worldview, religion and indigenous studies: a case study of a...

Worldview, Religion and Indigenous Studies: A case study of a long running

Victorian school’s program

Andrew Schmidt B. Sc., Monash University Dip. Ed., Deakin University Grad. Dip.Curr.St., N.I.C.E M. Ed. St., Monash University

Thisthesisissubmittedinpartialfulfilmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeof

DoctorofEducation

Inthe

FacultyofEducation,MonashUniversity

August2010

ii

ThesatisfactorycompletionoftheDoctorofEducationdegreeatMonash

Universityrequiredthecompletionoffourcourseworkunitsaswellasamajor

thesis.Thecourseworkunitscompletedandtheresultsobtainedineachofthe

unitsarelistedbelow:

ADVANCEDSTUDIESINEDUCATIONALRESEARCH&PRACTICE1(CREDIT)

ADVANCEDSTUDIESINEDUCATIONALRESEARCH&PRACTICE2(DISTINCTION)

RESEARCHINSPECIALISTCURRICULUMAREAS(HIGHDISTINCTION)

RESEARCHESSAY(HIGHDISTINCTION)

Thefivepaintingsshowninthisworkhavebeenusedbypermissionfromtheowners(MECS).PleasenotethisworkcontainsthenamesofIndigenousPersonswhoaredeceasedormaybeatthetimeofreading.Outofrespectpleasedonotreadtheirnamesoutaloud.

iii

TABLEofCONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES viii

ABSTRACT ix

DECLARATION x

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi

Chapter 1 Initial impressions and the Context of Indigenous Studies Programs..........................................................................................2

1.0 The Meeting 2

1.1 Initial Impressions of the Program 2

1. 2 Early Understandings 4

1.2.1 The 1960s and early 1970s 5

1.2.2 Winds of change and a new paradigm - The Eighties 6

1.2.3 Recent Developments 7

1.2.4 Conclusions 10

1.3 Implications for Implementing Indigenous Studies 11

1.3.1 A focus on perspectives 12

1.3.2 Renewed focus on language 12

1.4 How have Schools Responded to these Calls? 14

1.5 The Mt Evelyn Christian School’s Response: What is it really a case of? 17

1.6 The Journey of this Research and an Outline of the Chapters 19

Chapter 2 Literature Review......................................................................24

2.0 Key Ideas 24

2.1 Views on Culture 25

2.1.1 Culture as object 26

2.1.2 Culture as a perspective 28

2.1.3 Culture as language 30

2.2 Who should Teach? 33

iv

2.3 Ideas about Curriculum and Knowledge 37

2.3.1 Curriculum as subject: Knowledge as facts 38

2.3.2 Curriculum as process and skills: Knowledge as ability 40

2.3.3 Curriculum as Social Critic: Knowledge as socially constructed 40

2.3.4 The Integral curriculum: Knowledge as wisdom 41

2.4 Worldview 43

2.4.1 The nature of worldviews 44

2.4.2 Elements and features of a worldview 45

2.5 Worldview and Language 48

2.6 Worldview and Being Religious 50

2.7 Learning about and Being Challenged by Worldviews 54

2.8 Conclusion 57

Chapter 3 Methodology..............................................................................59

3.0 Introduction 59

3.1 Methodology Considerations 60

3.2 Ethical Considerations 63

3.2.1 Confidentiality 64

3.2.2 Insider/Outsider 65

3.2.3 The Impact of the participant observer 66

3.2.4 Power and persona 66

3.2.5 Ownership 66

3.2.6 Dissemination 67

3.3 Shaping the Initial Research Questions 67

3.4 Gaining experiences of the program 68

3.4.1 Initial visit to the Yuendumu Community 69

3.4.2 Becoming a participant observer 70

3.5 Collecting the Data 71

3.5.1 Journaling 71

3.5.2 Oral histories 72

3.5.3 Interviewing the key teachers 73

3.5.4 Interviewing the students 73

3.5.5 Samples of Students’ Work 74

v

3.5.6 Survey 74

3.5.7 Examining Key Documents 74

3.6 Looking into the history of the school 75

3.7 The Preliminary Phase 75

3.8 Personal Autobiography 76

3.9 Analysing the data: Recognising emerging themes 77

3.10 Silences 78

3.11 Summary 78

Chapter 4 Descriptions of Mt Evelyn Christian School and Its Indigenous Studies Program......................................................................80

4.0 Introduction 80

4.1 The School 81

4.2 The Philosophy of the School 83

4.2.1 The School’s historical religious roots 84

4.3 The School’s Indigenous Study Program 87

4.4 Focus on the Warlpiri Language 88

4.4.1 History of the language program 88

4.4.2 Description of a Warlpiri lesson 89

4.5 Descriptions of Indigenous Studies lessons 92

4.5.1 Early impressions and relationships between Kooris and Whites 92

4.5.2 Women of the Sun and History of contact 94

4.5.3. The Dreaming/Jurkuppa 95

4.5.4 Aboriginal Christianity 98

4.5.5 Current issues of reconciliation 100

4.5.6 Guest Speaker 101

4.6. The Centre Trip 102

4.6.1 History of the program: Accidental beginnings 103

4.6.2 The build up and expectations surrounding the trip 105

4.6.3 The Journey into the desert 106

4.6.4 Uluru- the importance of the land 106

4.7 Yuendumu 108

4.7.1 Friday night at the disco 110

vi

4.7.2 The art centre 110

4.7.3 Saturday afternoon 111

4.7.4 The Saturday night elders talk 111

4.7.5 Church Yuendumu style 112

4.7.6 The hunting trip 113

4.8 The Centre Trip Evening 115

4.9 Teaching by example: the School’s Action and Stance 115

4.10 Conclusion 117

Chapter 5 Initial Analysis of the Data and Findings.............................119

5.0 Introduction 119

5.1 All Cultures are Complex and Different 120

5.1.1 Complexity in the topics chosen 120

5.1.2 Language 123

5.1.3 Humility 124

5.1.4 Avoiding romanticising 125

5.2. Cultures are Sites of Dynamic Struggle 126

5.3 Cultures are Enacted Worldviews 128

5.3.1 Seeing ways of responding and differences as expressions of worldview 128

5.3.2 Language and worldview 131

5.3.3 The Dreaming and worldview: The Centrality of being religious 133

5.4 Ideas about Teaching Culture: Integrality 136

5.4.1 The integral curriculum 136

5.4.2 The importance of direct experience 137

5.4.3 Personalising the General: Grounding ideas in particularity 139

5.5 Transformational Purpose: Challenging one’s own Culture 140

5.5.1 Methods employed to challenge the student’s worldview 142

5.5.2 Formal teaching of the terminology and concepts 142

5.5.3 Language 144

5.5.4 Direct experience 144

5.6. What beliefs and values were challenged? 148

5.7 Concern for Justice 151

5.8 The Role of Christianity in it all 153

vii

5.9 Silences 155

5.10 Summary-New Questions and Directions 157

Chapter 6 Being Religio–Critical: Putting together some answer.......160

6.0 Introduction 160

6.1 The Centrality of Worldview and the Religio-Critical lens 161

6.2 Learning from the Case study 163

6.2.1 Presenting Indigenous worldview with appreciation and respect 164

6.2.2. The difficulty of understanding your own and others’ worldview: The importance of direct experience and language. 167

6.2.3 Explaining humans as “being religious” and central to human life 169

6.2.4 Dealing with the complexity of Aboriginal Christianity 172

6.2.5 Knowledge as wisdom 173

6.2.6 Meeting people on their home turf 174

6.3 Sustaining Relationships and Programs 175

6.4 Equal Partnership? 177

6.5 Conclusion 180

Chapter 7 Final Comments and Conclusion...........................................182

7.0 Revisiting the story of this study 182

7.2 Limitations of the Study 184

7.3 Future directions 184

7.4 In Conclusion 185

REFERENCES............................................................................................187

Appendix 1 Description of MECS course in the Koori Resource Index 203

Appendix 2 Observation Schedule used in Class 208

Appendix 3 Stimulus Chart used to Interview Student Groups 209

Appendix 4. Warlpiri Subsections as taught By MECS 211

viii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Mala (Rufus hare wallaby) Dreaming ............................ 1

Figure 2. Wirliyajarryi-karnta Warranyangu Jukurrpa .................. 23

Figure 3. Art response of a student telling her story ................... 58

Figure 4. Yuendumu visit ............................................................. 79

Figure 5. Poster of paintings in the Yuendumu Church ............. 118

Figure 6. Peggy Nungarrayi Emu Dreaming.............................. 159

Figure 7. Yumurrpa Jurkurrpa (bush potato dreaming) ............. 181

ix

ABSTRACT

ThiscasestudyinvestigatedMountEvelynChristianSchool’s(MECS)28year

programofIndigenousstudiesbasedaroundfriendshipwiththeYuendumu

Community.Theircompulsory,stand‐aloneprogramincorporatedtheteachingof

Warlpirilanguageandathree‐fourdaystayatYuendumu.Giventhecontextofthe

littlethatwashappeninginmostschoolsin1981anditslongevity,manyinitial

researchquestionswereraisedanddistilledthroughtheresearchprocesstoask:

WhatworldviewlensdidMECSusetoshapeandteachitsprogram?Using

participantobservation,scrutinisingdocumentsandconductingsemi‐structured

interviewswiththedevelopers,studentsandteachers,severalthemessurrounding

thepurposeofschooling,understandingsofcultureandteachingaboutother

culturesemerged.AkeyfindingwasthatMECSusedatransformationalpurpose

forschooling,ananthropologicalunderstandingofhumansasbeingcentrally

religiousandanunderstandingofcultureasenactedworldviewrevealingreligious

directions.ThesefindingschallengeschoolsengagedinIndigenousstudiestobe

awareoftheirowndefinitionsandunderstandingofbeingreligiousimplicitin

theirownculture;theimportanceofdealingwithculturesataworldviewlevel;the

roleofdirectexperienceandtheimportanceoflearningandengagingwith

Indigenouslanguage.

x

DECLARATION

Iherebydeclarethatthisthesiscontainsnomaterialwhichhasbeenacceptedfor

theawardofanyotherdegreeordiplomainanyuniversityorotherinstitution

andthattothebestofmyknowledgeandbelief,thethesiscontainsnomaterial

previouslypublishedorwrittenbyanotherperson,exceptwheredue

acknowledgementismadeinthetext.

Signed: _______________________________________ Date:

TheresearchreportedinthisthesiswasgrantedapprovalbytheMonashStanding

CommitteeofResearchinEducationinvolvingHumans,MonashUniversity.

ProjectNumber2004/112

xi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

IwouldliketoacknowledgeandthanktheWarlpiripeopleofYuendumufor

welcomingmeandmywifealongwiththeEvelynmobintotheircountryand

communitytoexperiencetheirwonderfulgenerosity.

Manythankstothestaff,students,parentsandboardmembersoftheMt.Evelyn

Christianschoolwhoparticipatedinthisresearchandgavefreelyoftheirtime

insightsandpermissiontousethepaintingsandotherdocuments.

ThankstoGeorginaforgettingmestartedandtomymainsupervisorZaneMa

Rheawhohadthedifficultjobofpickingmeuphalfwaythroughandyetwasso

goodathelpingmetocrystallizewhatthisprogramwasaboutandwhostartedme

writing.

AspecialthankstoColinwhowassowillingtosharehislifetimeofwork.Ihope

thisresearchhonoursandcelebrateshiscontributionandfaithfulnessto‘walking

humblyanddoingjustice’.

MylifementorsProf.StuartFowlerandDr.DougBlombergwhostartedme

thinkingandhaveshapedmyideassomuch.

ThankyoutoKathleenAustin,mywife,forherpatiencehelpandsupport.

Finally,IacknowledgetheHolySpiritforstrength,conviction,theperseveranceto

endureandinsights.

1

Figure1.Mala(Rufusharewallaby)Dreaming

Painted by Andrew Japaljarri Spencer and Bertha Nakamarra

Spencer, 1988.

The ancestral Mala travel north and south from the centre. They

spread throughout the country. The five sites are Jila well, Mala wiri,

Marawurrungu, Prinupu and Uluru

2

Chapter One

Initial impressions and the Context of Indigenous Studies Programs

1.0 The Meeting

The bus drove slowly up the dirt road to the settlement. Voices

everywhere, high pitched, full of excitement and anxiety. The visitors,

glued to the windows of their temporary home away from home,

staring out at the red dust sprinkled with grasses and shrubs. Colin’s

voice crackled over the speaker pointing out the Yuendumu hill and

the honey ant dreaming and some of the settlement’s features. New

sights surrounded the visitors: houses with verandas overflowing,

yards with old cars, couches and other furniture, lots of scrawny dogs

and litter. Old people in bright clothes raised their hand in greeting. As

the bus slowed in the centre of town, a big bunch of local kids

appeared running, laughing, waving and welcoming. The air was full

of a different language, sounding strange with “here” and “there” a

word familiar to the ear. As the visitors emerged from the bus, they

were surrounded by a mob of local, excited, happy kids hanging on to

them, wanting to play. There were sights of movement, red dust and

bright clothing. There was excitement, nervousness, clinging, hands

white in black. I saw welcoming, connecting, trying out words and

playing. As the students were led off surrounded by clinging, jumping,

smiling kids, several women and a man emerge. Colin greets them in

Warlpiri; they smile, laugh and shake hands. “Good to see you again

Japaljarri”.

(extract from personal journal)

1.1 Initial Impressions of the Program

Thisisajigsawofmyrecollectionsofthefirsttenminutesasthestudents

fromMt.EvelynChristianSchool(MECS)endtheirlongjourneyofhavinga

communityofIndigenouspeople,themobfromYuendumurepresentedto

themthroughtheirteacher,peers,films,guestspeakers,articlesand

languagestudy,tofinallymeetingthepeoplethemselves.Thisisameeting

betweentwomobs,whichhasa28‐yearhistory.Asafirsthandwitnessto

thisevent,Ibelieve,thatinthelanguageofDeleuze,thisexperiencewasan

externalprovocation,somethingintheworldthatforcesustothink.This

3

somethingisnotanobjectofrecognition‘butofafundamentalencounter

thatmaybegraspedinarangeofaffecttones,wonder,love,hatredor

suffering’(Delueze,1994,p.251).

Itonlytakesacursoryglanceattheschool’sartwork,itsnewsletter,the

Year9and10WarlpirilanguageprogramandtheYear10KooriStudies

programoftheschooltorealisethatthepresentandpastlives,stories,

languageandartoftheWarlpiripeopleofYuendumucommunityinthe

NorthernTerritoryareadominantpartofthewayMECSconstructs

AustralianIndigeneitytoitscommunityandtoitsstudents.

Inthe12publishedcasestudiesoftheKooriResourceIndexdescribingthe

waysVictorianschoolsareconstructingAboriginalStudies,MECSstandsout

(Roberts,1994).Notonlyisitscoursecompulsoryand12monthslongbut

whereeachoftheotherschoolslistsbooks,filmsandlessonactivities,the

MECScontributionisastorybyitsteacherColinJapaljarrioftheWarlpiri

languagecourseandtheschool’srelationshipwiththeWarlpiripeopleof

YuendumuandthecomplexityofAboriginallife(seeAppendix1).It

describestherelationshipwiththeWarlpirias‘havingahumbleand

touchingdepthtoit’(p.140).ThedescriptionoftheMECScoursealsohasa

contributionbytheYear10teacher,whichagainisnotalistofactivitiesor

lessons,butastoryofhisfriendshipandrelationshiptoanelder,Darby

JampinjinpaRoss.Comparedtotheothercontributionsitstandsout.There

issomethingquitedifferentabouttheMECSapproachandunderstandingof

doingIndigenousstudies.

Anecdotally,itisoftenthefirstthingmanyoftheapproximately600

graduatessince1981talkaboutwhenaskedabouttheirexperienceof

MECS.Oftentheyrecallthelifechangingeffecttheprogramhashadontheir

understandingandsupportforIndigenouspeople.Onepaststudentthus

impactedisLiamCampbellwhohasspentmostofhisadultlifelivingand

workingintheYuendumucommunity.Theschooltripwashisintroduction

tothisplace.Hehasrecentlypublishedabook,abiographyofoneofthe

oldestmenofYuendumu(Campbell,2006),andwasnominatedfor

4

NorthernTerritoryYoungAustralianoftheyearforhisworkinhelpingthe

communityeradicatepetrolsniffing.

Whentalkingtoyoungerstudentsabouttheprogram,mostlookforwardto

it.Theprogramfeaturesprominentlyontheschool’swebsiteandthe

principalindicatedthatsomeparentshavespecificallymentioneditasthe

reasonforenrollingstudentsintheschool.Thereisnodoubtthatanyone

becomingfamiliarwiththeschoolsoonrealisesthatthisprogramisnot

onlyacorecomponentofthecurriculum,butanimportantidentifying

badgefortheschoolthatpeoplerefertoinordertomarktheschool’s

distinctiveness.

Theprominenceoftheprogramwithintheschool’scurriculum,itsunique

languageprogramanditsstrongrelationshipwiththeWarlpiripeopleof

Yuendumutakesonmoresignificanceandintriguewhenoneconsidersthe

historyofIndigenous1studiesprogramsinschoolsintheearly1980’s.The

firstpartofthischapteroutlinesthebackgroundforthisresearchandthe

significanceoftheMECSprogrambydescribinginathumbsketchwaythe

historyofvariouscallstoincludeIndigenousstudiesinschoolsandthe

waysschoolscouldtakeupthiscall.

1. 2 Early Understandings

Australia,alongwithmanyothercolonisedcountries,isalandthatis

inhabitedbybothIndigenouspeopleandthosewhohavearrivedlater.The

storysurroundingtheinvasions,contactandinteractionbetweenthe

Indigenouspeopleandothersisnotajustorharmoniousone.Formal

studiesofAustralianIndigenouspeoplespriortothe1960swasmainlythe

domainofselectedacademicsinuniversitiesandhasbeencharacterisedby

post‐colonialwritersasanartefactofthecolonialencounter.Thisscholarly

interestinIndigenouspeoplehascontributedbothnegativelyandpositively

totheirlives.Oneoftheprizedintellectualexportsoftheearlycolonisers

weretheirobservationsofthelifeofAustralianAborigines,valuedatthe

1 Throughout this research I have I have used the term “Indigenous” with a capital to

identify the Australian Aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Island people.

5

timebecausetheygaveempiricalsupporttothegreattheoriesofsocial

evolutionandthelossofinnocenceandwisdominthemoderncivilized

world,(Langton,1999).Thescholarswerefascinatedbythestructural

detailsofthesociallifeofthe‘other’yetignoredthedeadlyimpactof

invasion,contactandcolonisation.Theworksoflateranthropologistssuch

asStanner,ThompsonandStrehlow,weremorecompassionateoftheplight

ofIndigenouspeople.TheirrecordhasbeenofhelptoIndigenouspeoplein

establishinglandrightsandreconnectingfamilies.Stanner’sregular

radiobroadcastsofAftertheDreaminghelpedtransportunderstandingof

Indigenousworldviewfromacademiatothepubliclife(Stanner,1968).

1.2.1The1960sandearly1970s

Duringthe1960sandearly‘70smostAustralianprimarystudents

encounteredaspartoftheirsocialstudiesprogramastudyof“Aborigines”.

Whatwashappeninginschoolsinthisperiodhasbeengleanedfrom

examiningschooltextsandcurriculumdocuments.Bin‐Sallik,Blomeley

Flowers&Hughes(1994)intheirdecisivereviewofIndigenousEducation

notedthat‘muchoftheliteraturewereviewedwasdescriptive’(p.36);and

ingeneral‘thereisalmostnoempiricalresearch’(p.7)and‘anoticeable

absenceinthecurrentliterature,ofanalysisofhowtogetthingsdone’(p.

19).Theauthorsalsoonlyfoundaverysmallnumberofreferencestothe

schoolingsector.

Targowska(2001),reviewingliteratureintheearlychildhoodfield,found

noempiricalresearchonwhichtobaseitspedagogiesofhowtoapproach

teachingAnglo‐AustraliansaboutIndigenousAustralians.

Speakingaboutthethisdecade,Lippman(1995)concludedfromherstudies

ofprimarytextbooksthatwhilethetopic“AustralianAboriginalPeople”is

onethathascroppedupinsocialstudiescurriculaofthepast,mosttexts

continuedtobequitesilentofcontemporaryAboriginalissuesand

promotedanarrowandstereotypicalunderstandingoftraditional

Aboriginalcultures.

6

Quinn(1992),studyingprimaryschoolimagesofAboriginalpeoplefrom

1930‐1980,concludedthatnotmuchhadchangedsincethe1930sand

mostoftheimageswere‘constructionsreachingbackintothe19thcentury

andthattheyservedtheeconomicandsocialneedsofthewhitepopulation’

(p.3).Someofthesetextshavebeensummarizedandcritiquedbymore

recentcurriculumwriters(Beckett&AustralianInstituteofAboriginal

Studies.,1988;Craven&Rigney,1999;Groome,1994).

BrianAttwood(1992a),drawingontheworkofFoucaultandSaid,

summarisedthisperiodas‘ahistorywhichconsideredhowEuropean

powerandknowledgehaveconstructedAborigines(andAboriginality)into

adiscursivepracticeknownas“Aboriginalism”(p.3).

Ifonewastosketchaclassroomscenarioofthisera,itmaylooklikethis:

“I hope I get to do the project about hunting,” whispered Jack to his

mate as the teacher put out various resources from the library with

pictures of Aboriginies on the cover. The students in Year 6 of Mr.

Wesley’s class had been studying the Australian Aboriginal people as

part of the Social Studies program. They had covered headings such

as traditional family life, food and religion. Yesterday Mr Wesley had

read an interesting story about the Rainbow Serpent and how the

Aboriginal people believed it created their land. Today they were

starting their projects. Jack liked projects. He had received an “A” for

his project on the Egyptians.

1.2.2WindsofchangeandanewparadigmTheEighties

Fromthelate1970s,thingsbegantochange.Thereemergedmoreaudible

voicesinthestruggleforequityandjustice.Byfartheprimarydriversof

thishavebeentheIndigenousadvisoryandconsultativecommitteesto

Governmenteducationdepartments.Somehavecalledforallschoolstobe

moreactiveingivingIndigenousculture,ideasandhistoryagreaterpartin

theschoolcurriculum.ManyIndigenousorganisationscalledonthe

GovernmentandschoolstoredressthesilencesinhistoryandIndigenous

perspectives.Craven(1996)citesthatasearlyas1975theAboriginal

ConsultativeGroupReporttotheCommonwealthcalledforthereformof

teachertrainingcurriculatoincludecoreunitsonAboriginalStudies.

7

Chapter17ofWatts’sReportnotedthateightofthenationalreportscalled

foreducationofnon‐AboriginesaboutAborigines.Watts(1982)goesonto

statethatunderlyingthiscallis‘aconcernforthereductionofprejudiceand

racism;adesirefortheacceptanceofAboriginalsasanintegralandvaluable

partoftheAustralianpastandpresentandrecognitionoftheneedto

prepareallAustralianchildrenfortheirparticipationinamulti‐cultural

society’(p.1194).

Ministerialstatementsmadein1986statedthat‘allchildrenshoulddevelop

knowledgeandcriticalawarenessoftheuniqueanddiversecultural

heritageoftheoriginalAustraliansandtheimpactofwhitesettlementon

thecomplextraditionalAboriginalsociety’(MinistryofEducation,1986,p.

6).

Duringtheeighties,theAboriginalStudiesAssociationwasformedand

itsconferencesandpublicationsbegantocharteranewunderstandingof

workingwithIndigenouspeopletoproducestrategiesandmaterialthat

wasmoresuitableforschools.

ThisunderstandingwascentraltostatementscomingoutoftheNational

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderTaskforceadvisingtheMinisterial

CouncilforEducation.Itstated:

The time has come for all Australian students to be taught a shared

history that includes both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal perspectives.

Not only have Aboriginal people been consequently disadvantaged,

but Australian society generally has not come to understand and

appreciate the significance of Aboriginal culture.

(Department of Employment Education and Training, 1989, p.1).

1.2.3RecentDevelopments

Inthe1990s,afewschoolsbegantoincorporatestandaloneIndigenous

Studiesprograms.Curriculumframeworkdocumentsbegantoincludesome

Indigenousperspectivesofhistory.TheVictorianCurriculumStandards

FrameworkIIinthisperiodsetouttogivemorevaluetoAboriginal

perspectivesofhistorywithstatementssuchas:

8

At this Level (6), students develop knowledge about Australia and the

struggles and successes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities to gain political and social rights, gain full citizenship and

their campaign for land rights and self-determination. It examines the

impact of European occupation of Australia including the perspective

of that occupation as invasion.

Students also learn about:

The movement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

towards self-determination, including the recognition of native title.

The successes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities in gaining political and social rights, as well as the

recognition of native title rights in the twentieth century.

Students ought to be able describe the roles of important individuals

involved in significant events, such as William Barak, Raffaelo

Carboni, Caroline Chisholm, Alfred Deakin, Vida Goldstein, Peter

Lalor, Mary McKillop, John Monash, Henry Parkes and Truganini.

(V.C.A.A., 2000).

Subsequently,therewasagreatdealofgoalsettingandencouragementto

schoolstodomore.In1995,theNationalAboriginalandTorresStrait

IslanderEducationalPolicyissuedsevenprioritiesforeducation.Prioritysix

requirededucators:

To promote, maintain and support the teaching of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait islander studies, cultures and languages to all

Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and that Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander perspective and reconciliation strategies

permeate the curriculum”.

(Ministerial Council on Education Employment Training and Youth

Affairs (MCEETYA), 1995)

TheMinisterialCouncilforEducationandTrainingingoal21ofitsreport

alsostated:

To provide all Australian students with an understanding of and

respect for national Aboriginal and Torres Strait contemporary and

traditional culture.


Affairs (MCEETYA), 1995).

ThesamecouncilalittlelaterintheAdelaideDeclarationonNationalGoals

forSchoolinginthe21stCenturyarticulatedthat:

9

All students [should] understand and acknowledge the value of

Aboriginal society and posses the knowledge, skills and

understanding to contribute to, and benefit from reconciliation

between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.


Affairs (MCEETYA), 1999).

TheNationalCouncilforReconciliationalsopromotedthecausefor

inclusionofAboriginalStudiestobetaughttoallstudentsinallschools.In

thelead‐uptothe1997NationalReconciliationConvention,theCouncilfor

AboriginalReconciliationwidelydistributedaquestionnairetogather

people'sviewsonreconciliation.Morethan3,000peoplerespondedtothe

questionnaire.Theneedforbetter,moreinclusiveeducationwasmentioned

morefrequentlythananyotherissue.Themanyregionalconsultationsthat

tookplaceinthisprocessalsosupportedthisview.Whiletheemphasiswas

onstartingtheeducationearly,manyrespondentsagreedthatpeopleofall

agesneededtohavesomeunderstandingoftheimpactofcolonisationon

Indigenouspeoples.

Thefollowingtwocommentstakenfromtheanalysisofthequestionnaire

summarisesthegeneralfeelingoftherespondents

All school children should be taught about Koori heritage and culture

from a very early age, before they become biased by other people's

prejudices.

Educate Australians (all Australians) about Aboriginal history,

particularly the parts that get covered up (genocide, dispossession,

and forced removal of children).

(Australian Reconciliation Convention, 1997)

ManyreiteratedthatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderStudieshadtobe

partofthenormalschoolcurriculum.Therewasalsostrongsupportforthe

needfortheseteachingstobetaughtbyIndigenousteachersorIndigenous

peopleinvitedintotheschool.TheNewSouthWalesAboriginalEducation

Policy(1996)explicitlyacknowledgedtheneedforAboriginalparticipation

viatheinvolvementofLocalAboriginalEducationConsultativeGroups

(L.A.E.C.G).TheKooriStudiesResourceIndex(Roberts,1994)identified25

suchgroupsinVictoria.Protocolsandprocedureswereputinplacethrough

10

the“SchoolSpeakersProgram”aninitiativeoftheDepartmentofSchooland

EducationandVictorianAboriginalEducationalAssociationIncorporatedto

provideschoolswiththeopportunityforthedisseminationofpositive

informationaboutcontemporaryandtraditionalKoorilifestylesthroughthe

employmentofKoorieldersasspeakers.

Theindependentschoolssector,oftenportrayedasservingonlytheeliteof

oursociety,wasalsostirredtoactionbythesecalls.Inresponsetothe‘Dare

toLead’initiativetheheadsofindependentschoolsputoutthefollowing

statements.

As leaders of school communities, we recognise that we have unique

responsibilities and opportunities to further the cause of reconciliation

between the parents, staff and students of our schools. To this end,

we encourage members of our association to:

Ensure that their school communities are involved in sharing the

richness of Indigenous culture and heritage; provide opportunities for

the staffs of our schools to grow in knowledge and understanding of

the process of reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and the

wider community;

Provide a teaching of history that enables students to gain a clear

perspective and understanding of the impact of colonization on

Indigenous peoples and the richness that remains.

Learn from best practice in providing for the unique needs of

Indigenous students and their families in our school communities; and

be sensitive to Indigenous peoples’ traditions and beliefs when

developing the physical environment of our schools.

(Australian Principals Associations Professional Development

Council, 2001 )

Sincetheearly1990s,matchingthecallforschoolstodomore,some

teachertraininginstitutesintroducedIndigenousstudiesandawareness

programsinteachertrainingcourses(Craven,Marsh,&Wilson‐Miller,

2003).

1.2.4Conclusions

Overwhelmingly,whenreviewingtheliteratureonwhatisbeingcalledfor

regardingIndigenousstudiesfrommanysourcesovertime,itnothardto

concurwithWray,CravenandMunn’s(2004)reviewofthesituationwhich

11

states‘InAustraliatodaythereismajorsupportforthecompulsory

inclusionofAboriginalStudiesintheschoolcurriculum’(p.2).

TheVictoriansituation,inwhichthisstudyisset,reflectedthisnational

changeinboththeamountanddirectionofIndigenousstudiesprogramsin

theschoolsector.Aprimeexampleofthischangecanbeseeninthe

government’sresponsetothe“BringingThemHome”report.Addressing

themultifacetedrecommendationsofthereportincludedgoalsfor

Indigenouseducationledto“YALCA”,aneducationpolicystatementabout

KooriEducation,developedcollaborativelybetweentheDepartmentof

EducationandTraining;theVictorianAboriginalEducationAssociationInc

andLocalAboriginalEducationConsultativeGroups(VAEAI/DEET,2001).

Also“Wurreker”wasapolicydevelopedbetweenthetertiaryandtheKoori

community(VAEAI/DEET,2000).Theseconsultationsresultedin

Indigenousstudiesmaterialsandperspectivesbeingincorporatedinthe

variouslevelsoftheVictorianEssentialLearningStandards,whichall

schoolsoughttobeimplementing.

1.3 Implications for Implementing Indigenous Studies

Aschoolrespondingtothecallsandideassuggestedinrecenttimeswould

adoptapartnershipwiththelocalIndigenouscommunity.Aclassroom

scenarioforitsdeliverydrawnfromdescriptionsofvariousIndigenous

speakersattheAssociationofAboriginalStudiesConferencesmightlook

this:

The Year 9 class had set out for a look at their own local history. One

of the adults who accompanied the group was Aunty Beth (as she

preferred to be known) a representative and elder of the Wurrundjeri

people who are the original inhabitants of the area. As they came to

different sites Aunty Berth told the group the name of the place in her

language, why it was named that way and the significance of the

place to her people. At one of the places, she asked the group to

close their eyes and imagine this place as it had been. She began to

describe it. They opened their eyes only to see that the quarry had

destroyed the cave and other aspects of the site.

After the excursion, the students were encouraged to reflect on the

experience and prepare a set of questions that they wanted to ask

12

Aunt Beth when she returned with some other members of her

family.The students were given a sheet of questions that Aunt Beth

wanted to ask them. A few days later, Aunt Beth and some members

of her family returned. After each person in the group had been

formally introduced, a discussion began. The questions ranged from

finding out information about where they lived and what they do each

day to issues of how they feel about the past and current situation.

After a period of time Aunt Beth would stop and ask one of the group

to respond to her questions such as: “Do they know where the ‘title’ of

the land that their families are now living on came about? What did

you expect when your teacher said an aboriginal person was coming

to join your class?”

1.3.1Afocusonperspectives

AsecondcloselyrelatedapproachadvocatedbytheAboriginalStudies

Associationisnottostudyoneparticulargrouportohaveadiscretestand

alonesubjectbutinsteadtoincorporatespecificIndigenousperspectives

intoallareasofthecurriculum.Forexample,whenreflectingon

relationshipsthedependenceonskinnameswithmanyIndigenous

communitiescanbegivenasalternativewaysofviewingrelationships.The

wayculturenamesthingspointstoaparticularperspectiveoftheworld

(Crozet,2000).Whenteachinghistory,weather,seasons,health,thebody,

localgeography,art,music,ownership,ormathematicalsystems,

Indigenouspeopleandtheirtextscanbeusedtomakecontributionsabout

anotherwayfornamingandunderstandingvariousdimensionsoflifetothe

students.Thevariouspositionsandunderstandingofreligioncanalsobe

exploredinthisway.Theaimofthisapproachisforstudentstoengage

(withsupport)otherpeopleandotherviews,inordertoreconstructtheir

understandingofthemselvesandtheirworld.

1.3.2Renewedfocusonlanguage

Culture is not static but the constantly changing product of

contemporary relationships with surrounding peoples in a specific

region. It is not only socially constructed but also historically

conditioned and culturally mediated.

(Crozet, 2000, p. 1)

13

Pressuretochangetheapproachtoteachingaboutculturescamenotjust

fromIndigenousgroupsbutalsofromtherenewedfocusonmultiple

changingculturalidentitiessuggestedbymanypostmodernthinkers.

(Beckett&AustralianInstituteofAboriginalStudies.,1988;Foley,2000;S.

Hall,1996).

Theseapproachesemphasizetheinterpretiveorperformancenatureof

cultureandhighlighthowpeopleexpresstheircultureinwordsand

symbols.

Thecontributionofthisapproachshowedmoreclearlyhowperception,

cultureandlanguagedimensionsareinterdependenthumanfunctions,each

affectingtheother.Somewouldevengoasfarastosay,‘languagepervades

allactivitiesofhumanlifeand,languageisculture’(LoBianco,Liddicoat,&

Crozet,1999,p.11).Thesethreedimensionshavebeendevelopedintoa

complextheoryofinterpersonalcommunications.

Ascenarioaboutteachingculturebasedonthisinfluenceisarewriteofan

examplecitedinthetext“TeachingCultureStrategiesforForeignLanguage

Teachers”(Seelye,1978),whichreflectsthegenreofwritingsaroundthe

themeofinterculturalcompetenceandcommunicationthatwerecommon

inthelate1980sandearly1990s.

Miss Grant, the German language and culture teacher showed the

small segment of the film with the street scene of the two German

boys greeting each other with a handshake as well as a sheet with the

transcript of the dialogue. She asks two volunteers to act out the

scene using the German language. She stops and points out to them

the distance that the boys stand and how there is only one firm shake

and a slight bow. Students in pairs practice this dialogue and action

several times. In the second dialogue, she shows a clip of the way a

boy greets a girl that is fairly well known and one that is stranger.

Again, she points out the tone and choice of words. The students

practice this in role-plays. Later in the week, Miss Grant asks the

student to reflect on their ‘normal’ way of greeting each other and

some of the differences between their culture and the German culture

and to explore the values that might lie behind these differences.

14

EventhoughthisexampleusestheteachingofaEuropeanlanguageifa

schoolweretoadopttheteachingofanIndigenouslanguageasimilar

approachcouldbeanoption.

1.4 How have Schools Responded to these Calls?

Theabovesection,inathumbsketchway,describedthecallsforIndigenous

Educationinschoolsfromvariousorganisationsandoutlined,usingbroad

trends,variouspossibleapproachestoteachingIndigenousstudies.Akey

questionfollowingthisistoask:Howhaveschoolsrespondedtothesecalls?

Thissectionlooksatsomeoftheresearchthatdescribeswhatschoolshave

doneinthepastandwhatiscurrentlyhappeninginschools.

Therehasbeenverylittleresearchaboutwhatisactuallyhappeningin

schoolprogramsandtheireffectiveness.Itisdifficulttocollectfiguresof

whatiscurrentlyhappeninginVictorianschoolsinresponsetothesecalls.

Moriarty(1995),reviewingtheCatholicschoolsinhisregionacknowledged

patchyandinappropriateteachingofIndigenousstudies.

TheNSWEducationDepartmentwiththeassistanceoftheAboriginal

EducationUnitpulledtogetheranAboriginalStudiesCurriculumProject

teamconsistingofrepresentativesfromthedepartment,parents,teachers

andAboriginalcommunitiestoassistschoolstoevaluatetheirresponseto

theguidelinesforteachingAboriginalStudiesreleasedinMarch1982

(DivisionofManagementInformationServices,1984).Theprojectwas

designedtoassistschoolsindeveloping,carryingoutandreportingonan

evaluationoftheirschool’sefforttointroduceAboriginalPerspectivesor

CoreAboriginalStudiesUnits.Sixschoolswereinvolvedintheproject.

Usingshortsurveys,severalschoolsfoundthatstudentshadastereotyped

viewofAboriginals,associatingtheidentityofAboriginalsonlyto

traditionallifestyle,eventsandobjects.

Acloserlookattheevaluationtoolsusedbytheschoolsinthisstudy

showedthattheclosednatureofthequestionswouldleadtothis

conclusion.Forexample,onesurveyaskedstudentstoassociatewordswith

imagesofAboriginalpeopleoreventswherethemajorityofeventsand

15

imagesweretraditional.Thefocusofthestudy,Ibelieve,wasmoreabout

thetechniquesofevaluationi.e.trainingstaffinhowtocarryoutaformal

evaluationandthebenefitsindoingthis,ratherthanelicitingreliabledata

aboutwhatwasbeinglearntbythestudents.Thequestionsfailedto

examinepositionsorframeworkswhichsubtlymaintainoppressionof

Indigenouspeople.

Despitesomecriticismofthisfinding,variousresearchersanecdotally

suspectedthatmanyschoolsarestillstuckintheearlyparadigmsdescribed

earlierassociatedwiththe1960sorareignoringtheissueandnotteaching

anything.

InVictoria,fewnon‐Indigenousteachersreportthattheyhaveknowingly

hadthechancetolistentoIndigenousperspectivesor‘voice’.Indeed,itis

estimatedthat80%ofthestate’steachersreportthattheyhavenevermet

anIndigenousperson(Irvine,2003).Thisissignificantinthat50%ofthe

IndigenouspopulationofVictoriaisunder18yearsandaretherefore

representedinmanyclassrooms.Obviously,thereisaproblemof

perceptionandmanyteachersarefailingtoseetherealityofIndigenous

cultureasaliving,vibrantandevolvingforceandIndigenouspeopleas

individuals.

Culturalawarenesstrainingnowformspartofmanyindustrialprofessional

developmentprogramsyetinVictoria,Indigenousstudiesisnotacore

requirementforpre‐servicetraining,inspiteofitsrecognisedimportancein

theteachereducationcurriculum(Craven,1996).

Abriefperusalofgovernmentschoolwebsitesshowedveryfewsecondary

schoolsinVictoriaofferingastandaloneIndigenousstudiesunitinits

curriculumbeyondthethreeunitsintheCurriculumStandardsFramework

at‘level4and6’ofthecivicsandhistorystrandsoftheessentiallearning.

Howschoolsareteachingtheseunitsorimplementingthesuggested

perspectivesremainsunknown.Noliteraturecouldbefoundonany

empiricalstudiesattheschoollevel.

16

TheKooriStudiesResourceIndexdescribedtheresponsesof12schoolsin

itscasestudiessectionasexamplesofhowschoolswererespondingtothe

challengeof“AboriginalStudies”(Roberts,1994).Onlytwoschoolshad

adoptedtheperspectivesapproach.Mostschoolshadlimitedthe

compulsorystudiescomprisingasixtotenweekstudyaspartofHistoryor

SocialStudiesprogram.Themajorityoftheprogramsfocusedongeneric

andtraditionaldescriptionsofAboriginalpeopleandtheirculture.Only

threeprogramsfocusedonlocalgroups.Noothernon‐Indigenousschoolsin

VictoriaareofferinganAboriginallanguageaspartoftheircurriculumat

thetimeofthisstudy.Anecdotallyitseemsthoughtherehavebeensome

goodexamplesofschoolsheedingthecallsbutmanyarestillnot

respondingorrespondingpoorly.Yet,theneedforthesestudieshasnot

diminished.Indigenousleaderscontinuetorecognisethelinkbetween

education,justiceandreconciliation.Todaythesituationofpoverty,ill

health,hopelessnessanddespairgraphicallyportraysthelivesof

Indigenouspeople.Recentexamplesofsuchstoriesare:

‘INDIGENOUS people are nine times more likely to develop type two

diabetes than other Australians.

