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What's in a Name?: Exploring the Implications of Eurocentric (Re)naming Practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nomenclature in Australian Education Practices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 April 2016

Sara Weuffen ,
Fred Cahir  and
Margaret Zeegers
Sara Weuffen*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education and Arts, Federation University Australia, Po Box 633, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia
Fred Cahir
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education and Arts, Federation University Australia, Po Box 633, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia
Margaret Zeegers
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria 3122, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Sara Weuffen, Faculty of Education and Arts, Federation University Australia, Po Box 633, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide teachers with knowledge of ways in which Eurocentric (re)naming practices inform contemporary pedagogical approaches, while providing understandings pertinent to the mandatory inclusion of the cross-curriculum priority area: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015). While we have focused on Eurocentric naming practices, we have also been conscious of names used by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders to name themselves and others and as non-Indigenous Australians we acknowledge that it is not our place to explore these in detail, or offer alternatives. In this article, we have explored the history of nomenclature as it relates to original inhabitants, the connotations of contemporary (re)naming practices in Australian education and discussed the importance of drawing on cultural protocols and engaging local communities for teaching and learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. It is anticipated that discussions arising from this article may open up spaces where teachers may think about ways in which they approach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.

Keywords

AboriginalTorres Strait IslanderIndigenousteaching pedagogynomenclaturecultural protocols
Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , December 2016 , pp. 181 - 190
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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