Hostname: page-component-669899f699-rg895 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-29T04:15:52.916Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Counsellor Education as Humanist Colonialism: Seeking Post-Colonial Approaches to Educating Counsellors by Exploring Pathways to an Indigenous Aesthetic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2015

Kisiku Sa'Qawei Paq'Tism  and
Randolph Bowers
Kisiku Sa'Qawei Paq'Tism
Affiliation:
School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
Randolph Bowers
Affiliation:
School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia
Get access

Abstract

This narrative reflection emerged during a time of personally reconnecting with Mi'kmaq First Nation culture and heritage while working in the mainstream roles of counsellor educator and educationalist in Australia. The essay expresses turning points along a path of increasing political and social discomfort with the status quo in counsellor education. Paradoxically, and in parallel fashion, as Indigenous empowerment increased the issues that arise also became more difficult. Staying with these questions long enough to see through the fog seemed important. Disconcerting questions arose related to identity, prejudice, and healing in a field where helping is purported to be the chief focus of our work. The essay examines “Aboriginal Australian” constructs of counsellor education as expressions of liberal humanist colonialism. Pathways towards an Indigenous aesthetic are suggested based in a post-colonial model of culturally-grounded and locally-grown expressions that honour Indigenous ways of knowing. A new paradigm for counsellor education is suggested that listens to recent articulations of global Indigenous epistemology, ontology, and cosmology.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , 2008 , pp. 71 - 79
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Atkinson, J., Kennedy, D., & Bowers, R. (2006). Aboriginal and First Nations approaches to counselling. In Pelling, N., Bowers, R., & Armstrong, R (Eds.), The practice of counselling (pp. 224–244). Melbourne, VIC: Thomson Publishers.Google Scholar
Balsam, K., Huang, B., Fieland, K., Simoni, J., & Walters, K. (2004). Culture, trauma, and wellness: A comparison of heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and two-spirit Native Americans. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 10(5), 287–301.Google Scholar
Battiste, M. (1977). Cultural transmission and survival in contemporary Mi'kmaq society. The Indian Historian, 10(4), 2–33.Google Scholar
Battiste, M. (2004, 29 May). Animating sites of postcolonial education: Indigenous knowledge and the humanities. Paper presented at the CCSE Plenary Address, Manitoba, Canada.Google Scholar
Battiste, M., & McConaghy, C. (Eds.). (2006). Thinking place: The Indigenous humanities & education. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 1–154.Google Scholar
Battiste, M., Bell, L., Findlay, I., Findlay, L., & Youngblood Henderson, J. (2006). Thinking place: Animating the Indigenous humanities in education. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 7–19.Google Scholar
Bowen, W., Kurzweil, M., & Tobin, E. (2005). Equity and excellence in American education. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press.Google Scholar
Bowers, R. (2005a). Our stories, our medicine – Exploring wholistic therapy integrating body-wellness, mindfulness, and spirituality: An Indigenous perspective on healing, change, and counselling, and the social and political contexts of an emerging discipline. Counselling Australia, 4(4), 114–117.Google Scholar
Bowers, R. (2005b) Shieldwolf and the shadow: Entering the place of transformation. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 79–85.Google Scholar
Bowers, R., Plummer, D., & Minichiello, V. (2005a). Homophobia in counselling practice. The International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 27(3), 471–489.Google Scholar
Bowers, R., Plummer, D., & Minichiello, V. (2005b). Homophobia and the everyday mechanisms of prejudice: Findings from a qualitative study. Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Health, 1(1) 31–57.Google Scholar
Bowers, R. (2006). What is counselling? In Pelling, N., Bowers, R., & Armstrong, P. (Eds.), The practice of counselling (pp. 1–31). Melbourne, VIC: Thomson Publishers.Google Scholar
Brown, L. (Ed.). (1997). Two spirit people: American Indian lesbian and gay men. New York, NY: Haworth Park Press.Google Scholar
Butler, C. (2004). Researching traditional ecological knowledge for multiple uses. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 28(1/2), 33–49.Google Scholar
Callender, C., & Kochems, L. (1983). The North American berdache (with comments and reply). Current Anthropology, 24(4), 443–470.Google Scholar