(Newcastle Herald, 25/03/2005).

‘VICTORIAN Indigenous students have the lowest retention rate of

any state in Australia.

(The Melbourne Age, 28/01/2005).

Hardlyaweekgoesbywhensomenewsofpoverty,illhealthortrouble

involvingIndigenouspeopleisnotreported.Thissituationisnotjustanews

beatup.IndigenousleaderLoisO’Donoghuehasstatedpubliclyadecade

ago:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the most

disadvantaged group in the country whatever social indicator you use,

health status, education, employment, contact with the law - we are at

the bottom of the heap. (O'Donoghue, 1995, p. 6).

17

Sadlythestatisticsandthenewsheadlinesindicatecontinuedlackof

progressinputtingthingsrightforIndigenouspeople.Educationispartof

theproblemandthesolution.

Therecanbenodenyingthatinalandofabundancethereisahigher

incidenceofpoorphysicalandmentalhealth,education,housingandlackof

workopportunitiesamongstIndigenouspeoplethananyothersectorofthe

AustralianCommunity.Evenasthisreportisbeingwritteninthemidstof

thehistoricsorrybyourtheParliamentandthePrimeMinister,the

IndigenouselderinmylocalareacalledonthePrimeMinistertodomore

aboutteachingthe“thepainfulrealityofIndigenoushistory”.

Areasonableconclusionfromtheliteratureisthatintheearly1980s,onlya

fewschoolswererespondingeffectivelytothemanycallsforcompulsory

IndigenousstudiesprogramsthatinvolvedpartnershipswithIndigenous

people.PlacingtheMECSprogramandstoryinthiscontextraisesimportant

andinterestingquestions.

1.5 The Mt Evelyn Christian School’s Response: What is it really a case of?

TheinitialexaminationoftheMECS’sIndigenousstudiesprograminthe

contextof1982andwhatwashappening(ormoreaptlywhatwasnot

happening)innon‐IndigenousschoolsinsuburbanMelbourneraiseda

numberofinitialquestions.WhydidMECSstartthisprogram?Whywasit

developedaroundWarlpiriandtheYuendumucommunity?Howwasthe

schoolabletopositionittobecomecentralandcompulsorytothe

curriculumandidentityoftheschool?Andhowithassustaineditforso

long?Thesequestionstakeonmoreforceandinterestwhenreflectingon

thecontext.

Thesequestionsabouttherationale,motivationandperspectivesinthe

contextofthehistoryandparadigmsofteachingIndigenousstudies

programstononIndigenousaudiencesimmediatelypresentsunresolved

tensions.IstheattractiontoYuendumubecauseithasretainedmoreofthe

“traditional”aspectsofcultureandthereforeappealstomodernist,

essentialistandoppositionalviewslinkedtocolonialism?Yetthecloselinks

18

withcommunity,andthefocusonteachingthelanguagepointstoother

issuesatwork.

Yin(2003)identifiesacasestudyapproachasbeingofparticularvalue

whenhoworwhyquestionsarebeingaskedaboutacontemporarysetof

events,overwhichtheinvestigatorhaslittleornocontrol.

ThebriefhistoryofIndigenousstudiesdescribedinthissection,together

withtheargumentsdevelopedinChapter2abouttheimportanceof

perspectivesadoptedbyschoolssurroundingculture,purposeofschooling,

andcurriculum,assistsinexplainingwhyaschoolwouldorwouldnotplace

importanceonincludingAustralianIndigenousstudiesinitscurriculumand

italsohelpstoexplainwhyschoolsdevelopdifferentkindsofprograms.A

studyofMECSwillneedtoincludeinvestigationoftheseparadigms.

Significantly,alsoinMECS’scaseisthequestionthequestionofhow,inan

agewheninnovationscaneasilybecomefadsanddisappear,hastheschool

beenabletosustainitsprogramanditsrelationshipwithYuendumuforso

long(25+years)?Itisonethingtoestablishinpolicythatschoolsoughtto

establishpartnershipsbutnotalothasbeenwrittenabouthowtosustain

them.

Takinghistoricalandcurriculumdevelopmentissuesintoaccount,MECS’s

responsetothecallforschoolstoincludeIndigenousstudiesinthe

curriculumleadtotheinitialresearchquestionof:Whatperspectives

aboutcultureandschoolingoperatedwithinMECSforittobeginand

shapeitsparticularpracticeofIndigenousStudies?

Schrank(2006)inhisreviewofcasestudies,highlightsthatthestrengthof

examiningacaseisthatitcanuncovernewconcepts.Inananalogywiththis

situation,hepointstotheclassicstudy“Japan’sMiraculousEconomic

Growth”(Johnson,1982).Japanhaddefiedthecommonexperiencesof

countriescomingoutofwar.ItdidnotfittheWesternorsocialistmodelsof

economicplanning.Hesensedthatitwasaspecialcaseandheaskedwhat

wasitacaseof.Inthesameway,lookingatthehistoryofwhatwasgoingon

inschoolsandtheMECSresponse,Iwasledtoaskthesamequestion.What

19

istheMECSresponseacaseof?Itdidnotfiteasilytherangeofcolonialor

postcolonialresponsestoteachingandlearningaboutothercultures.

1.6 The Journey of this Research and an Outline of the Chapters

Thedescriptionsoutlinedsofarinthisintroductionreflecttheinteractionof

myearlyanecdotalknowledgeoftheMECSprogramwithinthecontextsof

practicessurroundingIndigenousStudiesprograms,whichledtosome

importantinitialhowandwhyquestionsaskedabouttheprogram.

Andsothejourneybegan.

Toanswertheseinitialquestionsrequiredfurtherwork.Theearly

developersoftheprogram,thepastandpresentteachersandstudents,as

wellasthewholepracticewereidentifiedasthemainsourcesofdatato

answertheinitialquestions.Thefirsttaskwastogatherqualitativedata

aboutwhatwasactuallyhappeningintheprogram.Whatconceptsand

experienceswerethestudentsexposedto?

Theissuessurroundinghowthedatawerecollectedandanalyzedare

describedintheChapter3.Thischapterdescribeshowthestudypositions

itselfinthehermeneuticsandinterpretivetheoriesofknowledge,and

explainshowethnographicpracticeswereusedtocollectandconstruct

descriptionsoftheprogram.ThesedescriptionsareoutlinedinChapter4.

However,descriptionsareonlyoneaspectanystory;interpretationsarethe

otherimportantpart.Howwerethestudentsguidedtomake

sense/meaningofthisinformationandexperienceaboutIndigenouspeople,

theirlivingsituationandtheirrelationshiptonon‐Indigenouspeople?The

analysisofthese“how”questionswouldleadtosomeanswerstotheinitial

mainresearchquestionaboutwhichperspectiveswereMECSusingin

understandingandteachingaboutculture.

Andsothejourneycontinued.

Alongthejourneyofthisstudyaretheinsightsandvoicesofmany

researchersthathavehelpedtosharpenandclarifyboththeprocessand

reflectionsonthedataandexperiences.Initiallyimportantwasthe

literaturereviewedinthischaptershowingthehistoryandvariouswaysof

20

categorizingwhatschoolsweredoinginthearea.Thisprovideda

backgroundtothediscussions.Alsoofimportancewerethewaysthatkey

conceptsofthisstudy‐culture,curriculum,worldview,religion,spirituality,

andlanguageareunderstoodandusedinothersettings,research,and

variousphilosophicalpositions.Thediscussionoftheseconceptsare

introducedinChapter2,drawnonandreferredtointhelateranalysisand

discussionchapterstoassistindistinguishingtheMECSperspectiveand

practicefromothers.

Chapter5drawsonethnographicmethodologyofbeingaparticipant

observer,filteringwhatIsawandheardwiththeexplanationsofthe

participantsandinsightfromtheliteratureinordertoanalysethedataand

articulatefivekeythemesandsomesilencesinanswertotheinitialkey

questionabouttheprogramMECSusedtoshapeitsdescriptionsand

understandingofIndigenouspeopleandtheirculture.

TheworkintheinitialreviewandanalysisofthewayMECSunderstands

thepurposeandmeaningofdoingIndigenousStudiesstudyextractedthe

importanceofworldviewanditsrelationshiptocultureandtheuseof

integralcurriculuminthemethodsforgainingunderstandingofother

worldviewsandcultures.Theconceptofworldviewandintegralityare

complexonesandtounderstandthenuancessomeofthevarious

dimensionsandfeaturesoftheconceptsneededtobedrawnout.

Aswellasdrawingoutthevariousdimensionsoftheseconceptsfromthe

literatureinChapter2,itisimportant,asSmith(1999a)remindedthose

researchingandwritingsocialpractice,toplacetheminthecontextualstory

oftheorganisation.Thereforeatadeeperlevel,worldviewandintegrality

maybeconnectedcloselytotheschool’sphilosophy.Withthisinmind,a

studywasdoneonthephilosophicalmovementthatgaverisetothe

developmentofChristianParentControlledSchoolsinthe1960sand1970s.

ThishelpedtolinktheparticularwayMECSusesthesekeyterms.This

historicalstudywasbasedoninterviewswiththeprincipalandsomeofthe

foundingboardmembersaswellasdatafromtheschoolspublications.The

shortdigressionintothehistoryoftheNetherlandsandintothe

21

philosophicalrootsoftheChristianparentorcommunity‐controlledschools

isreportedinChapter4andisnecessarytoexplainthecharacterand

workingsoftheMt.EvelynChristianSchool.Termslike‘Alloflifeis

religious’,a‘Biblicalperspectiveof’,and‘worldview’arecurrentandcommon

languageinmanyoftheschool’sdocumentsandintalkamongthestaffas

wellasbeingfoundationaltothepracticeuncoveredinthewaytheschool

hasgoneaboutconstructingitsIndigenousStudiesprogram.The

connectiontothesereligiousrootscomesfromthepioneersoftheschool,

theDutchmigrantstotheMtEvelynarea.

Thishistoryhelpedtoansweranewquestion,whichwasposedattheend

ofchapterfive.TheMECSapproachtoIndigenousculturetoledtothe

possibilityofthinkingaboutMECSitselfasa“culture”andtherefore,the

approachittooktowardsothercommunitiessuchasYuendumucouldbe

turnedinonitselfandthekeyquestionsoriginallyaskedcouldbere

phrasedas:WhatworldviewlensdidMECSusetoshapeandteachits

program?Thisreshapingoftheresearchquestioniscommonwithstudies

usingagroundedtheoreticalapproach.

Chapter6,drawingonthephilosophyoftheschoolandliterature,answers

thisnewquestionintermsof“transformationaleducation”anda“religio‐

critical”approachtohumanlifeandculture.Thisframeworkprovideda

basisformakingconnectionsbetweenthevariousthemesofMECS’s

practice.Itparticularlyblurstheboundariesbetweenbeingreligious,

worldviewandlanguage.Both“beingreligious”andworldviewareseenas

foundationalontologicalcharacteristicsofbeinghumanandepistemological

asabasisfordevelopingknowledge.Thislensprovideddeeper

understandingandmeaningtothepracticeofMECS’sIndigenousstudies

program.

Acaseapproachgainsmorevalidityifitcanspeaktothewidercontext

(Burns,1997).Althoughnotwoschoolsarethesame,itisimportantasa

resultofreadingthisreportthatsomeschoolsmaydecidethat“yes,we

couldtrythat”.Inotherwords,thiscasestudymayprovidesomepractical

suggestionsthatwillhelpschoolsfindwaystoimprovetheirunderstanding,

22

practiceanddeliveryofIndigenousstudiesorperspectives.Therefore,in

thissectionsevenchallengesflowingfromaschoolcommunity’s

understandingoftheirownspiritualstatusandonthewaytheyunderstand

andrelatetoIndigenouspeopleandtheirculturewerediscussed.

InChapter7,thestoryofthisstudy,theinitialquestions,thecollectingof

thedataandthestoryitrevealedabouttheMECSprogramissummarised.

Thechapterconcludeswithdiscussingsomelimitationsofthestudyand

suggestingpossiblefuturedirectionsforresearchinthisarea.

23

Figure2.WirliyajarryikarntaWarranyanguJukurrpa

Painted by Biddy Napaljarri White,1990

This painting is Ngatijirri (budgerigar) dreaming. There are tree wirrakali trees in the centre Napaljarri climbs the tree to catch the birds for food Nungarrayi waits below Their katlngu lie on the ground. Two rdajalpa warna (snakes) come along,

also after the budgies. The women kill and eat them too.

24

Chapter 2

Literature Review

2.0 Key Ideas

Therearemanyexplanationsgivenforthediversityofapproachesand

silencessurroundingtheconstructionanddeliveryofIndigenousstudies

programsinschools.Theapproachadoptedinthisstudy,tomakesenseof

thepractice,istoworkbackandexaminetheforcesatworkinshapingthe

curriculumdecisions.Print(1993)remindshisreadersthatschoolbased

curriculumdevelopmentisaresponsetothreeoverlappingforces.Thefirst

istheuniquesituationoftheschool,itslocation,communitydemographics

or“situation”.Thesecondisthevalues,philosophyandhistoryofthe

community.Thethirdisexternalpressures,suchasGovernmentpolicies

likethosedealtwithintheintroductorychapterofthisresearch.Chapter4

initsdescriptionoftheschoolcoverstheaspectof“situation”andin

generaltermsdescribestheschool’shistoryandphilosophy.Inthischapter

however,credenceisgiventotwospecificaspectsofeducationalvalues,

namelytheunderstandingofwhatismeantbycultureandthepurposeof

schooling.

Onefeasibleexplanationputforwardisthatdiversityofpracticesisaresult

oftheinteractionandcontestationofvariousoverlappingideasor

paradigmsthatschoolsholdonthedefinitionandunderstandingofwhat

constitutesculture.Groome(1994)concludeshisanalysisofvarious

IndigenousStudiesprogramsbynotingthedifferenceitmadewhenschools

movedfromaviewofculturethatlinksitwithfixedtraditionstoaviewthat

linksitwithdynamic,subjectiveknowledge.Toexplainthemeaningof

MECS’spracticeitwillbeimportanttoreviewvariouspositionsheldon

cultureandlocateMECS’sposition.

Schoolsandteachingarecomplexandexplanationsofthemeaningand

purposeaboutpracticealsoflowoutofunderstandingthepurposeof

schooling,viewsofknowledgeandcurriculum.

25

Thevarioustheoreticalviewsontheseissuesareimportantbackgroundto

discussingMECS’spracticeandaretakenupinthischaptertogetherwith

threeofthekeyideastoemergefromthestudy:worldview,religionand

language.

2.1 Views on Culture

Intryingtoexplainwhysomepeopleindifferentplacesactinwaysthatare

differentordonotmakeimmediatesensetoothergroups,anthropologists

oftenresorttotheconceptofculture.Thisconceptintheliteratureisnotan

easyonetodefine.Understandinganddefinitionsofculturehavediversified

overtime.KroeberandKlockhohn(1952)examined156definitionsof

culture.Theoriginalmeaningofhumanscultivatingthegroundtoproduce

foodhasbeenextendedovertimetoincludethehumanshapingofphysical

elementstoproduceartandmusicnowknownas“high”culturethroughto

themorerecentanthropologicalviewofcultureasbeingthewholewayof

lifeofapeople,thoughthisdoesnotsubscribetotheviewofcultureasa

totalityofasociety.

Intheintroduction,fourdifferentapproachestoteachingIndigenous

Studieswereidentifiedbasedontheliteratureandadvicetoschools.These

fourapproachescouldbebroadlysummarisedasgeneralizedinformation

andconceptsregardingsomeaspectsoftraditionallifethatis,Cultureas

Object.Secondly,ascontrastingculturalperspectiveacrossthecurriculum;

CultureasPerspective.Thirdly,cultureasexpressedthroughlanguagecould

beexpressedasCultureasLanguage.Thecultureasperspectiveandculture

aslanguageraisestheissueofwhoisqualifiedtoteach.Thecallbylocal

AboriginalEducationGroupstoformpartnershipswithlocalIndigenous

people,focusingonlocalhistoryandissuespresentsafourthperspective;

TeachingCultureasPartnership.

Thesefourapproachesarediscussedmorefullyandareimportantin

establishingaframeofreferencetoanalyseanddiscussMECS’sparticular

responsetoteachingIndigenousStudiestonon‐Indigenousstudents.

26

2.1.1Cultureasobject

Inthegeneralizedinformationparadigm,cultureiscommonlynamedand

framedasasetofcommonpatternsofbehaviourssharedamongagroup(J.

Spradley,1972).Liddicoat(2001)hasdistinguishedthisviewofcultureas

static.Manyacademicdisciplinesbeforethe1980sreflectedastrongtheme

ofbehaviourismandfunctionalism;thestudyingofcultureswasno

exception.

Activitiesforschoolsandteachersadoptingthisapproachusuallyfocuson

observableincidentsandnormativepatternsofincidents.Exampleswere

chosenas“good”examplesoftypicalbehaviour.Patternsstudiedwere

thosewhichemphasizeddifferencefromthosestudyingtheculture,and

providedafascinationandinterestfactor.NemetzRobinson(1985)

highlightedthispointonatriptoIndiawhenreflectingonwhyhewas

takingpicturesofthemanwearingtheexoticclothingamongthemanywho

werewearingjeans.

Languagesinthisparadigmweresomethingseparatedfromcultureand

taughtasasetofskillsfocusingongrammarandvocabulary.Forstudents

knowingaboutaculturedidnotneedanyspecificlanguagestudy.

Theeffectsofthesecontextsofinfluencecouldreadilybeseeninschool

programs.NemetzRobinson(1985),surveying350foreignlanguage

teachers,foundthatthestudyofholidays,celebrations,customsandfoods

wereverycommon.Similarly,Groome(1994),whensummarisingwhatwas

badaboutteachingIndigenousculture,foundthatmanyprogramsoverly

focusedontraditionalfamilyeventsoffood,huntingandgatheringand

ceremoniesreflectingthepositionofAboriginesasinertobjectsnotsubject

tohistoricalchange.

Teachingaboutcultureinthisframeworkcreatesmanysilences.Oneofthe

silencesistheexistingbeliefs,valuesandnormsofthestudentsandthe

teacher.Thereislittlerecognitionoftheirpresentunderstandingsoftheir

ownidentity,cultureandworldviewthatareinfluencingthelearning

outcomes.Anexampleofthislackofunderstandingistheplaceand

definitionofDreamingasbeingthe“dreamtime”onlyrelatingtoatimelong

27

ago,orastheoriginofthecreation,ratherthanthemorepervasiveand

dynamicplacethatDreaminghasinIndigenousculture.Thisperspective

comesaboutbecausetheviewershavenotcriticallyexaminedtheirown

perspectivesontimeandtheplace(Teasdale&MaRhea,2000).Forthis

reasonCampbell(2006)preferstousetheWarlpiriwordJurkuppawhich

encompassesDreaming(pastandpresent),LawandStory,whendescribing

thebiographyofDarbyRoss.

ThereisalsousuallyintheCultureasObjectparadigmnodetailofactual

peoplefromtheculturebeingstudied.Gadamer(1986)postulatedthree

basicformsofculturalrelationsbetweenselfandother.Othercanbe

representedasimpersonal(object),asapersonbutinterpretedanddefined

byselforthirdlyasapersonequaltoself,capableofrepresenting

themselvesandcapableofenteringintoopen‐endeddialogue.TheCulture

asObjectparadigmreflectsGadamer’simpersonalstance,aspeopleusually

appearwithoutnames.

Keeffe(1988),analysingtheconstructionofAboriginalityusedinprograms

suchas“CultureAwarenessCamps”runforsuburbanIndigenousteenagers,

alsoprovidesacritiqueoftraditionalwaysofthinkingaboutculture.He

identifiestheoverlappingandcontradictorythemesofAboriginalityas

persistenceandAboriginalityasresistance.Thefirstconstructiondrawson

theethnicideologyofinheritanceandanenduringuni‐linearAboriginal

cultureconstantlyreproduced,despitewhiteintervention.Itusesthe

elementsofblood,speechandcustomastheessentialspiritualand

enduringprimordialtieswiththepast.Thesecondideologyconstrues

Aboriginalityasresistancethatusestheformsofmodernsocietytoexpress

identity.HeadvocatesanAboriginalculturethatisdiverseandcomplex,

drawingnotonlyonselectedelementsofthepasttoproduceidentitybut

alsoonrecentelementsofthedominantculturesuchasflags,anthemsand

organisations.Headvocatestheinvertingoftheirmeaningsandvaluesto

transformthemaspartofproducinganIndigenousidentity.

Manyoftoday’sAboriginalcommunitiesandgroupsareoffendedand

annoyedattheconstructionoftheiridentitybywhitemiddleclasspeople.

28

Indigenousstudiesprogramsframedinthisessentialist,non‐personal

manneralienatethemanytheyfailtodescribe:“Idon’tknowhowtothrow

aboomerang,”saidEdanelder,“maybeIamnotreallyanAborigine”(West,

2000,p.3).TheCultureasobjectapproachinitsattempttofixcultureinthe

past,failstocelebratethediversityanddifferencesbetweenIndigenous

people.

The“who”intermsofgreatestspheresofinfluenceinthisparadigmisthe

expertfromone’sownculture‐theanthropologistandhis/herdetailed

descriptionsandpicturesofdailylife.The“who”intermsofcompetenceto

teachinthisparadigmisthepersonwhohasinsightintoorganisingarange

offactsandconceptsininterestingwaysforstudentsandhasgoodskillsin

explainingconcepts.Experienceofthecultureorlanguageisnotapriority.

2.1.2Cultureasaperspective

AnalternativeviewofteachingcultureisthatIndigenousperspectivesand

peopleshouldoccurnaturallyacrossthewholecurriculum(Tatz,1980).

West(2000),alsoadvocatingthisposition,pointstoscienceasanexample

andaskshowmanyschools,whenintroducingtheworkofAustralian

scientists,includetheworkofDavidUnaipon,agreatNgarrindjerimanfrom

SouthAustraliawhosucceededinturningcircularmotionintostraight

motionandapplyingittotheworkingofshears.ThebringingofIndigenous

perspectivesacrossthecurriculum,forexample,tothestudyofscience,art,

familyrelationshipsandhistorytocontrastandcomparewithothercultural

perspectives,adoptsaviewofculturethatmovesfromviewingculturesasa

descriptionofbehaviours,objectsandevents(objectiveculture)to

includingwhatHarris(1999)hasdescribedasthesubjectivecultureofa

societyorgroup.Thisapproachfocusesonthevalues,attitudes,beliefs,

orientationsandunderlyingassumptionsprevalentamongpeopleina

society.Othershavereferredtothisastheshared,collectivesubjectivity

thatisthewayoflifeoroutlookadoptedbyacommunityorsocialclass

(Alasuutari,1995;Cushner&Brislin,1996;Tiandis,1994).

29

Similarly,HansGullestrupdefinescultureas,

...the world conception, the values, moral norms, actual behaviour and

the material and immaterial results which people take over from

preceding generations, which they, in a modified form, seek to pass

on to the next generation and which in one way or another make them

differ from people belonging to other cultures.

(Gullestrup, 2006, p. 7)

Usinganeticanalysis,hethengoesontoidentifythewaycultures

commonlydealwithsevenprocessofbeinghuman:processing;

distribution;management;decisionmaking;conveyance;integration

identityandsecurity.Hismodelforculturestratifiesculturevertically

wherebelowthesurfaceofthereadilyobservableelementsarethedifficult

toperceiveculturelayerssuchaskinshipandeconomicstructures(often

thetargetofethnographersintheLevi‐Strausstradition).Belowthislayer

areformalisednormsandrulesofasociety.Furtherbelowarewhathecalls

thecoreculturelayerswhichareinvisibleandneeddeductiontodetermine

theirpresence,theyarethesymbolisedculturelayersimilartoHall’ssilent

languageorBourdieu’s“habitus”ortacitknowledge.Belowthisisthelayer

ofvaluesandbelow,atthefoundationlayer,isthefundamentalworld

conception.Thisfoundationallayerpositsacommonsetofuniversal

questionsabouthowtheworldgothere,ourplaceinitandlifeafterdeath.

Eachcultureanswersthesequestionsdifferently.Whatisofparticular

importanceinGullestrup’sworkishowthisworldviewfoundationis

responsiblefortheshapingofallthelayersaboveitandassuchisthekeyto

understandingwhyculturesdiffer.Understandingthepeculiaritiesofa

dance,forexample,as‘amanifestationofaparticularfundamentalworld

conceptionwillgiveadeeperunderstandingthantryinginterpretingthe

danceonitsownlevel’(Gullestrup2006p.100).

TheunderstandingofcultureputforwardbyHarris(1999)andGullestrup

(2006)offocussingonthecommonsetofbeliefsandperceptionssharedby

aculturethatleadstobehaviour,ratherthanthesurfacedailyelements

makingupaculture,leadstodifferentemphasiswhenteachingaboutone’s

ownoranother’sculture.Thebook“WhitefellaCulture”statesthat:

30

This is a book about culture, about Whitefella culture and about

Aboriginal culture. Culture is more than songs, paintings and

ceremonies. It is more than houses, clothes and tools. Culture is the

way we think, the way we act, the way we feel about things

(ATSIC, 1998, p. 3)

Thismorerecentunderstandingof‘cultureasperspective’movesthefocus

ofstudyingculturesbeyondthesurfacedailyelementsmakingupaculture,

totheunderlyingbeliefsandperceptionssharedbyaculturethatleadtothe

behaviour.Worldviewisanotherrelatedtermforperspectiveandisan

importantideaforexploringcultureandforunderstandingdifferencesin

cultures.Cultureasenactedworldviewemergedasakeypointin

understandingMECS’sapproachtoteachingIndigenousstudiesand

thereforeisaconceptexpandedmorefullyinalattersectionofthischapter.

Someofthecriticismsofovergeneralizationanddepersonalisationraised

inthefirstscenariocanalsobeappliedtothisunderstandingofteaching

culture.Thisapproachtoseeingcultureasprimarilyoriginatingfromideals

ormentalconstructsheldunconsciouslyisalsocriticizedbythoseworking

fromahistoricalmaterialisttraditionwhoarguethatthematerial

environmentandhistoryshapementalconstructs,nottheotherway

around(Kearney,1984).

2.1.3Cultureaslanguage

Thenamingandframingofcultureasamorecognitiveandsymbolicentity

(Nelson,Treichler,&Grosberg,1992)ledtocultureandculturalidentities

beingregardedasnotfixed,orpureandtakesintoaccountinternal

mechanismsofcognition,i.e.cultureisconstructedinthemindandnotina

setofbehaviours(S.Hall&duGay,1996).Cultureisviewedinthis

frameworkasaconstantlychangingproductofcontemporaryrelationships

withsurroundingpeoplesinaspecificregion.Itis‘notonlysocially

constructedbutalsohistoricallyconditionedandculturallymediated’

(Crozet,2000,p.1).

Thisapproachemphasizestheinterpretiveorperformancenatureof

cultureandhighlightshowpeopleexpresstheircultureinwordsand

31

symbols.Languagebecomesmorecentral.Thispositionmoreclosely

representsthenamingofcommunicationasadiscoursewithasetof

contestedmeanings(S.Hall,1980;M.J.Smith,2000).

RubernAlves,aBrazilianliberationtheologian,expressesthisinthe

followingmanner:

We do not contemplate reality face to face. From the moment we are

born, things do not come before us in all their nakedness; they come

dressed in the name that some community has given them. The

community has already defined how the world is, and hence it knows

what the world is. This knowledge of the world is crystallised in

language.

(Alves, 1985,p. 25).

AccordingtoCarbaugh(1988),culturereferstopatternsofsymbolicactions

andmeaningsthataredeeplyfelt,commonlyunderstoodandwidely

accessible.The“who”ofsignificanceinthisparadigmisextendedbeyond

theanthropologisttothesocialpsychologistandthecommunciation‐

linguistexpert.

Thelinguistcontributiontostudiesofcultureshowedmoreclearlyhowthe

perception,cultureandlanguagedimensionsareinterdependenthuman

functions,eachaffectingtheother.Somehaveevengoneasfarastosay

‘languagepervadesallactivitiesandofhumanlifeandlanguageisculture’

(LoBianco,etal.,1999,p.5)and‘languageiscultureexpressingitselfin

sound’(Ovando,1990,p.8).

Theperception,cultureandlanguagedimensionshavebeendevelopedinto

acomplextheoryofinterpersonalcommunications.Interpersonal

communicationspatternshavebeentheorisedtobebothacauseandresult

ofculturaldifferences.Languagesgiveeachcultureacommonsetof

categoriesanddistinctionswithwhichtoorganiseperceptions.These

categoriesareusedtosortobjectsandideasandgivemeaningtoshared

ideas.Non‐verbalcommunicationsystemsprovideinformationaboutthe

meaningsassociatedwithspace‐time,touchandgestures.Theinter‐

communicationpatternsofacultureconstantlyreinforcethepreferredway

ofthinking,feeling,perceivingandactinginrelationtostimulibeing

32

receivedbythesenses.Thepeoplemostaccreditedforthistheoryof

linguisticrelativitywereSapirandWhorf2 whoresearchedwhethera

culture’samountofwordsforconcepts(e.g.inArabictherearenearlya

hundredwordsforcamel)affectedtheperceptionofone’ssurroundings.

Theimportantcontributionofthisapproachisthatitunlocksthepreviously

silencedpsychological,emotional,socialandspiritualdimensionsofthe

“who”‐theparticipants.Theprocessofcross‐culturalunderstandingisnot

justanintellectualexerciseofaccumulatingfactsandconcepts.Itisamore

holisticexerciseinvolvingtheaffectiveandpsychologicaldimensions.

NemetzRobinsondefinescross‐culturalunderstandingas‘positively

relatingto,respondingtoandinteractingwithmembersofdifferent

cultures’(NemetzRobinson,1985,p.1)AccordingtoCarbaugh(1988),

culturereferstopatternsofsymbolicactionsandmeaningsthataredeeply

felt,commonlyunderstoodandwidelyaccessible.

The“what”,intermsoflearningactivitiesinthisframeworkarepractice

andanalysisofsocialepisodesinvolvingcommunicationinanewlanguage.

Thisparticularemphasisandunderstandingoflanguageshapingculture

posesproblemsforthemajorityofmainstreamschoolswithregardto

teachingIndigenousStudies.Wherearethebilingualteachers?Which

Aboriginallanguageshouldbestudied?Forthesereasonsitisraretofinda

schooladoptingthisapproachtoIndigenousstudies.

Thisinterculturalcommunicationapproachaddressespreviouslysilenced

dimensionsregardingtheprocessofacquiringone’sownculturalpatterns

suchasbeliefs,valuesandnorms,andthereforelaysopentotheastute

teacheropportunitiestoencouragecriticalreflectiononone’sown

worldview.Takinguptheseopportunitieshoweverdependsonthebroader

frameworkthatthisapproachisimplementedwithin.

Manyofthoseparticipatingintheinterculturalcompetencycontextshave

beencapturedbyglobalisationandfreemarketeconomicsparadigms,and

2 A detailed discussion of this theory and research can be found in Gumprez & Levison,

(1996).

33

thereforetendtonarrowthenotionofself‐reflectiontoopportunitiesor

barrierstoparticipationintheeconomy.Criticalsociologistsarerightly

concernedthat,inthiscontext,hegemonyofonecultureoveranotherwill

notbenecessarilyperceivedasnegative(Giroux,2000).

Asecondcritiqueofthisapproachisitspropensitytolookforpatternsof

cultureandtodevelopknowledgeintheformoftypologiesandtaxonomies

e.g.power‐distanceuncertainty,selfandtimedimensions(Hofstede,1991)

andhighandlowcontextcultures(E.T.Hall,1977).Thesecancontributeto

stereotypingbyemphasizingthehomogeneityofacultureandneglectingits

diversity.

Theabovediscussionisonlyabriefoverviewofsomeofvariouspositions

surroundingcultureandisusefulinexplainingwhyschoolsdifferintheir

approachtoteachingabouttheirownandotherculturesandisappliedin

theanalysisofMECS’sapproachtoteachingIndigenousstudies.

2.2 Who should Teach?

Theshifttoviewingcultureasdynamicandbeingshapedbysocialforces

andlanguagealsoledtoshiftsinunderstandingknowledgeasculturally

bound.Thisinturnleadstoargumentsaboutwhoseperspectiveofevents

shouldbepresentedandwhohasauthoritytospeakforothersincultural

studies.TheseargumentsaboutvoicetakeGademer’sthreepositionsand

arguethatthesecondpositionofdescribing“other”cultureusingthe

theoreticalframeworksdevelopedfromone’sownculturesuggests,no

matterwhatviewofcultureortheoreticalframeworkadopted,onecan

neverfullydescribeorcapturetherealityofthatculture.Manypostmodern

writershavearguedthatadescriptionofanyoneorthingwillalwaysbe

biasedwithreferencepointsfromone’sownculture.Inevitably,some

thingswillbehighlightedwhistotherthingswillbeunnoticed.Philosopher

RichardRortyremindshisreadersthattheyneverencounterrealityexcept

underachosendescription(particularsituation)andthatwearedeniedthe

luxuryorpretenceofclaiminganaïve,immediateaccesstoreality(Rorty,

34

1979).Alltexts,asMueke(1992b)states,arealwaysculturallyethnocentric,

constructingtheirownnotionsofculturalvalue.

Inmostcases,itiswhiteAustralianswithverylittleornocultural

experienceofAboriginalityteachingcoursesonAboriginals.Corrie&

Maloney(inATSIC,1998)arguethatthissituationleadstodistinctdangers.

Teacherseitherwillunwittinglyordeliberatelycontinuetoprivilegenon‐

IndigenousconstructionsofAboriginalityandwaysofknowing(Attwood,

1992a).

GroomealsoexpressesthisconcernwhenhereviewedAboriginalStudies

programsandsuggestthat,‘thereisdanger,thereforethatpositive

developmentssuchasAboriginalStudiesactuallyconstituteEuropean

studiesofAborigines’(Groome,1995,p.111).

Foucault(1980)putsforwardthenotionthatdominationoccursnot

throughtherestrictionofaccesstoknowledge,butthroughthecontrolof

theproductionofknowledgeitselfandthroughtheestablishmentofa

hierarchywhichdeniesthelegitimacyofsomegroupstospeakfor

themselvesexceptthroughsomemediatedform.Whogetstospeakisakey

politicalquestion,because,assomehaveargued,whatisthepointofself‐

determinationifthereisnoself‐representation?(M.Dodson,1994).

AuntyBethintheChapter1scenariorepresentsashiftinrelationtothe

questionofwhoisqualifiedtospeakintothesituation.Inthisscenario,not

onlyisthereacontinuationoftheunderstandingofcultureasasubjective

anddynamicconstructionconcerningtheeverydaylivesofpeoplebutitis

alsoareminderthatrepresentingfullyan“other”isallusivetooutsiders.

TheAuntyBethscenarioapproachwarmstoGadamer’sthirdposition

wheretwopeopleonequalbasispresenttoeachothertheircultural

insights.Thecritiqueofmodernityfoundinpostmodernwritingshasledto

closerexaminationofthepowerofvariousvoicesclamouringtotelltheir

versionofeventsandhasopenedthedoorformoredirectIndigenous

presenceintheschools.Thisisparticularlytruewhenexaminingthestory

ofthelocalareaandhistory.Bothofthesehaveusuallybeentoldusinga

35

Westernparadigmorstory.Manyoftheseaccountsbarelymentionedthe

Indigenouspeopleoftheregionthatwasbeingexploredorsettled,orifthey

did,drewonthecommondiscoursesofthedaywhichpositionedthe

“other”asanomadic,purposeless,peacefulandtimelesssavageorasa

troublesomeaggressivepeoplewithnorespectforthelaw(Kenworthy&

Kenworthy,1997).

Toliveinaplaceandgiveitanameistoknowitandtoclaimitasone’s

own.Thecoloniserstendedtorenametheoriginalnamesofthecountry.

SomenameswereretainedsuchasthefamousGundagaibutmostwere

ignored,perpetuatingtheTerraNulliusmythandsilencingtheideathat

Indigenouspeopleverydenselynamedthiscountry.Mueke(1992a)

remindshisreadersthatthenumberofAboriginalnamesstillexceedsthe

namesbestowedbythecolonisers.PartsofAustraliathatcoloniserscalled

justonenamesuchasthe“SandyDesert”areinfactdenselynamedplaces

forthelocalIndigenouspeople.Howoughtonetorefertoplacesinthelocal

area?Thisisacomplicatedmatter.

Oneofthebenefitsofhearinganumberofpeople’sstoriesisthatitcounters

thenotionsofhomogeneityinaculture.Workingcooperativelywitha

particularIndigenouscommunitycanalsogivevoicetotherichnessofthe

diversitywithinagroup.

Schwartz(1978)alsoadvocatesforaviewofculturethatdoesmorejustice

toarapidlychangingculture.Hearguesforadistributivemodelofculture

basedonthedistributionofknowledgeofbeliefs,art,lawandcustoms.This

thenallowsforaconsiderablevariationinculturalknowledgedependingon

individualexperience.

EncouragingandsupportingIndigenousvoiceintheclassroomisnot

straightforward.Giroux(1990)iscriticalofsomepost‐modernanalysisfor

simplyadvocatingequalvoiceintheconstructionofidentitywithout

analysisofthecausesforbarriersthatcauseunequalparticipationtooccur.

Hearguesthatthereisnolevelplayingfieldandthestepfromsilenceto

activevoicewillneedcritical,politicalanalyticalworktobedonebefore

36

therecanbejust,interculturalcommunication.Similarsentimentshavealso

beenvoicedbyothersworkingfromacriticalviewofracialidentity.

It is never a matter of replacing one set of authorities with another nor

of substituting one centre for another. It was always a matter of

opening and participating in a central strand of intellectual and cultural

effort. (Said, 1985, p. 13).

Recognisingthatsomepeoplehavebeenmarginalisedandoppressedovera

longperiodisimportantinunderstandingpresentpatterns.Theseviewsof

centralityandmarginalityfoundinpostcolonialtheoristsinfluencethe

framingofcurriculumdiscourses(TuhiwaiSmith,1999).

Anotherrecentcriticismofthisapproachistheassumptionthatanother’s

viewofwhathappenedisthefulltruthwhenitistruethateachculturehas

itsownsilencesandgapsinitsmemoryofthepast.EricMichaels(1986),

whohasworkedextensivelywithAboriginalmediaproductions,arguesthat

takingaviewfromthemarginsandmakingitcentralfailstorecognisethat

Aboriginalselfrepresentationisnot,initself,the“truth”aboutaneventand

suggeststhattheytoohavethroughtheiroraltraditionsandmayhave

institutionalisedsomeoftheirforgetting.Inthesameway,KathyButleris

concernedthat,‘inanattempttoredressEuropeanmindset,non‐Aboriginal

teachingprofessionalswillinvertTerraNulliusdiscourses,unwittingly

applyingotherformsofdisempowermenttoAboriginalpeople’(Butler,

2000,p.95).

Criticismhasbeenmadeofthisapproachonpragmaticgrounds.Often

schoolsandteachersdonothavetheresourcesandtrainingtodoextensive

schoolbasedcurriculumwork.NoraretherealwaysAboriginal

communitieseasilyidentifiableandaccessibletoworkwithinmanyofthe

largesuburbanareasofourcities.

Thedebateaboutwhocanspeakhasledsometogoasfarastoarguethatit

isonlyappropriatethatIndigenouspeopleteachAboriginalstudies

programs(Langford,1983;Rowse,1990).Apartfrombeingveryimpractical

(therearejusttoomanyschools),somehavearguedthatcreatingnon‐

Aboriginalsilenceswillnotachievebetterpoliticaloutcomes.Attwood

37

(1992a)notesthatthereisanimportantdistinctionbetweenspeakingfor

andspeakingabout.Said(1985)alsomakesthepointaboutthelossof

insightthispositionwouldcausebecauseothersknowyouindifferentways

thenyouknowyourselfandthesewaysmightbevaluable.

