Educator Resource

Cultural safety: respectfully covering First Nations content

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians of this nation and pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and that connection to Country never ends.

This lesson has been developed and created in collaboration with First Nations consultants. While every effort has been made to ensure this content's accuracy, we acknowledge hundreds of distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups across Australia. Therefore, we recognise that this content will not be the sole representation, voice or view of First Nations peoples and their diverse communities.

Useful resources:

https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/about/terminology-guide
https://www.narragunnawali.org.au/professional-learning/90/cultural-safety-and-respect-in-the-classroom
For exploring language, social or nation groups of Aboriginal Australia, visit the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.

Talk with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff, families or community members when planning to use Bright Beginnings on Country learning resources in the classroom. Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members could be invited to share stories about their culture and experiences. This will enrich the students’ learning experiences and is especially meaningful when local perspectives are shared from the place where students live and learn.

Before approaching First Nations people, teachers should be mindful and respectful that there may already be many demands on their time for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Instead, an effective approach might be to look up the local First Nations organisation first – do some research online or ask your local council if you need a starting point. Local First Nations organisations often have information about a region's history and culture, as well as contacts. Once you have researched, use the information you find to engage with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Understanding Country

As educators, it’s important to understand the Country you are teaching, living and learning on. For First Nations people, Country refers to the ‘lands, waters, and skies to which they are connected through ancestral ties and family origins’ (Source). This term holds various meanings for First Nations peoples, representing the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the continent.

Country is considered a proper noun and should always be capitalised when referring to First Nations perspectives. For First Nations peoples, Country is often referred to in the same way a person is.

For non-Indigenous peoples, it is a sign of respect to Traditional Owners and First Nations peoples across the continent to know and acknowledge the Country you reside on. An authentic First Nations education for every child in Australia will ensure a better understanding of the local Country, First Nations peoples, cultures, languages, histories and perspectives, further enabling a more progressive, inclusive and accepting wider community (Source).

Research shows that younger Australians are more likely to know the Country they are on than older Australians, and as educators, we can work towards improving the knowledge of our students and their families through inclusive language in our classroom. For example, ‘This newsletter comes to you from Taungurung Country…’ or ‘Students have been learning about the Traditional Owners of Gundjitmara Country.’

The ability to identify the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Country, language group or community you are on pays respect to your First Nations community. Recognising Country and language is also a key part of the decolonising journey and work that Australians are doing to understand First Australians (Source).

Reconciliation in Education

As educators, we have a unique opportunity to connect students with important ways of learning from diverse perspectives across Australia, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Throughout our nation’s history since colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and perspectives have been systematically excluded from mainstream education, and, as a result, misinformation and bias have filtered into our nation’s collective attitudes. While there are a number of key messages pertaining to reconciliation in education, one central component involves learning to respectfully include and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, voices and perspectives so that stronger relationships and understandings can be formed. For teachers, engaging in ongoing processes of learning, unlearning and re-learning, as well as building relationships and actively listening to the histories and cultures of local Elders and Traditional Custodians, are critical steps among wider actions that can be taken towards driving reconciliation in the classroom, around the school and with the community.

To learn more about reconciliation in education and how you and your school community can take action towards it, consider signing up to Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali online platform.

Ensuring psychological safety and inclusivity of First Nations students

It is essential to account for the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in your class. This resource is developed for mainstream classes, but it is important not to isolate First Nations students in how the material is taught. Some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may have important insights or contributions that should be welcomed. However, First Nations students should not be expected to contribute any more than other students.

Content

To learn more about Yolŋu maths, we recommend seeking information from an authentic First Nations source, such as the following academic article by Bawaka Country: Lloyd, B. C. i. K., Suchet-Pearson, S., Wright, S., Burarrwanga, L., Ganambarr, R., Ganambarr-Stubbs, M., Ganambarr, B., & Maymuru, D. (2016). Morrku Mangawu—Knowledge on the Land: Mobilising Yolŋu Mathematics from Bawaka, North East Arnhem Land, to Reveal the Situatedness of All Knowledges. Humanities, 5(3), 61. (https://doi.org/10.3390/h5030061)

Making Groups on Country

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