The question of 'Who should teach Indigenous Studies'?
The inclusion of Indigenous Australian Studies or content in University curriculum has a relatively short history and until recently has predominately been taught by non-Indigenous academic staff from disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology and the social sciences. The question of 'who should teach Indigenous Studies?' has been the subject of much discussion and debate, particularly as more Indigenous academics take their place in Australian Universities.
It was not until the late 1960s, the decade in which the United Nations made colonialism a crime against humanity, that any academic interest was shown toward Indigenous issues and/or interests or that Indigenous Studies became available as an area of study in Australian Universities. At this time in history, Australia, like other signatory countries to that UN Convention, theoretically moved into an era of post-colonisation and self-determination in which the voices of the former colonised Indigenous minority became empowered to challenge the institutional racism and exclusivity of dominant ways of knowing and doing, both generally and within academia. More recently, the process of Reconciliation, along with the findings of national inquiries such as the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (1991) and the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families (1997), brought Indigenous issues to the Centre, providing further space for the growing voices of Indigenous peoples challenging and deconstructing colonising practices and articulating epistemologies and histories counter to that of the coloniser as a part of the process of self-determination.
Over the past decade there has been an increase in the number of Indigenous students graduating from higher education institutions and subsequently of Indigenous academics employed within Australian universities. There has followed a challenge to the dominance of non-Indigenous academics and their role in constructing and teaching knowledge about Indigenous Australian cultures, histories and contemporary realities. The question of 'who should teach Indigenous Studies?' was addressed at the March 2008 meeting of the National Indigenous Higher Education Network (NIHEN) held at the Dubbo campus of Charles Sturt University. The NIHEN made five major determinations in relation to this question.
The five major NIHEN determinations:
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It is no longer acceptable that non-Indigenous academics teach Indigenous Studies content if there is a qualified Indigenous academic that can do so
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Non-Indigenous academic staff teaching Indigenous content should have extensive knowledge of Indigenous cultures, histories and contemporary realities, both generally and discipline specific as a requirement for teaching within this area of inquiry.
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In keeping with recommendations of the AUQA Report (2000:vii), the NIHEN argued for professional development activities for non-Indigenous teaching staff such as cultural competency programs and Indigenous Studies seminars as an important step in the process of developing knowledge and understanding, providing a valuable opportunity for integrating aspects of cultural diversity generally, and of Indigenous Australian discipline specific content into a wider range of subjects within various programs
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In recognition of the traumatisation that has occurred to Indigenous family structures and the transmission of culture as a direct result of past Government policies and practices, Indigenous academic staff teaching Indigenous Studies outside of their discipline specific knowledge area should have undertaken Indigenous Studies as a part of their higher education degree
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A partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics in the teaching of 'hybrid' and/or discipline-specific Indigenous Studies subjects is desirable to model to students effective and respectful working partnerships.
Indigenous Australian Studies subjects
Indigenous Australian Studies subjects, as defined above, should be the responsibility of the Centre for Indigenous Studies. Indigenous academic staff employed within Faculties and Schools across CSU but not within the Centre for Indigenous Studies may be assigned to teach Indigenous Australian studies with the approval of the Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies and relevant Dean. In such cases responsibility for academic management of the subject will remain with the Centre for Indigenous Studies but the funding for the subject will be assigned to the School in which the staff member is employed to recognise the proportion of their teaching load contribution.
Discipline-specific Indigenous Australian Studies
Discipline-specific Indigenous Australian Studies will be managed and taught by the relevant Schools, unless otherwise negotiated between the relevant Dean and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies. It is expected that Faculties and Schools will employ Indigenous Academics in the professions to teach discipline-specific Indigenous Australian Studies wherever possible.
Hybrid Indigenous Australian Studies
All hybrid Indigenous Australian Studies subjects should be team taught by academic staff from the Centre for Indigenous Studies and relevant Schools. The Centre for Indigenous Studies should have responsibility for teaching Indigenous Australian Studies content while the relevant Schools have responsibility for the discipline-specific Indigenous Australian Studies component. The management of such subjects will remain the responsibilities of the relevant Schools, unless otherwise negotiated between the relevant Dean and the Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies. The Relevant Head of School and Director of the Centre for Indigenous Studies will jointly oversee the teaching of the subject. Funding for the teaching of hybrid Indigenous Australian subjects will be assigned proportionally to the Centre/Schools based on teaching load contribution.