ATSIChasalsonotsupportedsucharadicalstandbutinsteadhave

supportedmovessuchastheDaretoLeadprogram(APAPDC,2003)for

schoolprincipalswheretheviewoftheCommitteeendorsedtheviews

expressedbyCravenandRigneythat,

every competent and sensitive teacher can teach Indigenous studies

effectively by using the best available resources to design relevant

activities and meaningful outcomes according to the need of students

and the experiences of Indigenous communities. (Craven & Rigney,

1999, p. 62)

Wolfe(1992)suggestsacompromisetotheabovepositionswithhisnotion

of“speakwhenyouhavebeenspokento”.Inpracticalterms,thishasledto

greaterdevelopmentofprotocolsandpartnershipswithlocalIndigenous

peoplewhenresearchingandspeakingonIndigenousculture.In

summarisingthisissueitseemsnotonlyimportanttohaveprotocolsin

placeandvariousvoices,buttodojusticetothevariousperspectivesa

broaderframeworkforanalysingthedifferentvaluesandbeliefsthat

differentperspectivesbringneedstobeinplace(Shi‐xu,2001).

2.3 Ideas about Curriculum and Knowledge

Intheabovesegments,variouspositionsregardingculturewereoutlined.

EachofthesewouldleadtodifferencesinpracticesofteachingIndigenous

Studiesprograms.Variationsinpracticecanalsobeinfluencedbyvarious

positionsorparadigmssurroundingtheconceptsofteacherandteaching.

Thedifferentpositionsthataschooladoptsgenerallyflowoutofinteraction

betweenthepurposeofschooling,theoriesofknowledgeandideasabout

howstudentslearn,andaresometimesreferredtoasparticularcurriculum

ideologies.

Schiro(2008)unwrapsfourcontestedcurriculumideologiesthatAmerican

schools(andtoalargeextenttheWesternEnglishspeakingworld)

38

historicallyhavetakentodescribeasheputsittheirvisionandenduring

concerns.Thesecurriculumideologiesarethe

• ScholarAcademicIdeologywhichhasasitspurpose,

helpingchildrenlearntheaccumulatedknowledgeof

theircultureasreflectedinthedisciplines.

• TheSocialEfficiencyIdeologyprovidesstudentsthe

skillsandproceduresthatasocietyneedstolive

productivelives.

• LearnerCentredIdeologyseekstodevelopandgrowthe

needsandconcernsoftheindividual.

• SocialReconstructionIdeologyprovidesstudentsinsight

intotheinjusticesthatexistandfacilitatesrenewalof

society.

Similarly,variousideasaboutknowledgeareusedbyschoolsthat

contributetodifferentpractices(Stikkers,1980).Teasdale&MaRhea

(2000)distinguishlocalknowledgeandwisdomofIndigenouspeoplefrom

Westernwaysofknowingandtheyconfirmtherearemultipleknowledge

andwisdomsystems.Thisraisestheimportantquestionofthe

legitimisationofthesevariouswaysofknowingasculturesintersect.Inthe

nextsection,severaltheoreticalwaysofviewingcurriculumandknowledge

arediscussed,whichformabackgroundforanalysingandexplaining

MECS’spractice.

2.3.1Curriculumassubject:Knowledgeasfacts

Thecurriculuminthefirstscenarioofcultureasobjectcomplementsthe

scholaracademicideology.Thepoliticalandsocialcontextforresearchand

schoolinginthisparadigmcouldbedescribedas“naïve”.Thatis,thereexist

naïvebeliefsthatthestudyofcultures,andmorespecificallyknowledge

aboutculture,couldbedeveloped“objectively”usingscientificapproaches

andnotinfluencedbythepoliticalandsocialpositionsofeducators,

researchersorlearners.Thesetenetsofmodernitytotallyignoreboththe

socialprocessinwhichtheinformationtobestudiedwasputtogether,such

39

aswhichknowledgeismorevaluable,butalsotheworldviewofthe

learners,thatis,howtheyfiltertheinformationinordertoreinforce

establishedviewsoftheworld.TheworksofSaid(1979)andother

postcolonialauthorshavedemonstratedthattheperceptionsand

descriptionsofcultures,forexample,theOrient,arenotobjective.Similar

argumentshavebeenmadeabouttheconstructionofIndigeneity(Attwood,

1992a;McConaghy,2000).

Learning,inthisparadigm,wasoftenframedbywhatFreire(1970)callsthe

“banking”method,wheredepositsoffactsandinformationweremadeto

students.StudentslikeJackinthefirstscenarioinChapter1focusedonthe

informationandhowtheymightpresentitratherthanonrelatingtoand

understanding“others”.Theorganisationoflearningacrossthecurriculum

wasfragmentedintotightseparatesubjectdivisions.

Blomberg(1997)describesthedistinctsubjectbasedschemesof

knowledgeasknowledgearisingoutofrationalviewsoftheworld,where

factsbuilttogethertoformconcepts,conceptstogetherinanhierarchalway

thenformstopicsandasetoftheories.Indigenousstudiesinthisparadigm

fallsunderStudiesofSocietyortheoldSocialStudies.Inthissetting,the

focusisonthesubjectwithitsdistinctsetofgeneralisedconceptsandskills

thatcanbeappliedtoanyculture.Theroleoftheteacheristhatofthe

pedagogicalexpertinorganisingthematerialineasilydigestibleamounts.

Thepurposeforschoolinginthisparadigmisoftencapturedbyliberal

idealsofbroadeningthemindandtheideathatknowingaboutthediversity

ofculturesisimportantinbeingeducated.Itwasoftenpairedwithliberal

idealsoftoleranceandmulticulturalism(Kymlicka,1995).Thisinturnsat

withinthebroaderWesternparadigmofgainingmasteryoftheexisting

bodiesofknowledgefilteredandformedbythevariousacademic

disciplines.Thesegoalswereoftenseenasbeingdisconnectedfromculture

andaboveanyoneculture.Therewereusuallynogoalsassociatedwith

developingempathy,norofcritiquingofone’sowncultureorthesocialand

politicalpositionofthekeyparticipants.DirectexperienceoftheIndigenous

40

peopleorpersonalrelationshiptothepeopleortopicwasseeninthis

paradigmasunimportant.

Severalauthors,aswellassomeIndigenousleadersarguethatcontinued

useofanuncriticalmodernframeworktoteachingIndigenousstudiesdoes

nothingtochallengetheprejudiceandmisconceptionsofmanynon‐

IndigenouspeopletowardsIndigenouspeopleandbringaboutthe

reconciliationandhealingofIndigenouspeople(M.Dodson,1994;Lustig&

Koester,1999).

2.3.2Curriculumasprocessandskills:Knowledgeasability

TheinterculturalcommunicationcompetencyscenariodescribedinChapter

1withitsfocusonlanguageskillsoftenfallsintothepatternofseeing

curriculumasacontextforacquiringskillsandprocesses.Theteacher,as

thelanguageandculturalexpert,leadsthestudentsintodevelopingthe

skillsthroughselectionofexamples,exercisesandexplanations.The

purposeofthisapproachis‘tofindwaystocommunicateeffectivelyand

appropriatelywhencommunicatingbetweencultures’(Lustig&Koester,

1999,p.54).Acritiqueofthisapproachwastheneglectofspecificdetailed

informationofanIndigenousgroupofpeopleandtheirhistory.Theteacher

istemptedtoselectaccountsofhistoryorinformationthroughthefilterof

whatwouldbethebestpedagogicalexamplestodeveloptherequiredsetof

criticalorlinguisticskills.Thisprocessandskillaimofschoolingcanbe

subsumedbyvariousotherpurposesbecauseitmaynotchallengeexisting

knowledgeandattitudesofstudents.Knowledgeinthisparadigmisthought

ofastechnical“knowhow”,refinedbypracticeandguidedbyanexpert,that

canbeappliedtosolvevariousproblems.Thepreviousexperiencesand

understandingsofthestudentsmayormaynotbeimportantinthis

approach.

2.3.3CurriculumasSocialCritic:Knowledgeassociallyconstructed

Adifferentpurposeforschoolingthanimmersingstudentsinthe

accumulatedknowledgeofsubjectsorprocessesorskillsislinkedtothe

socialreconstructionideaofcurriculum,whichhasasitsgoalthegaining

41

criticalinsightintoone’sowncultureandhistory(Apple,1990;Aronowitz&

Giroux,1991).Thompson(2008)appliesthispurposeforschoolingfroma

Christianperspectiveandcallsittransformationaleducation.

Usingconstructivistnotionsofknowledge,thisapproachassumesthat

studentscometotheclassroomwithconstructedviewsandunderstandings

oftheworldthatneedtobeexposedandchallenged.Presentingotherviews

enablestheirconstructionstobetestedandmodifiedtobettersuitnew

situationsandproblems.Italsoassumesthatacceptedversionsofhistory,

eventsandwordshavebeenconstructedfromaparticularstandpointto

reinforceandsupportexistingpowerrelationships(Foucault,1980).

Teachersholdingthispurposeofschoolingwouldpresumablyencourage

diverseIndigenousvoicesdirectlyintothecurriculumasawayofexposing

andchallengingbiasesandsilencesthatthestudentandacceptedversions

hold.

Thekeymotiveinthisapproachistoexposethehistoryandbeliefsofone’s

ownculture.Purpel(1989)arguesthatteacherswhowanttobringabout

criticaltransformationandjusticeinsocietymuststartbyexaminingtheir

ownpositionandbeprophetic.AprophetinBiblicaltermsneverpointsthe

fingeratothersbutathimorherselfandtheirowncommunityinowning

the“sins”ofthepast.Thisviewarguesthattheperson,whoisbestableto

teachinthissituation,isthecriticallyhonestandrepentantpersonin

partnershipwithanIndigenouscommunity.Thepurposeofschoolingin

thiscontextisshiftedtopreparingstudentstoparticipatingjustlyina

societybyforminganidentityofselfthatcriticallyexaminestheirown

cultureandthatofothers.

2.3.4TheIntegralcurriculum:Knowledgeaswisdom

Closelyrelatedtoseeingcultureasperspectiveistheviewthatknowledge

andvaluesasnotconfinedtosetsubjectareasbutrelevantacrossthe

curriculum.Amodelforcurriculumdevelopmentinthiscaseisoften

portrayedastheintegratedcurriculum.Itisusuallydriventhrough

examininglargeproblemscooperativelyfromdifferentsubjectperspectives

(Print,1993).Knowledgeisseenasbeingbroaderthancontainedbyany

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onedisciplinebutisstillfoundedandlimitedbythecombiningof

disciplines.Theintegratedcurriculuminthissenseisstillsubjecttothe

“knowledgeassubjects”or“knowledgeasskills”paradigms.

However,adifferentunderstandingof“acrossthecurriculum”emergesif

oneadoptsaviewofknowledgeaswisdom.Thisapproachhasbeentermed

inChristianphilosophyastheintegralcurriculum(Blomberg,1997).Oneof

thefeaturesofanintegralcurriculumisthattheworldandourknowledge

ofitinitiallyexistinaconcreteintegralform,whichismultidimensional.

Onesubjectalonecannotcaptureordevelopthisconcreteexperienceofthe

world.Fowler(1991)arguesthataswepursueknowledgeinspecialisations

ordisciplines,weexpandandrefineourknowledge,butthisexpansion

tendstobeattheexpenseofadisintegrationoftheexperiencedworldasits

unityisbrokenupintodiscretefieldsofspecialisedknowledge.He

articulatesitas:

We can secure the integrity of knowledge and avoid the disintegrating

tendencies of specialisation, only within a framework of beliefs that

integrates the diversity of our knowledge in some integrating centre of

meaning. For our knowledge to have integrity, all the diverse

meanings of the specialised branches of knowledge must converge in

a coherence of meaning.

(S Fowler, 1991, p. 38).

Thehistoryofthisterminology,associatedwithintegralcurriculumand

usedbyMECS,comesfromthewritingsofDougBlombergwhosethesis

exploresaBiblicallyinformedperspectiveonwisdomasanalternativeto

thetheory‐into‐practiceparadigm.Hedescribesthisideaasfollows:

The integral curriculum, however, seeks to start life as a whole. In this

respect it may also be described as 'holistic'. The notion of an integral

curriculum seeks to embody a view of life as already fecund with

meaning before it is divided into subject areas, which are one step

removed from the integrality or wholeness of ordinary experience

(Blomberg, 2007, p. 16).

Knowledgeaswisdomiscloselyrelatedtothisviewofcurriculum.Notonly

doestheontologyconsistingofintegralcomplexwhole,butthe

epistemologyconsistsof“understandinginaction”andspeakstothe

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interrelatednessofallthingsintheexperienceofthatentity.Wisdomas

knowledgeisnotabodyofknowledgebutawayofbeing,aresponsethat

coversmorethana“what”response,butalsoincludes“when”torespond.

Wisdomisalwayssituationspecificandeachsituationexceedsbyfarinits

complexitytowhatevercanbecapturedinpropositions(Blomberg,2007,p.

170).

Centraltotheideaofintegralcurriculumisthevaluingofdirectexperience.

Directexperiencewasoneofseveralrecurringthemesthatemergedfrom

datacollectedfromtheprogram.Thephraseusedwhenexplainingthe

originsoftheprogramwas“Year10wastheonlygroupwithoutan

extendedexcursion”isaninterestingone.Theschool’sphilosophy(see

Chapter4)valuesdirectexperienceofeverydaylifeasthebasisforall

learning.Blombergdescribestheuniquenessoftheintegralcurriculumin

contrasttothesubjectbasedorintegratedapproachcurriculuminthe

followingway.

An integral curriculum begins with a ‘giveness’ or wholeness of

experience prior to analysis. The Christian school has a pre-modern

assumption that all things hold together in Christ (Colossians 1; 17)

There is a conviction that all of reality has a coherent and intrinsically

referential characteristic. The wholeness of experience has many

sides, not just the rational, and has not as its goal rational

understanding but wisdom: concrete acting that does justice to this

richness of reality.

(Blomberg, 2007, pp. 21-22)

TheintegralcurriculumaccordingtoBlombergleadstoarhythmoflearning

asimmersions,distancingandre‐immersionandacurriculumapproachof

playing,problemposingandpurposefulresponding.Theseideasof

integralityandwisdomsitasdisruptiveandalternativetoboththemodern

andpostmodernideasofknowledgeandcurriculum.

2.4 Worldview

Akeyconceptthatemergedfromthedataistheconceptofworldview.

Variousdisciplineshavemadeuseofthisconcept.Worldviewinthisthesis

becameakeyorganisingprincipleorframeworkforunderstandingthe

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actionsofothers.Itisimportantthereforeinthisreviewsectionofthe

projecttooutlinesomefeaturesofthisconcept.Thissectionalsoexamines

theinteractionbetweenworldviewandtheotherprominentthemesofthe

data‐culture,languageandreligion.

2.4.1Thenatureofworldviews

Theearliestviewsaboutworldviewcomefromphilosophy.Naugle(2002)

giveshisreaderahistoryoftheideafromKanttoKuhnandPolanyi,

touchingonabout20philosophersalongtheway.Nauglealsoreferstothe

entryofworldviewintoEuropeananthropologyandintoChristianthinking

attheturnofthe20thCenturyandthewayitwastakenupbytheologians

suchasAbrahamKuyperandHermanDooyewerd,historicalfigures

foundationalinestablishingtheuniquephilosophyofMECS(Chapter4).

Themostcommonuseofworldviewovertherecentpasthasbeeninits

relationshiptoexplainingculture,particularlywhyculturesdiffer.British

socialanthropologistBronislawMalinowskiwrotethat,

What interests me really in the study of native cultures is his outlook

on things, his Weltanschauung, the breath of life and reality, which he

breathes, and by which he lives. Every human culture gives it

members a definite vision of the world, a definite zest of life. In the

roaming over human history and over the surface of the earth, there is

the possibility of seeing life and the world from various angles peculiar

to each culture. That has charmed me the most and inspired me with

the real desire to penetrate other cultures to understand other types of

life.

(Malinowski, 1922, p. 517)

AccordingtoHiebert(2008),worldviewisthefundamentalcognitive,

affective,andevaluativepresuppositionsagroupofpeoplemakeaboutthe

natureofthings,andwhichtheyusetoordertheirlives.

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WashandMiddletonexplainthefundamentalroleitplaysinvaluesand

vision.

A worldview is never merely a vision of life. It is always a vision for life

as well. Indeed, a vision of life or worldview that does not actually lead

a person or a people into a particular way of life is no worldview at all.

Our worldview determines our values. It helps us to interpret the world

around us it sorts out what is important from what is not. A worldview

provides a model of the world which guides its adherents in the world.

(Walsh & Middelton, 1984, pp. 31-32).

‘Worldviewisthepictureonehasofthewaythingsareinactuality,themost

comprehensiveideaoforder’(Geertz,1973,p.126).

Aswellasoverlappingdefinitionsofworldview,mosttheoretical

discussionsagreeonthreeissues.Theyinvolvebasicorprimaryconcepts,

beliefsorassumptionsnotjustanybelieforconcept.Typically,theyprovide

answerstothebigquestionsoflifeanddeathandorigins,theultimate

shapeofsubstanceorreality.Secondly,worldviewsoperateatan

unconsciouslevelsothatwearenotawarethatotherwaysofseeingthe

worldareeitherpossibleorlegitimate.Theyareliketheairwebreathe.

Worldviewsarepartofwhowearebutnotapartweusuallythinkmuch

about.Acommonanalogyusedtoexplainthisaspectofworldviewsisthe

analogyofthefishbeingthelasttodiscoverwaterandonlydiscoversitby

beingthrownoutontotheshore.Thirdly,mosttheoriesacknowledgethe

omni‐presenceofworldviewsintheeverydayeventsandactionsoflife.The

latteroccursbecauseone’sworldviewprovidesthemeaningful

interpretationandorganisationofthesensesignalsbeingconstantly

receivedandprovidesaframeworkforvaluingwhatisinterpreted.This

framework,avisionforlife,cannotbeswitchedonforinterpretingsome

thingsandnotothersbutisalwayspresent,guidingaction.Fowler(2010)

captureswellthedistinctivenessofworldviewfromarticulatedbeliefsby

holdingtothesimpledefinitionthatworldviewsarethepatternsforliving.

2.4.2Elementsandfeaturesofaworldview

Theoriesofworldviewdifferintheirdiscussionofthebasicelementsthat

makeupaworldview.Gombrich(1969)hasarguedthatitmattersrelatively

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littlewhatthecategoriesarebecausetheytosomedegreeareconstructed

arbitrarily.Yetitmakessensethatthebasicviewsofself,otheranduniverse

usuallydeterminetheotherdomainsandtheattributesofthesedomains.

BasedonGerman19thCenturyphilosopherswhointroducedthe

worldviewideathroughthetermWeltanschauun,Spengler(1971)reduced

thepatternswithinaculturetooneprimarypositionwhichdominatedall

other.RobertRedfield(1953)arguesforfiveuniversals,Self,Other,God,

SpaceandTime.Kearney(1984)arguesfromamaterialist,historicalpoint

ofviewforthreeuniversalelementsself,otheranduniverse,eachwith

variousdomains.Gullestrup(2006)usesthetermbasicworldconceptions

andarguesthatallculturesaskandprovideanswerstofivebasicquestions.

Whattheworldlookslike?Howwasitcreated?Whocontrolsit?Howand

whenwillitceasetoexist?Whathappensafterdeath?

Yang(1998)alsousesthenotionofworldviewtounderstandcultural

difference.Sheclaimsworldviewtobefivevalueorientationsthatare

universaltohumanexistentialissuestowhichhumansproposesolutions.

WalshandMiddleton(1984)usethesameapproachandarguethat

worldviewsusuallyanswerandaskfourbasicquestionsoflife.

• Wherearewe?(Thenatureoftheworld–ontology)

• Whoarewe?(Ourhumanandculturalidentity)

• Whatistheproblemwiththeworld?

• Whatisthesolution?

VanLeeuwen(1990)describesworldviewasfivesetsofnon‐negotiable

beliefsbeing:

1.Origin,natureanddestinyoftheuniverse

2.Basicnatureofhumanbeings.

3.Explanationsofthediscrepancybetweenactualandideal.

4.Howthesediscrepanciesmaybeovercome.

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5.Themethodsbestsuitedtodevelopingtheimplicationsofthefirstfour

assumptionsintoknowledge.

Modelsandtheoriesalsodifferabouttherigidnessofthebasicelements

makingupaworldview.Redfeeld’smodelisfairlyfixedwhileFowler

(2006a)arguesforgreaterfluidityintherelationshipsbetweenthe

elements.Disagreementalsoexistsaboutwhethertheelementsare

concepts(propositions)orbeliefsorpresuppositions.Ketner(1972),

followingCollingwood’sworkonpresuppositions,usesthetermprincipalia

tohighlightthatwhatwearedealingwitharenotsimplypresuppositionsin

theusualsenseoftheword.Principaliaarenotabletobetestedastrueor

falsefortheyarethetoolsthatweusetodeterminetrueorfalse‐theyare

givens,orasFowler(2006b)argues,theyarethebasicbeliefsweuseto

determinetruthorfalseness.

KetnerandFowler’sunderstandingsof“beliefs”standapartfromthose

usingalinguistic(Carrol,1956)orcognitiveframework(J.Spradley,1972)

andseethebasicelementsofaworldviewasconcepts.

Recently,throughtheinfluenceofpostmodernism,somearedescribingthe

basicbeliefsaboutlifenotassetsofconceptualanswersoranimplicitsetof

beliefsoranswerstobasicquestionsaboutidentityandlife,butas

metaphorsornarratives,aligningaworldviewtoanoverridingstoryoflife

expressedculturally(Fernhout,1997;Lyotard,1984).

Theideaofnarrativepointstoanotherfeatureofworldviewinthatittends

towardsinternalconsistency.InternalconsistencyisarguedbyWallace

(1966),Fowler(2006)andKearney(1984)asthebasisfordecidingonthe

“rationality”ofaproposition.FowlerusestheBororoasanexampleofthis:

Levy Bruhl the anthropologist who worked with the Bororo people of

northern Brazil detailed how they believed (irrationally) they are red

parakeets. However, I contend that, if the Bororo had sent an

anthropologist out to the West they would have reported that most

people believe coal and diamonds are the same substance!

Each culture finds the claims of the other absurd when viewed from

the outside. However viewed from within each culture’s worldview the

claim is quite logical and sensible. In the Bororo’s worldview, the

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fundamental character of substance is spiritual; because parakeets

and humans have the same spirit, they are the same substance.

Similarly in the Western worldview, coal and diamond are the same

(chemically) and therefore the same substance. Bororo reasoning is

not illogical. What they claim for spirituality we claim for chemistry!

(S Fowler, 2006b, p. 6)

Kearney(1984)givesasimilarexampleoftheWintutribeofNorthAmerica

andtheirrelationshiptothenaturalworldasbeingconsistentwiththeir

viewofthemselvesandothers.Theseexamplespointtotheconsistencyofa

worldviewandtherationalityorlogicalstructureofworldviewsystems.

Thislastpointisimportanttothisstudybecausesometimeswhenone

worksfromanuncriticalscientificworldviewasthestartingpointthereare

implicationsthatnon‐scientificworldviewsholdirrationalbeliefs,laying

downafalsebasisforvaluingWesterncultureassuperior.

2.5 Worldview and Language

Thedynamicsubjectiveunderstandingofcultureandworldviewalsobrings

intoplaytheimportanceoflanguage.Freire(1970)claimsthatpeopleare

silentbecausetheylackthelanguageandexpressionstodescribetheway

theworldaroundthemkeepstheminpoverty.Heunderstoodthatlanguage

restrictsthethinkingprocessandrealmofpossibilities.TheworkofWhorf

andSapir(citedinCarrol,1956)ledtothethesisthathumanbeingsdonot

liveintheobjectiveworldaloneoraloneintheworldofsocialactivityas

ordinarilyunderstood,butareverymuchatthemercyoftheparticular

languagewhichhasbecomethemediumofexpressionfortheirsociety.The

realworldisunconsciouslybuiltuponlanguagehabitsofthegroup.Notwo

languagesrepresentthesamesocialreality.Eachculturelivesindistinct

worlds,‘notmerelythesameworldwithdifferentlabelsattached’(B.Hall,

2005,p.174).TheSapir‐Whorfthesisgoesasfarastosaylanguageconfines

thepossibilitiesfordescribinganddefiningwhatweperceive.Thevalueof

histhesisisnotthatlanguagetyrannizesspeakersbyforcingthemtothink

incertainways,butrathertheirworkemphasizedtheclosealliance

betweenlanguageandthetotalcultureofacommunity.

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Theintroductionofanotherculture’slanguageiscriticalinopeningupthe

possibilityofseeingtheworlddifferently.Itallowsthepossibilityof

attachingalabeltoexperiences,feelings,orrelationshipsthatdonotexistin

one’sownworld.Thisiswhywordscannotalwaysbetranslated.Theymust

beinterpreted.Conde‐Frazier(2007)indiscussingthesearchforaword

putsitthisway:

The fullness of a particular concept cannot be communicated in

English all the time so we use the word in our class discussions in the

original language after the speakers of that language have had an

insider conversation about the concept it communicates. The rest of

us have listened as outsiders, asking questions of clarification and

then we search for a parallel word in English or even several other

languages. When such a word cannot be found, we agree to use the

word in the original language (p. 111).

Meaningismoreimportantthanwords.Whentheelderssay“keepthe

language”,whattheymeaniskeepthethought.Englishisnounbasedbut

ourlanguages,saysoneNativeAmericanelder,areactionbased,definedby

relationshiptothings(Hermes,2005,p.51).

Cultureismorethanjustbeliefsandbehaviours.Itisalsoepistemology,the

uniqueunderstandingofwhichcanonlybeexpressedthroughlanguage

specifictoaworldview(Deyhele,Swisher,Stevens,&Trinidad‐Galvan,

2008).McCoy(2004)alsodemonstratedthiswiththecomplexityofthe

WesternDesertPuntutermKanyirninpainrelationtohealthandwellbeing

Thiscloselinkbetweenlanguageandworldviewisanimportantpartof

understandinghowbesttoidentifyandchallengeone’sown,orsomeone

else’s,worldview.

Itisalsoimportanttoacknowledgethattopenetratebelowthesurfaceof

anotherculture,knowledgeofthatculture’slanguageiscritical.The

learningofanotherculture’slanguageisalsoimportantinestablishing

healthyrelationshipsbetweengroups.Numerousmisunderstandings

betweenIndigenouspeopleandthewestcontinuetooccur.Trudgen(2000)

graphicallyshowshowtheintertwiningofworldviewandlanguagehaveled

tomassivemiscommunicationandmisconceptionsaboutillnessandhealth

50

fortheYolngucommunityoftheGulfcountry.Inmanycases,thisisthe

clashofdifferentknowledgesystemsbasedondifferentworldviews.

Unwillingnesstolearnandcommunicateinanothergroup’slanguagehas

massiveimplicationsfortheequalityofrelationships.Rightly,some

IndigenousgroupsaskwhyexchangesalwayshavetobemadeinEnglish.

Effortfrombothpartiestolearnsomeoftheother’slanguageshowsa

higherlevelofrespectandcanleadtomoreequalandhealthyrelationships

betweengroups.

Languageisalsocriticalforthoseengagedinstudyingandreportingon

others’cultures.Anyoutsider’slackofattentivenesstohisownunconscious

culturalcompositionandhisorherdependenceontheirownlanguageand

cultureinthetaskwillleadtocontinuedmisunderstanding.Forhowcan

oneobservesomethingthatonedoesnotevenknowtheexistenceofand

doesnothavethewordsfor?EdwardHall’s(1973)workonnonverbal

communication,“TheSilentLanguage”,showedthatfocusingonwords

alonedoesnotcommunicatethemessage.Veryoftenattheperceptionlevel

whattheeyefocusesonanddiscriminatesareeffectedbyculturaltraining.

Somestimuliwillbeignoredbecausewelackthecodefordecodingthem.

2.6 Worldview and Being Religious

Traditionalviewsofreligionparallelstaticobjectiveviewsofcultureand

relegatethereligionofasocietytosacredritualsandbeliefsaboutthenon‐

materialworld.Sometakethesesetsofbeliefsassignsofimmaturityina

cultureorperson,where‘theimmaturemindhasstrongtendenciesto

attributecontentsandcharacteristicsoftheselfuponothers’(Kearney,

1984,p.89).

However,itisalsopossibletotakeabroader,moredynamicviewofreligion

ifonestepsoutsideamaterialistorrationalistframework.Itisaperspective

thatrecognisesthatbeliefsarenotjustanepistemologicaloutworkingin

termsofreligiouspracticesanddoctrinesbutarealsoheldontologically,

centraltobeinghuman.

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InWesternculturetoday,sincetheriseofGreekcivilization,therehasbeen

atraditionofacceptingadualisticunderstandingofreality.Thishasevolved

toasecular/sacreddivisionoflife.NancyPearcey(2005)tracesthis

dualismthroughthehistoryofGreekthinking,beginningwithPlatoandhis

divisionofformandstructurethroughtotheMiddleAgeswithAquinasand

thenature/super‐naturedivision,andthenonthroughthesecularisationof

thesedivisionsbyDescartestobecomingmindandmatter.WithKantthe

separationwasreframedasthefreedomandnaturedivide.Fromthere,it

becamemorecommonlyknowninmodernityasthevaluesandfacts

division,easilylinkedtotheprivate/publicdivisionoflife.Valuesinthis

frameworkareseenassociallyconstructedmeaningsandtruthappropriate

fortheprivatedomainsoflife,whilefactsbecomescientificallyverifiable

truthsmoresuitablefordirectingthepublicdomain.Somebranchesof

Christianityhaveassimilatedthissacredandseculardivisionintotheirfaith.

Pearcey,however,outlineshow“Reformational”Christianity3questionsthe

assumptionsthatmakethisdivisionoflifenormaltomostpeopletoday.Itis

anattackonmodernitybutfromadifferentbasisthanmostpostmodern

positions.

Todayitwouldbequiteacceptableforpeopletoanswersurveyformsto

tickaboxsayingtheyarenonreligiousornonspiritual.Thismodernsecular

viewofreligionhassometimesbeenappliedtodealingwithothercultures,

relegatingreligiontoasetofbeliefstoexplainthemysteriousorunknown

andtreatedasatopicsimilartofamilyliferatherthanplacingreligionas

foundationaltoalleverydayevents.Thechurcheshavenotbeenimmuneto

adoptingthissecularisedunderstandingofreligionandspirituality.Patrick

Dodson,inaninterviewabouthisexperienceswiththeCatholicchurch

notedthat,‘therewasalotofemphasisonkindnessandforgivenessbutnot

onchallengingthecauseofinjusticeintermsoflandsrightsandaccessto

thenation’sresources’(P.L.Dodson,Elston,&McCoy,2006,p.255).

3 Reformational is the term used to describe the “ all of life “ philosophy of Abraham

Kuyper and Herman Dooyeweerd who were foundational in developing Christian theory.

52

Inanimportantwork,discussingtherelationshipofChristianitytoculture

Niehbur(1956),positsfivepositionsthatreligionscanhavetowards

culture.HisfifthandpreferredpositionisnotthecommonChristagainst

culturebutChristtransformingculture,reflectingtheontologicalpositionof

religioninhumanlife.

HermanDooyeweerd(1979),aphilosopherintheearlypartofthe20th

centuryandlinkedstronglytothephilosophicalrootsofMECS’sbeginning

(seechapter4)opposedthismodernisttrendofsecularisationand

refocussedthecentralityofreligion.Heradicallyviewedhumansas

religiouslyqualifiedculturalbuilders;buildingculturefromtheallegiances

theyheldintheirhearts.Hisworkcritiquedextensivelymodernisttheory

anditsemphasisonthemind.HechosetheOldTestamentimageryofthe

heartasbeingthecentreofhumanbeings.Outoftheheart(faith

commitments)ofpeopleflowsalloftheirlife.InasimilarveinJeremy

Beckett,commentedthat‘theAboriginalclaimantforlandiscastintherole

ofhomoreligiousratherthanhomoeconomics’(Beckett&Australian

InstituteofAboriginalStudies.,1988,p.207).

Geertz(1973)workingfromaninterpretiveframework,alsoarguesforthe

foundationalroleforreligioninanyculture,definingreligionasthe

symbolicrepresentationsthatprovidesmeaningandaffirmationsforthe

waytheworldis.Non‐religioussymbolsdonotprovideaffirmations.Aswell

asprovidingaffirmation,religiousbeliefs,tobereligious,require

commitment.ThecommitmenttoanideawascentralinWittgenstein’s

explorationofbeliefsystems.Hepostulatedthat‘beliefbecomessomething

likeapassionatecommitmenttoasystemofreference,awayofassessing

lifeandreality’(Wittgenstein,1980,p.37).

Samovar(2007)seesreligionasoneofthefivecommonfeaturesofculture

referringtoorganisedreligionasprovidingmeaning,andthesemeanings

influencetheentirefabricofsocietysuchaswork(e.g.thepuritanwork

ethic).

Theresistanceofculturalchangetodeepstructuresorcorestructures(see

ChallengingWorldviews)meansthattherecanbeadistinctionbetween

53

organisedreligionandworldview.Aculture’shistoricallydevelopedand

articulatedconfessions,pictureorstoriesaboutitsorigins,natureofthe

world,humanlifeanddeath,ourconnectionstotheearthandtoeachother

canbedescribedasorganisedreligion.Worldview,however,inthemanner

definedbyFowler(1991)remainsdistinctfromreligionastheimplicit,

intuitiveheldbeliefsaboutlifeanddeath.Thehistorical,articulated

worldviewofaculturebecomesitsreligion.Thereoftenisoverlapand

insightsoforganisedorconfessedreligionswithworldviewbutthereare

alsooftencontradictionsorgaps.TofurtherrefinethisdistinctionWentz

(1987),makesanimportantdistinctionbetweenreligionandbeing

religious.Religionhedefinesasmostwouldunderstandtheword,asan

organised,clearlydefinedexpressionofreligiousness.Buthegivespowerful

argumentsforrecognisingthatmanypeoplewhoclaimtohavenoreligion

areneverthelessdeeplyreligious.Thatis,theyfindsomekindofmeaningin

thesecularworld.

Therehavebeenmanyexamplesofculturesadaptinganorganisedreligion

totheirownworldview.ThediscussionlaterinthisworkonAboriginal

Christianityhighlightsthis.Bennet(2004)inhisstudyofcultureswrites,

Do not be fooled by the people in Beijing dressing like people in New

York or that the Japanese play baseball, most of what we call culture

is below the surface similar to an iceberg. There are other things that

are going on that show that this dress or sports have been adapted

into the culture and there are different perspectives on what they

mean.(p.103)

Therearetworesponsestoframingreligionoutofasacred/seculardivide

inthetreatmentofAboriginalSpirituality.Oneisthesimplification,

reductionandcompartmentalisingofit.Thesecondistoromanticizeit.

Rolls(2001),inhisanalysisofJamesCowannovels,pointstotheanew

genreofliteraturewhichcastsAboriginalpeopleasthespiritualsavioursof

thealienatedWesternselfintheabsenceofanyWesternspirituality.Cowan

adoptsandabsorbsAboriginalspiritualityclaimingsacredplacesashis

dreamingandabsorbingthespiritualaffiliationwiththoseplaces.How

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MECSunderstandsandpositionsreligionwillbeimportantin

understandingitspractice.

2.7 Learning about and Being Challenged by Worldviews

Inthediscussionsofar,thefocusisthenatureofworldviewsandhowthis

conceptrelatestotheotherkeyconceptsofculture,languageandreligion.

However,fromateacher’sperspectiveitisalsointerestingtonotewhatthe

literaturesaysregardinghowvariousworldviewscanbeidentifiedand

challenged.

Itisimportanttonotethatmosttheoriesexplainingtherelationship

betweentotalenvironmentandtheworldviewofanindividualholda

dialecticview,inthatthesocialbehaviourdescribedasaresultofthe

worldviewbecomesembodiedinsocialstructures,customsandinstitutions.

Theybecomepartofthetotalenvironmentwhichtheninturnmodifiesand

shapestheworldview.StuartFowler(2006),referstothisasbeing

embeddedinthelocal,generalwisdomofthegroup.

Worldviewsaretraditionallyacknowledgedasdifficulttoidentifybecause

theyareinternal,personal,implicit,non‐rationalbeliefs(Fowler,2006).Itis

easytoconfusethearticulated,confessedbeliefsabouttheworldasbeinga

worldview.Instead,toidentifyaworldviewonemustalwayslookatthe

patternofresponsesandactionsandinferwhatthepresuppositionsor

beliefsare.Gullestrup(2006)andFowler(2006)rightlypointoutthat

becausethisinvolvesdeductionfrompatternsobservedfromone’sown

standpoint,greatcaremustbetakeninpronouncingothercultures’

worldviews.

Itiscriticallyimportanttolistenintentlytoothers’voicesinhearingtheir

ownexplanationsforbehaviouralpatternsandtoplacethemintheirown

broadculturalcontextsofmyths,stories,histories,heroesandart.These

discoursesoftenremainsilent.Onlythen,shouldonemoveforwardwith

openness,humilityandtentativenessinbeginningtodescribean“others’”

worldview.

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Aswellasbeingdifficulttoidentify,worldviewsaredifficulttochange.One

oftheirrolesistoprovidesecuritiesaboutthewaythingsare.Theymakeup

whatseemsnormal.Disturbancesinunderstandingthefoundationsrock

thewholehouse.Incontrast,changingthesurfaceormanifestcultureis

simplylikechangingthefurniture.Changingaworldviewisaparadigm

shift.

Kuhn’s(1970)descriptionofparadigmshiftsdescribesthefactorsinvolved

inshiftingfromanAristotelianworldviewtoaGalileanworldviewin

understandinghumans’relationshipwiththenaturalworld.Apartfromthe

abilityofsocietyto‘evolve’itsworldview,therearenotedadditionalor

externalsourcesofdisequilibrium.Suchintrusionsareclimateshifts;

epidemics;invasion;andencounterswithotherworldviews.Thislast

intrusionisimportantinthecontextofthiscasestudyasexposuretoa

radicallydifferentworldviewisseenbytheschoolasakeywaytogain

insightandchallengeone’sownworldviewandyourownculture.

Insuchasystem,anyinfluencefromoutsidetheenvironmentthatintrudes

intoitmayalterit.Piagetwouldrefertoitastheequilibrationorthecoming

intobalancetoachieveadynamicequilibrium(Donavan,2001).

Observingpatternstoidentifyworldviewfromadistancewillnotchallenge

atadeeperlevelanobserver’sworldview.Observingthembybeing

immersedindifference,however,offersamorechallengingexperience.

Amajorwaythentochallengeone’sownworldviewistoencounterand

experiencesituationswherethemajorityofpeoplearoundyouoperatewith

adifferentworldviewthatperforatesthecomfortofthefamiliar,creates

disequilibriumandopensupthepossibilityofchallengetoone’sown

worldview(Tin,C.1999).

Aclose,directandprolongedexperienceofanotherculturetogaininsight

intothenatureofone’sownorothers’worldviewsiseffectivebecausesuch

anexperienceencompassesone’swholebeing.Bennetreviewsthe

tendencytoreifycultureasamentalconstructasfailingtoincludethebody

andfeelingsofhumansintheconstructandtheimportanceofintuitiveness

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and‘feel’withregardtoappropriatebehaviour.Theapprehensionof

behaviourcannotoccuronlywithinthelanguageitoccursalsointhewhole

thebody,thenon‐verbalpartofcommunication.Thatis,

We give the feeling form, a particular thought or particular emotion but

the indescribable sense of the whole is located in the gestalt of our

physical ontogenetic condition. Body awareness is an important part

of cultural awareness. We feel normal or right in familiar spaces and

relationships.

(Bennett & Castiglinoni, 2004, p. 251)

Againstthisbackdrop,thefeelingofbeingstrangeisanimportantpartin

discoveringandchallengingone’sownworldview.Itcanneverbejusta

rationalexercise.

Alsoimportantinthedirectexperienceistheroleofguidance.Purpel

(1989)hasarguedthatidealistic,postmodernframingofteachingleads

inevitablytoareluctanceofteacherstotaketheleadinprovidingother

contextsofinfluencethantheprevailingone,whichwillfillthevacuumof

influenceoverthestudents’constructionofmeaning.Teachers,theyargue,

needtobeconsciousandactivetoguideinterpretationofmeaning.This

meansthatteacherscanmoreprudentlydevelopstrategiestocounter

negativeattitudesratherthanhopingthatimmersionorcontactwithothers

willandofitselffixtheproblem.

