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Embedding Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies whilst interacting with academic norms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2019

Stephanie Gilbert
Stephanie Gilbert*
Affiliation:
The Callaghan Campus, University Drive, Callaghan, New South Wales 2308, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Stephanie Gilbert, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Working in an Institute that centres Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies provides a challenge for the ongoing development of our understandings of Indigeneity and how we embed and embody these understandings. It also creates the opportunity for reflection and development both of pedagogical principles, as well as construction. Trends within the Institute to move to a new degree offering, led the University of Newcastle and the Wollotuka Institute to revisit questions of how to have these conversations together, how to create shared ideas about appropriate approaches and how to translate these shared understandings into real-time outcomes for students studying our courses. These processes are observed here with some examples provided to illuminate the challenging processes taken by experts involved with embodying Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies in this area through all processes of an indigenous centred unit in an Australian university.

Keywords

Cultural standardsIndigeneityIndigenouspedagogy
Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 50 , Issue 1 , August 2021 , pp. 55 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2019

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