dreaming is an organisation located in Salisbury,
South Australia that provides cultural workshops in a variety of settings
including schools and would be highly beneficial for students learning about
Aboriginal culture (Marra Dreaming n.d.). The workshops conducted by Marra
Dreaming teach students about Aboriginal art, storytelling and food (Marra
Dreaming n.d.). This organisation also provides a number of other programs that
 Amy Sugars

raise awareness about Aboriginal culture, history and contemporary issues

(Marra Dreaming n.d.).

Reconciliation can only effectively take place if educators have the best resources
available to them, in order improve the quality of Aboriginal studies teaching and
create a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
(NSW Department of Education and Training 2003, p. 4). Teaching students
about reconciliation means that they will acquire an understanding of the
importance of equality and respect for all Australians without discrimination
against race or culture (Australian Government 2015). National Reconciliation
Week, from the 27th of May to the 3rd of June, would be a highly appropriate time
to incorporate activities about reconciliation, the referendum and the national
apology into the teaching about Indigenous culture and history (Australian
Government 2015). The referendum took place on the 27th of May 1967, which
resulted in Aboriginal people being counted in the national census and this was a
big step towards reconciliation (Australian Government 2015). The national
apology took place in 2008 when Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister at the time,
apologised for the past acts of discrimination and disrespect by non-Indigenous
Australians with the aim to promote equality amongst the population (Australian
Government 2015). In 1991 the Australian Government created the Council of
Aboriginal Reconciliation, which aimed to create equality amongst all Australians
and raise awareness for issues amongst the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities (Gunstone 2007, p. 39). The council also had the role of creating
documentation of the reconciliation amongst non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal
Australians by the year 2000, when the council’s job would conclude (Gunstone
2007, p. 39). By the year 2000 the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation did not
achieve all of its goals however, it did make some non-Aboriginal Australians
more conscious of the challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people (Gunstone 2007, p. 39). Therefore, in order for discriminatory attitudes
and actions to be removed from Australian society, people must continue to
learn about and raise awareness of the challenges faced by Indigenous people. A
way that students could be taught about reconciliation is through firstly
explaining to them what it means and why it is important and then asking them
to visually represent what reconciliation means to them. Allowing the students
to choose the way that they would like to present the idea of reconciliation
would enable them to use their imagination and think creatively without having
a set idea of what they must create which enables them to think more deeply
about the concept.

Aboriginal culture is difficult to teach about because it is very difficult to
understand what Aboriginal people go through and have been through, without
being through it yourself. Similarly, without facing the racism that Indigenous
people face it is hard to understand the impact that it has on their culture. Some
educators avoid teaching students about Indigenous society because they do not
want to say the wrong thing and ‘other teachers hold racist views’ which means
that students receive either a lack of education on the topic or receive it from a
racist point of view (Craven 2011, p. 17). When using books as a resource for
teaching it is imperative that they are written by Indigenous authors in order to
remove any racist attitudes or stereotypes that may arise throughout the
 Amy Sugars

literature (Price 2012, p. 159). One way that educators could discourage racism
is by speaking about the impact that racism and discrimination has on a person
and perhaps invite a person who has experienced racism to speak to the class in
order for students to develop a sense of empathy and a negative attitude towards
racism. It is important that teaching students about Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture encourages positive attitudes and aims to remove racist
attitudes or stereotypes that may exist. Educating students about Indigenous
culture at a young age may discourage such negative attitudes from forming.
Strategies to reduce racism may either aim to increase non-discriminatory
behaviour and attitudes or they may aim to directly stop the racist attitudes
(Centre for Social Change & Social Equity Murdoch University 2003, p. 8). A
teacher could ask students to create a poster with images to display around the
school or classroom and write down a reason why racism is bad along with a
reason why equality is important. This activity would encourage students to
think more deeply about the impacts of racism and how equality can benefit
society.

The Stolen Generations are an issue that students must be taught about in order
to have a true understanding of Aboriginal culture and Australian history. The
stories of the Stolen Generations have often been hidden in attempt to cover up
the wrong doings of the European settlers (Williams-Mozley 2012, p. 23). It is
crucial that students understand that the Stolen Generations still have a lasting
impact on the Aboriginal population to this day in order for them to appreciate
the seriousness of what took place (Board of Studies NSW 2008, p. 24). When
teaching about this topic it is crucial to understand that it is a sensitive issue
therefore, if educators wish to invite guest speakers into the classroom they
must be aware of issues that they may not want to discuss (Board of Studies
NSW 2008, p. 24). Inviting someone to talk about their experiences or their
family’s experiences of the Stolen Generations would be highly beneficial for
students learning and would allow them to develop empathy for other people’s
circumstances (Board of Studies NSW 2008, p. 24). Educators may ask students
questions about how they would feel if they were removed from their family in
order to gauge how students feel about the Stolen Generations. For older
students it may be appropriate to watch the movie Rabbit Proof Fence (Noyce
2002) because it evokes an emotional response from the viewers and enables
students to see the impact that the Stolen Generations had on the Aboriginal
population rather than just hearing about it. It is also important that students
realize that children of the Stolen Generations were not only taken from their
families but they were also pressured to fit in with a culture that was unfamiliar
and vastly different from their own (Williams-Mozley 2012, p. 25). The removal
of children also lead to the removal of their identity, which in turn lead to a lack
of self-determination for Indigenous people. Self- determination can be defined
as ‘the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status and freely
pursue their economic, social and cultural development’ (Concilia 2014).

In conclusion, there are a number of approaches that can be taken when teaching
students about Indigenous culture and history however, it is of upmost
importance that educators work alongside local Aboriginal communities and
individuals of an Indigenous background in order for students to gain an in-
 Amy Sugars

depth understanding of the culture from a reliable source. Students need to

understand that although many people suggest that Australia promotes equality,
the Indigenous population still remains as the ‘most disadvantaged Australians’
(Craven 2011, p. 13). By educating students about Aboriginal Torres Strait
Islander culture it will encourage them to ‘be empowered and act on social
issues’ with the aim of creating change and improving the world in which we live
(Craven 2011, p. 18). In summary, teaching non-aboriginal students about
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture should discourage racism and
stereotyping which may then encourage Indigenous people to feel proud of their
culture. Racism and discrimination are issues that must be prevented in order
for all cultures and people within Australia to be equal.


Word count: 2,350

References

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Curriculum, Mathematics, Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum v7.5, Australian
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and-reconciliation/cultural-trainers>.
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Gunstone, A 2007, Community involvement and education in the 1991-2000

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Marra Dreaming n.d., Cultural awareness, Marra Dreaming, viewed 23 September
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