Whenstudentsareconfrontedwithanew,unfamiliarsetofexperiencestwo

problemsoftenarise.Thefirstiswhattheyactuallyperceive.When

confrontedwiththeunfamiliar,learnersfailtoperceivedetailsandaspects

oftheobjectandeventthatfamiliarparticipants“see”.Themeaningful

contextofthefamiliarsuppliescuesandanticipationthatassistsperceiving.

Thishasbeenwelldemonstratedinnumerouspsychologicalstudiesonthe

natureofperception(Freedman,Sears&Carlsmith,1981;Lindsay&

Norman,1977).Secondly,unfamiliarstimuliaremadesenseofand

interpretedinrelationtoone’sownpreviousexperience.Studentslivingin

amiddleclassenvironmentdonotexpecttoseediscardedpaper,food,and

chooksinlivingareas.Seeingthisscenemaycausethemtointerpretand

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labelthisasamess.Guidanceandleadershipbytheteacherisneededin

seeingotherdetails,localvoicesandbeingexposedtoothermeanings.

2.8 Conclusion

Thisliteraturereviewhasexploredsomeofthekeyconceptsandideas

surroundingwhyschoolsdifferintheirresponsetothechallengesreviewed

inChapter1ofbeginninganddeliveringIndigenousprograms.Three

commonwaysschoolsthinkandtalkaboutculturewerereviewed.This

reviewprovidesabackgroundtoansweringthefirstpartofthemain

researchquestionabouttheparticularperspectivesMECS’employedabout

culturetoshapeitspractice.Thereviewalsolookedatfourparadigmsor

ideologiesassociatedwiththepurposeofschoolingandtheirrelatedideas

ofcurriculumandknowledge.Againthisreviewwasimportantintryingto

explaintheMECS’practice.

ThevariousfindingsofMECS’sviewsoncultureandpurposesofteaching

revealedworldviewandaparticularwayofunderstandingandpositioning

religionaskeyissues.Thereforethisreviewalsoexaminedwhatconstitutes

aworldview,howdoesoneanalyseworldviewsandhowdoesonechallenge

one’sownworldview?Thisreviewalsoaskedquestionaboutthepositionof

religionwithincultureandtheroleoflanguage.

Itwasinterestingtonotethatthereexistsareasonableamountofliterature

linkinglanguagewithcultureandagrowingamountbeginningtouse

worldviewasatoolforexplainingculturalpractices.Therearehowevernot

manystudiesexplainingcultureasareligiousoutworkingortryingto

explaincultureintermsofallthreeconceptssimultaneously.

Normallytogettheanswerstoquestionsofmeaningbehindpractice,

probingthehistory,rationale,motivationsandphilosophyofacommunity

becomeimportant.Thissteeredthestudytolookforappropriateresearch

toolstocarryouttheseprobesandcollectdataandisthefocusofthenext

chapter.

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Figure3.Artresponseofastudenttellingherstory

59

Chapter 3

Methodology

3.0 Introduction

Theintroductorychaptersofthisresearchdemonstratedastronglink

betweenperspectivesofculture,goalsandpurposesofeducationandthe

wayIndigenouspeoplearerelatedtoandrepresentedinschools.The

challengeofthisstudyistouncoverthemeaningofdiscursivepractices

suchas“culture”and“teachingandlearning”inthesocialsettingofthe

schoolatwork.Thisprocessalsoinvolvesdealingwitheventsthatofferno

obviouspointofcomparisonmakingitappropriatetoapproachitasacase

study(Adams,Clemens,&Orloff,2005;Schrank,2006).Yin(2003)

describesthecasestudyapproachasanempiricalinquirythat‘investigates

acontemporaryphenomenonwithinitsreal‐lifecontext;whenthe

boundariesbetweenphenomenonandcontextarenotclearlyevident;and

inwhichmultiplesourcesofevidenceareused’(p.20).

Agreatdealofrichdatacanbegainedfromasinglecase(inthisinstance,a

singleschool).ThiswaswhatStake(1995)hastermedan‘instrumentalcase

studywherethemainaimistoprovideinsightintoatheoryorissue’(p.

237).EstablishingMECSasaworthwhilecandidateforacase,however,is

onlyonepartofchoosinganddiscussingmethodologicalconsiderations.

Themainpartofthischapteroutlinesthestepsandprocessusedto

generatethekeyquestionsanddescribestheprocessesusedtocollectthe

dataaswellastheamountandtypeofdatacollected.

Theuseofqualitativemethodologyandinparticularethnographicresearch

forthisstudyprovidesfornotonlyadescriptionoftheprogram,but

uncoversvariousunderstandingsorinterpretationsparticipantsholdabout

theirowncultureandIndigenouspeopleandtheirculture.Thisstudyis

interestedinbothdescriptionandidentifyingthevariousdimensionsand

elementsoftheteachers’andthecommunity’smeaningandunderstanding

undergirdingpractice.Merriam(1988)assertsthatqualitativeresearchis,

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Concerned with processes rather than outcomes, that is, with the way

things happen over time. Interested in meaning, that is, with the ways

in which people make sense of and interpret their life world. Collecting

data in order to build theory rather than test theory, and allowing the

researcher to become intimately interwoven with the participants in

their natural settings. (p.12)

Anissuealsoincludedinthisistheplaceandroletheresearchertakesin

thisprocess.Severaloftheseissuesareintroducedanddiscussedinthefirst

sectionofthischapter.

Workingwithethnographicalmethodsinschoolsandwithstudent

participantsraisesparticularethicalconsiderationsandthesearealsodealt

withinthischapter.

3.1 Methodology Considerations

Muchoftheliteraturereferringtoexploratorystudiesofprograms

emphasisedtheuseofqualitativedatacollectiontechniques(Brannen,

1992;Yin,2003).Thebasisofthesetechniquesistherecognitionofthe

subjectiveexperiential‘lifeworld”ofhumanbeings(Burns,1997,p.11).As

such,qualitativeresearchisasourceofwell‐groundeddescriptionsof

processesthat‘preservechronologicalflow,inordertoseewhateventsled

towhatconsequences,andderivefruitfulexplanations’(Miles&Huberman,

1994,p.1).

Wheneveraresearcheraimstoconcentrateonhowaspectsofthesocial

worldareconstructed,theremustbeanattempttogetinsidetheprocessof

socialconstructionbybuildingupdescriptionsofhowhumanbeingsengage

inmeaningfulactionandcreateasharedworld.Becausesuchanapproach

demandsindepthanalysisoflimitedrealmsofexperienceinthecontextsin

whichtheyoccur,itoftenrequireslong‐terminvolvementwithan

organisationandanadaptiveresearchdesign(Hough,2002).

Ethnographicresearchhasbeenusedextensivelyinthepasttointerpret

socialprocesses.Thesemethodsenabletherepresentationofmultiple

realities,whichcharacterisehumanbehaviourandenabletheresearcherto

striveforconformity,oragreementamongstavarietyofinformation

61

sources(Guba,1978).Thestudyofsocialinstitutionsandtheircultural

productssuchascurriculumprogramscontaincomplexmeanings.

Ethnographicresearchisconcernedwithhowpeople,throughtheirsocial

interactions,makesenseoutoftheirlives(Geertz,1973).Schwandt(1994)

claimsthisprocessleadstheinquirertowardsanunderstandingofthe

complexworldoflivedexperiencefromthepointofviewofthosewholive

it.Heexplainsthat

this is variously spoken of as an abiding concern for the life world, for

the emic point of view, for understanding meaning, for grasping the

actor's definition of a situation, for Verstehen,. particular actors, in

particular places, at particular times, fashion meaning out of events

and phenomena through prolonged, complex processes of social

interaction involving history, language and action (p.118).

Thedatacollectedwiththesemethodsusuallyconsistofdescriptionofthe

everydaypatternsofinteractionsandananalysiswhichleadsto

interpretingtheunderlyingbeliefsthatmakesenseofthebehavioursofthe

groupandhowthevariouspartsconstitute‘sharedmeanings’withinthe

group.

Thenatureandmethodologyofthisprojectsuitsanarrativestyleofwriting

(Beloo,2003).Thenarrativestyleallowstheemic(insidervoiceofthe

researchparticipants)totakethecentrestageandtoweavetheirvoices

representedbydirectquoteswithmyeticoroutsiderinterpretationofthe

issuesandeventsbeingexperienced.Theparticipants’viewsarelargely

groundedintheirexperiencesandnarrativesandmyroleasaresearcher

wastoprovideanadditionalinterpretivelayertothosevoicesbyselectively

groupingthem.

Thedistinctionbetweendescriptionandinterpretationcanbemadebutin

practice,theyhappencontinually.Geertz(1973)arguesagainstthe

positivisticnotionofobjectivedescriptionandinsteadclaimsethnography

isabout“thickdescription”ofsituations.IexperiencedthisasIobserved

classesandspokewiththeteacherafterwardstocheckandtestmy

observationswithhis,thustestingandrefiningmyobservationsand

interpretation.

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Observationinanaturalsettingistheprimaryresearchmethodusedby

ethnographers.Intheeducationalcontext,thiscanmeanforexample,

observingstudentsandteachersinatypicalclassroomsetting.Alongside

observationtherehastobelisteningtothevariousparticipantsnarrativeof

events(Rosaldo,1993).Metaphorically,suchresearchisdescribedasa

windowonpractice(Vale,2003).Withinschoolsettingsithasbeen

particularlyusefultodiscernthewaystudentsandteachersconstruct

meaningwithregardtosuchthingsasgender(Davies,2003);the

investigationofthemotivationandpurposeofschooling(Davies,1982);

communicationdiscrepancies(Allwright,2003);teachers’interpretation

andunderstandingofstudentproblems(Larth,Huebeck,&Mackowski,

2006);andofmostrelevancetothisstudy,thewaythatconceptsofculture

areunderstoodbyteachers(Clarke,Keitel,&Shiminzu,2006).Inthis

researchtheexperiencebeingfocusedonwasmyown,theteachers’andthe

students’experienceandunderstandingoftheIndigenousstudiesprogram

andtheirrelationshipwiththeYuendumucommunity.

Criticismthatinformantsfilterinterpretationsofeventsthroughtheir

perceptionsofcontemporary,personal,social,politicalandeconomic

relationsareonlyrelevantifonelinkstruthorreliabilitywithobjectivity.

Yes,personalnarrativesaresubjectiveprocessesdependingonmany

factors.Innaturalisticinquiry,truthisnotaccruedfromthebreadthofthe

sampleofrespondentstothestudy;itisaccruedfromtherigorous

interweavingofitsmethods.Ratherthanaveragingoutonehypothetical

beliefoveravastsample,thisstudysetsouttotriangulateacomplexof

beliefsevidentinvariousparticipantsandoverasetperiodoftime

(Mertens,1998).Forexample,discussingtheIndigenousstudiesprogram

andYuendumufromvariousstartingpointsoveraperiodoftimewithColin

Japaljarriallowedthevariousstoriestoldtofindanoverlapofconsistency

andinconsistency.Whatemergesisderivedfromthetextualrecordfrom

eachrespondentintheformofvariousthemessignificantintellinga

combinedstory.Inthecaseofthisresearchitistheseperceptionsthatare

mostrevealing(Tonkin,1992).Theyrevealtheperson’smeaningand

understandingofevents.Theimportantrealitytobedescribediswhatthe

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peopleunderobservationimagineittobe.Whatisrevealedthroughthe

storiesare“theparticipants’explanationsofeventswhicharegroundedin

theirworldviewandcultureladenparadigms’(Neilson,1990p.13).The

actor’sownframeofreferenceshapesanunderstandingofhis/heractions.

Itistheseparadigms,worldviewsorframeofreferencesthatthestudy

wishestoexpose.

Apotentialobstacletousingtheseresearchmethodsisaccesstosuitable

participantsandtheirabilitytounderstandthemselvesandtheircontexts.

InMECS’scase,Iwasmostfortunate,fortheschoolhasattheheartoftheir

program,ateacherwhohasbeenresponsiblefortheprogramfromthe

beginning.Thisteacher,ColinJapaljarri,isapersonwhoisseenbymostas

anhistorian.Hehasakeeninterestinhistory,teachesitandisacutely

awareofthebroadersocialandpoliticalcontextsthatsurroundandgive

meaningtoevents.Therewerealsoseveralotherteachersandboard

memberswhowereavailableandwillingtotellthestoryofthisprogram

andthehistoryoftheschool.Givensuchagreatresourceitseemedthat

gettingColin’sandothers’storyoftheprogramwouldbeakeysourcefor

understandingwhatcasetheMECSprogrampresented.

Themethodologyinthisstudyisalsoreliantongroundedresearch

principlesbecauseasvariousunderstandingsandinterpretationsemerge,

questionsandwaysofdealingwiththedataalsochange(Glaser&Strauss,

1967).Thisapproachplacestheoryasemergingandinteractingwiththe

dataratherthandrivingthedatacollectionandinterpretation.

3.2 Ethical Considerations

Thediscussioninthelastsectionfocusedonthewaysthisresearchdealt

withissuesoftrustworthinessandintegrityofthefindings.Researchusing

thenaturalisticmethodsinschoolsalsocreatessomeethicalissues.

Stevenson(1996)suggestssixconsiderationsthatareapplicabletothis

study:confidentiality;insider/outsider;impactofintervention;powerand

persona;ownershipanddissemination.Whatfollowsisabriefdescription

64

oftheseethicalproblemsandsomeofthewaysthisresearchhassoughtto

minimisethese.

3.2.1Confidentiality

Allparticipantsinthisstudygavewrittenpermissiontobeparticipantsand

werekeptfullyinformedofthepurposetheirdatawouldbeusedfor.

Aninitialproblemfacedwasoneofconfidentiality.Itisoftenthepracticein

researchtoprovideanonymitytotheparticipantssotheircontributionsare

notidentifiedandtherebykeptinconfidence.However,realisingthe

uniquenessoftheMECSprogrami.e.teachingWarlpiri,itwasdifficultto

achievethis.Theschoolcouldbeeasilyidentifiedthroughsuchthingsasthe

publicregisteroflanguagestaughtatschools.Itwouldbedifficulttohide

theidentityoftheschoolandthereforeitwasagreedbytheschooland

throughtheMonashUniversityEthicsapprovalprocessthatthebestwayof

dealingwiththiswastobeupfrontwiththeparticipantsandinformthem

thatthiscasestudywouldidentifytheschool.Thestudentswere

anonymousbecausetheyearofthestudywasnotgiven,andtheywere

dealtwithasaclassorinsmallgroupsandwerereassuredthatnonames

wouldappearinthework.Inaddition,thestudywasconductedatatime

when,bynow,mostofthesestudentshaveleftthisschool.Thesestepshave

meantthatitisnotpossibletoidentifyanyparticularstudentcontribution.

Studentscomeandgo,butauniquefeatureoftheschoolisthelongevityof

thestaff.Severalofthekeystaffinvolvedinconstructingandteachingthe

programhasbeenattheschoolfor25ormoreyears.Inidentifyingthe

school,theywouldalsobeidentifiable.Again,thebestwayofdealingwith

thiswouldbetobehonestwiththemabouttheproblemsandasktheir

permissiontousetheirnamesinthereport.Theyreadilyagreedtothis

becausetherewasagreatdealofpersonaltrustandtheysawthe

importanceoftheresearch.Ihaveusedtheirfirstnamesandtoseparateout

the‘twoColins’IhaveusedtheskinnamesgiventothembytheYuendumu

community.Theprocessofrecording,transcribingandpublishingstories

i.e.thefinalproductoftheresearchprocessmaynotbewhatanarrator

anticipatedandcouldbeinterpretedasbeingabreachoftrustand

65

confidence(Thomson,Frisch,&Hamilton,1994).Tocounterthisitwas

agreedthatthosebeingnamedwouldbegivenadraftofthedescriptionof

theircontributionsforthemtocheck.Iftheywerenothappywithwhatwas

writtenasattributedtothem,theycouldaskforthetexttobealteredor

deletedfromthedescriptions.

3.2.2Insider/Outsider

Asecondethicalconsiderationthisstudyraisedwastheproblemofbeing

bothaninsiderandoutsider.Thisstudy,asmentionedintheearliersection,

hasfeaturesofeticaswellasemicperspectivesofevents.Beingconnected

tosomeofthepeopleintheschoolovermanyyearsanditbeingaplace

maybeoffutureemploymentcouldcauseasituationwheretheresearcher,

becauseofaconflictofinterest,might“whitewash”negativefindingsby

eitheravoidingthecollectionofdatathatmaybenegativeaboutthe

programorpeople,oravoidnegativeconclusions(Rabbit1994).

Concerningthefirstproblem,theopen‐endednatureofinterviewsused

providedmoreopportunityforallmannerofdatatobecollected.Asmuch

relevantdatawascollectedaspossibleoverasixmonthperiodfromawide

rangeofresourcesandpeople.Relevanceandimportancewereestablished

onthegroundsofpeople’sdirectexperienceoftheprogramwithout

knowingwhattheyweregoingtosayaboutit.Thesecondaspectof

avoidingnegativeconclusionswasaddressedbytryingtoletthedataspeak

asmuchasitcouldforitselfbyimmersingoneselfinit.Practicessuchas

listeningtotheinterviewsseveraltimes,combinedwiththeknowledgethat

theschoolhasacultureofhonestappraisalandevaluation,helpedto

minimisethisproblem.Theschoolwouldnotappreciatetheavoidanceof

negativefindingsiftheywerefair.

Theadvantagesofbeinga‘situatedknower’,asSmith(1999b)referredto

insideparticipants,isthatonecouldmakegooduseofbodylanguageand

Hall’s(1973)‘silentlanguage’ofcommunication.Itwaseasiertoreadthe

informationandbesensitivetopossiblegapsanduncomfortablenessofthe

participants.

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3.2.3TheImpactoftheparticipantobserver

Stevenson(1996)raisestheissuethatbeinganobserverinaclassmay

affecttheconductofthecourseandthelearningoftheprogrami.e.causes

problemsrelatedtointervention.Thechangedconditionofhavingavisitor

sittinginbackoftheroominevitablydoeschangethedynamicsofthe

class’soperation.However,allstepsweremadetoensurethatthese

changescausednoharm.Thereassurancetotheparticipantsthatthe

purposeoftheresearchwastoinvestigatetheprogramratherthan

individualsassociatedwithit,plusthelongevityoftheresearch(the

studentssoongetusedtoyoubeingthereandevenforgetaboutyou)

enabledtheteachertosaythat,fromhisperspective,theclassesoperated

withinadayortwoastheynormallydid.

3.2.4Powerandpersona

JenniferBryce(2002)suggeststhatinmostcasestudieswithresearchers

requiringlongengagementswithinstitutesthatthepersonapresented

needstobecarefullyworkedoutastheylivewiththeparticipantsdayby

day.Thiswasparticularlydifficultindealingwiththestudents.Thepersona

ofanoutsider,aresearcherwithnopowerorauthorityoverthem,was

importanttodistinguishfromthepersonaofateacher.Yet,therewasalso

thebalanceofestablishingenoughrelationshipandnotbeingtoodistant

thatsometrustcouldbeestablished,sothatstudentswouldfeelfreeto

sharetheirthoughts.Balancingthisdistancewasatension,that,asa

researcher,Ihadtokeepinmind.

3.2.5Ownership

Intheagreementwiththeschool,theissueofownershipwasnegotiated.It

wasagreedthatboththeschoolandtheresearcherwouldholdrightsover

theoriginaldatafindingsandpermissionfromeachotherwouldbesought

iffurtheruseweretobemadeofit.Permissionfrombothwouldbeneeded

ifanoutsidebodywantedtomakeuseofit.

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3.2.6Dissemination

Thefinalethicalissuewasthematterofdisseminationofthestudy.Itwas

agreedthatacopyofthepublishedthesiswouldbeplacedintheschool

libraryandavailabletoallthecommunitytoread.Toooftenresearchers

visitingorcommentingoncommunitiesfailtopayrespectbynotshowing

thecommunitytheresultsoftheirwork.Itwasimportantalsothatacopy

begiventothechairpersonoftheYuendumuCouncil.

3.3 Shaping the Initial Research Questions

PerecmanandCurran(2006)intheirintroductiontofieldresearchremind

theirreadersthattherecanbenoattempttoansweraquestionwithout

deepknowledgeofthespecificcontextualparametersdefiningthose

circumstances.Inthisanalysis,thebroadercontextofwhatwashappening

inotherschoolsandthenationwaspartofthefirststepinmethodologyfor

thisstudyanditsresultswereoutlinedinthefirstchapter.Another

importantcontextwasthehistoryoftheprogramandthehistoryofthe

schoolitself(seeChapter4).

Inabriefway,thisinteractionbetweenpracticeandcontextledtotheinitial

interestandquestionssurroundingtheMECSIndigenousStudiesprogram.

Anestablishedwayofidentifyingaresearchproblemincasestudies

involvestakingsomethingthatisroutine(inthiscase,alongestablished

practice)andplacingitinitsbroadpoliticalandsocialcontext.Whenthe

practiceandhistoryoftheMECSprogramisplacedinitscontextitmade

lookingatMECSaninterestingcasestudy.Inthelightofthecontextofthe

1980sitledtotheinitialquestion,Whywasstartinganddevelopingthis

programaroundWarlpiriandYuendumu,makingitcentral,compulsoryand

sustainingitsoimportanttoMECS?

Theliteraturereviewpointedstronglytoananswertothisquestion.The

waycommunitiesframeandunderstandculture,aswellasthepurposeof

schoolingandknowledgecanbeginexplainingdifferencesinpractices.Soa

secondaryquestionemergedthatasked,Whatviewsofcultureandschooling

wereheldbytheMECScommunitythatledtoitspractice.Anecdotally,MECS

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doesnotseemtositeasilywiththethreeexistingparadigmsfor

understandingotherculturesandtheteachingaboutotherculturesoutlined

intheintroductorychapter.Viewsandbeliefsaboutcultureandschooling

comethroughinpractice.Itwasthereforeimportantnotonlytoaskthese

questionsdirectlyoftheparticipantsbuttogainexperienceoftheprogram

asaparticipant.

3.4 Gaining experiences of the program

Beforeonecanreflectandanalyseexperiences,itimportanttohavethem.It

seemedimportantintheapproachtothiscasetoexperiencethefullrange

oftheprogramformyself.Somearguefortheprincipleofthe‘detached’

observerapproachtoinvestigation(Denzin&Lincoln,1994).Rosaldo's

argumentforthebenefitsgainediftheresearcheris‘connectedtoa

community,notisolatedanddetached’iscompelling(Rosaldo,1993,p.

194).Thevery“human‐ness”ofthelivedexperienceoftherespondentsis

subtle,ephemeralandcertainlyidiosyncratic,anddemandsthereforesubtle

approachestoinvestigation.Naturaldataonlyareobtainedbythe

immersionoftheinquirerinthecultureorculturalphenomenonbeing

studied.Paradigm‐levelproblemsoftruthandobjectivityarelessenedby

conductinginquiryintocomplexhumanactivitywithinnaturalsettings,

usingmorequalitativedatamethods,groundingtheoryintheinquiryitself

ratherthanspecifyingcausalexplanationsapriori,andbyrecognisingthe

properplaceofdiscoveryprocesses(Nielsen,1990,p.371).

Gubaconcludesthatwhenaresearcherusesnaturalisticmethods,she/he

almostfunctionsasa‘memberoftheaudience’ratherthanasastage

manager(Guba,1978,p.14).

Ihadonlylimitedexperienceoftheprogramandwantedtobecomemore

connected.Overaperiodoftwentyyears,Ihaveanecdotallyexperienced

throughmycircleofcontacts(workingatanearbyschoolandothersofmy

churchwhohavebeeninvolvedwithYuendumu)storiesandimpressionsof

theprogram.Theseinteractionswiththeprogramhavebeenbriefbuthave

alwaysleftmefeelingthatsomethingamazingwastakingplace.Manyofthe

69

peoplewhohadexperiencedtheprogramseemedpassionateaboutjustice

issuesforIndigenouspeople,attendedrallies,wroteletters,spokeatand

attendedcelebrations.However,itwasimportanttogetamoredetailedand

closerexperienceoftheprogram.

Theacceptanceofmeasamemberofthecommunityofrespondents,andas

amemberoftheworldencounteredbythestudentsinparticular,became

criticaltotheresearch.Thiswasfacilitatedinanumberofways.Thefirst

wastobecomemoreacquaintedwithYuendumuandsecondlytobecomea

participantobserveroftheprogram.

3.4.1InitialvisittotheYuendumuCommunity

Beforeconstructingamoreformalproposalaboutresearchingtheschool’s

programIthoughtitprudenttovisitYuendumuandexperiencethe

communityfirsthandandworkoutsomebasicthingslikewhowaswhoin

thecommunityandwhoIshouldaskforpermissionandwhatdotheythink

oftheideaofresearchingtheschoolsprogramandvisits.Eventhoughthis

researchwasmainlyfocusedontheMECScommunityitindirectlyinvolved

theYuendumucommunityandthereforeitwasimportanttofollowAIATSIS

2000guidelineswhichrecommendhavingaresearchprotocoland

understandingwithIndigenouscommunitieswhenconductingresearch.

AnimportantcontactatYuendumufortheschoolisLiam.Liamisanex

MECSstudentwhohasbeenworkingandlivinginYuendumuformany

years.Liamwasablemakethearrangementsandpermissionfromthe

communityforaninitialthreedayvisit.

Likemanyfirsttimevisitorstothecommunity,Ifeltbothwonderand

strangenessatbeingsurroundedbyWarlpirilanguageandcustoms.

LiamintroducedmetoNampanangkaGandJampinjimpaS,friendsofthe

schooloveralongperiod.Ilistenedtosomeoftheirstoriesoftheirown

educationandstrugglesandIintroducedmyselfasJampinjimpaaWarlpiri

skinnameIreceivedthroughmywifewhohadbeengivenaskinname

followingawomen’smeetingofWarlpiriwomeninMelbourne.Ispoketo

themofmyideaofresearchingtheschool’sprogram.Theyspokewarmly

70

aboutthebondsoffriendshipwithseveraloftheMECScommunityandsaid

itwasfinebythemtodotheresearch.Reassuringly,Nampanangka.G

commentedthat‘ifalltheschoolstooktheattitudeofMECSwewouldn’t

haveanIndigenousproblem’.

RecordingtheirnamesandcontactaddressforfurthercontactIthen

proceededtoformalizemyproposalforthestudy.Thisinitialvisitleftme

withstrongvisualimpressionsofYuendumuandmanyquestions.Ikepta

journalofmyimpressions,thoughtsandquestionsovertheinitialvisit.

3.4.2Becomingaparticipantobserver

Asstatedearlier,ethnographicresearchfocusesoncollectingand

describingthedetailsofeverydayeventsandonprovidingawindowon

practice.Collectingdataofthissortwouldinvolvebecomingaparticipant

observerintheclassroomsettingandothersettingsoftheprogram.This

rolealsoenabledthecollectionofdocumentssuchasstudents’work

responses,curriculumstatements,schoolpromotionandpolicy.Allthese

arepossiblesourcesinuncoveringthemeaningoftheprogram.Asa

participantobserver,Ihadtojugglebothmyowndirectexperienceofthe

programandmyobservationsofthestudents’experiencesoftheprogram.

Tobecomeaparticipantintheprogram,Ifollowedagroupofstudents

aroundforsixmonths,attendingtheirKooriandWarlpiriclassesandgoing

withthemontheextensiveeighteen‐daycentralAustraliatrip.Participating

inthiswaywasthoughttobethemosteffectiveandthoroughwayof

gaininginsightintotheprogram.AdlerandAdler(1987)following

Spradley(1980),developedatypologyforparticipantobservationranging

frompassivetomoderatetoactive.Givenmypositionasavisiting

consultantandteacherattheschoolitseemedmorefeasibletooptforthe

passiveobserverroleinregardtotheclassroomactivities,whichwas

describedas‘beingpresentatthescene,doesnotactivelyparticipate,only

occasionallyinteractswiththeparticipantsandisidentifiableasa

researcher’(Adler&Adler,1987,p.20).Thisdescribedwellmylevelof

membershipandinvolvementwiththeclass.

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Afternineweeksoftheprogram,thestudentsparticipateinaneighteen‐day

triptoCentralAustralia.Mylevelofparticipationincreasedto“moderate”in

thispartoftheprogramasIwasassignedtooneoftheeightgroupsasa

groupleader.Leaderswereresponsibleforleading,debriefingsessions,

followingupworkthatwasset,andorganisingthegrouptodotheircamp

duties.Thisroleallowedmetobepartoftheplanningmeetingsforthetrip.

Duringthistrip,Ikeptawrittenjournalofeachdayandrecordedajournal

ontapewhenwalkingaroundwiththegroups,particularlyatUluruand

whenIwasobservingtheinteractionsatYuendumu.

Aspartoftheproposal,permissionwassoughtfromtheschoolprincipal,

themainteachersinvolvedintheprogramandoneclassofstudentsand

theirparentstoactasaresearcherandseekinformationfromthemabout

theprogram.Inall,nineteencaregiversandthestudentsgavetheir

permissionandagreementtoparticipateintheresearch.Itwastothese

studentsthatIturnedforcollectingcomments,interviewsandcopiesof

writtenresponses.

3.5 Collecting the Data

Usinggroundedresearchprinciples,arangeofmethodswasusedtocollect

variousdescriptionsoftheexperiencesoftheprogramfromvarious

participants(includingmyself)asprimarydata.Theseexperienceswere

placedintobroadcontextualparametersandalongsideeachother.Through

thisanalysisvariouspossiblemeaningsandquestionsthatmaybepresent

wereuncovered.Thenextsectionoutlinesthemeansthatwereemployed

tocollectthedataforthisstudy.

3.5.1Journaling

ComfortablyensconcedinthebackorsideoftheclassIbegantocollect

data.Thedatacollectedwasdescriptive,inordertostimulaterecallofthe

classes.Themainmethodofcollectingnotesontheseclasseswasthrougha

tape‐recordedjournal.AttheendofeachclassIwouldtrytodescribewhat

Ihadexperiencedandwhatjumpedoutasinterestingandsignificanttome

asanobserverinterestedintheapproachtheteacherwastakingtoteach

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aboutIndigenouspeople.ThisjournaloftencontainedquestionsforColin

theteachertoexplainwhathewastryingtoachieveandtoclarifythingsI

hadobserved.Italsoformedaseriesofmemossimilartothatdescribedby

Corbin(2008)asatoolforrecordingontherunanalysisandfitsinwith

groundedtheoryresearch,whereanalysisofdatabeginsatthepointof

collectingthefirstdata.Microanalysisorinterrogationofthisdatatomake

senseofit,leadstofurtherdatacollectionandanalysis.EachdayIwould

speaktoColinaboutwhatIwasobservingandaskhimsomequestions.

DuringthistimeasaparticipantobserverIworkedonbetterstrategiesfor

observingtheclass,notingthattherewassomuchinaclassroomtoobserve

atonetimeandrespondingtocommentsfromexperiencedethnologistson

thepotentialeffectsofennui–beingoverfamiliarandmissingdetail

(Harding,1998).Thatiswhygoodresearchtriestomakesenseofsocial

contextsandphenomenaby“makingstrangethesocialcontextsthatwe

assumeweunderstandbyvirtueofourtakenforgrantedcultural

competency”(Atkinson,Coffey,&Delamont,2003,p.47).

Toassistmethenasateacher,familiarwiththeschoolstobecomemore

“distantandstrange”asanobserver,Idevelopedandusedanobservational

schedule(seeAppendix2).Ithelpedplacingticksnexttosomeofthe

possibilitiestopaintpicturesquickly.

IalsorecordedsomeoftheWarlpirilessons.Theyweresocaptivatingand

includedsomanynewtermsthatitwashardtostayfocusedasaresearcher

andrecordinnotestheexperiencesofthestudents.

3.5.2Oralhistories

Schoolsgenerallyarenotplacesthatsystematicallyrecordinanarchival

wayrationalesandmotivationsforbeginningparticularprograms.Inthese

circumstances,GilesVernick(2006)arguesthatoralhistoriescanprovide

insightsintothepastthatmightremaininaccessible.Oralhistoriesare

powerfultools‘inunderstandinghowpeopleunderstoodthemselves,how

eventsandprocessesunfolded,andwhycertainpeoplechose(orrefused)

toparticipateinthem’(p.86).

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Relevanttothisinvestigationisthenotionthatoralhistories,unlikeother

methods,canhelptoillustratespecificrichanddeeplyengagingwaysthat

peopleunderstandtheirchangingselvesinrelationtobroadhistorical

process(Vaughan,2001).

Theoralhistoriescollectedprovidedaglimpseintohowpeopleofthepast

constructedtheirworlds,whattheybelieved,imaginedandvalued.

3.5.3Interviewingthekeyteachers

Fromthebeginningitwaseasytoidentifythekeyteachersthathavebeen

responsibleforthedevelopmentanddeliveryoftheprogram.Colin

Japaljarrihasbeentheteacheroftheprogramsinceitsbeginning.Rogerhas

beenonnearlyeverytripandisthetripcoordinator;ColinJampijinpais

nowtheprimaryschoolcoordinatorbutwasoneoftheoriginalteachers

andhaswithhisfamilyrecentlyworkedattheYuendumuSchoolforayear.

Theprincipaloverthepastfourteenyearshasbeenonthetripandisa

strongsupporteroftheprogram.

FollowingRosaldo’s(1993)argumentfortheuseof‘narrativeanalysis’the

interviewsencouragedtheparticipantstotelltheirstories.Itreinforced

Guba’s(1978)emphasisupontheimportanceofthe‘elite’orunstructured

interviewasastrategytobeusedwhenevertheresearcherwishesto

uncovertheemergentnarrativeoftherespondents’livedexperience.

Therefore,alloftheseteacherswereinterviewedindividuallywithsemi‐

structuredinterviews,probingthemfortheirunderstandingofwhatthe

programisabout,whyitisimportantanditshistory.Eachofthese

interviewswastranscribed.

3.5.4Interviewingthestudents

Aftertheschool’striptoYuendumu,thenineteenstudentparticipantswere

organisedintogroupsof2‐3andsemi‐structuredinterviewswere

conductedthatlastedforabout30minutes.Oneoftheethical

considerationsofresearchingwithstudentsistheissueofthe

disproportionalpowerrelationshipbetweenstudentsandteachersthatcan

leadtostudentsfeelingobligedtoanswerorobligedtoanswerinacertain

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way.EventhoughIwasnottheregularteacherofthesestudents,they

identifiedmeasateacherandsoitseemedprudenttointerviewthemin

smallgroups.Withpeersupportstudentsaremorecomfortabletoanswer

questionsandfeellesspressuredtotalk.Toassistthemintalkingaboutthe

programanumberofquestionsandasheetwithkeyinteractionsand

eventsofthetripandprogramwasprovidedforthemasaprompt(see

Appendix3).Eachoftheinterviewswasrecordedandtranscribed.

3.5.5SamplesofStudents’Work

Aspartoftheprogram,thestudentshadtowriteshortwrittenresponsesto

someofthepresentationssuchasthevariousepisodesofthe“Womenofthe

Sun”series.Someparticipantswillingsharedtheirresponsesandgave

permissionforacopyoftheirworktobemade.

3.5.6Survey

BeforeleavingontheCentreTrip,theclasswasaskedtofillinanonymously

aquicksurveytryingtocapturetheirinitialfeelingsabouttheupcoming

encounterwiththeWarlpiricommunity.Thesurveyexploredwhatstudents

werebeginningtoseeascentraltotheircultureandWarlpiriculture.The

questionsaskedwere;

In the coming three weeks we will get an opportunity to represent

ourselves to the Yuendumu community and they will get an

opportunity to represent themselves to us

How do you think we will be received?

What do you think they will notice about us and list as typical about

the “Mt Evelyn Mob?”

What do you think you will notice about Yuendumu and typical

Yuendumu ways of thinking and doing things?

Thesurveywasanalysedthroughcodingthekeywordsusedbythe

respondentsandnotinghowoftentheyoccurred.

3.5.7ExaminingKeyDocuments

Anumberofkeydocumentswereidentifiedthatwereworthcloser

examination.TheschoolpublishesayearlybookreflectingtheCentral

AustraliaTripwithcontributionsbyalltheparticipants.Thestudentsalso

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producedavideo,poetryandartworksaspartoftheirartprogramandhold

aCentreTripdinnernighttosharethesewiththeMECScommunity.I

attendedthisevening,madenotesandobtainedacopyofthevideo.Several

studentsallowedmetoreadthejournalentrieswrittenonthetrip,aswell

aswrittenresponsestosectionsoftheprogram.Fromtimetotimearticles

arepublishedintheschoolnewsletterabouttheprogramandthesewere

alsocollected.Ispentsometimewiththelibrarianandsheprovidedme

withaprintoutoftheschool’ssubstantialresourcesforteachingIndigenous

Studies.Aswellasthese,Isecuredcopiesofthecurriculumpolicy

documentsandclassbookletssurroundingtheprogram.

3.6 Looking into the history of the school

Makingsenseofthedatainvolvesunderstandingthecontext.Animportant

contextistheoverallphilosophyandhistoryoftheschool.Timewasspent

talkingtotwooftheoriginalfoundersoftheschoolandresearchingthe

movementintheNetherlandsthatformedthebroaderandhistorical

contextfortheearlycommunity’smotivationinsettingupaschoolthathas

auniqueidentity.Itwashopedthatusingthissecondarysourcewould

uncovernewconceptsfordescribingtheworkingsofcommunityinorderto

identifywhatparticularcasetheschoolrepresents.

3.7 The Preliminary Phase

Thesixmonthperiodofattendingclassesandinformallytalkingtoteachers

andcollectingdocumentstookupmostofthetimeasapart‐time

researcher.Itwasatimeofjustwantingtogetasmuchinformationas

possible.Therewasnotagreatdealofconsciousanalysingorcross

matchingofthedatatorefinemyquestionsduringthisperiodbutmorea

soakinginoftheprogramandasaturationwithinit.

Addressingthepragmatistrootsofgroundedtheory,Corbin(2008)stresses

theimportanceofrecordingandanalysingpeople’spersonalexperienceof

events.Thoughacknowledgingthatpeople’saccountofeventsarenot

objectiveandareinfluencedbytheirperspectivetherecan,through

reflectiononvariousexperiencesandaction,beanaccumulationof

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temporaryusefulknowledge.Inparticular,interactionsarisingoutof

sharedperspectivescanbeakeytobuildingknowledgeaboutagroup’s

actions. Thisstudywassensitivetotheneedtouncovertheemergent,subtlecharacteristicsandqualitiesofbeliefsheldbytherespondentsand

recognisedthatwhatpeoplesayanddoisnotalwaysconsistent.

3.8 Personal Autobiography

Itisnaiveforaresearchertoclaim,thataninquiryshouldbeas“valuefree”

aspossible.Guba(1978)statesthatthevaluesoftheinquirerareverymuch

apartoftheinquiryand,assuch,mustbestated‘up‐front’(p.16).In

acknowledgingthisitisimportanttouncoversomeofmyownbackground

andexperiencesthatwillcolourthedatacollectingandinterpreting

process.

Tworelevantexperiencesofmylifeshapeandcontinuetoshapemy

outlook.Myearlylifeasamigrantboygrowingupinmulticulturalhousing

commissionsuburbsinMelbourneprovidedanongoinginterestinthe

questionsofidentityinbeinganAustralianandjusticeforallgroups.

ThesecondmajorfactorhasbeenmyChristianfaith,ajourneythatbeganin

amigrantorthodoxchurch,movedthroughliberationtheologytoworkin

anintentionalcommunitytooneofdiscoveringtransformationalChristian

scholarship.Thelatterpositionsmetooperateoutofcriticalrealism

frameworkofrealitythathasbeendescribesas,

The existence of reality independent of our representations of it but

acknowledges that our knowledge of it is subject to all kinds of

historical and other influences. It draws a clear distinction between

reality and our knowledge of reality. (Bhaskar criticises postmodern

works for failing to distinguish between these).

(Basden, 2004, p. 1).

Reality,alsoincludesformeaspiritualrealityandaconvictionthatfaith

proceedsandisthebasisofallknowledgesystems.

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3.9 Analysing the data: Recognising emerging themes

Thedatacollectedinthisstudycanbedividedintotwodistinctcategories.

Thefirstcategoryisdescriptionoftheprogramfrommyperspectiveasa

participantobserver.Ittellsthestoryoftheprogramasanobserver.The

secondcategoryisdescriptionofthesignificanceandexplanationofthese

eventsbytheparticipants.Theselatterexplanationsaremainlyextracted

throughinterviewswithparticipants,particularlyaboutthehistoryofthe

schoolandtheprogram.Rosaldocallsthisapproach‘processualanalysis’

(Rosaldo,1993,p.131).Heexplainsthisprocessbycomparingtwo

ethnographicreportsofthehuntingprocessfollowedbytwodifferent

Africantribes.Thefirst,adescriptionoftheBushmen,Rosaldodescribesas

‘accurate’butincomplete,becauseitfollowstheclassicnormofreporting

onlywhatisobserved.Thesecond,combinescasestudieswithIndigenous

narratives,andconsequentlyrevealsaspectsofhuntinghiddenbyclassic

normsofreporting(p.128).