Corey, R. (2001). Theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy (6th ed.). New York, NY: Wadsworth.Google Scholar
Cortright, B. (1997). Psychotherapy and spirit: Theory ana practice in transpersona psychotherapy. New York, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Crocker, K. (2005). The dreamtime narrative: Australian Aboriginal women writers, oral tradition and personal experience. Retrieved 9 November, 2005, from www.arts.valberta.ca/cms/crocker.pdf.Google Scholar
Fekete, J. (1987). Life after postmodernism: Essays on value and culture. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.Google Scholar
Friere, P. (1973). Education for critical consciousness. New York, NY: Seabury.Google Scholar
Fox, M. (1983). Original blessing: A primer in creation spirituality. San Francisco, CA: Bear and Company.Google Scholar
Fox, M. (1990). A spirituality named compassion (and the healing of the global village). New York, NY: Harper.Google Scholar
Fox, N. (1994). Postmodernism, sociology and health. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.Google Scholar
Geldard, D., & Geldard, K. (1998). Basic personal counselling: A training manual for counsellors (4th ed.). Melbourne, VIC: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. (1988). Spirituality and society: Postmodern visions. New York, NY: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Harris, J. (1990). One blood: Two hundred years of Aboriginal encounter with Christianity: A story of hope. London: Lion Publishing.Google Scholar
Harvey, P. (1989). The condition ofpostmodemity: An inquiry into the origins of cultural change. New York, NY: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Herkman, S. (1990). Gender and knowledge: Elements of a postmodern feminism. Boston, MA: Northern University Press.Google Scholar
Hodge, D. (1993). Did you meet any malagas? A homosexual history of Australia's tropical capital. Nightcliff, NT: Little Gem Publications.Google Scholar
Hornborg, A-C. (2006). Visiting the six worlds: Shamanistic journeys in Canadian Mi'Kmaq cosmology. Journal of American Folklore, summer, 312–336.Google Scholar
Hyman, G. (1998). Towards a new religious dialogue: Buddhism and postmodern theology. Heythrop Journal, XXXIX(1), 394–412.Google Scholar
Keeney, B. (1999). Lakota Yuwipi man, Profiles of healing series. Philadelphia, PA: Ringing Rocks Press.Google Scholar
Keeney, B. (2000). Guarani shamans of the forest, Profiles of healing series. Philadelphia, PA: Ringing Rocks Press.Google Scholar
Keeney., B. (2001). Walking thunder: Dine medicine women, Profiles of healing series. Philadelphia, PA: Ringing Rocks Press.Google Scholar
Knudtson, R., & Suzuki, D. (1992). Wisdom of the elders. Toronto, ON: Stoddart Publishing.Google Scholar
Lacey, L. (1999). Medicine walk: Reconnecting with Mother Earth. Halifax, NS: Nimbus Publishing.Google Scholar
Lather, P. (1991). Getting smart: Feminist research and pedagogy with/in the postmodern. New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Levine-Rasky, C. (1993). Replacing the liberal-humanist individual with postmodern subjectivities in the discourse of Faculties of Education. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Advancement in Education Annual Meeting, Carlton University, Ottawa, Canada.Google Scholar
McConaghy, C. (2000). Rethinking Indigenous education: Culturalism, colonialism and the politics of knowing. Flaxton, QLD: Post Pressed.Google Scholar
Morrow, R., & Brown, D. (1994). Critical theory and methodology: Contemporary social theory, Volume 3. New York. NY: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Orr, J. (2000). Learning from Native adult education. New Directions for Adult Education, 85(Spring), 59–66.Google Scholar
Peavy, R. (1993). Development of Aboriginal counselling: A brief submitted to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, University of Victoria. Retrieved 26 July 2006, from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/reports/subroyalcom.html.Google Scholar
Ponterotto, J., Casas, J., Suzuki, L., & Alexander, C. (2001). Handbook of multicultural counselling (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Sage.Google Scholar
Side, K., & Robbins, W. (2007). Institutionalizing inequalities in Canadian universities: The Canada research chairs program. NWSA Journal, 19(3), 163–181.Google Scholar
Simon, W. (1996). Postmodern sexualities. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Vaughan, K. (2005). Using the arts to teach Indigenous Australian studies in higher education. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 107–112.Google Scholar
Warner, M. (Ed.). (1993). Fear of a queer planet: Queer politics and social theory. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Whitehead, R. (2002). Tracking Doctor Whiteshead: Showman to legend keeper – including the memoir of Jerry Lonecloud. Halifax, NS: Goose Lane Editions and Nova Scotia Museum.Google Scholar