Inthisprocessofanalysis,myobserversexperiencesoftheprogramwere

putbesidevariousexplanationsoftheparticipantssothatkeyconcepts

abouttheschool’sunderstandinganduseofculturewouldemerge.This

processofanalysisisalsosimilartoSpradley's(1979)methodof

undertakingadomainanalysisorwhatGubacalls‘responsecategories’in

relationtothedata(Guba,1978).Spradleycallstheemergentcategories

“cover”terms,andhesuggeststhatthesewillenableparticularemergent

responsesevidentinthedatatobeaccountedforinanauthenticway.The

covertermsthemselveshavebecome,forthepurposesofthisstudy,an

organisingdevice.Theyenabletheemergentdatatobesubjectedtoatest

forauthenticity,andfacilitatetheuncoveringofimplicitmeaningsandto

enabletheconnotativemeaningofthe'Indigenous'narrativestoemerge.

Whentriangulated,thesevariousthemesprovideavaluableframeworkfor

disclosingtheagencyor'motivatedreality'oftherespondents.Theseare

consistentwiththemethodssuggestedbyRosaldo(1993)inrelationtothe

uncoveringofhiddenmeaningsofnarratives.

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3.10 Silences

Variousresearchersusingqualitativemethodshavealsopointedtothe

significanceoftextbeingexpressedinnotonlywhatissaidbutalsowhatis

notincludedi.e.inthesilences(hooks,1995;Morrison,1992).Eisner

(1985)inapplyingtheseprinciplestocurriculumevaluationcoinedthe

termthenullcurriculum.Animportantpartoftheanalysiswastolookat

thevariousrecommendationsforschoolsinregardtoeffectiveIndigenous

Studiesprogramsandnotethesilencesorgapsthatarenotaddressedby

MECS.

3.11 Summary

Thischapterhasoutlinedthedetailsofthetypeofdatathatwascollected

andtheapproachtakentoanalysethedata.Thedatacollectingtechniques

andtheiranalysisfollowedthetraditionsofnaturalinquiryandmadeouta

casethattheparticipantmethodsusedprovidedavalidexperienceofplace,

cultureandprogram.Thesedescriptions,togetherwithintersecting

interpretationsofvariousparticipants,providedthebestwaytoexplainthe

programanditsmeaningandtoanswerthequestionsaskedaboutwhat

viewofcultureandschoolingMECSusedtoshapeitsprogram.Thisprocess

wasalsousedlatertoanswerthekeyquestion:Whatworldviewlensdid

MECSusedtoshapeitspractice?Thenextchapterbeginsthedetailed

descriptionoftheschoolanditsprogramrevealedbythedata.

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Figure4.Yuendumuvisit

As presented in Leader Newspaper ( March 24, 2008 ) and Nurture

Magazine (Vol 42 June, 2008)

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Chapter 4

Descriptions of Mt Evelyn Christian School and Its Indigenous Studies Program

TrevorCuttersuggestedthatweshouldgotoacommunity.He

hadbeenworkinginthecommunitiesforyears.Hesuggestedthis

oneorthatandsaidyoujustwriteandaskthem.

Afterthetripwesataroundandreviewedtheexperienceand

decidedtwothings,firstthatwecoulddoitbetterourselvesand

secondly,thetripmustincludeanexperienceofIndigenous

communities.

(extract from Interview with Colin Japaljarri)

4.0 Introduction

ThefirstintroductiontotheMtEvelynChristianSchoolformostvisitorsis

thereceptionfoyer.ThefoyerisdominatedbyalargepaintingofWarlpiri

RufusWallabyJukurrpa(dreaming),paintedfortheschoolbyAndrew

JapaljarriSpencer,aYuendumulongtimefriendofsomeofthestaff(seefig

1).Fromthisinitialencounter,visitorsalreadygetasensethatthereisa

strongYuendumuconnectionwiththisschool.

Asindicatedintheintroductorychapter,thereareseveralfeaturesofthe

MECSIndigenousstudiesprogramthatdemonstrateittobeagood

candidateforselectingitasacaseforinvestigation.Theprogrambeganata

timewhenveryfewschoolsweredoinganything,andhasnowhasbeen

sustainedforover25years.Centraltotheprogramisanongoing

relationshipwiththeYuendumucommunity,includingtheteachingofthe

Warlpirilanguage.

Inthischaptervariousdescriptionsofthedatacollectedaredetailed.The

selectionsweremadewithtwofactorsinmind.Thefirstwastogivethe

readerasenseofthescopeanddepthoftheprogramandsecondly,to

highlightincidentsthatwillbeusedinthenextchaptertodevelopsome

initialfindingsaboutthepurpose,motivationandparadigmsinwhich

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Indigenouseducationis,andhasbeentaughtbytheschool.Thechapter

beginswithanoverviewoftheschool

4.1 The School

Mt.EvelynChristianSchool(MECS)issetintheoutereasternsuburbsof

Melbourne.Itwas,withasimilarschoolinHobart,apioneeratestablishing

“Parent‐Controlled”ChristianEducationinAustralia.Thismodelfor

schoolingdifferedfromthemainstreamgovernmentorchurchcontrolled

schoolingnotonlyinitsgovernancebutalsoinitsphilosophy.Thedetails

andhistoricalunderpinningsofthisphilosophy,describedlaterinthis

chapter,gavetheschoolanalternativefoundationforconductingeducation.

In1963,thefirstfewclassroomswerebuiltusingalargeamountof

voluntaryhelpandthecommunitybeganprimaryeducation.Sincethose

earlyyears,theschoolhasachievedcontinualandsteadygrowthto

becomingaPreptoYear12schoolofabout550studentsand30teachers

withwell‐designed,attractivefacilities.Theculturaldemographicsofthe

studentsandthestaffarepredominantly“monocultural‐Anglo”,drawingon

thesuburbsaroundtheoutereastanduptheYarraValley.Theprincipal

couldrememberonlytwostudentsidentifyingthemselvesasIndigenous,

verifyingMarciaLangton’sclaimthat‘thevastmajorityofstudentsinour

schoolshavenodirectcontactwithpeoplewhonamethemselvesKoori,

Murri,orWarlpiri,butinsteadthesepeoplearemediatedtothemthrough

discursivetexts’(Langton,1993b,p.18).

Althoughtheschoolstartedpredominantlywithmembersoutofthelocal

Reformedchurch,ithasaspecificallywritteneducationalcreedasitsfaith

position,whichavoidsaligningitselfwithanydenomination.Enrolments

areopentoanyfamilywillingtosubscribetotheChristianperspective

giventoteachingandlearning.ThereisadiversespectrumofChristians

amongstthestaffandtheBoardandmostclasses,particularlyinthe

secondaryarea,havequiteanumberofnon‐Christianstudents.Aretired

professorofeducation,uponknowingthatIworkedinanindependent

school,wistfullycommentedthatfromhisexperience,thebiggestproblem

withmanyoftheindependentschoolswasthattheywerenotindependent!

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MECShasvalueditsindependence.Itisgovernedbyaboardofdirectors

electedbythemembersoftheschoolassociation.UnlikemostAustralian

schools,theschoolhasresistedauniform,insteadoptingforageneraldress

codewithathemeofappropriateness.Theindependenceoftheschool

howeverisparticularlynotedinitscurricula.Itshistoricalrootsraised

questionsaboutthewaythatsecularhumanismframedtheeducation

debateand,inparticular,knowledgeandtheorganisationofknowledgeinto

discretesubjectbasedparcels.Theschoolhasarticulateditsunderstanding

ofcurriculumasintegral.Thistermhasbothanontologicaldimensionand

anepistemologicalone,understandingknowledgeaswisdom(Blomberg,

2007).ThistermwasdescribedinChapter2andplayedakeypartin

analysingthedatainChapters5and6.Takingnoteofdevelopmentsinstate

schoolcurricula,itprimarilystilloperatesonthemodelofschoolbased

curriculumdevelopment.Thisisevidentinseveralpoliciesandpracticesin

theschool.ThePrep‐10schoolcurriculumisbasedaroundtermlength

integralunitsofwork.

Theschoolhasapart‐timeCurriculumCoordinatordedicatedtoassisting

andcoordinatingthewritingofprogramsandunits.Giventhehistorical

rootsoftheschool,itisnotsurprisingthatthereisanemphasisonthe

natureofworldviewinexplaininghumandifferencesandpossibilitiesfor

action.Eachoftheintegralunitstaughtintheschoolhasanintroductory

perspectivestatement,whichattemptstooutlinewhatcommonworldview

isoperating,andtodefineandunderstandtheareabeingtaught.This

perspectivestatementprovidesacritiqueofthetopicfromaChristian

perspectiveandsomesuggestionforthedifferenceitwouldmakefora

persontoapproachthetopicfromaChristianworldview.

Topreparestudentsforbeingreligiouslycritical,studentsinYear10

undergoaformalcourseforatermcalled“Worldviews”whichexploresthe

natureandinfluenceofworldviewsingeneralandlooksatseveraldifferent

worldviewsindetail.Chapter5outlinesindetailhowtheworldviewtheme

influencedgreatlytheteachingoftheIndigenousStudiesprogram.

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Therearemanycomplexitiesinidentifyingauniqueidentityofoneschool

amongotherschoolsanditispossibletowritealotaboutaschool.

However,forthepurposeofgivingsomecontexttomakingsenseofthe

IndigenousStudiesprogram,fourfeaturesarisingfromthehistory

describedlaterhaveasignificantbearingonshapingtheschool’spractice.

Theyareitstransformationalpurposeofeducation;takingseriouslyits

independenceindevelopingcurriculaculminatingintheintegral

curriculum;afocusonworldview;andfocusoncommunityandfamily‐

generationalconnection.

4.2 The Philosophy of the School

Aswellasdrawingoutthevariousdimensionsoftheconceptofcultureand

purposeforschoolingfromtheliteratureitisimportant,asSmith(1999a)

remindedthoseresearchingandwritingthesocialgroups,toplacethemin

thecontextualstoryoftheorganisation.ThecontextforMECSisconnected

closelytotheschool’sphilosophy.Withthisinmindastudywasdoneonthe

philosophicalmovementthatgaverisetothedevelopmentofChristian

ParentControlledSchoolsinthe1960sand70sthathelpstounderstandthe

particularwayMECSusesthekeytermsunderinvestigationinthisresearch

Thishistoricalstudywasbasedoninterviewswiththeprincipal,someof

thefoundingboardmembersanddatafromtheschoolspublications.The

shortdigressionintothehistoryoftheNetherlandsandintothe

philosophicalrootsoftheChristianparentorcommunity‐controlledschools

isnecessarytoexplainthecharacterandworkingsoftheMt.Evelyn

Christianschool.TermslikealloflifeisreligiousandaBiblicalPerspectiveof

andworldviewarecurrentandcommonlanguageinmanyoftheschool’s

documentsandintalkamongthestaffaswellasbeingfoundationaltothe

practiceuncoveredinthewaytheschoolhasgoneaboutconstructingits

IndigenousStudiesprogram.Theconnectiontothesereligiousrootscomes

fromthepioneersoftheschool,theDutchmigrantsintheMtEvelynarea.

The1950ssawalargeintakeofmigrantstoAustralia.Manyofthese

migrantswerefromtheNetherlands.SomehadgrownupintheReformed

churchesandhadexperiencedParentControlledChristiandayschoolswith

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theirstrongcritiqueofsecularhumanism.OnsettlingintheMtEvelynarea

theyregrettedthattherewasnolocalParentControlledChristianschoolto

partnertheminnurturingtheirchildrentoaChristianperspectiveofthe

world.AsmallgroupformedtheMtEvelynAssociationforChristian

Educationinthemid1950sand,beingpoor,beganfundraising,salary

sacrificingandpromotingtheideaofaChristianParentControlledSchool.A

grandmothertoldmehoweveryfamilyinthatdayhadtheirtinforthe

schoolonthemantelpiecefortheirsmallchange.In1960,afteryearsof

sacrificeandhardworktheypurchasedseveralacresofbushlandandin

1963builtthefirstfewclassroomsusingalotofvoluntaryhelpandbegan

primaryeducation.Theschoolholdsinesteemthesepioneers;they

representtotheschooltheembodimentofworkingoutaChristianvisionof

life.Inthenextsectionisthumbnailsketchofthereligiousvisionthatthese

migrantsbroughtwiththem.

4.2.1TheSchool’shistoricalreligiousroots

Historyhasrecordedmanyreligiousrevivalsthathavesweptoverregions

andnationssuchasthegreatawakeninginEnglandinthe1740sandthe

Pentecostalrevivalintheearly1900sintheU.S.A.However,mostinthe

English‐speakingworldhavelittleknowledgeofthe“Kuyperian”revival

thattookplaceintheNetherlandsinthelate1800s.AbrahamKuyperwasa

pastor,apoliticianandPrimeMinister.HeestablishedthefirstChristian

politicalpartyintheWesternworldandhisideaofspheresovereignty

definedclearlimitstothepowerandpurposeofsocietalinstitutions.

KuyperbeganhiscareerasaministerintheDutchReformedChurch.He

wentontoformanewCalvinistdenomination,organisethefirstChristian

politicalpartyintheNetherlands,editadailynewspaperfor49years,

servedasapoliticianinbothchambersofparliament,eventuallybecoming

PrimeMinister.HealsofoundedtheFreeUniversityofAmsterdamand

playedaleadingroleintheDutchschoolstruggle.Thiswasanational

controversywagedduringmuchofthenineteenthcenturyovertheplaceof

religioninthenationalelementaryschoolsystem.Naylor(2006)establishes

inherthesisthatattheheartofKuyper’scampaignwasthenotionthatall

85

culturesandhumanactivitywererootedinaheartcommitmenttoanideal

orreligiousroot.Therewasnosuchpossibilityofreligiousneutralityand

thestateschoolswereworkingoutofmodernist,rationalparadigmsthat

servedthegodsofscienceandrationality.Hesuccessfullyconvincedthe

peopleandcolleaguesthatthereligiousfoundationsandvisionforchildren

wasprimarilytheroleofparentsandthestateshouldeithersupportall

religiousvisionsequallyindevelopingschoolingorsupportnoschoolsand

letitbetotallyprivatelyfundedbycommunityassociations.In1917the

Dutchparliamentamendedtheconstitutiontogiveparentstherightto

establishanddirectthereligiousbasisanddirectionoftheirchildren’s

educationandforsuchendeavourstobepubliclyfunded.Essentially,while

mostofthewestwasmovingtowardsaunified,generalseculareducation

theNetherlandswasmovingintheoppositedirectiontoaparticular,

diversifiedreligiouseducation.

Intheearly1900stheNetherlandswasawashwithChristianmedia,Parent

ControlledChristianschoolsandthe‘Free’University(namedfreebecause

itwassupposedlyfreeofHumanisticthinking).Theparticularoutworkings

ofCalvinismintheReformedChurchesinthisnationduringthistime

distinguisheditfromthecommonevangelicalworldviewofother

ProtestantChristianityonseveralissues.Itsfocuswasonthecultural

expressionofareligiousworldview,whereeachaspectofsociety‐Business,

Schools,Hospitals,Media,Sportingclubsetc.wasareflectionofcreated

dimensionsoflifeandassuch,haditsowndistinctnormstoguideit.This

‘particularity’meantitwastoavoidbeingconsumedbyotherdimensions

andinstitutions.

Second,thisformofChristianitywhichpromotedChristianthoughtand

actionrelegatedtheroleofthestateandthechurchinculturallifetoamuch

smallerrolethaninpreviousWesternhistory.

Thirdly,themovement’sfocuswasontheexpressionofChristianityinthe

socialandpoliticalratherthaninthepersonal,moraldimensionsoflife.

Themovement’sprimemessagewastorejecttheprevailinghumanismof

thedayandinparticularitsnarrowdefiningofreligion.Itscatchcrywas

86

thatalloflifeisreligion.Italsopromotedtheideaofpre‐theoreticalbeliefs

orworldviewasinformingallareasoflifeincludingthinking.

Kalsbeek(1975)summarisesanextractfromHermanDooyweerd(oneof

thefoundingphilosophersofthismovement),arguingemphaticallythat

thinking,independentofeverythingelse,cannotexistandthuscutsthrough

theassumptionsofrationalmodernity.

Thinking is not self-sufficient.On the contrary it is dependent on a

religious decision. Our self hood, our heart or whatever we may

decide to call it expresses itself in acting, speaking, thinking, feeling

and believing yet it never identifies itself with any one of these modes

of expression. Neither does thinking coincide or exhaust our self

hood, our heart. Instead the heart is the root from which thinking

arises, it feeds thinking and gives it its direction. Our self hood

transcends thinking. The spiritual direction of the heart shapes one’s

philosophy. Since philosophy and theory are dependent on this

direction they are self–insufficient. Our self hood is beyond our

theoretical grasp. The thinker who asserts the self-sufficiency of his

thinking cannot prove his assertion rationally. As soon as he tries to

do so he shows that he has already taken for granted his “thinking” or

the logical process is self-sufficient. His trust in his thinking is a matter

of faith. At this point he has unwittingly transcended his self imposed

boundaries.

(Kalsbeek, 1975, p. 54)

Drawingonthishistory,aparticularapproachtoresearchingand

understandingtheworlddevelopedundertheheadingsofreformationalor,

transformationalorreligiocritical4philosophy.Thisunderstandingand

approachwasappliedtovariousdisciplinessuchaspoliticaltheory(P.

Marshall,1986;P.Marshall,1990),Christianeconomictheory(Goudzward,

1997),aesthetics(Seerveld,1980)education(Mechielsen,1980)anda

systematicphilosophicalframeworkforcarryingoutChristiantheorising

(Dooyeweerd,1958).

4 The term religio-critical was coined by the early lecturers of the N.I.C.E. courses and

appears in their study guides as a way of distinguishing an approach from the normal

critical theorists and their analysis of culture on ideology expressed in terms of the social

and political rather than the religious motives.

87

AnexplanationofthismovementofChristianitythatmadesensetomewas

tocompareitwithMarxismorFeminism.Justasithasbecomeaccepted

thatitispossibletohaveaparticularwayofconstructingaMarxistor

Feministunderstandingofdoingofpolitics,economics,literatureetc,there

isalsoawayofconstructingaChristianperspectiveofdoingofpolitics,

economics,philosophyetc.Yourstartingpointforknowinganythingisa

religious(faith)setofassumptionswhichthenarefoundationaltoallyour

thinkingandactingintheworld.

Thisoverviewofthehistoryandphilosophyoftheschoolisanimportant

contextforunderstandingitspracticeandwillbetakenupfurtherinthe

nextchapter.WhatfollowsnextisadetaileddescriptionoftheMECS

practice.

4.3 The School’s Indigenous Study Program

TheschoolhasmandatedtheIndigenousstudyprogramaspartofitsYear.

9and10studies.Althoughtherearevariationsovertheyearsthegeneral

curriculumschemathattheschoolhasfollowedusuallyincludes:‐

• AllYear9studentsundergotwoperiods(40minutes)ofWarlpiri

Languagetuitionperweekforonesemester.

• InYear10,thestudentscontinuetheirWarlpirituitionforthefirst

termandundertakefour50minuteperiodsofIndigenousstudies

(usuallycalled“KooriStudies”)upuntilEaster.

• AlloftheYear10studentsthenparticipateinan18‐daytripto

CentralAustraliawhichincludesathree‐fourdaystayatYuendumu,

twonightsatUluruandthreenightsinAlice(seelaterinthischapter

foradescriptionofthisevent)

• Studentsthencontinuetostudy“Koori”forfourperiodsperweek

fortherestofsemesterone.

Thefollowingsectionsdescribesinmoredetaileachofthesepartsofthe

course.

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4.4 Focus on the Warlpiri Language

At the supermarket, the Mining Company store around town, and at

church we responded to the question “What’s your name?” with,

“Ngaju Japljarri, kalu nyuntu? ( I’m Japaljarri and you?).

(from Colin’s editorial, MECS newsletter, May 2007)

Oneofthedistinctivefeaturesoftheschool’sprogramisiteffortstoteach

theWarlpirilanguagetoitscommunity.AsfarasIhavebeenabletotellitis

theonlynon‐IndigenousschooltodothisinVictoria.Oneissuethatisnot

askedveryoftenwhenthinkingaboutculturesmeetingandinteractingis

theissueofwhichlanguageshouldbeused.AssomeIndigenouspeople

haverightlyasked,whyshouldthedialoguealwaystakeplaceinEnglish?

(Power&Roberts,1998)

Oneissuerelatedtolongsustainabilityoftheprogramthatwillbetakenup

inlaterchaptersistheissueofequalbenefit.Variousmembersofthe

Yuendumucommunityhaveindicatedappreciationforthecontactwith

MECSpointingparticularlytotheefforttolearntheirlanguage.

It heartens us that a school down south values our culture by wanting

to learn our language and history and experience first hand what our

life is like here. As Warlpiri we are expected to learn white Australian

ways but not many people show the respect and take the time to learn

and understand our ways. By showing this respect it helps to give our

young kids the message that our culture is valuable.

(Personal communication from Andrew Spencer).

CentraltothelanguageprogramisColinJapaljarri.Colinhasbeen

associatedwiththeprogramfromthebeginningandthereforeisagood

placetobeginthedescriptionofthispartoftheprogram.Whatfollowsisa

briefhistoryofthelanguageprogramastoldbyColinandadescriptionof

oneofthemanylessonsthatIattended.

4.4.1Historyofthelanguageprogram

Very early on in the first trip we met Wendy Nangala Baarda ,a linguist

and teacher at the local school. Wendy suggested we try Warlpiri at

MECS. Wendy came down in 1982 and worked with me on the

language. I also went up there for a couple of weeks. I started that

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way. And of course living up there in 1984 for four months really

helped get some basic language going. I collected bits and pieces as

resources and with further help and a grant from the Priority

Languages Incentive Element (PLIE) scheme, we put together the

Warlpiri Kirli text in 1992 that we have been using ever since. The

school at the time was unhappy with the language we were teaching

and connecting a language to other programs seemed more in

keeping with the integral approach.

(extracts from the Interviews with Colin Japajarri )

4.4.2DescriptionofaWarlpirilesson

Inthisdescription,therearethreeinteractingvoices;thebroaderfont

indicatesnotesfrommyobservationwhiletheformalfontindicatesColin’s

contribution,extractedfromrecordingsandtheitalicfontindicatevarious

students’contributions.

Colinbeginsbywritingtwowordsontheboardandsays....Kirlangu /Kurlangu. This long suffix in Warlpiri that is simple in English but

also complicated because it is that dreaded thing that people find hard and

it is the apostrophe “s” – the apostrophe s. This one goes on “u” and “I”

words and this one goes on "a” words “

All that for just an apostrophe (student comment)

Kids always say that but in every language there are long ways round and

short ways. Warlpiri is just the same. Look at this.(Writesonwhite

board) Wati Kirlangu Maliki. Wati Kirlangu Maliki. The man’s dog. When

you write it in Warlpiri, doesn’t it say "man the dog” No, it says man;

possession the dog Wati Kirlangu Maliki, Karnta kurlangu Maliki. The Ki

and Ku you hardly hear the difference between them.

Can we have our tests back?

No, not yet.

(Aconversationisheldforaminuteortwoabouttheweekend)

thelessoncontinues.) Repeat after me please everybody.

Wati-Kirlangu. (Wati Kirlangu). The man’s something. Try again Wati-

Kirlangu Maliki (Wati Kirlagu Maliki) Kurdu Kirlangu Maliki: (Kurdu

Kirlangu Maliki) The child’s dog. Malaki Kirlangu maliki: Malaki Kirlangu

maliki. The dog’s dog? (The dog’s dog?) What does it matter whose dog

(laughter). OK let’s try some more.

Colinsaysseveralothersandstudentsrepeatthefollowingphrases

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Yuwarli-Kirlangu tawa, Try that again, ngurrju (good). Turaki Kirlangu

putjikata. The truck’s cat or the cat that lives in the truck.

Jurlpu kurlangu wardinki. The bird’s water. People do use it like that to

express the bird that lives on the water.

Yankirri Kirlangu Kurdu. The emu’s child a little emu, wiyarrpa (poor thing)

Yapa Kurlangu karli. The aboriginal person's boomerang.

OK that will do for now it is straightforward but it goes on the things that

does the owning not the thing that is being owned :Watti Kirlangu .

Colinthenheldsomeartefacts.Boomerang KARLI say this karli (karli) is a club like boomerang The

Warlpiri don’t have boomerangs that return

Spear kurlada (kurlada), without a barb

Do they still use these?

Yes, we spoke about that the other day about spearing in the leg for

punishment.

Woomera Piker (Piker) you might come across these.

I spoke to the principal at Yuendumu this morning and he is looking forward

seeing us. (Yeah)

Studentsthenproceedtoworkonatranslationexercisefromthe

Warlpiribooklet.SomeweresingingaWarlpirisonginthebackground,

somechattedtoColinabouttheupcomingtripandfearsaboutmeeting

andtalkingWarlpiri.

ThelessonfinisheswiththelearningofanEastersonginWarlpiri

Colinexplainedthewordsandthetensesofthewords

NyanungujuPalija(oneoffivesongsthatstudentslearnbeforegoingon

CentreTrip).Colinexplainssomeofphrasesinthesongandthe

languagesandthetenses.This is an original Warlpiri song not one that has been translated like the others

(Student) Are they Christian?

If you asked them they would say they are.

Do all people go to Church?

No, but quite a few do. It depends a bit on what is going on in the Community

some will be away because of the holidays.

Will theycelebrate Easter with us?

No, because Easter is the week before. The Yappa-Ku Church that is an

expression that we have learnt, Yappa means Aboriginal and Ku means for so

the Church for Aboriginals holds a big Easter Conference a purlappa (corroboree)

and it is held at different places in Warlpiri Country and usually a big mob of

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people gather together for Easter even people who don’t normally go to church

and they do a purlappa or two usually an Easter Purlappa. Sometimes they will

do a new one. There is lots of singing and they debate some topics for discussion

like kumanjyi or avoidance or petrol sniffing or drugs and make some decision

about what the Church is going to do about those things. We will be there the

week after that so many of them will be tired from this week.

A girl asked when we arrive how do you know which names are taboo because

someone has died.

When we first arrive at Yuendumu some of the elders will greet me and they will

say did you know the old man over there died and I will say no I didn’t? What skin

was he? They will say he was Jupurrula. And then I might ask was he married to

that Napanagka Alice and so on and eventually I will be able to work out who it

was and then from then on not use that name. I feel embarrassed when after that

they whisper the name to you even though I had worked it out.

ColincontinuesteachingthenextsongI don’t know that word. I am told it means .but I don’t know how it says that

All of the kids in the past have sung this.

Colinkeepsexplainingthewords.

Thestudentsgetintothespiritofthesingingclappingalong

Colinleadswithagoodstrongvoiceandthekidsjoinin

Colinthengoesoversomemorephrasesinachantingstylewiththe

studentsfollowing.

ColinthentoldastoryaboutavisittoDimarumanyyearsago. Above the bar was a Japanese name Kujaku that in Warlpiri means “look out

for”, so it said “Look out for the Bar”

Itprovidedhimwithgreatamusement.

InoticedattheendofthelessonsomeofthegirlsgoinguptoColinand

askinghim ‘If I have this skin name does that mean my best friend is’ …while

lookingatthekinshipchartthatColinhasprovidedforthem(see

Appendix4).Theyspentsometimediscussingthekinshipandskin

namessystem.Thelessonshavealreadystartedtogeneratealotof

interestforthestudentsinthewayWarlpiripeopleorganise

relationships.

Thisisjustoneofabout80‐100lessonsthatthestudentsatMECS

experienceintheirYr.9/10programsimplycalledWarlpiri.

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4.5 Descriptions of Indigenous Studies lessons

AseconddimensionoftheIndigenousstudiesprogramatMECSis‘Koori’

lessons.ThetermKoorioriginatedoutofdeferencetotheVictorian

IndigenoussituationwherelocalgroupspreferredAboriginalstudiestobe

calledKooristudies.

Therearefourlessonsperweekovertwoterms,onetermleadinguptothe

CentralAustraliatripandonetermfollowingthetrip.Generally,the

structureofthecoursecoversthefollowingthemes:

• EarlyimpressionsandrelationshipsbetweenKoorisandwhites

• “WomenoftheSun”videoseries

• TheDreaming

• AboriginalChristianityandWorldview

• ContemporaryissuessuchasNativeTitleandStolenGeneration

Astatedgoalofthiscourseis‘tointroducestudentstothenotionofseeing

thatthewholesaga(historyofinvasionandoccupationofAustralia)viewed

fromanAboriginalperspective(MECSCurriculumOutlineforKooriStudies,

p.1).

Whatfollowsaremyoverallimpressionsofthewayeachofthesesegments

weredevelopedbasedonmynotesfromattendingtheselessonswithsome

examplesofresponsesfromstudentsandinterviews.

4.5.1EarlyimpressionsandrelationshipsbetweenKoorisandWhites

It was very interesting visiting Colin’s class today. He told some very

interesting stories of what it is like to deal with Aboriginal people in

regards to getting permission.

(from personal journal notes).

ThecoursedemonstratesinvariouswayshowIndigenouspeopleoperate

withadifferentviewofauthority,permissionandknowledge.Thefollowing

isaparaphrasedrecountofasegmentofthelessonColin’slessonbasedon

mynotes.

Different people get responsibility for certain areas, certain roles

based on their age and the level of exposure in ceremony to

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dreaming. Permission is distributed in different ways and there is no

hierarchical order. There is no chief. The first white people meeting

Aboriginal people just misread that and it caused so many problems.

King Barak was an example- he was not a king at all.

With the Warlpiri people, for example at Yuendumu, if you wanted to

go prospecting in the nearby hills for gold they would say which area

and you would say over there near those hills. Umm they would say

that is Jakamarra’s and Jampinjimpa’s dreaming you need to go and

talk to them they have the responsibility and the most dreaming about

that area. So you go and talk to them and get permission.

So as you are driving back from doing the prospecting in that area a

Yapa stops you and says hey what you doing “Oh I am just coming

back from.” “Oh but did you ask so and so for permission?” “Well no, I

asked these other people”. “Well yeah, but now you are driving

through his land to get there and you need to ask permission from him

as well. Or you could around the long way (usually 300 kilometres to

get there) if you want, but if you want to go this way you need to ask

so and so”.

So there is a very complicated system of permission and

responsibilities spread out among the people that is not obvious to

white people or very easily understood particularly by the 18th century

English system which was a very hierarchical society. It is very clear

how you moved up the hierarchy. How you got to the top. How you

got promoted. Whereas in Aboriginal society others gave authority

and positions to you. They would come to you when they think you

are ready and take you off into the bush for six months and initiate

and teach you that part of the dreaming and later in life, they may do it

again. There was nothing you could do in Indigenous culture to gain

this knowledge or authority. It depended on others who have the

knowledge just giving it to you when they felt it was the right time.

Colindiscussedhowtheinformationaboutearlycontacthasbeenput

togetherbyvariousanthropologistsandisnotcomplete.Itaonlyarough

pictureofhowfamilygroupsinthatdesertpartofAustralialivedbutitis

importanthistoryinunderstandingwhotheyaretoday.Hetellsthestoryof

afightthatbrokeoutandshowshowpeopleweredrawninbecauseof

kinshipobligation.Inthesestoriesheaddssomethingthatyouwouldn’tget

inanyothercoursesbecauseheadds“Ihavemetoneofthemenwritten

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aboutinthisbook.”Thesearestoriesaboutreallivingpeople;theyarejust

notmadeup.Thisisthewaypeoplereallydidlive.

TheothermainthemeColinelaboratesonistheviewoftheland.AYappa

personisspirituallyconnectedtotheircountry.Itisnotjustamaterialthing

thatcanbesoldorusedforeconomicgain.Thisthemeispickedupinthe

centralAustraliatripbookletsbythe‘KillingMeSoftly5’article.Colinspoke

tomeofthedifficultyofconveyingthisunderstandingtomodernday16

yearoldstudentswhoseexperienceoflandhasbeenusuallyonlymaterial.

4.5.2WomenoftheSunandHistoryofcontact

“Women of the Sun” is an extraordinary drama series about the lives

of Aboriginal women over two centuries of Australian history. The

series tells the stories of Aboriginal History from an Aboriginal

perspective.’

(Introduction in the Women of the Sun’s website)

Thestudentsviewthisshowandaftereachepisodehavereflective

questionstoanswer.Intheintroductiontothisstudytherewereoutlined

manycallsfromIndigenousleadersabouttheimportanceofunderstanding

thehistoryofinvasionsandtreatmentofIndigenouspeoplein

understandingtheirsituationtoday.Thefirstepisodeoftheseriesbuildson

aclasshandout,ashortsectionfrom“BeyondtheFrontier”byReynolds.It

explainsfurtherthehugeclashbetweenculturesandhowwhiteswereseen

byIndigenouspeopleasdistantancestorsandhowwhites,imbuedbythe

factthattheirculturehadconqueredmostoftheknownworld,thought

theirviewoftheworldwassuperior.

Thequestionsheetonthesecondepisodefocusesontheplaceofnamesand

language.Indigenousworldviewplacesmuchmorevalueonnames.

5 This is an extract from Wallace, Phil and Noel.(1977). Killing Me Softly: The Destruction

of a Heritage. Thomas Nelson, Melbourne.

95

Hereisoneresponsebyastudentthatwastypicalofthemanyresponsesto

thisepisode:

Giving Maydena and Birri English names was the beginning of

breaking traditions because their names are very spiritual and

personal thing. In taking their names away they are taking part of

them away. Banning of their language would stop the people talking

about important things like the Dreaming which they probably did not

know the English words for and would force them to lose their stories

as these were passed down by word of mouth. Without their stories,

they have lost who they were.

Overall,thestudentsrespondedwelltotheseriesandmostofthestudentsI

interviewedsaiditplayedanimportantpartintheirunderstandingof

Indigenousculture.Itwasinterestingtonotethatsomestudentswere

shockedandevenembarrassedatthehistoryofthewayIndigenouspeople

hadbeentreated.

Student A: Well the Women of the Sun series changed my view of

Aboriginal people.

Interviewer: In what way?

Student A: Well it showed the history of the Indigenous people on the

settlements and how they were treated. Before that, yeah, I

thought we took their land and stuff but I didn’t realise how

badly they were treated such as the owners doing stuff to the

women and the series shows how bad it was

Student B: Yeah, it was brutal.

Thisknowledgeaffectedthestudentsbecauseofthewarmacceptancethey

receivedatYuendumu.Thisacceptancewasacontrasttotheirexperiencein

AliceSpringsandchallengedthembecausetheYuendumucommunityasa

wholedidnotseemtoholdtheirhistoryofmistreatmentagainstthem.

4.5.3.TheDreaming/Jurkuppa

Duringthecourse,thestudentsareintroducedtoseveraldreamingstories.

ColinprovidesinsightonthenatureofDreamingasoutlinedbytheworkof

Stanner(1979).Someoftheseoccurintheclassroomsettingandsomeeven

morepowerfullywhenvisitingparticularsitesonthecentretrip.Aim3of

theCourseOutlinesays,

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It is hoped that students can come to understand the reasonableness

of couching the Indigenous response to the world in terms of the

Dreaming. Kids need to be ready to abandon themselves to the

Dreaming, to learn to treat this framework with a seriousness we bring

to our own didactic folk tales. This is necessary to avoid simply

dismissing the Dreaming as primitive clap-trap, as far as is possible. It

is also necessary for students and teachers to think about the impact

of the Dreaming on modern Aboriginal people.

Colinknowsquiteafewdreamingstories.Hereisjustashorttranscriptof

myjournalandrecordingsofthewalkaroundUluruwithagroupof

students.

See that piece of rock standing up- that is the devil dingo again,

Kulpinya. He stands up to see where the people he is looking for are.

See the rock pool down there with the yellow grass, that is the Mala

initiation watering hole. Mala boys are dunked woora!

The little eagle chick was torn to pieces by devil dingo and left little

specks of white feathers every where. Can you see the white blotches

in the rock face over there? He ran straight up the rock face and over

there if you look carefully you see two holes which are his footprints

Further down are two more, then one below that, and two more below

that. Then he attacked the Mala men down here where they are

having their singing.

When Charlie Nunford, an anthropologist, came here in 1922 the local

men took him into that water hole. They told him that the Blood wood

tree growing near it is Kulpinya the devil just like old Darby does in

that video about “Shifting Dreaming” we saw. In 1940 when he

returned, he noticed that the Blood wood tree was dead, but there

was a new one a bit further away and they pointed to the new tree

and told him the same thing that it was Kulpinya. They had transferred

their Dreaming story to a new tree without missing a beat. The whole

area here is full of Dreaming stories. The yellow stain down that rock

face is the urine of the children of the wagtail women who were hiding

back there. The sleepy lizard man who comes from the other sideand

had come over the top was laying here. See this long smooth stone

over here. One of the poison snake people came around from the

other side and speared him and that boulder has two little holes, one

on each side. These are the spear holes.

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Throughtheseexperiences,studentsareintroducedtotheideathatwhen

lookingatarock,tree,orstars,Indigenouspeopleseestoriesofspiritual

powers.Theyseedifferentlytowhatweseeandthesestoriesarethebasis

fororganisingtheireverydaylife.AttendingColin’sclassesthereissomuch

elsethatisconveyedtothestudentsapartfromdevelopingempathyofthe

importanceandrespectfortheplaceofDreaming.Colin’spedagogicalstyle

isoneof‘paradox’.Herepresentsastheoldergenerationwithhiswhite

beardhegivesavicariousIndigenouswayofteaching‐“Justsitdownand

listen”itgivesstudentsalittleoftheexperienceofthewayIndigenouskids

aregivenknowledge.Inoneclassheaskedallthegirlstoleavebecause

someoneaskedhimaboutaceremonyandhesaidthatitwasonlymen’s

businessandhecouldn’tsayanymorewiththegirlsthere.Eveninthis,

studentswereexperiencinghowknowledgeisownedinadifferentwayto

theirownculture.Inmyinterviewwiththeprincipal,hesaidthisabout

Colin’swork.

He’s the storyteller. He takes the story and then he interprets that

experience for them and sensitises them for what they’ve got to

experience.’

YettheothersideofbeingJapaljarriisheisjustColin.Timeandtimeagain

inobservingColin’sworkintheclassroomoneseesnotonlyhissincere

respectforthesestoriesbuthishumilityinunderstandingthemandthe

cultureasawhole.Heoftensays“Ionlyknowalittle”.Whenstudentsask

himquestionsheisreadilyadmits,“Idon’tknowwhatthatmeans”.

OneofthedebatesaroundteachingIndigenousStudieslistedinthe

literaturereviewwastheissueofwhohasauthoritytoteach.Shoulditonly

beIndigenouspeopleassomeclaim(Muecke,1992;West,2000)orcana

sensitivenon‐Indigenousperson,incollaborationwithIndigenouspeople,

doit?Intalkingaboutthiswithhim,Iaskedhimhowthecommunityat

YuendumufeelsabouthimtellingsomeoftheDreamingstoriesordetailsof

theceremonies.Hesaysthattheyhavetoldhim,“youtellthoseyoungones

someofourstoriestheyneedtoknow”.Hefeelshehastheirblessingand

recognisesitasaprivilege.

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4.5.4AboriginalChristianity

IntheWomenoftheSunvideoseries,themissioneraisdealtwith,showing

someofthenegativeeffectsoftheattempttoChristianise“pagan”people.

However,thecurrentsituationamongcommunitiesisquitecomplex.Many

IndigenouspeoplehaveadaptedtheChristianstoryandincludeditaspart

oftheirownstory.OneofthepaststudentsofMECS,LiamCampbellhas

beenaresidentofYuendumuformanyyears,workingintheArtCentre,

Warlpirimediaandinthepetrolsniffingprogram.Liam,whoisfluentin

Warlpiri,wroteabiographyofDarbytheoldestresidentofYuendumu

(Campbell,2006).Inhisbookhepointsoutthatthemovementtoan

AboriginalChristianitybymanyoftheolderpeoplecameaboutbecausenot

allofthemissionariesadoptedapatronisingattitudebutsome,likeReece,a

BaptistministertoYuendumuin1947,adoptedtheapproachthatitwas

importanttolearnthelanguageandculturebecauseasCampbelldescribes

theCreatorGodwasnotunknowntoWarlpiripeople.

..but was embodied in the Jukurrpa Warnu jurrpa which means

dreaming eternity or eternal spirit of the world. The suffix warnu gives

the word its ultimate or superlative meaning indicating that they were

referring to the one above all

(Campbell, 2006, p. 88).

RelatingthestoriesoftheGospelinanoraltraditionovermanyyearsmade

thepeoplefamiliarwiththem.Darby,likemany,testifiedhowWapirra

(God)hadrevealedhimselfindreamsandvisions.Inoneofthedreamshe

wasparalyzedandWapirraappearedatYuendumuHill,comingthrougha

gatebeyondwhichwasheavenandthecityofJerusalemwherethelandwas

richwithgreengrass.ThisvisioninspiredDarbytoprayandfollowWapirra

whoinresponsesustainedhislonglife(100years).

TotheWarlpiri,Wapirracommunicatesindreamsandthesedreamsfor

DarbywererevelationsofWapirravisitingtheWarlpirilandscape.Aswell

asincorporatingdreamingWarlpiriunderstandingofChristianityaccording

toSwain(1991),compressestimeintooneday,asWarlpiripeopledonot

havealinearviewofhistory.

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Darby attended Church every Sunday and would pray in a mixture of

Warlpiri and English. He developed a style, rhythmically repeating

phrases and raising and lowering his voice, he prayed for the church,

the country around Yuendumu and for the young people. Wapirra

thank you, karna jalangu (while I talk to you here today)

(Campbell, 2006, p. 92).

ThestoryofDarbyandhislifeintroducessomeofthecomplexitiesofthe

wayChristianityhasbecomeanimportantpartofmodernAboriginal

Communitylifeandhasevolvedintoitsownform,emphasisingtheparadox

thattheChristianstoryhasisitsownculturalsettingbuthasbeenaccepted

bymanydifferentculturesinitsownformandinsomewaysholdstruths

beyondanyoneculture.

Oneoftheresourcestheclassusesforthissectionofthecourseisasetof

ninedrawingsfoundaroundthechurchatYuendumu(seeFig.5)ofdot

paintingstellingthestoryofcreation,rebellion,Jesus,salvationandGod’s

newfamilyonanewearth.

ColintriestobringoutsomeoftheparadoxesandfeaturesofAboriginal

Christianityinworkwiththestudents.Theworkonthissectionofthe

courseistiedbacktothestudents’personalexperienceoftheirtimeat

Yuendumuwheretheyattendachurchservice.

ThestudentsonreturnfromYuendumuareaskedtocompletearesearch

projectononeissuethatthevisittoYuendumuraisedforthemthatthey

wanttogetmoreinformationon.Thetopicsvariedwidelybutonestudent

wantedfollowuptheideaofAboriginalChristianity,writing‐

On the trip I befriended a girl called Sophie. She said she was a

Christian and her grandfather prayed in Church and did some

evangelising on the basketball courts some nights. I believed her

however she also firmly believed in all the Dreaming stories she told

me. I couldn’t understand how she could believe in both at the same

time so my question is 'How do Aboriginal Christians combine

Christianity with their Dreaming beliefs?'

(Extract from a students journal)

Inheressayonthisquestionshesuggestedthatonewayitcanbeexplained

istolookatitinadualisticway,seeingoneascultureandtheotheras

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religion.Sherejectsthis(pickinguptheteachingsoftheschool).Itisasshe

says‘veryhardtodistinguishbetweenreligionandculture’.Insteadshe

looksathowtheirculturehassimilaritieswiththeChristianstoryandhow

thesimilaritiesleadtobothbeingfollowedinchangedways.

Gondarra(1988),reportingonAboriginalChristianity,givessupporttothis

idea,notingthatwhenAboriginalsadoptChristianitytheyoftendrawfrom

theirancestralheritagetocreateacomposite,metaphysicalbeliefstructure.

BillEdwardsalsorelatesthiswithhisdescriptionofTonyTjamiwa,a

Pintinjarraelder,who

mythologised the parables in the Christian scriptures with stories of

tjala (honey ants), lukupupu (ant lions) and walawru (eagle hawks).

His prayed used the imagery of walytya (relationship) and of kurunpa

(spirit) and walap (wind).

(Edwards, 2002, p. 3).

4.5.5Currentissuesofreconciliation

Inthispartofthecourse,thestudentswatchthefilm“RabbitProofFence”

andreadarticlesaboutthelandrightsissue.

WithregardtotheStolenGeneration,itiseasyforstudentsintheiranalysis

oftheeventsportrayedtobehostiletotheauthoritiesofthepastandpaint

themasevilpeople.Colindoesnotdenytheevilofwhattookplace.

However,usingaworldviewlensheremindsthestudentsinhisclassabout

thepoweroflivinginacultureandthepowerofaworldviewtocolouryour

judgments.Theevilwasnotjustpersonalbutincludedthesocietal‐Social

Darwinismhadimbuedthecultureandmeasuredskullstoseewhohad

evolved“bigger”brainsandintelligence.Itwasaviewoftheworldthat

thesepeoplegrewupwith.Heremindshisstudentsofthestoryofthefish

beingthelasttoknowheislivinginwaterandsays“Itiseasyforustosee

fromourstandpointbutifyouwereborninthe1930sor1940sandwere

surroundedbythissortofthinking,wouldyouhavebeenanydifferent?”He

thenleavesthemthequestion“whatistheviewoftheworldthatweare

surroundedwiththatmightbeblindingusfromactingjustlytowards

others”?

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4.5.6GuestSpeaker

OnetheimportantongoinglinkswiththeYuendumucommunityisLiaman

exstudentwhohasbeenlivingandworkinginYuendumuforovertenyears

andintroducedinprevioussections.Liam,whileinMelbourne,visitedthe

schoolandwithslidestalkedaboutlifeinYuendumu.Whatfollowsisa

selectionofthetranscriptmadeofhisvisit.

Here are some other slides of traditional foods, Bush potatoes. The

older people like still to go out on hunting trips to gather traditional

foods such as Bush potatoes

Bush tomatoes. The Warlpiri name is….you find them near...

This is slide is a picture from1928 of local men chained up.

The story of the Coniston massacre still affects many of the old

people. The killing of up to 100 people from what were relatively small

family groups affected everyone.

(The students are reminded by Colin of the video that they saw

starring Jack Thompson of the Conniston Massacre)

This is Jurkuppa site- a women’s dreaming site –Marla

This picture of a Jakamarra chained around his neck after he was

caught for allegedly killing a pastoralist

There was a lot of mining in Warlpiri country – gold and wolfram to

harden steel.

This is a grave of a miner who died walking back to Alice, yet he was

only one kilometre from water.

These are picture of mining sites in 30’s and 40’s where Warlpiri

worked from morning to night and were not paid any wages.Today

they are paid Royalties.

Skin groups are responsible for different parts of the country. There

are organisations set up to distribute royalties each year to the

community and some groups do get more than others do.

This picture is the time of the handing over the site to the church. The

old men gave the site because the people need a concrete place to

connect with their Dreaming stories. They also needed a concrete

place to connect the Christian story to set the boundaries, as a

Christian Dreaming or story place was important.

Women often told stories by drawing in the sand

Student: Have you ever been to a ceremony – Yes

Which one?

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There are still quite a few public ceremonies. Usually they happen at

funerals.

The young men are quite a tight group and hard to break into. I am

probably closer to some of the older people.

Student: Can you sing songs in Warlpiri?

Yes, but do I want to?

Student: Say something in Warlpiri

(Colin and Liam exchanged a few words. The kids try to guess what

they are saying)

Student: How do you get your skin name?

Well the older people kind of look at you and they look at the people

you hang around with, get along with you, and give you a skin name

Warlpiri has eight skin names, other tribes have only four. They differ

around Australia.

Student: Will you be there when we are there? What do you do there?

Yes, I work with the young people like on the petrol sniffing program

and I have worked in the Media centre helping to set up recordings.

When you get there the rubbish and the strangeness can be a bit

overwhelming but you look past that because of the friendliness and

generosity of the people.

4.6. The Centre Trip

ThetripandstayatYuendumuisacentralfeatureoftheschool’s

IndigenousStudiesprogram.Itmakestheideasandeventstaughtinthe

classrealandpersonal.Itengagesthestudentsinalloftheirdimensions.It

introducescontradictionsandtheunexpected.

TheprogramatYuendumuvariesfromyeartoyear.Itisusuallyfourdays

andcoversavarietyofactivitiesthatwillbedescribedusingmyjournal,the

DVDmadeofthetripandstudentcomments.Sometripshaveextendedthe

programtoincludeactivitiesontheMondayintheYuendumuSchool.This

partoftheprogramhoweverreliesonthecooperationoftheschool.The

schoolhastendedtohavealargeturnoverofprincipalsandestablishinga

continuousgoodrelationshipwiththeschoolthereforehasbeendifficultto

sustain.Itisinterestingtonotethecommunityitselfhasstrained

relationshipswiththeschoolandtheN.T.EducationDepartmentandis

currentlylooking,withthehelpofaMECSex‐teacheratestablishinga

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communityschool.Thenextsectiondescribethehistoryofthetrip,itsbuild

upandthejourneytoYuendumuviaUluruandAliceSpringsandthen

detailstheeventsatYuendumuitself.

4.6.1Historyoftheprogram:Accidentalbeginnings

ColinJapaljarri,foundingteacheroftheprogramtellsinownwordstheway

thetripbegan.

It was 1980 and we were throwing around ideas about how so many

Australians did not have an understanding of their own country,

particularly an experience of the desert and the Centre and

Aboriginals. The Year 10 program at the time was the only year group

without an extended excursion. I was teaching a unit on Aboriginal

studies and it suffered at the time by being nearly totally book oriented

and far removed from reality, often stereo typing Indigenous people.

There weren’t the organisations and resources that are around today.

The principal at the time had been to Northern Territory once or twice

and we began exploring options, eventually suggesting (because we

knew nothing) hiring a commercial tourist outfit to do a Centre road

trip. So off we went not really knowing what to expect. We did Uluru,

Alice and a few other places along the way. The trip was very

conventional and touristy. In Alice we met up with Dr. Trevor Cutter

who worked in a health clinic. He introduced us to Pat Dodson who

spoke to us about the struggles for land rights. Trevor suggested that

we should go to a community. He had been working in the

communities for years. He suggested this one or that and said you

just write and ask them.

After the trip we sat around and reviewed the experience and decided

two things, first that we could do it better ourselves and secondly, the

trip must include an experience of an Indigenous community.

To accommodate these ideas the school purchased the first of several

coaches. The principal and the Year 10 class teacher got their heavy-

duty bus licence to drive the coach.

Secondly, contacts were explored. One of the board member’s

brothers had worked as a principal of the Yuendumu School, had

been on the Yuendumu Council and was now in Darwin. The principal

rang him. That’s great, he said to us, I’ll put you in touch with the

pastor, because if the church invites you, the church goes on but if an

individual families invite you, those families rise and they fall, you’ll be

associated with the family, so he said, get an association with the

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church. It’s the only way to fly. He put us in touch with the Baptist

mission working in the church at Yuendumu.

And that’s how we got onto Yuendumu. Could have been anywhere.

Yeah, It wasn’t our choice. But then, that was the place we had.

It’s how we started; we went to Yuendumu totally sight unseen, we

hadn’t even seen a photo but we had the word of a pastor that it

would be all right.

So off we went in 1981. We did the bookings similar to the first trip but

added some of our own. We weren’t really sure what reception we’d

get. When we arrived at Yuendumu, football had been mentioned.

When we finally arrived in the town we were taken straight over the

footy oval. There, standing around was the Yuendumu A grade

Magpies. They thought they were playing the A grade Mount Evelyn

Christian School because footy had been mentioned in our phone

conversation. Anyway we started playing this game and well, it was

just the most wonderful thing.

Of course by quarter time we were so far behind it was just ridiculous.

They were so fast you couldn’t catch them let alone tackle them. After

a short council they came over and in the Warlpiri way said, “we’d like

some of your players to help our team” which was their way of saying

we think we better lend you some of our players. So we swapped over

some players and by half time we swapped over some more. In the

end our team was three quarters them and the scores turned out

about even. That’s how they work things out. That’s how they like it. It

immediately confronted us about the way we do things. They put on a

fantastic Christian Coroborree and took us out hunting and we had

church with them on the Sunday. Nothing was too much trouble for

them. We felt accepted and came away with new friends.

In Alice we visited the Land Council and were introduced to a big

conflict that was happening about the development of a sacred site-

seven sisters dreaming into a recreational lake.

There was a big rally taking place and we were introduced to the star

of that “Jedda” movie who spoke against the development. Pat

Dodson was also there and the minister for Aboriginal affairs flew in.

After being at Alice Springs and attending the rally, our immediate

feeling was, what we were looking at was how these people struggle

to survive in the face of a white invasion. Indigenous people have got

this huge infrastructure plonked on their doorstep and everywhere we

went there’d be Aboriginal people at the Central Land Council, at the

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medical crowd and at CAAMA telling us that there are Dreaming sites

all around us here but people don’t have access to them anymore.

They can’t use them for their ceremonial purpose because they’ve

got things built all over them and they can’t keep white people out.

This was a difficult reality to convey to sixteen year olds.

(Extracts from the interview with Colin Japaljarri)

4.6.2Thebuildupandexpectationssurroundingthetrip

TheCentralAustraliatripiswelladvertisedinthepromotionalmaterialfor

theschoolandininterviewswithprospectiveparents.Inearlieryears,the

studentsinYear9didsomefund‐raisingtowardsthetrip.Thisprocess

tendedtoinvolvethewiderschoolcommunity.Thenumberofstudents

withsiblingsintheschoolisquitehigh(around60%)andthenumberof

paststudentswhohavechildrenintheschoolisalsoquitehigh.Thismeans

thatmanyofthestudentshaveheardthingsaroundthedinnertableabout

thetrip.Notonlydoesthebroadercommunity’sexperiencesofthetrip

contributetothebuildup,butalso,thewidercommunityinvolvementin

thisprogramiscriticalinsustainingit(seefindingsinthenextchapter).

ThereisacontinuousbuildupoverTerm1withaparentmeetinginweek

threeandseveralmeetingswiththestudentsaswellasregularstoriesin

classfromColinandvariouslettersandforms.

Isurveyedthestudentstheweekbeforethetripabouttheirexpectationsof

Yuendumu.Themostcommonexpectationsnotedinorderweresmell,

rubbish,affectionatesharing,andhearingWarlpiripeoplerelating,using

skinnames.Mostofthesewouldhavecomefromsnippetsofpastmembers.

InanearliervisittoYuendumu,Iaskedoneofthekeywomeninthe

communityabouttheMECSmobcoming.‘Yeahwelikedit,’wasthe

response.“Ourkidsdon’tgettomeetotherkidsfromthebigcityontheirown

turf.InAliceSpringsaYuendumuwomenIspoketosaidthatsheusedto

lookforwardtotheschoolcomingbecauseshedidn’thavemanyotherskids

thatwereatschoolforheragetointeractwith.

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OneoftheotherteachersatMECS,ColinJumpinjinpa,liveduptherefora

yearrecentlywithhisfamilyandhesaidthisaboutthecommunity’s

expectationsofthevisit.

You wanted to know about what they think about us coming up. Well it

happens, you know. It’s sort of happening not in the way that we

would recognise as being organised but it’s happening in a deeper

sort of community way where there’s definitely an awareness, there’s

a history, there’s an anticipation of the MECS mob coming. And

there’s a group of people who are central in that. A lot them are the

leading women in the community, some of the teachers, some of the

strong women. And of course Darby, who is no longer alive ,was just

likethat, he had that sense of anticipation.

Whatfollowsinthenextpartofthischapteraredescriptivepiecesselected

frommyjournalandothersourcestryingtocapturetheinteractionand

eventsonthetripatYuendumu.Thestudentstravelfortwodaysstraightto

gettothedesertnorthofAdelaidethenitslowsdowntotakeinvarious

places.

4.6.3TheJourneyintothedesert

IntheinterviewwithColinJampinjimpa,thetripwaslikenedtoaspiritual

journey.

There’s a spiritual dimension to the trip. Because not only do you get

to visit a remote Aboriginal community but also, it takes a long time to

get there, for three quarters of the trip you’re travelling through the

desert, it is not it’s like a trip to another place you know. So all of that

adds to the trip for me anyway, it adds to the mystique and the sense

of being displaced from your own, from what you know to what you

don’t know.

4.6.4Ulurutheimportanceoftheland

ThematerialintheCentretripbooklet(Day3‐GlendambotoDay6‐Bush

Camp),dealswiththeissuesofculture,ourownandothersandthekillingof

culturesthroughmisunderstandingandlackofrespect.The“Killingme

Softly”articleinthetripbooklet;avisittotheCulturalCentreatUluru,and

walksaroundthebaseofUluruwithstoriesoftheDreamingbyColin

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Japaljarri,allcontributetotryingtohelpthestudentsseethelandtheway

thetraditionalownersseeit.Oneofthefourdevotionalthemesofthetripis

culturalrespectandsensitivity.Thestudentsareencouragedtotryand

viewtheland,usingtheIndigenousworldview,asspecialplaces,asaliving

testimonyoftheTjukurppa(Dreaming)storiesofbothcreationtimeaswell

asthepresent,andasanimportantsourceoffoodandwater.Page19ofthe

CentrebooklethasamapofAboriginalplacesofsignificanceatUluruanda

descriptionofthecentralplaceofTjurkurpa.Thisisfollowedbyaspeechby

oneofthelocaleldersNgananaTatinjaWiya.Thecentralideainthespeech

isevidentinthetitle“Weneverclimb”andasksvisitorstorespecttheplace

andnotclimb.

ThenightbeforearrivingatUlurustudentsstudythereflectivepiece

“KillingmeSoftly”.Thereisalsoanopendiscussionabouttheschool’s

policyofrespectingsacredsitesoutoftherespectforthepeoplewhohave

thisbeliefwhichcomesdownto‘wedon’tclimb,wedon’tswimifitisa

sacredsite’.Thispositionwasreachedafteracommunitymeetingin1994,

thedetailsofwhicharerecordedinadiscussionoftheschool’spolicyand

stancedescribedlaterinthischapter.

Studentsareaskedtowritearesponseintheirjournalondayfiveonthe

issueofwhyweshouldorshouldn’tclimbandwhattheythinktheChristian

faithsaysaboutitwithreferencetosocialjusticeinthebookofAmos.A

smallminorityretainssomeannoyanceaboutnotbeingabletoclimb.Most

thinkitistherightthingtodoandsomehaveevenexpressedangeratthe

sightofothertouristsclimbingasisevidentinthefollowingpoem.

See them silhouetted against the sky

Swarming up the rock like ants on a string

They are impatient

And grip the rope

With eager hands

Deaf hands

They have reached their destination

Scurrying feet

Squash the dreaming

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Camera click

Not capturing the tears

Or the pain

Only the beauty

Becoming bored they leave

Unaware of what they have done

(A past student’s poem)

Thisissueoftoclimbornottoclimbbringshomedirectlyandpersonallyto

thestudentsthewayWesterncultureviewslandverydifferentlyto

Indigenouscultureandrobbingthemoftheirconnectionwithaplaceor

treatingaplacewhichissacredtothemwithdisrespectcausesthemgreat

difficultiesandpain.Studentsareaskedtoconsiderhowtheiractionsreflect

disrespectandaddtothecontinuedbrokennessandpainofIndigenous

peopleorhowtheiractionscanreflectrespectwhichcancontributeto

reconciliationandabetterwayahead.

4.7 Yuendumu

TheMECSmoborsouthcamp,astheyarereferredtobyYuendumupeople,

usuallyarriveonaFridayafternoonandsetupcampintheschool.The

schoolwaschosenasthebestplacebecauseitiscentrallylocated,has

showersandtoiletfacilities,andprovidessomesecurity.Therearealways

manykidsunder12hangingaroundwaitingtoplayandbewiththeMECS

kids.

Thereisusuallylotsofinformalplaying,greetingandtalkingwithdifferent

kidsattachingthemselvestotheMECSkidsbasedonskingroup.The

followingisjustonetranscriptofgroupinteractingtotrytoconveythetype

ofinteractionthathappenswhenthetwogroupsmeet.

Thetapebeginswiththesoundofagroupofchildrentalkinginanexcited

manneratYuendumu.Thedozenorsokidsaresittinginacircleonthered

dust,exchangingnames,andtryingtoworkoutrelationshipsand

pronunciations.OneofthelittlegirlsissittingonthelapofonetheMECS

girls.

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Theyoungeronesoftenhangonorsitveryclose.

S1 What is your name?

Brenda Nampinjimpa

S1 Yeah. Nampinjimpa (laughter)

S2 What skin are you?

Japaljarri

S2 Does that mean you are my brother?

S3 Marita is my friend. She is a Naparulla

S1 Who is my best friend if am a Napangdi

S3 ….Is it Nana or Nunagani?

What about you?

Your turn say Naku nana nanni

S3 Naku nana nanni

Your turn

S2 Naku nana nanni-that means “and you” .Yeah! Go me, I

understood some Warlpiri.

S4 What age are you?

13,

S4 I am 15

B….startssingingthesongoneofthefivesongslearntinclass‐Nananuju

palijawiththeothersjoininginmuchtotheamusementofthelocals.

TheyhoweveralsojoininandwhenB.asksforhelpwithwhatisthenext

linetheyofferhelp.

TheLocalkidsstartsingingthesongandtheMECSkidsjoinin.Theyalso

singthePlaySchoolsong,theCollingwoodthemesongandaskthelocals

whethertheyknewtheemurunningsong.Again,thereismuchlaughter.

AgroupofMECSgirlsareplayingwithagroupofyoungerlocalkidsacircle

runninggameduck,duck,goose.

Anothergroupisplayingaclappingtypegame.

Theyareshowingthekids.“Yougoclapclap,clickclickandthenpickup

yea,that’sit”.

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4.7.1Fridaynightatthedisco

Thestarsabovethecommunitycentrearefantastic.Themusicisblaring

fromthelargebuildingthathoststheFridaynightdiscotowhichweareall

going.Thegirlsareabitnervousandclutchingeachother.Therearepeople

aroundeverywhere.Oneofourgirlsisbeingledaroundbytwolocalgirls

pointingoutthings,therestarestandingaroundingroupsthereisalotof

eyeingoffandgiggling.Therearemoreteenagersaroundtonightthan

duringtheday.TheDiscohasagamesroomforpoolandvideogames,

mainlyinhabitedbyboys,butthereisnotmuchinteractionwithourboys.

Agameofkeepingoffdevelopedinthediscowithsomeoftheyoungerkids

andourkids.Thelocalssellpancakesanddrinks.Thewaytheteenagers

dress–labelclothing,capsrunnersandthewaytheyhangaroundand

behaveatthediscoseemedfamiliartoanyyouthclubnight.Smallgroupsof

kidsstartgettingintothemusicanddancing,otherssoonjoinedin.

4.7.2Theartcentre

Thenextmorning,theMECSmobvisitedtheYurulunkaArtCentreandwas

introducedtoJackJakamarra,oneoftheolderandwellknowncentral

desertartists.Hispaintingshaveappearedingalleriesallovertheworld.He

talkedabouthislatestpainting,howhepaintslikealloftheartistsat

Yuendumu,hisDreamingstories‐PossumDreaming.Thekidswere

encouragedtobuyasmallpieceofartworkfromtheDreamingstory

associatedwiththeirskinname.Jackspenttimetellingthemaboutthe

stories.Asthekidswereliningupwiththepiecesofartorclothorsome

otheritemshewouldcallthemoverandlookatthepiecetheyboughtand

hewouldsay“thisoneisemudreaming”andhewouldbegintopointto

someofthesymbolsandtalkabouttheplaceitrepresentsoutbeyond

Yuendumu.Ononeoccasion,aboyhadthreeitemsandforeachofthemhe

wouldwavehishandandshakehisheadandsay“thisoneWomen’s

Dreaming”.Inthisway,thestudentswereabletoexperiencethestrong

connectionbetweenart,dreamingandcountry.Moststudentstriedtobuy

somethingassociatedwiththeirskinnamedreaming.

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4.7.3Saturdayafternoon

AfootballmatchwasorganisedforSaturdayafternoon.Thelocalovalhas

notmuchgrass,butthecommunityisveryproudofit.Earlyoninthe

afternoononlytwolocalboyshaveturnedupforthegame.Eventhoughit

wasorganisedweeksagoitisamatterof“hangingloose”atYuendumuand

seeingwhathappens.Afterawhileacouplemorehaveturnedup,shoesoff,

barefeetisthego.Eventuallythegamegetsunderway,skinsagainstshirts.

Theboysshakeeachother’shandsandchatandtherearehighfivesall

roundwhenthereisagoal.Wherearetheothers?Liamsaidhewouldtryto

getthewordaround.BeingaSaturdaythereisalotoffootballhappeningin

Aliceandsomanyfamiliesareaway.Intheendsixlocalboysplayed.

Tenlocalgirlsagedfromabout7to14formedmixedteamswiththeMECS

mob.ThereislotsofchatterinWarlpiri,callingout,encouraging.Theyseem

tobereallyenjoyingthemselves.ColincomesoverandcallsoutinWarlpiri

andthelocalkidslaughandcheer.Heistellingthemtohitthatball.Rules

areadjustedtoallowthelittleonesabitofhelp.Nooneminds.Thegirls

seemmoreinvolvedandourkidsarepracticingafewWarlpiriwords:

‘quick’,‘run’,and‘welldone’.ThisinteractionofthelocalswiththeMECS

mobisenjoyableforthem,andtheylookforwardtoit.Itisfriendlyandon

theirturf.Iobservedthatthelocalsdonotmakeabigfussaboutindividual

efforts.Colinpointedouttomethatifyoufocustoomuchonanindividual

theygetveryembarrassed.Theyliketobepartofthegroup.Ifwhitesdo

thatandbossthemabit(astheMECSprincipalwasdoinginrunningthe

softballgame)itgratesabit,buttheyareverygraciousaboutit.Colinhas

beenobservingandspendingtimewithWarlpiripeopleforover20years

nowandsohepicksupthosedifferencesinthewaytheydothings.

4.7.4TheSaturdaynightelderstalk

Yakajirraisawhiteyouthworkerwithanickname,whichisquitecommon.

Hespokeaboutthebattleof1993andhowthepeoplegotridofthepetrol‐

sniffingproblemthathasplaguedsomanycommunities.Itwasaninspiring

storyofthetwooldpeoplesittingquietlyinthedirtbesidehimofinitiative,

courageandperseveranceoftakingthesniffersuptoMt.Theoawayfrom

112

thepetrolandteachingthemtosurviveusingtheoldwaysandregaintheir

respect.Therewasdeathlysilenceashetoldthestoryandthegroup

spontaneouslyapplaudedafterthepresentation.Itwasverymovingofhow

theygraduallyreducedthetownfrom70snifferstonone.Theydidthis

themselveswithoutanyGovernmentfunding.Theoldpeoplediditbyjust

lovingeachofthosekidsandbringingthembacktohealth.Therestofthe

townsupportedtheprogramandhaveintroducedmoreactivitiesforyoung

people.Itwasmoving.Itwasastoryofstrengthandsuccessofacommunity

unlikethebadnewsstoriesthatpermeatethemedia.Thestudents’

commentsafterwardswere:

Incredible, amazing, interesting. Peggy and Johnny Creek were just

amazing people who are from a traditional background and were

introduced to Christianity and grasped it do the best they can with it

and do it for the best of their family and community and they don’t

have to be doing it.”

4.7.5ChurchYuendumustyle

Theplaqueoutthefrontofthechurchsays‘thatwetheeldersoftheWarlpiri

communityhavegiventhislandbacktoGodourFatherwhohasgivenusall

things.’Thewomensitontherightandthemenontheleft,dogsdownthe

middlewanderinandout.AroundthechurcharelocalWarlpiristyle

paintingssymbolisingBiblicalstories.Alongthefrontaresomerecent

BiblicalstoriesinWarlpiri‐stylepainting.Theservicebeginsafterabouthalf

anhourwhenmostpeoplehavearrived.Anelderlylocalmanrises,clapping

togethertwolargeboomerangs,andchantingasonghehadcomposedfor

theEasterCorroborree.ThentheregularpastorwelcomedtheMECSmob

andexplainedhownormallyonefamilyisrosteredontoleadtheservice

butthisweektheywereawaysoheisdoingit.Therewasmoretalking

aboutthepaintings.Afterthatthepastorledsomemoresinging,somein

EnglishandsomeinWarlpiri.AgroupperformedanEastersongtheyhad

composed.Twowomengavethesermonbasedonapaintingdotstylethat

explainedthepassageoftheBibletheywerefocusingontoday.Thepastor

ledaprayertimeforfamiliesinneedandalsoprayedforpeacebetween

warringfactionsinthecommunity.Aboutthreequartersoftheway

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throughtheservice,thestudentsgotupandperformedthreesongsin

WarlpirithattheyhavebeenpracticinginWarlpiriclasses.Thepeople

smiledandappreciatedthesinging,joiningin.Onemangotupand

promisedtoshowustraditionalfirelightingintheafternoonandother

thingsbutthisdidnothappen.AccordingtoColin,manyofferswithlittle

followupiscommon.Thestudentsalsopresentedadonationofmoneythat

wascollectedonthetrip.ThemoneygoestothecommunityandtheMt

Theopetrol‐sniffingprogram.TherearetwochurchesinYuendumuand

about80%ofthepeopleregularlyattendthem.Thereisalotofhanging

aroundbeforechurchbutonceitisfinishedeveryonegoesoff.

ItwasimportantfortheMt.EvelynmobtoexperiencethewaytheWarlpiri

mobhavedevelopedandshapedtheirownversionofChristianity.Harris

(1990)pointstonewIndigenousleadershipintheIndigenouschurchand

theemergenceofthedistinctlyAboriginalformsofworshipusing

iconographyandlawsongsassignsofhopeandthebeginningsofmore

positive,newIndigenousidentities.Thechurchbuildingstandsoutabit

fromtheotherbuildingsbecausethereisnodamageorgraffitiunlikethe

otherbuildings.Itwasdescribedtomeasoneofthesacredplacesand

thereforegetstreateddifferently.

4.7.6Thehuntingtrip

Threeoftheolderwomenfromthecommunityandbunchesoflocalkids

piledintotheschoolbusandtheMECScoachanddroveabout45minutes

downtheroadtogohunting.Earlierintheday,therewasabiggroupof

about20localkidsgatheringatthegate,waitingforthisevent,theylove

goinghunting.Whilewaitingforthetriptostartacoupleoflocalkidswere

interactingwithafewoftheMECSstudents,tryingoutsomeoftheWarlpiri

words.Thewordwasgettingoutaboutthetripandyoucouldfeelthe

excitementbuilding.Themoodofthelocalsnoticeablechanged,they

seemedmoreathomeinthebushthanevenintown.Threeofthewomen

elderstookusout.Theyhadtheirdiggingsticksandacoupleofbilliesand

spreadoutindifferentdirections;eachwithagrouptaggingon.Thekids

seemedtoberunningaroundplayinggames.Thewomenwalkedslowly

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throughthescrubtalkingandpointingoutthings.Theysatatthefeetofa

wattletypebushandproceededtodigoutthelonghorizontalrootsand

breakoffsections.Ineachsection,therewasabigfatwitcherygrub.There

werelotsofsmilesandlaughterasthegrubswereputintotothebillyand

passedaroundtobepokedat.Alittlelater,therewasalotofpointingand

discussingasagoanna’strackwasfound.Thetrackledtoamoundthatthe

womenattackedwiththeirdiggingsticks.Thepatienceandhardworkthat

wentintodiggingitoutwasamazing.Therewasacheer,whenafterabout

anhour,thesandgoannawasdraggedoutandwhackedacrossthedigging

stick.

Attheendoftheafternoontherewasabigcookuponthesideoftheroad.

Allofthekidshadachancetotrythegoannaandthewitcherygrubaswell

askangarootailanddamperbroughtalongbytheschool.Therewerelots

ofkidsjusthangingontoeachother,armandarm.Therewasanamazing

feelingofhappinessandpeacearoundthefirebytheroadsideinthemiddle

ofwhatseemstooutsidersas“nowhere”.Thelocalkidsarereallyeasy

goingandsmilingandthebondoffriendshipwasgrowing.OneoftheMECS

boysentertainedagroupbydoingGollumandotherfilmcharacters.Some

ofthelocalgirlsareteachingtheMECSkidshand‐slapgamesanddoing

handsignals.

Kidssittingontheroad,kidsplayingfootballandkidsgivingeachother

piggybackrideswerejustafewthingsthatwentonduringthistime.The

localkidsoccupiedhalfthebusonthewaybacktotown.Onestudentsatin

thebuswithafouryearoldboyonherlapwhohadfallenasleep.Shegazed

downathimandsaid“Isn’thebeautiful,whatagreatkid”.Therewasreal

warmthinhervoice.

For me the best time was also the hunting trip because you know how

they came on the bus with us to the hunting area and one kid was

asking me my name and I told him and he said you are my sister.

When we got there, we were just walking around with the girls.

Afterwards he kept following, coming up to me and not leaving me

alone. He was just so excited at having me as his big sister, and he

was so great. (from an interview with a student)

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TheDVDmadeofthehuntingtripcapturesthisamazingafternoonbetter

thanwordscandescribe.Aseveningfellandthekidssaidgoodbyesomeof

theMECSkidsshedatearknowingthattomorrowtheywouldbeleaving.

4.8 The Centre Trip Evening

Atraditionattheschoolisthataroundthelastweekofthesecondtermor

earlythirdterm,thestudentsdoapresentationoftheirtriptothe

community.Onthetripthestudentskeptajournal,wrotepoemsanddid

severalartpieces.Thestudentsaregiventimeinclasstoselectonepiece

thattheybeganonthetripandtoreworkittoastandardsuitablefora

wideraudience.Oneortwostudentseachyearareappointedfilmmakers

andvideothetripandputalotofworkintoeditingandproducingafilmfor

theevening.ADVDofthetripisgiventoeachpersonwhoparticpatedinthe

trip.Oneofthefeaturesthatstruckmeasanobserveroftheseeventsisthe

historyofthistripamongstthecommunity.Aswasmentionedearlier,a

significantnumberofstudentsarenowsecondgenerationstudents.Their

parentsalsowentonthetrip,learntsomeWarlpiriandhaveaskinname.At

thestartoftheeveningtheparentscatchupwitheachotherandsoonthe

conversationmovestotheirownexperiencesofthetrip.Thestudents,in

reviewingtheirjournalsforthiseveningandviewingtheDVD,relivesome

oftheirexperiences.Thisrevisitingdeepenstheexperiencetogether,and

beingsurroundedbytheoldergenerationwhoalsohavehadthese

experiencesworkstomakethisasignificanteventforthestudentandfor

theschool.

4.9 Teaching by example: the School’s Action and Stance

‘Exampleisn’tanotherwaytoteach,itistheonlywaytoteach’isaquote

attributedtoEinstein.Becauseexampleisapowerfulteacheritisimportant

toincludeinthedescriptionoftheschoolnotonlyitsprogrambutalsoits

policiesandpractices.Theseintheirownway,alsomakeastatementabout

Indigenouspeopleandtheirculture.

Theschoolin2001signeduptothe“DaretoLeadproject”;aninitiativeof

theprofessionandspecificallyofPrincipalsAustralia,formerlyAustralian

116

PrincipalsAssociationProfessionalDevelopmentCouncil(APAPDC)acting

onbehalfofitsmembersandtheirassociations.

Itwasthereforeinterestingtonotethestrengthsandweaknessesofthe

school’spoliciesandpracticesusing“ASchoolReviewChecklist:Indicators

ofasuccessfulAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderEducationProgram

(APAPDC,2003)producedbythe‘DaretoLead’projectconsultationwith

Indigenousgroups.Itlistsdisplayingcontemporaryartasoneindicatorof

goodpractice.TheschoolhadpurchasedninelargeIndigenousartworks

overtheyearsandhasthemdisplayedinthestaffroomandofficearea,both

asameanstosupportIndigenousartistsbutalsoasaremindertostudents

ofIndigenouspresence.Initsmaterialtothestudents,theschooldoesn’t

proposeanyparticularactiontodealwiththecurrentsituationfacing

IndigenouspeopleexcepttoencouragethestudentstosupportAustralian

Indigenouspeople’sclaimsforjustice,recognitionandcompensationfor

pastwrongs,andsupportthemincampaignsforabetterfuture.Theschool,

hashowever,putinaspecificpolicyaboutthevisittoUluru.Thestance

takenbytheschoolof“wedon’tclimbandwedon’tswim”represents

respectfortheownershipbutalsooriginatesfromtherecognitionofthe

spiritualrealityofplacesandevents.AconsistentteachingofMECS’s

worldview(seeChapter6)isthatrealityfunctionsinvariousdimensions

andthespiritualdimensionisnottobedenied.Theschoolarguesevenif

youdisagreewiththewaythisspiritualityisexplained,thesignificanceofit

forothers’livesistoberespected.Roger,along‐servingteacherand

participantintheprogramtellsthestoryofthispolicy.

As a result of going through the culture centre in 1992 on my long

service leave, I realised that the Aboriginal people didn’t like us

climbing. And we thought that as a school we were very hypocritical to

allow our kids to climb or in fact up until 1994, which was the first year

I went back on the Centre trip, it was compulsory for every kid to

climb. Anyway, we got there and what we’d been doing since 1994

was giving the kids a choice. Before ‘94, we would climb as soon as

you got there, on the very first day. However, we wanted them to think

about the issue so we forced them to go into the Cultural Centre, look

at all the stuff in the document.

117

Anyway, and then on the last day we would make the decision. I

would ask, “Who wants to do the culture walk?” all that sort of stuff.

And the night before I sat down with my staff and I said “Right, who’s

going to help me climb?” The response was one. That left me in a

very difficult situation. Peter is the only one “and I couldn’t send up all

those kids without the staff. The next morning I told them we couldn’t

climb, they were so devastated. I got things like ‘I’ve saved up all me

life’ for this. And now you’re telling me I can’t climb’? Isn’t climbing

Uluru the key point of the trip?’ They were tears, one of the kids rang

home, a parent rang to my wife, complaining bitterly. So when I came

back. I said to the school “I can’t go through this again”. So the board

said “Okay we’ll have a forum”. They held a big forum and people

came from everywhere. Bob the school counsellor spoke in favour of

continuing the way we go. I spoke against. The board listened to

parents, parents for both sides spoke. Finally, the board decided it

best not to climb. They sent that response to the Aboriginal

community at Uluru to acknowledge,that from now on Mt. Evelyn

Christian School would not climb. It’s interesting now how a lot of

schools have followed that action.

TheAPAPDCreviewchecklistalsoreferstoinvitingelderstodoawelcome

tocountryinofficialceremonies;andinparticipatinginspecialIndigenous

eventssuchas“NationalSorryDay”.Theschooldoesnotpracticethese

things.TheschooldoeshaveanIndigenousflag,whichitfliesfromtimeto

time.

4.10 Conclusion

Throughthevoicesoftheteachers,thestudentsandmyownasobserver,

thedescriptionsinthischapterhavetriedtodrawthereaderintoa

selectionoftheexperiencesthatstudentshaveoftheMECSprogram.These

together,withtheinformationgleanedonthehistoryoftheschool,were

thenusedtosiftthroughthedatatouncoverthemeaningtheprogramheld

forculture,obtainingknowledgeofothercultures,andthepurposeof

schooling.Theseconceptswereseenasanimportantpartoftheinitial

questionwhenexaminingMECS’srationaleandconsiderationsshapingits

programandaredealtwithinmoredetailthenextchapter.

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Figure5.PosterofpaintingsintheYuendumuChurch

Painted by Claris Nampinjinpa Poulson 1996

The paintings represent nine Biblical stories of God and People from

the Creation to the New Creation.

119

Chapter 5

Initial Analysis of the Data and Findings

“Breathethis.GotoYuendumuandbreathetheprideofthese

peopleandtheirlandandbreathethedifferentculture”

(frominterviewwithprincipal)

5.0 Introduction

Chapter1ofthisresearchpaintedacontextthatledtoasking,whatwasthe

rationaleandmotivationforaschoolin1982,whensolittlewashappening

inotherschoolsandhavingnoIndigenousstudentsthatledthemtoinclude

Indigenousstudiesasamajorpartoftheircurriculum?Inaddition,whyis

theprogramorientedaroundtheWarlpirilanguageandcommunityat

Yuendumu?Thirdly,whyhasitbeensustainedforsolong?Aninitialreview

ofprogramsinschoolssuggestedthatoneoftheprimaryreasonsfor

differencesinapproachestoIndigenousstudiesandtheanswertowhy

questionsaboutcurriculumpracticesspringsoutofthevariousparadigms

surroundingthepurposeforschooling,knowledge,andtheunderstanding

ofculture.Thisledtothedistillingoftheinitialquestionstothemain

researchquestionaskedbeing;‐Whatperspectivesaboutcultureand

schoolingoperatedwithinMECSforittobeginandshapeitsparticular

practiceofIndigenousStudies?

Themethodologychapterintroducedthedetailsforusing“procedural

analysis”(Rosaldo,1993)toanalysethedata.Thissuggestedclosely

describinginanarrativestyle,theresearcher’sobservationoftheprogram

andinterweavingitwithexplanationsofvariousparticipants.Thisprocess

wouldleadtofindingkeywordsor“cover”termsorthemes,importantin

gaininginsightintothemeaningsoftheMECSpractice.Theconceptof

culturecanbeteasedoutintomanydimensions(Hofstede,1984).Thedata

werecloselyreadinordertoexaminewhichdimensionorfeaturesof

culturearedominantinthemindsoftheearlydevelopersandteachers.

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Followingthislineofanalysis,themainkeywordsandconceptstoemerge

andmakesenseofthequestionsofculturewerethetermscomplexity,

dynamicstruggleandworldview.

Worldviewwasfurtheranalysedtoexpressthethemeofbeingin,and

knowingtheworldinfundamentallydifferentways,bestexpressedthrough

language;andreligiouslydirected.

Asecondthemerelatedtotheunderstandingofcurriculumandpedagogy,

conceptsconnectedtothe‘teaching’partoflearningaboutothercultures

Thefeaturesofintegrality,justiceandchallengingworldviewemergedas

strongthemesinthedatasurroundingMECS’sunderstandingofteaching

andlearning.Thefocusinthischapteristodemonstratehowthesethemes

emergedfromthenarrativeofthedataaswellasteasingouttheir

meanings.Howthesevariousthemesareconnectedandframedbyasingle

paradigmwillbedevelopedmorefullyinChapter6.

5.1 All Cultures are Complex and Different

Thenotionthatallculturesarecomplexindifferentwaysisbroughtout

stronglythroughthedatainmanyoverlappingways.Itisamessagethat

occursfirstlythroughtheselectionofthetopicsencountered.Thecourse

doesnotshyawayfromdifficultconceptsandideassuchasthelearningof

newlanguage.Secondly,themannerinwhichthesecomplextopicsand

ideasaredealtwithasnotbeingthecompleteanswerorstorybutare

merelyfalliblepeoples’fragmentedunderstandingofthecultureatthis

pointintime.Athirddimensionofthecomplexitymessageinthetext

focusesonthesilencesthatoftenoccurinansweringquestionsconveyinga

respectforcomplexity.

5.1.1Complexityinthetopicschosen

So there is a very complicated system of permission and

responsibilities spread out among the people that are not obvious to

white people or very easily understood.

(extract from lesson with Colin).

121

Theword“complicated”or“complex”appearsinthedataoften.The

commenttakenfromColin’slessonsonearlycontacthighlightsthefactthat

eachculturehasembeddedwithinithighlycomplexmeansofaccumulating

anddistributingbothknowledgeandpower.The18thcenturyEnglish

mechanismsweretotallydifferenttothoseoftheWarlpiri.Thefocusinthe

courseistohighlightthatthedifferencesare inthetypeofsystemadopted

byacultureratherthaninthelevelofcomplexity.

Theselectionofthematerialtobestudiedalsohighlightstheissueof

complexity.Thecoursedoesnotshyawayfromcomplexissues.Thereare

lotsofexplanationsandexamplesoftheWarlpiriskinnamesandthe

myriadofwaystheyareconnected(seeAppendix4).Whenfirst

encounteringthis,studentsoftengetlostasonestudentsindicatedinher

journal.‘Howdotheyrememberallthis?’

TheissueofreportingthehistoryoftheencounterbetweenIndigenous

Australiansandwhitesisalsonotasimpleone.Manyschoolaccountsofthe

historyof“settlement”ofAustraliafocusontheearlyexplorersandthe

pioneersettler,andmajoreventssuchasthegoldrush,Eurekastockade

andconvictlife.MostoftheseaccountsbarelymentiontheIndigenous

peopleoftheregionthatwasbeingexploredorsettled,oriftheydid,drew

onthecommondiscoursesofthedaywhichpositionedthe‘other’asa

nomadic,purposeless,peacefulandtimelesssavageorasatroublesome

aggressivepeoplewithnorespectforthelaw(Kenworthy&Kenworthy,

1997).Bradford(1997)describesindetail,forexample,howoneofthe

majorhistorytextsforstudentsinthe1960s,“TheAustralianBook”,

representedIndigenouspeopleasaunifiedsingleculture,simple,lacking

technology,andbelongingtoamythicalandmysticalpast.Inthelaterpart

ofthe1960’sintheacademicworld,thesewhiteethnocentricaccountsof

historybegantobecontested.In1968,thedistinguishedanthropologist

W.E.H.StannerusedhisBoyerlecturesontheABCtospeakofwhathe

called`thegreatAustraliansilence':theneglectofAboriginalpeoplebythe

country'shistorians.Itwas,hesaid,

122

a structural matter, a view from a window, which has been carefully

placed to exclude a whole quadrant of the landscape. What may well

have begun as a simple forgetting of other possible views turned

under habit and over time into something like a cult of forgetfulness

practised on a national scale.

(Stanner, 1968)

Similarly,JohnHarrisinhismonumentalwork,“OneBlood:200yearsof

AboriginalencounterwithChristianity:AStoryofHope”,reflectedthat`far

toomuchofAustralia'srecentAboriginalhistoryhasbeenignoredforfar

toolong.Untilthelastdecade,Australiansweretaughtalaunderedhistory'

(J.Harris,1990,p.85).Hewentontospeakofa`whitewashingofthepast'

inwhichAboriginalpeoplewereeffectivelywrittenoutofthehistorytaught

tomostnon‐AboriginalAustralians.Thissituationhascontinuedtochange

inthelasttwotothreedecadesthroughtheworkofhistorianssuchas

HenryReynoldswho,withpainstakingresearchintobothAboriginaloral

historyandEuropeancontacthistory,beganexposingthemyththat

EuropeansettlementofAustraliawaspeaceful(Reynolds,1987).TheMECS

courseusestwoarticleswrittenbyReynoldsinthefirstsectionofthe

course.

MostoftheearlydescriptionsoftheAustraliancontinentperpetuatedthe

mythofTerraNullius,whichwasrootedinimperialisticbeliefswherethe

denialofrightsofownershipwasjustifiedonthebasisthatthesavage

nationshadnogovernmentordid‘nothing’withtheland.The222yearsof

juridicallegitimacyforthisconceptledtoaTerraNulliusmindsetandmade

theoccupationofthelandbytraditionaltribesinvisible(Butler,2000).A

greaterattempthasbeenmaderecentlytopublishlocalaccountspassed

downasoralhistoryamongsomeIndigenousgroupswhichre‐namethese

eventsnotas“settlement”butasinvasionanddispossessionoftheirlandto

berecordedsuchasJamesMiller’s“Koori,awilltowin:Theheroic

resistance,survivalandtriumphofBlackAustralia”(Miller,1985)

Gilbert(1977)pointstothefactthatsomewellmeaningcriticaltheoristsin

representingAboriginalpeopleasresistorshaverepresentedthe‘other’,

non‐Aboriginal,ascruelaggressors.Personalstoriestoldtohimbyolder

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peopleindicatedIndigenouspeoplehadavarietyofpositionsregardingthe

‘whites’.Somewerekindandcaring.Similarly,Jordan(1985)foundwhite

constructedversionsoftherepressionyears(undertheprotectionact)

whichweretaughtinAboriginalstudiescourses,werecharacterisedby

scholarlygeneralisationsandthusdepictedthepasthistoryinfairly

negativeimagesofhumiliationanddegradation.Incontrasthefoundthat

AboriginalknowledgeofthiserawasmoreparticularizedwithMr.Xbeing

anOkbossandMr.Ybeinga“soandso”.Further,manyoftheIndigenous

peopleshowedagreattoleranceanddignityaswellasresistancetopast

injustices.

Someofthecomplexityofthehistoryoftherelationshipsbetween

IndigenouspeopleandEuropeansispickedupinthe“WomenoftheSun”

serieswithoutwateringdowntheinjusticesthatoccurredandisthemain

reasontheearlydevelopersoftheMECSprogramfavoureditasaprimary

resource.

5.1.2Language

Thewholedifficultyoflearninganewlanguageisalsopartlyaboutshowing

thecomplexityoftheculture.Thefollowingnoteswererecordedinmy

journalafterattendingaWarlpirilesson.

Another question asked by the students focussed on the subtlety of

the language. The students were saying this language is very difficult.

The range of suffixes and how they change the meaning was

confusing. It was interesting to see the students notice this. Colin said

to me later he was pleased at the students picking this up. He

reminded the students in class that Warlpiri people know at least four

different languages and their skill at language is generally better than

ours, which belies the first impression of them because they might

stumble a bit in their English. It can give a false impression that they

aren’t very clever. But as you get to realise the number of languages

they know and how difficult the language is you get a new

appreciation of them.

(from personal journal)

IntheinterviewwithColinheelaboratesonthecomplexityissueofthe

language:

124

I’ve got four or five points that I try to make in my teaching. I’m always

upfront with the kids about doing Warlpiri and one of them is that it’s a

complicated language in its own right. You do meet white people, I

haven’t met one in a while now, but you do meet them that say “Well

their language was just a collection of grunts wasn’t it really?” but it’s

not, it’s really a complex thing.

(from interview with Colin J)

Inaddition,intheintroductiontotheWarlpiritextusedbytheMECS

studets,Colinwrites,

Europeans will find the regularity and complexity of the language

intriguing. Any study of the language in the limited way as done by

MECS will demonstrate that the language is not ‘primitive’ in the

sense of being limited or simple and lacking complexity. Being

brought face to face with the ergative case will convince anyone that

here is a language grammatically exact and yet subtle

(C. Youl, 1993, p. 2).

5.1.3Humility

Theideaofcomplexityisalsoconveyedinthemannerthatquestionsare

dealtwith.Colinpausesquiteoftenwhenaskedquestionsabouttheculture

andfrequentlyhisreplyishesitantnotbecausehehasnoknowledgebut

becauseherealisesculturalknowledgeiscomplexandheonlyknowsa

little.HeisquitequicktosaytostudentsasinteachingthesongsforEaster.

“Idon’tknowwhatthatwordmeansIhaveaskedandeverytimeIget

somethingdifferent”.Heisquitecomfortableinreplyingtosomequestions

askedbythestudentswith“Ireallydoesn’tknow”orqualifyinghisanswer

withthephrase‘”well,itisquitecomplexreally”or“it’sabittodowiththat”

or“Iwouldsay,butotherssay”ThesephrasesoccurfrequentlyinColin’s

communicationaboutIndigenousissueswithothers.

IntheintroductiontothetextonWarlpiriwrittenhewrites:

This book is written by a European who thinks like a European and

who stand outside Warlpiri culture. I have no right to speak on behalf

of those people. A Warlpiri person might use a different approach to

learning the language.

(C. Youl, 1993, p. 3).

125

5.1.4Avoidingromanticising

Thisfocusoncomplexityisveryimportanttocounterpreviouslyheld

approachestoIndigenousculturethattendedtofocusonthetechnology

andsuggestedthattraditionalIndigenousculturewas‘primitive’orsimple.

Colin,wellawareofthisbias,makesthequipthatthisviewnotonlylooks

narrowlyatonedimensionofculturebutalsoonlylooksatrecenthistory.”

Ifyoulookatthehistoryovera40,000‐yearperiod”,hedeclares,

“IndigenoustechnologywasaheadofEuropeantribesforquiteawhile”.

Thecoursealsotriestoavoidtheoppositeofthesimpleorprimitive

pictureofculture,throughoverlyromanticisingtheculture.Itdoesthisby

remindingthestudentsthatWarlpiricomplexityisnomorecomplexthan

thestudent’sowncultureandbypointingoutvarioussimilarities.

Colinsays“ineverylanguagetherearelongandshortwaysofsayingthings,

Warlpiriisjustthesame”.Coliniskeentobringoutthesimilaritiesthrough

remindingthestudents‐“theylovefootball”.

Yeah, they were cool. They were very like us I suppose with a family

with kids and the kids had friends

(student interview)

IntheinterviewwithColin,hepointstotheproblemofstudyinggroups

academicallyasonlyhighlightingthedifferences.

You could look at tribal people academically, but the books that you

would use, should invariably be the subtitled ‘101 Really Strange

Things about Aboriginal People’. Moreover, I’d just highlight the things

that are most alarmingly different. We have used some of those books

in the past. But they give kids a really distorted view ‘ause they

represent the difference without looking for similarities.

(extract of interview with Colin Japaljarri)

Activelycounteringtheideasofeitherculturebeing“inferior”or“superior”

butbothbeingcomplexbutdifferentisimportant.Historyhasrecordedthe

negativeeffectsofpaintingculturesasprimitiveorromantic.BainAtwood

describeshow,

The various discourses of “Aboriginalism” impose real limits on what

can be thought said or done about Aborigines. It dis-empowers them

126

because they are made into objects of knowledge over which

European Australians as the dispensers of truth about their needs and

requirements gain control and determine the terms of their existence

(Attwood, 1992, page ii).

MichaelDodsonsadlycommented

That as much as we may want to dismiss these constructions they are

the context in which we live, they inform not only the way others think

about and react to us but they are also the lived experience that we

have of ourselves and of each other. They become the enemy within.

(M. Dodson, 1994, p. 6).

Thefinebalanceofhighlightingdifferencestodevelopculturalinsightand

sensitivitytosimilaritiesisseenasanimportantissuebythoseworkingin

secondlanguageteachingwhowantstodomorethanjustimprove

communications.

Too much emphasis on differences can result in a view that there are

unbridgeable differences between Us and Them. On the other hand,

failure to address cultural differences will result in arrogant and

insensible universalism without empathy towards the ‘Other’. Even if

the reality is somewhere between such extreme views, cultural

teaching is a delicate exercise.

(Dobson, 2001, p. 1).

5.2. Cultures are Sites of Dynamic Struggle

As a follow up to yesterday’s lesson Colin was saying that the Hooker

Creek people have handed over some of their Dreaming stories to the

Warlpiri people and they themselves have moved further up north and

taken over other Dreaming so the ownership of the dreaming is

changing over the last 50 years with all the white contact and

resettlement.

(from personal journal of lessons,)

Theshiftinviewingculturefrombeingastaticfixedentitytoonethatis

diverseanddynamicwasdiscussedinreviewingthehistoryoftheteaching

ofotherculturesintheChapter2(Beckett&AustralianInstituteof

AboriginalStudies.,1988;M.Dodson,1994;S.Hall,1996).

ThepicturepaintedbythecourseofWarlpiricultureisnotonlyoneof

beingancientbutalsoofbeingmodernandchanging.Itisconstantly

127

evolving.Colinusesthephrase‘Theyusedto’and‘somestilldosomedon’t’

readilywhenansweringstudent’squestions.Themannerinwhichthe

materialonAboriginalChristianityispresentedalsohighlightstheway

Warlpiriculturehasadaptedandisadaptingtoitsownspecialwaytothe

dailyconfrontationofWesternculture.ThestoriesoftheScripturesaretold

usingdotpaintingratherthantraditional“sermonizing”.Theprogram

thereforedoessomejusticetothecallfor‘ambiguityandcontradictionnot

tobesweptasideinconsideringAboriginality’(Keeffe,1988,p.7).Italso

presentsaconcreteexampleofwhatKeefecallsresistancebyappropriating

andgivingnewmeaningstoelementsofthedominantwhiteculture.

WealsoseethisthemeinthepointthatColinmakesabouttheadaptationof

theDreamingstorydescribedinthepreviouschapteraboutUluruwhere

adaptationtookplacetoincorporateanewtree.Locationsanditemsare

importantbutnotasimportantasthestoryandadaptationscanbemade

overtime.

InthepresentationbyPeggyandJohnnyCreekoftheirworkwithpetrol

sniffers,studentsalsowitnessedtheresponsetoclashingofcultureandnew

challengesandwaysofresponding.Onestudentexpressedthiswiththe

followingcomment.

I found their love very moving they were prepared to break through

normal kinship relationships to care for just anyone.

(from student interviews)

ThesociologistSchwartzadvocatedaviewthatdoesmorejusticetoa

rapidlychangingculture.Hearguesforadistributivemodelofculturebased

onthedistributionofknowledge–ofbeliefs,art,lawandcustoms

(Schwartz,1978).Thisthenallowsforaconsiderablevariationincultural

knowledgedependingonindividualexperience.

AtthispointintheanalysisofMECSunderstandingofcultureascomplex

anddynamicoverlapsstronglywiththepostmodernviewsofculture

outlinedinChapter2whereundertheheadingofCultureasLanguagethe

ideasofwriterssuchRorty,SmithandHallweredescribed.Theirposition

emphasisedthefluidity,dynamicanddiversecharacterofthewayaculture

128

isexpressed.Althoughsharingsomesimilaritywiththeseviewsofculture

theunderstandingbehindMECS’spracticehasotheraspectstoit,whichset

itapartfrompostmodernviews.Inparticular,MECShasadoptedavertically

stratified,dynamicandsubjectiveunderstandingofculturesimilartothe

cultureasperspectiveposition.Thispositionacknowledgesthedynamic

diversityofculturalexpressionbutalsolooksfortheunityofwhataculture

expresses,namely,itsworldview.Thisideaistakenupinthenextsection.

5.3 Cultures are Enacted Worldviews

Twowordsthatappearinmostpartsoftheprogramareperspectiveand

worldview.Thedatarevealsthreewaysthisideaiscentraltothe

understandingthatMECSbringstothenotionofculture.Worldviewdeals

withfoundationalbeliefsabouttime,knowledge(ownershipandauthority)

andrelationships.Thedifferentbeliefsaboutthesethingsareoftenexposed

throughthemisunderstandingsbetweenculturesandthecausesofthe

misunderstandingsexplainedthroughpeopleusingdifferentcriteriaand

values.ExamplesofthisweregiveninChapter4andareexpandedhere.As

wellasdifferentbeliefs,theliteraturereviewalsobroughttotheforethe

rolethatlanguageplaysinviewingtheworld(Deyhele,etal.,2008).Athird

aspectofworldviewexploredinthissectionistheideathatworldviewsare

foundedonanddirectedbyreligiousvisions(Wentz,1987).Thesethree

aspects,values,languageandreligiousfoundationsanddirection,are

connectedandexpandedinthissectionasthewayMECSunderstands

cultureasenactedworldview.

5.3.1Seeingwaysofrespondinganddifferencesasexpressionsof

worldview

ColintreatsthehierarchyanddistributionofknowledgeoftheDreaming;

thetransitionofthisknowledgeandownership;andtherelationshiptoland

carefully.WendyBradynotedthatthequestionofaccesstoknowledgeis

dealtwithquitedifferentlyinAustralianAboriginalculture.Itisnot

governedbycuriositybutbyrulesconnectedtokinshipandDreamingsite

responsibilities.Itisaknowledgethatcannotbefragmentedandalienated

129

fromitscreator(Brady,1997).Thistypeofaccesstoknowledgeisso

differentforthosegrowingupwithknowledgesystemshistoricallyderived

fromtheRenaissanceandReformationphilosophythatitwas,andstillis,a

sourceoftensionandmisunderstandingbetweenIndigenouspeopleand

curiousoutsiders.

Colinpresentsbothwaysofgainingknowledge.Itispresentedasthebasis

fortheconfusionitcausedtheearlysettlerswhohadaverydifferentideaof

hierarchyandownership.Bypresentingitinthisway,hehighlightsthe

interactionofculturesasaclashoftwoworldviews.

As I am teaching the kids I am trying to bring out that differences and

the paradoxes too that each of those positions holds so as not to try

and box each position but to show that each position is quite complex

(extract from interview with Colin Japaljarri).

Thisapproachcreatesakindofspectatorspaceforthestudentstoview

bothsidesandhowdifficultitwasforeachgrouptomakesenseofeach

other.Whatwashappeningwasafundamentalclashofworldviews.

SwainalsorecognisesthatthereisahugeclashbetweenmodernWestern

cultureandIndigenouscultureatthelevelofworldview.Heclaimsthatthe

creatingspiritualessenceisthekeyfeatureoftheAboriginalworldviewand

itconfrontsthespiritual/matterdualismoftheCartesianworld(Swain,

1991).

ThroughthetrainingtheMECSteachersreceivefromtheNationalInstitute

forChristianEducationanditscoreuniton“Worldview”,MECSadoptsa

pre–rational,dynamicandfluidunderstandingofworldview(Fowler,

2006).IntermsofthediscussionaboutworldviewheldinChapter2the

outworkingoftheprogramplacesworldviewcloselytoanoverridingstory

oflife,expressedculturally(Fernhout,1997;Lyotard,1984).Equally,it

placestheunderstandingofcultureasbothperspectiveandobject.It

understandsinGullestrup’sterminologyhowthisworldviewfoundation

(story)isresponsiblefortheshapingofallthelayersaboveitandassuchis

thekeytounderstandingwhyculturesdiffer(Gullestrup2006).Cultureis

nottreatedbyMECSpurelyasworldviewheldinternally,butitissomething

130

alwaysexpressedexternallyinthepatternofsocialandeconomic

interactions,andtheshapingofmaterials.Norisitjustthephysicalpatterns

ofresponses.Thepositionofcultureasenactedworldviewstraddlesthe

ideasoutlinedinChapter2betweencultureasperspectiveandcultureas

object.

Intheearlierdiscussionaboutworldview,theimportanceofinternal

consistencyofaworldviewanditsownrationalitywashighlightedandthe

importanceofthinkingaboutwhatanotherculturedoesintermsofits

worldviewratherthanone’sown,wasputforward.Anexampleofthis

teachingwasoutlinedintheliteraturewiththeanalysisofBororo’sthinking

as“irrational”.Theunderstandingofotherculturesasenactedworldview

andviewingthemintermsoftheirownworldviewwillbearguedlaterasan

importantkeyinestablishingagoodbasisforvaluingvariouscultures.

Intheliteratureonworldviewitwasarguedthatworldviewbeliefswere

deeplyheldbeliefs.ThedepthofthedifferentbeliefsheldbyIndigenous

peopleisalsoshowninthedetailedstoriesofthedisruptionthatColintells

wascausedwhentraditionalownersoftheknowledgehadnoonetopass

thestoriesandsongsontowhenpeoplebecomealcoholicsordiedorwhen

accesstothelandwasdenied.Theenormityoftheseeventschangeswhen

viewedthroughanIndigenousperson’sviewoftheworld.Whopasseson

theknowledge,whonowownsit?Thedepthofthelinkwiththelandisalso

broughtoutbyrevealingtostudentstheenormityofthelossofland

(country).Colinacknowledgesthelamentsoftheolderpeoplewhenthey

askwhowilldotheceremoniesthatbringabouthealthforthelandand

themasapeople.

Indigenous people have this huge infrastructure plonked on their

doorstep and everywhere we went there’d be Aboriginal people at the

Central Land Council, at the medical crowd and at CAAMA telling us

that there are Dreaming sites all around us here but people don’t have

access to them anymore. They can’t use them for their ceremonial

purpose because they’ve got things built all over them and they can’t

keep white people out. This was a difficult reality to convey to sixteen

year olds.

(from interview with Colin Japaljarri )

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Therationaleforusing“WomenoftheSun”andthelocalWarlpirimedia

videossuchas“BushMechanics”inthecourseisjustifiedbytheschool

becauseitisseenasveryimportanttolookateventspastandpresentfrom

anAboriginalperspective.Theaimsofthecoursestate‘itistooeasyto

representeventsfromourownviewpoint’(AboriginalStudiesCourse

Outline,MECS,2004p.1).Viewingeventsasmuchaspossiblefroman

Aboriginalperspectiveislistedasoneoftheprimaryaimsoftheprogramin

theschool’scurriculumdocument.

5.3.2Languageandworldview

ThechoicetoteachWarlpirilanguagewasalsolinkedcloselytothetheme

ofwantingtoexposetheworldviewofthepeople.Languageisseenby

MECSasanimportanttoolintoshowingthewaypeoplethinkaboutthe

world.Socialtheoriesoflanguageseelanguageasacreationofthesocial

world,andconsiderthatindividualsareapprenticedintotherulesand

conventionsoftheirsocialgroups(McCoy,2004;Trudgen,2000).

Theargumentthatcultureandlanguagearecloselyconnectedhasbeen

madebysociallingualtheoristssuchasMalinowski,Saussure,Sapirand

Whorf.Learningalanguagealsoentailstheinternalisationoftheideology

embeddedinthatlanguage(Gadd,1999).

EvenifWhorf'shypothesisisseenasanextremecaseandhisexamples

misconceived,hisbeliefthatlanguageinfluencesourthoughtandthat

languageandcultureinteractandinfluenceeachotherpersists(Weirzbicka,

1997).Manypeoplewhohavecrossedlinguisticboundarieswitnessand

experienceinstancesthatconfirmthenotionthatlanguageandawayof

understandingtheworldarecloselyconnected.

Belcher(2005)writesabouttheimportanceofrealisingthatinone’sown

culturetherearegapsandsilencestorepresentcertainideasandconcepts

foundinotherculturesandinthosecasesitisimportanttoadoptthenew

wordfromtheotherlanguage(Belcher,2005).Thisisoneofthereasons

thatstudentsareencouragedtousethewordJurkupparatherthan

Dreaming.

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WhatthestudentsandIexperiencedintheWarlpirilessonscouldnotbe

easilyplacedintoanyofthethreeparadigmsoutlinedinthehistoryand

developmentofIndigenousprogramsforschoolsinChapter2.Eventhough

therewasaseriousattempttolearnsomelanguage,theoverallaimwasnot

tomakestudentscompetentinWarlpiriandimproveclarityin

communication,asistheaimofthoseworkingfromapurely

communicationsparadigm(Liddicoat,2001).Moststudentsinthe

interviewslamentedattheirinabilitytobecompetentinaconversation

withpeopleinthecommunity.

My regret is we didn’t do more Warlpiri. The little we were taught

made it difficult to understand even simple things they were saying.

(from student interviews)

Thefocusofthecourseinsteadwastoestablishalinkbetweenculture’s

worldviewandlanguage.Someofthechaptersinthestudents’Warlpiri

booklethaveafootnotesectioncalled“Aren’tLanguagesWonderful”.These

aresectionswhichexplicitlylinkthelanguagewiththeculture.Anexample

ofthisistheuseofpleaseandthankyou.

Warlpiri does not have a word for please or thank you. The reason for

this is the strong emphasis in Warlpiri culture of obligation. When you

operate in a culture that has serious obligation and responsibility

towards people then doing things for them is expected, so you don’t

need to ask. Similarly, when the act has been done there was little

choice, so saying thank you is not appropriate.

(C. Youl, 1993, p. 25).

Colinshiftseasilybetweenvocabularyandtheuseandmeaningofobjects;

languageandviewsofChristianity;languageandthesubjectoftaboossuch

asKumanji.EachyearColinmakessureheteachestheimportanceofthe

wordKumanji,bringingitupinseveralcontexts.Itisawordusedtoreplace

thenameofapersonwhohasdied.Thepresenceofthiswordimmediately

pointstodifferentculturalunderstandingsaboutdeath.

Seenthisway,theteachingofWarlpirilanguageplaysadecisiverolein

helpingthestudentstounderstandthattheWarlpiripeopleperceiveand

structuretheirworlddifferently (Dobson,2001).

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5.3.3TheDreamingandworldview:TheCentralityofbeingreligious

In the lesson today Colin dealt with the Dreaming ancestors in Warlpiri

culture. He started by showing how the whole country is a grid of

Dreaming places. Every place has a dreaming ancestor and

Dreaming story. He recalls actual places he has visited, draws maps

on the board in relationship to Yuendumu and just describes

beautifully all the places around Yuendumu. He is easily sidetracked

in telling stories to emphasise a point about the people he has met.

He links the stories with the people. He highlights the points like -“I

can’t tell you that name because the person has died and it not proper

to use their name” He told a story of how people found their way

around the country and of a person who got lost because now they

travel so much by car they don’t know their way around the country as

much as they used to.He told a story about the importance of

ceremony in bringing out the power for the land to reproduce. He

knows the stories of Honey Ant Dreaming, Kangaroo Dreaming, Emu

Dreaming and Seven Women Dreaming.

(extract of personal journal,)

Athirdelementofunderstandingenactedworldviewisthereligious

characterofthebeliefsthatguidethepatternofpeople’sliving.Thiscomes

throughinthedata,particularlythewaytheDreamingispresentedasa

religiousperspective,integrallyconnectedtoeverything.Many

commentatorsacknowledgethatanimportantkeytounderstanding

IndigenousculturerevolvesaroundunderstandingtheDreaming.

The Dreaming holds the key. It provides the ontological,

epistemological and evaluative framework that shapes and directs all

aboriginal thought and action So to understand the Aboriginal

worldview we must examine the Dreaming.

(Teasdale & Ma Rhea, 2000)

AprilWilsonandLyndaMatthews,Indigenousworkersintheeducation

system,remindedteachersatanationalconferencethat,

The Dreaming is central to existence of many Aboriginal people as it

gives meaning to everyday life it determines values beliefs

relationships with every living thing and is the link between people and

the environment and it establishes kinship laws and social structure.

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Where these things are understood and included in the centre

Aboriginal families and children feel valued.

(Wilson & Matthews, 2001, p. 2).

YetdespitethissacredandworldviewnatureoftheDreaming,some

paradigmsofteachingaboutIndigenousculturepersistinpresentingthe

storieswithintheEuropeanmechanisticparadigmofseeingthelandand

otherobjectswithnoinherentvalue,supernaturalorotherwise(Teasdale&

MaRhea,2000).CommoninWesternsocietyisthebeliefthatnothingin

natureotherthanthehumanmindiscapableofmakingjudgments.Values

inhumansocietyandnaturecanthereforeonlybesubjectivelydetermined

(Slade&Morgan1997).ThisleadsinevitablytorelegatingtheDreamingto

thestatusofa“fairytale”ratherthanasasacredtext,thatinformsalloflife.

Thiscomesthroughwhenthestoriesaretoldwithoutanyconnectiontoa

placeorparticulargroupsofIndigenouspeople.Ihavepersonallyseen

classesthatdealwiththeDreamingasagenreforwritingandencourage

studentstowritetheirown“dreamtimestory”.Partington(1998)advocates

thatdiscoursesontheDreamingandspiritualityoughttorecognisethe

subtletiesandspecificityofAboriginalbeliefsandtheirdiversity.Inan

Indigenoussense,theboundarybetweenreligionandcultureisblurredand

hasastrongbearingonhowyoudealwithIndigenousculture.

TheDreamingisnotputintothecategoryof“legendsormyths”butas

spiritualstories.Theliteraltruthofthestoriesisnottheissue,andistreated

thesamewayastheschooltreatsparablesandstorieslikethecreation

storyinGenesis.

ItseemsclearfromthedatathatMECSdoesadoptthepositionofseeingthe

Dreamingas“religious”andasaworldview.Itinterpretsthewordreligious

inabroadanddeepway,arisingfromthephilosophyofHerman

Dooyeweerdwhoputforwardtheideathatallhumansarecentrally

religiousbeingsandlivetheirlifeasanoutworkingoffaithcommitments

(Dooyeweerd,1957).(Seechapter6forthedevelopmentofthispoint).In

thisparadigm,itisnormaltoallowreligiousbeliefstoinfluenceallofdaily

life.Incontrast,thoseadoptingasecularframeworkofreligionwouldsee

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thenotionofreligiousbeliefsguidingeveryactioninlifenotasnormal,but

strangeandexotic.Thecallforreligioninasecularframeworkisusuallyfor

ittominditsownbusinessandkeepoutofpolitics,educationandstay

segregatedtosomeareasoflife.Thissecularstanceonreligioncancreate

alienationwhenrelatingtoanIndigenousculture.Alternatively,usinga

worldviewapproachblurstheboundariesbetweenreligionandculture.

Consideringallculturesas“outworkingsofareligiousvisionforlife”

providesmoreopportunitiesforbuildingrespectfulrelationshipsbetween

culturesthanonethatrestrictsreligiontocertainareaoflife.

AsecondfailureofmanyschoolsistokeeptheDreamingtoatimegone

past.PuttingthedreamingintoaWesternontologyoftimeratherthan

acknowledgingtimeinanIndigenoussensewhichhasthepastandpresent

occurringatthesametime.Stanner(1968)referredtothisas“everywhen”.

ThegroundingofthestoriestocertainpeopleandplacesadoptedbyMECS

alsoavoidstheproblemofromanticizingreligionandspirituality,andtrying

tokeepitinthemetaphysicalrealm(Rolls,2001).Onetheaimsfor

DreamingsectionoftheMECScoursestates

To help the students to see the central and religious nature of the

dreaming for Indigenous culture and to acknowledge this as a key to

understanding Indigenous people and cultures.

(MECS’ Aboriginal Studies Course outline p.1)

Colinreiteratesthiswith,

But in their society it is unconceivable for an Aboriginal person to step

outside his Dreaming in order in order to see what the world would be

like, they just can’t. The Dreaming and the understanding of life that

comes from that permeates everything they do. It is central to their

understanding..

(extract from class notes).

ThisunderstandingatMECScomesthroughwiththelinkingof

Dreamtime/Jukurrpatoissuessuchastheimportanceoftheland,kinship

andsocialstructure,explanationsofartworkandAboriginalChristianity.It

isalsonotsurprisingthatthesedistinctionsbetweenDreaming,worldview

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andreligionarefluidandbroadgivenMECS’sownunderstandingofthese

concepts,andwhicharethesubjectofthenextchapter.

5.4 Ideas about Teaching Culture: Integrality

Aswellasteasingoutvariousdimensionsfromthedataaboutculturethere

arealsokeyconceptssurroundingpedagogyandcurriculumi.e.issuesin

howtoteachaboutculture.Twoshapingforcesthatemergedfromthedata

weretheintegralcurriculumandchallengingculture/worldview.Where

andhowtheyemergefromthedataisdescribedinthenextsection.

5.4.1Theintegralcurriculum

The school at the time was unhappy with the language we were

teaching and connecting a language to other programs seemed more

in keeping with the integral approach.

(from extract of interview with Colin)

Aredflaggedtermingoingthroughthedatawasthewordintegral.This

wordoccurs23timesindata,collectedthroughinterviewsandintheschool

literature.Itisakeywordinunderstandingtheparadigmofcurriculumthat

theschooluses.AsoutlinedinChapter2,variousconceptionsofcurriculum

influencethedevelopmentofteachingIndigenousstudiesinschools.The

conceptofintegralisdistinctfromsubject,thematicorintegratedbased

programs.Oneofthefeaturesofanintegralcurriculumisitsontology,

declaringaworldasexistingindiscreetbutrelatedentitiessubjecttoand

expressingitselfinmultidimensionalways.Onesubjectalonecannot

captureordevelopthisconcrete,multidimensionalexperienceoftheworld.

OnthesurfaceitseemstheapproachtakenbyMECSissimilartothe

approachadvocatedbysomeIndigenouspeoplesuchasWest(2000)who

encouragedschoolstointegratetheIndigenousperspectivesacrossthe

curriculumtoallsubjectareas.Languageistaughtinthecontextofculture

andcultureistaughtinthecontextoflanguagesuchastheasideColin

makeswhenteachingthewordforspearandboomerang.

Boomerang KARLI say this karli. It is a club like boomerang. The

Warlpiri don’t have boomerangs that return. Spear-kurlada. It is

without a barb Woomera - Pikirri you might come across these.

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(from transcript of a Walpiri lesson)

Studentsalsoexperiencedthefluidboundariesbetweenhistory,cultureand

language.Somefoundthisconfusingwhileothersenjoyedit.

The course can be a bit confusing sometimes the language, history

and culture seemed to be all mixed up and not just connected to our

Warlpiri class or our Koori class.

I loved the style of teaching. One minute he may be talking about the

history of Victorian Aborigines and the next about Queensland or

Christianity at Yuendumu.

Warlpiri and Koori were nearly the same subject. He talks a lot about

Warlpiri people in Koori and in Warlpiri classes he talks a lot about

history, they we nearly the same subject.

( a selection of student interviews)

Thenotionoffluidityacrosssubjectboundariesisoneaspectthathas

similaritieswithanintegratedapproachbutanintegralapproachhasother

dimensionsthatmakeitdistinct.Thefirstisthatthestartingpointfor

developingunderstandingabouttheworldandculturesisdirector

everydayexperience.Second,closelyrelatedtothisisthestickingto

particulars.Bothofthesearefurtherexplained.

5.4.2Theimportanceofdirectexperience

TheimportanceofdirectexperienceofIndigenouspeopleandtheirlivesin

anunstructuredwayasastartingpointandtestingpointforthe

developmentofknowledgecomesoutinseveralways.Excursionsand

campshaveplayedaprominentpartinthestudents’learningprogramin

thedevelopmentofMECS’scurriculum.In1981therewasalamentthatthis

philosophyhadnotbeenasdevelopedintheYear10program.Colin

recalled“AtthetimetheYear10programwastheonlyprogramwithouta

majorcamporexcursion”

Inaninterviewwithoneoftheschoolsfoundingboardmembers,the

school’sphilosophywasprominentintheirdecision‐making.

At that time, the principal had come with a detailed proposal for the

purchase of a bus and we discussed it. We were all enthusiastic about

this, it was a natural development of the school’s philosophy of getting

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involved experientially in the creation. We jokingly called it the mobile

classroom. One board member who had been to the centre several

times and to communities was enthusiastic about the idea.

ColinalsopointstoearlierattemptstoteachIndigenousculturewithout

referencetoanactualexperienceofIndigenouspeople.

Without experiencing the Aboriginal people for themselves the

program had the potential to descend to lots of generalisations

contributing to stereotyping.

Theavoidanceofstereotypingandovergeneralisedunderstandingof

Indigenoushistory,cultureandtheeverydaylivesofIndigenouspeopleis

criticalforthecourse.

WhenaskedwhathesawasthevaluesoftheCentreTripColinstates:

So what we’re able to do through Yuendumu is now, I think, we can

view the whole of what happens in central Australia more from an

Aboriginal perspective and we can say that these are tribal people,

this is what tribal people are like, we can convince them 100%

convince them that skin names are real, that they really do use them

every day and the kinship system really still works, all of that stuff.

They’re not naked people, they don’t use spears anymore, in the case

of fighting. They live in a sort of accommodation with Western society

but when they go home to Yuendumu, they really are stepping back

into their own society and all around them there are the place names

and Dreaming sites and Dreaming paths going across. The

ceremonies still happen. When they go into Alice Springs, it’s like,

they’re different people. And many groups of kids experience that for

themselves ‘cause they’ll see individuals in town that they’ve also

seen out at Yuendumu and they’re just different, they’re an underclass

in town and they act like an underclass.

Theintegralapproachhasembeddedwithinittheideaofunityand

diversity.Thephilosophybehindthisapproachandthetechnicaldetailsof

thiswereintroducedinChapter2(Blomberg,2007).Itsufficesheretosay

thatanoutworkingofthisphilosophyistoacknowledgethatthereexist

generalpatternsthatenableustorecogniseandidentifydistinctions

betweenthings,peopleandculturesbuttheseunifyingprincipleorpatterns

(norms)areexpressedinmillionsofdiverseways.Thesepatternsor

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generalizationsarenotlegalistlawsbutbroaderboundarieswithineach

dimensionorentitythathasendlesspossibilitiesforexpression,yetthe

normgivesitadistinctidentity.Inthephysicalworld,agreatexampleof

thisprincipleissnowflakes.

Forthisreason,itimportantinthisapproachwhenidentifyingageneral

characteristictoconnectittospecificcontextssothatboththemultitudeof

diverseresponsesandthe‘lawsstandingbehindit’canbeexperiencedand

appreciatedsimultaneously.AwaythishappensintheMECSIndigenous

studiesprogramisintheconstantpersonalisingofthegeneral.

5.4.3PersonalisingtheGeneral:Groundingideasinparticularity

Colinrefersinhisstoriestothenamesofactualpeopleandplacesandthe

waythingshappenedtothemataparticularpointintime.Anexampleof

thiswasrelatedfrommyjournalinthepreviouschapter.Herecalls,

The story of a fight that broke out and shows how people were drawn

in because of kinship obligation. In the stories, he adds something

that you wouldn’t get in any other courses because he adds “I have

met one of the men written about in this book. These are stories about

real living people, they are just not made up. People really did live this

way.

(personal journal)

Weseethesamethinginactioninthedescriptionofinjusticesperpetrated

againstIndigenouspeople.Inhisslidepresentation,Liamshowedsome

picturesofminingsitesandvariousWarlpirimenwhoworkedfrom

morningtonightandwerenotpaidanywages.Hispresentationisfullof

particularpeopleandplacesthatanchorthestoriesofinjusticetospecifics

thatarecomplexandmultidimensional.

Whatcomesthroughinthisinitialanalysisofthedatasurroundingthe

teachingofWarlpiriistheoverridinginfluenceoftheschool’sphilosophyof

Integralcurriculumanditfocusonconcretespecificpeopleandeventsas

oneofthekeydriversinshapingthepracticeoftheprogram.

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5.5 Transformational Purpose: Challenging one’s own Culture

Theintroductorychapterofthisstudypositedthatvariouspurposesfor

schoolingalsoinfluencetheresponsestoteachingIndigenousculturein

schools.Theearlierliteraturereviewoutlinestheliberaldemocraticideals

oftolerance(Kymlicka,1995)andsuggestsexpandingone’shorizonsof

reconciliationandsocialjusticeassomeofthosepurposes(Apple,1990).

Inthelastchapterthedescriptionoftheencountersbetweennewarrivals

andIndigenouslocalswasportrayedasaclashofworldviews.Giroux

(2000)warnsthatidealapproachestoteaching,forexamplelanguageskills,

caneasilybesubsumedundervariousparadigmsandpurposesfor

education.Similarly,theapproachtounderstandingaparticularIndigenous

groupintermsoftheirownworldviewcanbesubsumedbyothermotives.

MECSgoesfurtherthanjusttryingtounderstandthedifferencesas

differencesinworldview.Itwantstousetheseexperiencestochallengethe

students’ownworldviewandculture.IntheirshorttimeatYuendumuitis

hopedthatthestudentsareconfrontedwithdifference.Animportantpart

ofthisprocessisnottoexperiencethisdifferenceasabasisforboosting

one’sownidentityattheexpenseofothersbuttobegintheprocesswithin

thestudentsofchallengingtheworldviewtheyareworkingwithdaily.

Whatbecameclearinlookingthroughthedatawaschallengeasa

significantfactorinwhyMECSdoIndigenousstudythewaytheydo.

Variouspracticesexposedstudentscriticallytotheirownworldview.This

wasamajoraimoftheschool.Intheinterviewwiththeprincipalitwasthe

firstthinghenotedregardingthevalueoftheprogram.

When I get new parents here I talk to them about the culture and

being educated. An ignoramus is a pawn who is used by all sorts of

cultural forces, doesn’t think, not aware of culture, just reaches

decisions, without thinking about his decisions. If you think about it,

most of the decisions we’ve made are so channelled by our culture,

the car we buy, what we wear, what we spend our money on, are so

channelled by our culture that an uneducated person doesn’t know

culture exists. He’s a will-o'-the-wisp, he’s washed along by culture

isn’t he? A challenge for schools, for parents, a challenge for parents

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and schools is to ensure that all our young adults are aware of their

culture.

(extract of interview with principal)

Thethemeofchallengecanalsobeseeninthehistoricalbasisfortheschool.

Challengingthesecularhumanismofmodernsocietywastheprimeconcern

ofthefoundingparents,andhasbeentakenseriouslybypastprincipals.

Teachersareencouragedineducatingthestudentsincriticallyexamining

thetenetsofsecularhumanismandthewayitshapeseveryday“normality”.

Startingfromapositionthatallhumanculturalactivityisreligiousinnature

thatultimatelyservessomecause,ideaorGod,theschoolhasalsobecome

criticalofasystemthatfavoursrationalityandmasteryaboveother

dimensionsintheestablishmentoftruth.‘Afundamentalcritiqueof

Westerneducationisitsrelianceonmasterywithoutreferencetotheother

purposesofknowledgesuchasappreciation,critiqueandservice’(SFowler,

1988,p.2).

Whenplacedinaspectrumofcurriculumideologies,MECSregardsitselfas

‘Transformational’whichhasthemostoverlapwith‘socialre‐

constructionalists’whoseetheroleoftheschoolaspreparingpeopleto

transformsociety(Schiro,2008,p.149).

Youcannotleadstudentstoacritiqueofcultureifyourstaffhasnot

developeditforthemselves;thereforeMECShasastaffemploymentpolicy

thatasksallstafftoundertakepostgraduatetrainingwiththeNational

InstituteforChristianStudies.Thesestudiesintroducethestafftothe

religiousrootsofthemovement,thekeyfeaturesofaChristianworldview

andprocessandunderstandingofcurriculumevaluationanddevelopment

fromtheperspectiveofknowledgeaswisdom.Severalofthekeystaff

involvedinthisstudyhaveundertakenthesestudies.

Challengingone’sownworldviewiseasiersaidthandone.Thediscussionin

Chapter2aboutthenatureofworldviewsledtotheacknowledgementof

difficultyofexposingone’sownworldview(Fowler,2006).MECShas

developedanumberofwaystomeetthischallenge

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5.5.1Methodsemployedtochallengethestudent’sworldview

AnimportantcontributiontotheconversationaboutworldviewsthatMECS

bringsisitsexperienceofhowtoteachaboutworldviewandchallenge

students’worldviews.Asstatedintheliteratureworldviewsarenotjust

whatpeoplesaytheybelievebutcanonlybeconfrontedwhenexperiencing

differencesinpatternsoflivinganditwasclaimedthattheexposingand

challengingworldviewsisdifficultwork.Thedatarevealthreemethodsthat

MECSusestoteachaboutandchallengeworldviews.

Thefirstmethodinvolvesthedeliberateteachingandinformationaboutthe

natureofworldviews,inaformalcourseonthesubject.Closelyconnected

tothisistheapplicationoftheseformalideasinexplainingpatternsof

responsesattributedtoIndigenouspeopleinthestoriesofearlycontactand

otherpartsofthecoursematerial.Thesecondmethodisthroughthe

languageworkandthethirdisthroughtheexperienceofbeingin

Yuendumu.

5.5.2Formalteachingoftheterminologyandconcepts

Initiallythestudentsareexposedtotheterminologyandideasofworldview

throughaformalsubjectcalled“Worldviews”whichistaughtthroughout

Term1asastandalonesubject.Itexplainsthedifferentpatternsof

respondingtocommonthingssuchasfamilyasexpressionsofworldview.

Thecontentofthiscoursefollowssomeofthetextfromthe“Transforming

Vision”(Walsh&Middelton,1984)whichintroducesthefourbasic

questionsofWhoamI?;WhereamI?;Whatiswrong?andWhatisthe

solution?ThesequestionsarethenreferredtointheIndigenousstudies

program.Inthetripbooklet,onDay3isastudythatthestudentsdointhe

busthatsays,

Our culture is never a product of an individual but of the group’s

response to the following four-worldview questions

Who am I?, Where am I?, What is the problem ?and What is the

remedy?

Culture has to do with all aspects of living. Seldom is there one best

way of eating, dressing and worshipping. Culture is learnt

unconsciously by living in a situation. It becomes habit or what seems

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normal. Our culture makes sense to us, Aboriginal culture makes

sense to them. No culture is primitive, they are all complex.

(page 17 of Centre Trip booklet)

Thetermworldviewisalsousedincoursetoexplaintheclashbetweenthe

firstarrivalsandIndigenouspeople.Forexample,Colinreferstothewaya

person’sworldviewstopsthemfromthinkingofalternativeexplanations.In

thelessononthefirstcontacthetellsthestudents,‘nooneeverleavestheir

landbecauseitistheirsourceoflife,soitwaslogicalforthemtothinkof

whitepeopleasreturnedancestorsorghosts’.

Itiseasierforstudentstoseetheprocessofhowaworldviewworksitsway

throughadifferentculturetoexpressitselfthantoseethisintheirown

culture.Colinacknowledgesthisprocesswiththefollowingobservation:

I’ve noticed in many kids the effects of looking into the Warlpiri culture

(which is not to store up a lot of information so that it can be used later

in life), is that it makes you focus on your own culture. And that is the

spin off. Though the kids become very aware of what the Warlpiri do,

they also begin to ask how do we do that and why do we do it

differently. Why do we do it our way and what has shaped our past to

do it that way?

(extract of interview with Colin).

Aswellasgeneralinformationonworldviews,studentsareprovidedwith

detailedbackgroundnotesofthearticulatedbeliefs,foundationalto

Indigenouslife.Thecoursehas,asdescribedinthelastchapter,alarge

sectionontheDreamingandAboriginalChristianitywhicharethesourceof

manyofthebeliefsthatshapetheireverydaylife.Thecoursecoverseight

lessonsspecificallyontheDreamingusingStanner’ssevenkeyprinciples.

ThestudentsstudyadocumentedparallelviewofthekeyideasinWestern

worldviewandinAboriginalworldview.Theseteachingsorbeliefs,together

withmodernsecularhumanismcompetedailyintheoutworkingofa

complexworldviewthatinfluencesandmakessenseofdailylifein

Yuendumu.Theteachersusethisinformationselectivelyatappropriate

timestoguidethestudentstointerpretthemeaningofIndigenous

responsestoevents.Hopefully,studentbegintointerpretwhatthey

experienceinthelightofthiscomplexsetofcompetingworldviewsfacedby

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Indigenouspeople,anditgivesthemadeeperunderstandingofthe‘surface’

cultureexperienced.

5.5.3Language

Asecondaspectofconfrontingworldviewcomesfromlearningthe

language.IntheliteraturereviewvariousauthorssuchFriere,Condeandlo

Biancodrawattentiontothecloselinksbetweenworldviewandlanguage.

VariousexamplesofthewaytheWarlpiriintroducesnewconceptsand

ideasweredescribedinChapter4.Theseincludewordsforthosewhohave

died,orforresponsibilitiesforsites,orhowskinnamesdetermine

relationshipsandcreatenewpossibilitiestogiveinsightsintotheseevents

thatthestudentsnormallanguagedoesnotallow.

Morrow,aresearcherwhoaccompaniedthestudentsforoneofthetrips

observedinhisjournaltheimportanceofthelanguageprogram.Withthe

following:

Warlpiri is complex and can express things that our language can’t .

Through the language you get to think about things differently. The

beauty of the Warlpiri course lies not just in the teaching of the

language for the language sake but also in the opportunities it

presents for the students to work through cultural and spiritual aspects

of the Warlpiri system and society. They think differently, teaching the

language therefore helps to engender a deeper interest in the culture.

(Morrow, 1997 p. 33)

5.5.4Directexperience

Byfarthemosteffectivestrategytoconfrontandchallengeworldviewisfor

thestudentstoexperiencelifeinYuendumuandAlicedirectlyaspartofthe

trip.Chapter4describedseveralgraphicencountersofexperiencing

acceptance,sharingandcommunity.Colincommentsonwhathappens

whenthestudentsgettoYuendumu.

The students are constantly playing around with a way of seeing the

connections to others and obligation responsibilities. They really do

this. They have their own skin name and work with it constantly over

the three days at Yuendumu. For a few days after that on our way

home my life is constantly interrupted by kids wanting to know “if I am

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such and such who’s my first choice in marriage”. “That kid who

always wears the Collingwood jumper how am I related to him”. All

that stuff we talked about in the class becomes alive and real for the

kids as a way of relating and being.

Therearetwoaspectstowhythisdirectexperienceissopowerfulin

challengingworldviews.Theyare“strangeness”leadingtodisequilibrium

andtheopportunityforguidedinterpretations.

Intheliteraturereview,disequilibriumwasidentifiedasoneofthekey

factorsinchangingandchallengingworldviews(McNally1973).Being

exposedtoadifferentworldviewwasonewaydisequilibriumoccurs.Itwas

thereinColin’scommentsaboutthestudents’firstexperienceoftheway

theYuendumuteamplayedfootballwiththephrase‘That’showtheywork

thingsout,that’showtheylikeit.Itimmediatelyconfrontedusaboutthe

waywedothings’.Ourworldviewprovidesasenseofnormalityand

predictabilityaboutwhatweseeandexpectaroundus(Fowler,2006)

Immersingstudentsinanotherculturewherepeoplerespondbeyondwhat

isexpectedraisesthefeelingofstrangeness.Onestudentcommentingon

thewaytheywerereceived,wassurprisedbytheunexpectedwelcome:

Getting there it was heaps different; I never expected them to be so

welcoming and friendly as they were. After all we had never met

before.

Similarly,anotherteacherfamiliarwiththetripandthecommunityover

manyyears,ColinJampinjimpa,referstothefeelingofbeingdisplaced

throughthedesertjourney.“Itaddstothemystiqueandthesenseofbeing

displacedfromyourown,fromwhatyouknowtowhatyoudon’tknow”.

Bennet(2004)arguesthatthefeelingdimensionofstrangenessis

important.Thisisparticularlytrueifyouacknowledgethatworldviewis

morethanamentalconstructandalsopenetratesotherdimensionsofbeing

human.Thisaspectofchallengingworldviewisalsoacknowledgedbythe

teacherswhoteachtheformalcourseonworldview.Oneteacherputitthis

way

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You can get kids to answer all of the questions in an assignment on

the worldview of Western culture but you sense that for many it is an

intellectual exercise and the personal challenge is avoided.

(interview with a MECS Year 10 teacher)

Thisviewwasalsoexpressedbyseveralofthestudents.

I think the course is OK but you really have to see things to make an

impact on you. The info is interesting but they stay in the realm of

stories and they might or might not be true and you have to

experience it for your self.

Inhisinterview,Colinreflectsonthetimehespendswithwhathecallshis

Warlpiribrothersandsisters.

No matter how hard you try to keep thinking of them as being close

and the same as you, you also keep bumping into that they aren’t,

they view the world differently.

Thebestexampleinthecourseofthepowerofexperiencingdifferent

behaviourattributedtodifferentworldviewiswhenthestudentsare

confrontedwiththebearingandoutlook(spirit)ofIndigenouspeoplebeing

connecteddirectlytoplace.InAliceSpringsmanyIndigenouspeoplelook

‘dispirited’,theykeeptheirheaddown,theylookoutofplace,eventhe

Warlpiripeoplewhoareknown.AtYuendumutheyaredifferent,theystand

erect,smile,seempurposeful,friendly.Onthehuntingtripincountryaway

fromthetown,thedemeanorchangesagain.Thereisrealjoy,laughter,a

senseofbelongingasdescribedinChapter4.Colinpreparesthestudentsto

noticethisandseveralcommentedaboutit.Heremindsthestudentsofthe

implicitnatureofworldviewsbynotingthatitisnotthatpeoplesayto

themselves“Iamgoingtobehavelikethishere”.Itissomethingthatjust

bubblesupfromtheinsideandhastodowiththeviewandunderstanding

ofplace.Seeingthis,experiencingthis,isbeingconfrontedbyaworldview.

Animportantpartofthesedifferentconfrontingexperiencesleadingto

challengeisthepointingoutthatgoesonwhenthestudentsreflectontheir

experience.Colinassiststhemininterpretingtheirexperiences.Colin

explainstothestudentsthemeaningsoftheirexperienceofIndigenous

peopleandtheirwayofdoingthings.Heisapersonwhohasobservedfora

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longtimeandlistenedtotheirexplanations.Heisparticularlyattunedtothe

wayWarlpiricultureviewknowledge,ownershipandrelationships.He

makessenseofthingssuchaswhygettingpermissionanddecidingon

thingscanbedifficultforwhites,orwhytheysitsegregatedinthechurch.

Thechallengetoworldviewcanalsobeseeninthedescriptionoftheissue

aboutthefilm“RabbitProofFence”whereColinremindsthestudentswho

werequicktojudgethepeopleofthepastthatthepeopleofthaterawere

lookingatlifethroughtheworldviewlensofSocialDarwinism,which

measuredskullsandbelievedthatwhiteculturewasmoreevolved.This

worldviewmadewhattheydidseemnormal.Hechallengesthestudents

thatitiseasytoseethefalseworldviewofothersthatleadtodestructive

actsbutaretheyawareofourcurrentworldviewandthedestructionitis

reapingontheworld?

Thislastcommentispivotalinunderstandingthemotivationandrationale

fortheprogramatMECS.Becomingawareoftheworldviewthatsurrounds

studentsandchallengingthatworldviewisaoneoftheprimaryreasonsfor

theschoolsexistence.

Byexperiencingthepowerofworldviewinanothercultureitbecameeasier

toconvincestudentsthatitalsooperatesbehindtheircultureandtopose

thequestionstothestudentssuchas‐whatarethebeliefsthatunderpin

theirwayofbeingintheworldandfurther,whatdoestheGospelsayabout

thesebeliefs.

Inaninterviewwiththeprincipalhesumsitupthisway:

It reminds me of the story of the professor who had a gold fish in his

bowl. A young girl visiting him felt sorry for the fish. And so while he

was making a coffee she freed his goldfish, she set his goldfish free.

And he came back with the coffee and he said “Excuse me, where’s

my goldfish?” and she said “It’s alright professor, don’t worry. It’s free.

I set it free.” “Where did you set it free?” “Underneath the sofa.” And

he got it back into the water and the fish was (gasping). The goldfish

never realised there was such a thing as water until that girl rescued

him from it and he nearly died. Now I think the beauty of our

Aboriginal Studies program, particularly the culmination in the Centre

Trip is to remove these often self-satisfied, often affluent, eastern

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suburbs of Melbourne kids, middle-class kids, lift them out of their

culture and put them out of the water. And breathe this, breathe these

drunks in the street, breathe the white man walking past the black

man on the street and never making eye contact. Breathe this. Go to

Yuendumu and breathe the pride of these people and their land and

breathe the different culture. I think our kids are challenged by being

confronted with something very different. And the value is not for me

that they all get knowledge of an Aboriginal culture. The value is that

having that insight, they then think “Oh that’s why Ruby’s going to

marry that man. Why do we do it differently in our own culture”? or

“That’s why he’s called such and such. How do we do it in our

culture”? What is valuable in our culture? They realise the existence

of this culture they live in, and I think that is arming them to be culture

shapers rather than culture followers.

5.6. What beliefs and values were challenged?

Theprevioussectionoutlinedthestrategiesemployedbytheschoolto

makestudentsawareoftheirowncultureandvalues.Thedatawere

examinedtoseewhatparticularbelieveswerechallenged.Theevidence

fromthestudentsrevealedaspectrumofchallenge.Thestaffnotedthat

everyyearthereweresomestudents,asmallminorityofstudentsunwilling

toreflectorchallengetheirowncultureperspectivesasdemonstratedin

theresentmenttothe“wedon’tclimb”policydescribedinChapter4.Onthe

otherside,eachyearsomestudentsareverychallengedandbasedontheir

response,twostudentsaresponsoredtoreturntoYuendumutodowork

experienceinoneofthetowns’industries,suchasthechildcarecentre.

Writingintheschoolnewslettertwogirlswrote“Wewanttogo,wefeelsafe

goingonourowntoourfriends”.

Confrontingandchallengecomesoutstronglyintheinterviewswiththe

students.Theyexpressedthisinvariousplaces.

Apaststudentwrotethisinhispoemresponsewhileonthetrip.

We have experienced different cultures

become fish out of the water

Shame it all has to end

Our minds being stressed and stretched

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Our brains being battered and burdened with experience after

experience

Shame it all has to end

InthisnextsectionIhaveselectedsamplesofsomeofthechallengesthat

studentsarticulatedthroughparticipatingintheprogram.Oneofthe

commonthemeswastheconfrontationandawarenessofindividualismof

theireverydayworld.

The football game was amazing. I was in the forward line and kicked

three goals but what really stood out to me was the way they played,

they weren’t selfish they were so sharing and kind and passed the ball

off all of the time and, like, depending on your skin relationship they

would be kind to you and go easy on you. Like in our culture we want

everything for our self the goals for ourselves but they didn’t seem to

mind who was winning. They just wanted to get out there and have

fun they are not really as competitive as me.

And

It didn’t matter that they were only five, they all played and had a go

and encouraged each other even changing the rules to help the

younger ones. That kind of hit me that, would we do it that way? They

didn’t really care who won, they just wanted to play.

And

Yeah, on the hunting trip, I was eating my kangaroo tail and it took me

ages to get it and I was standing in line for what seemed like an hour

and I thought right that is it, no one is going to get any of this and D..

asked me for a bite and I said “no! nick off it took me ages to get this”

and one of the aboriginal kids said to me “Hey he’s your brother you

must give it to him” like he told me that and so I did and then I offered

it to him , and then we were just standing together with our arms

around each other eating this kangaroo tail, just sharing it and wow-

you never forget that.

Alotofstudentsalsocommentedonthewaytheskinnamesystemenables

everyonetorelateinstantly.

Yeah, like when I came here from another school it took me a long

time to get to know everyone that I do know now and like there you

just rock up and you are friends instantly.

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Athirdareamentionedfrequentlyrelatedtothemessageofourculturethat

thegreaternumberofmaterialgoodswillmakeyouhappy.

Yeah well I was struck by the way they are always so happy in all the

circumstances that they had. If we were living in that circumstance we

would all be complaining I want this or that but they barely had

anything but they were so happy because they have got each other.

We are nothing like that.

Intheinterviews,severalstudentstalkedaboutexperiencinghowtheyview

theland:

I felt the closer the people are to their land the happier and more

relaxed they are, just comparing the hunting trip with the way people

were in Alice you get a big difference. The place means more to them.

Our moods and wellbeing have to do with other things.

Justbeforethetrip,basedontheirstudiessofar,Isurveyedthestudents.

Theywerealsoaskedtofillinwaysofcategorisingwhateachculturewould

noticeabouteachother.StudentswereawarethattheirWesternidealsof

beingindependentandthecommunitywouldprobablynoticesuchthings

asself‐absorbent,notsharingandloudnessaboutthem.Conversely,they

predictedthatwhatmightstandouttothemwasthecommunity’ssenseof

belonging,respectofeldersandbeinggenerous.

Mosttheparentsalsonotedchangesintheirstudentsafterthetrip.Atthe

CentreTripcelebrationnightheldlaterthatterm,oneparentsaidtheirson

hadbecomemoreculturallysensitiveandanothercommentedonthefact

thatherdaughterwaslessmaterialisticandless‘cliquey’.

Nospecificdatahasbeencollectedtoseewhateffecttheprogramhason

paststudentsbutanecdotalevidencefromstudentsIhavemetandother

teachershavemetovertheyearsisstrong.Severalpaststudentsand

teachersoftheschoolareworkingwithorforIndigenouscommunities.

Oneofthebiggestchallengesistheissueofinjustice.Thecourseandthe

trip,bothconfrontparticipantswiththepastandpresentinjusticesfacing

Indigenouspeople.Thisissueistakenupinthenextsection.

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5.7 Concern for Justice

One way of explaining why the program is an important one is

because of its themes of justice and culture. An educated person is a

person who knows what justice and injustice is. That’s an educated

person, a well educated person, however, has a commitment to

justice. You cannot really have a commitment to justice unless you

have experienced injustice. And I think our Aboriginal Studies

program can give them a vicarious experience of injustice. Because it

puts them in a position where they empathise with Aboriginal people

and empathising with them, dealing with them and looking at their

history, they get a view of the injustice. And I like to think a lot of our

kids get passionate about the unfair treatment of Australia’s

Indigenous people. It starts at primary school but it comes to fruition I

think in Year 10. So that’s the justice side of it.

(extract of interview with the Principal )

Afurtherreasonforstartingtheprogramandsustainingitwastheissueof

justice.ThefirstencounterswithIndigenouspeoplechallengednotonly

worldviewsbuttheplaceandroleIndigenouspeoplehadandhavein

Australiansociety.Theoriginalissueonthefirsttripencounteredwasthe

buildingofarecreationallakeonasacredsite.Thisissuewasmultipliedall

overthecountryandthroughhistory.AstheMECScommunitybeganto

hearthestoriesoftheWarlpiripeopleandtheeventsoftheirlivessuchas

Darby’sstoriesofhisworkoncattlestationwherehereceivednopay,or

storiesabouttheworkonthemineswithlittleornopaytheywere

confrontedwithinjustice.TheMECScommunityexperiencedthestoriesof

thepeople’sloveandattachmenttothelandandhowtheywereremoved

fromsometheirDreamingplacesandfromtheirmothers.Whenthey

experiencedfirsthandthehealthproblems,pooreducationandcrowded

livingconditions,MECS,likeanyonewhobeginstospendtimewith

Indigenouspeople,camefacetofacewithinjustice.Theschool’s

acknowledgementofthissituationwasfirstofalltotaketheresponsibility

seriouslyofconfrontingstudentswiththesestories.Thatis,nottopresenta

whitewashedversionofwhathappenedandwhatishappeningortoremain

silent.Italso,throughitsfocusonworldview,identifiedthesourceofthese

actionsasacommitmenttoWesternidealsof‘progress’and‘ownership’

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withitsrootsinHumanismasbeingsuperiorandofmoreimportancethan

anIndigenousviewoftheworld.Theforcefuldispossessionofpeoplefrom

theirownland,forcefulseparationofcommunitiesandfamilieswas,andis,

representedbytheschoolasgrossactsofinjustice.Itwasfeltthatstudents

atthisagewereoldenoughtobeconfrontedwiththeserealitiesandtobe

encouragedtosupporttheIndigenouscommunities’callsforjustice.Many

ofthestudentsspokeabouthowthecourseshockedthemaboutthe

realitiesofwhathadhappenedinthepastandofthetreatmentof

Indigenouspeoplebywhitepeople.

It also makes me sad and frustrated. I wish so much that the problems

that still exist, after all this time, could be over. It is a shock to see the

way they live. I fear that if all of this isn’t resolved soon those who

embraced me will lose who they are and forget where they have come

from.

I found it is interesting to see the ones in the missions and how they

were forced to change their names. It was losing a whole part of them

and the white people didn’t care. They didn’t really see the

Aboriginals’ side of things.

Yeah it made me realise how nasty the whites have been towards the

Aborigines. Just separating the children from them so they never got

to see them again. I thought that was rally harsh.

They probably didn’t realise, because they thought of them as not

quite human .

(Quotes from various students’ interviews)

InaschoolnewsletterColinJapaljarriwrites

Yuendumu is a complex place. Life expectancy is not high. There are

preventable diseases, which do not get checked. The education

system fails to work for many people. There are many paradoxes. Our

students are tomorrow’s citizens, tax payers and voters. I hope that

any of us who own the name of Christ will always seek to be loving,

just and kind in considering our social and political responsibilities. As

well, I hope the experience of a Centre Trip and a few days in another

world will mean that our kids resist negative, crippling stereotypes and

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if faced with them will be able to say something like “Wait a minute. I

met some of these people and they were not like that!”

(MECS school Newsletter May, 2005)

5.8 The Role of Christianity in it all

Onecannottalkaboutjusticeorinjusticeinavacuum.Thetitleof‘Christian’

inMountEvelynChristianschooldistinguishesitfromotherindependent

schoolsandimplicitlyconnectsitwiththelineageofthe‘missions’erain

Indigenoushistory.Inrepresentingagreatdealoftheactionstowards

Indigenouspeopleasunjust,theroleofthechurchandChristianitycannot

beignored.Ontheonehandthereistheprophesyoftheminorprophetsof

theScripturescondemningtherichandpowerfulfortheirtreatmentofthe

poorandmorevulnerable,proddingtheearsofpeoplecommittedto

‘KingdomofGod'principlesandyethistoryhasshownthattherewasavery

closealliancebetweencolonialdominationofothernationsandpeoplesand

theroleofthechurch.Civilising‘primitives’wasoftensynonymouswith

‘Christianising’themandmissionariesandmissionswereoftencomplicit

anduncriticalofliberalandhumanisticschemesoftheirdayto‘educate’

Indigenouspeopleandassimilatethemintowhiteculture,eradicatingtheir

cultureandlands.Thevideopresentationof“WomenoftheSun”showed

themissioneraasonethatforbadelocalpeopletopracticetheircultureand

language.BrianMcCoyinterviewingPatDodsonandJacintaElstonontheir

churchexperienceacknowledgestheassimilationapproach.

The pressure to assimilate from churches has rarely been

acknowledged nor have the church’s own particular and historical

forms of prejudice about Aboriginal culture and beliefs been much

explored. Not only did missionaries work closely with the Government

and accept its policies but they accepted that Christian faith was

superior to Aboriginal beliefs and culture and also their belief about

the sacred and spiritual was considered lacking and deficient.

(P. L. Dodson, et al., 2006, p. 255).

Yetthepicturewasnotalwaysnegative.Harris(1993),inhisin‐depth

researchoftheroleofChristianitywithIndigenouscommunitiesoverthe

past200years,speaksnotonlyofthecomplicitness,butalsoreportson

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someresistancetogovernmentpolicyandpractices.Hecitesthelifeand

storyofErnestGribbleatYarrabahmissionwhoshowedcareforthesick

andprotectionforwomen.Heinstigatedaroyalcommissionin1927forthe

deathsaroundtheForestRivermissionstandinguptothepastoralist.

Weiss(1994)alsonotedhowsomemissionsinsomeareas,beganthefight

forhomelandsforIndigenouspeople.

By the end of the 1920s it was becoming increasingly difficult for the

Adnyamathanha to move from camp to camp in the traditional

manner. Many station owners were unwilling to have them camp on

their property and those who managed to find work on stations had

their mobility restricted by their employment. Missionaries from the

non-denominational United Aborigines Mission had begun their work

eight years earlier at Ram Paddock Gate, a traditional

Adnyamathartha campground, but the station owner was increasingly

unwilling to have the people stay there. In 1930 Nepabunna

settlement was established about 190 kilometers north of Hawker

after prolonged negotiation by the missionaries with the owner of

Balcanoona Station for some land. (p. 172)

Chapter4alsorecountedhowtheMECSIndigenousStudiesprogramtries

torepresentthecurrentcomplexsituationoftheIndigenousownedandrun

churchlifeatYuendumuandtheplacethesebeliefshaveinthecurrent

community’slives.

TherealityoftherelationshipbetweenIndigenouspeopleandChristianity

isamixedandcomplexone.Thetemptationforcoursesstartingfroman

uncriticalsecularhumanisticpositionistoignorethisaspectofIndigeneity

ortoonlyhighlightthenegativeimpact.ThetemptationforMECS,starting

fromaChristianworldviewwouldbetouncriticallyrevealthepositivesand

notfacetheuglynegativehistory.Itisimportanttonoteherehowdealing

with,andbeingawareofone’sownworldviewassistsinavoidingthetwo

extremesintellingthestoryofIndigenouspast.

MECSwantsstudentstoseethatthedifferencebetweenconfessedbeliefs

(religion)andworldview.ThisdistinctionwasdiscussedinChapter2under

waysofviewingreligion,beingreligiousandworldview.Englishsocietyof

the19thand20thCenturyprofessedChristianitybutdidnotallowthis

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Christianitytocriticallyexaminetheworldviewofhumanismanddualism

andsodevelopedsyncretic“Western”formsofChristianitywhichwere

destructivetoIndigenouspeople.Colin,inseveralplacesinthecourse

encouragesthestudentstoexaminetheirownworldviewandhowitmight

beoutoflinewiththeprinciplesoftheKingdomandtheGospel.Heasks

whetherthethingswevalueandhowwetreatothersareinsteadproducts

ofourindividualisticandmaterialisticgeneration.Thisapproachresonates

withthetransformationalpurposesofschoolingdescribedinChapter2

(Thompson2007).Italsodistinguishesitselffromthisparadigmbecauseit

doesn’tstartfromaMarxistorpostmodernsuspicion,butfromreferringto

thepersonandworkofJesuswhoMECSbelievesstandsinandaboveall

cultures.

5.9 Silences

Intheprecedingsectionsthefocuswasonkeywordsandconceptsthat

dominatedthedataandemergedasthemesprovidingmeaningand

interpretationtopracticeofMECS.Aswellaslookingforcommonand

dominantideas,Eisneralsodevelopedthenotionthatoneofthestrongest

indicatorofwhataschoolwasonaboutwastolookatwhattheydidn’t

teachandistypicallyreferredtoasthe“null”curriculum(Eisner,1985).The

ideaofexaminingsilencesisalsoastrongemphasisinpostcolonialcritique

(E.T.Hall,1973;Harding,1998).

Onepositivesilenceisthelackofmaterialontraditionalfood,huntingand

dwellingsthatoftendominatedcurriculaworkingthemoretraditional

paradigmsofcultureasoutlinedinChapter2.Thisseemedtoindicatethat

theschoolwasnotoverlyinfluencedbythisapproach.Itspositionhas

greatersympathyforculturethatiswidelyexpressedintheeveryday

eventsandhasadynamicquality.

Achallengingsilenceinthedatawasthelittlebeingsaidofthelocal

Indigenousurbanpopulation.Althoughtheresearchontheissuessection

leftopentheoptiontolookatlocalissues,onlyonestudenttookupthis

optioncompletinganindepthprojectonthehistoryoftheIndigenous

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peoplearoundMelbourne.Thefactsfromthe2000censustellusthat

suburbanIndigenouspeopleareinfactthemajorityofIndigenouspeoplein

Australia.Keefe(1988)poseschallengestoschoolsthatcelebrate

‘aboriginalityaspersistence’becausetheyexcludestudentswhohaveno

identifiableDreamingorlanguage.InrecentyearstheIndigenousstudies

programintheprimarypartoftheschoolhasmademoreuseofthelocal

IndigenouspeopleandtheculturalcentrenearbyatHealsevilleintheouter

east.

PoliciesfromtheAboriginalstudiesforumsandAboriginalEducational

advisorygroupspromotenotteaching“about”Indigenouspeoplebutwith

Indigenouspeopleabouttheirculture.Thisisonlypartiallyfulfilled,for

eventhoughsomeYuendumumembershavebeentotheschoolandhave

givenpermissiontotellsomeoftheDreaming,mostofthecommunityisnot

awareof,orhadinputintothedetailsoftheprogram.Thisisanareathe

schoolisawareofandisworkingon.

TheDaretoLead(APAPDC,2003)initiativechecklistforschoolsalso

exposesothersignificantgapsinthepracticeoftheschoolsuchasthe

acknowledgementofthelandtheschoolisbuilton,andcelebrationand

participationinIndigenouseventssuchasReconciliationWeek.These

silencesandtheprogram’sfocusontheWarlpiripeoplecouldinadvertently

perpetuatethemyththatIndigenouspeoplemainlyliveinremotepartsof

Australiaorcontribute,asButlerwarnsof,‘thetrapofsynthesizing

desirableAboriginalculturaltraitsintoagenericAboriginalcultureinwhich

thecentralAustraliantraitsareseenasdesirableandappropriateforall

Aboriginalpeople’(Butler,2000,p.98).Howtheschoolcountersthisisone

thechallengesforthecurrentprogram.Concernfornotwantingto

“essentialise”WarlpiricultureonallIndigenouspeopleisexpressedoften

throughColin’sfrequentphrasesexclaiming“othergroupshavedifferent

storiesandpractice”aswellashiswarningtostudentsthatartefactssuchas

boomerangs,didgeridoosanddotpainting“arenotcommontoallgroups”.

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5.10 Summary-New Questions and Directions

Thischapterhashighlightedanumberofkeythemesemergingfromthe

interactionoftheparticipant’svoicesandwithmyobservations

surrounding“culture”and“teaching”.ThesehelptoexplainMECS’spractice

andanswerthemainquestionaskedinthisresearchaboutwhich

perspectivesaboutcultureandschoolingoperatedwithinMECSthat

influenceditsparticularpracticeofIndigenousstudies.Thethemesof

culturesarecomplex,dynamicyetdifferent,andcanbethoughtofas

enactedworldviews,religiouslydrivenweredeveloped.Thethemesof

integralityandtransformationalpurposeoflearningwerealsoprominentin

unfoldingmeaningof“teachingandlearning”.Commonthroughboththese

themesweretheimportantrolesofdirectexperienceandlanguage.

Throughstudyingvariouswordsandphrasessurroundingtheattributesof

cultureitcouldbeseenthatMECSconsidersworldviewasaprimaryforce

ofdifferencebetweenculturesandasthebasisforaculture.Itisclearfrom

thisreviewthatMECSstronglyconnectswithGullstrupandHarris’s

understandingofcultureasbeingdynamic,verticallystratifiedandresting

onthefoundationofaworldview.Agoodwayofsummarizingthisviewisto

seecultureasenactedworldview.BothWesternandIndigenousculturesare

consistentexpressionsofparticularworldviews.

Thepedagogyusedtoteachaboutculturesrevealedtheimportanceof

integralitywithitssubthemesofdirectexperience,particularisingthe

general,andlearninglanguage.

Itcouldalsobeclearlyseenfromvarioussourcesinthedatathat

challengingworldviewswasanimportantthemefordevelopingand

sustainingthisprogramasacoreprogramforYear9and10students.This

frameworkhasmuchincommonwiththeinterculturalcompetence

movementdescribedinChapter2.Howeverthecompetencyfocusisnot

developed,becausethewholethingisplacedinalargercontextofthe

challengingworldviewsframework,wheretheemphasisisnotongaining

competencetoenableequalityofaccesstogoods,servicesandideas(which

isthenormalbroadercontextfortheinterculturalcompetencemovement)

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butinstead,thefocusisonexposingandcritiquingone’sownworldview

andlearningtounderstandanotherculture’sactionsthrough

understandingtheirworldview.

TheinjusticestoIndigenouspeople,bothpastandpresent,wasalsoatheme

instartingandsustainingtheprogramoveralongperiod.

Thesefindingsalsochallengedsomeofmyownthinkingaboutresearching

aschool’sprogram.TheIndigenousstudiesprogramatMECShad

developedoutoftheschool’sownculture.Aculturethatregardedan

integralapproachtocurriculumandchallengingtheWesternworldview

storysurroundingstudentsasdistinctivereasonsfortheschool’sexistence.

Theseweretwoimportantdimensionsoftheschool’sworldview.What

weretheotherdimensionsandfeatures?MECS’sownapproachcouldbe

turnedinonitselfandtheoriginalquestionsaskedoftheprogramcouldbe

sharpenedtoask:WhatworldviewlensdidMECSutilizetodevelopandteach

itsprogram?Thisquestionbecomesthethemeforthenextchapteranda

deviceforintegratingthevariousfindingsabouttheprogram.

159

Figure6.PeggyNungarrayiEmuDreaming

160

Chapter 6

Being Religio–Critical: Putting together some answers

ItisnotjustAboriginalculturethatcompromises.WeintheWest

arehappytomakecompromiseswithprevailingideassuchasself

centredindividualismandletthemshapeourworldview.Both

groupsofpeople,AboriginalsandEuropeans,needtoallowthe

lightofthegospeltoleadusinourownwayandtimetonew

patternsofliving,startingfromwhereweare.

(C.J.Youl,2006,p.20)

6.0 Introduction

Inthischapter,thewaysusedbyMECStounderstandIndigenousculture

areappliedtoexaminingmorecloselytheMECScultureiteself.The

questionofwhatparticularworldviewlensoperatedwithintheschool,

shapingtheprogramandpositioningitinsuchaprominentplacewithinthe

school’spracticeisexaminedinordertoprovideafurtherintegrationofthe

themesoutlinedinChapter5.Theanswersalsoprovidedeeperinsightsinto

themeaningoftheprogramheldbythecommunityofthefoundational

beliefsshapingthepractice.Theanswers,drawnfromacloseranalysisof

thehistoryandphilosophyoftheschooldescribedinChapter4areoutlined

undertheterm‐areligiocriticalapproach.

Aswellasdiscussingtheoveralllinkingeffectandfeaturesofthisapproach,

thesecondpartofthischapterexaminestheimplicationsofthisfinding.It

considersthecontributionthisstudymakestothebroaderconversation

aboutschoolsundertakingIndigenousstudies..Inparticular,sixissues

stoodoutfromthecasestudythatIbelieveareimportantinconsideringthe

whyandhowofschoolstakingupIndigenousstudies.

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Thischapteralsoraisesanddiscussesquestionsabouttheequalityofthe

partnershipbetweenMECSandYuendumuanddiscussesseveral

implicationsforfutureresearch.

6.1 The Centrality of Worldview and the Religio-Critical lens

Theanswerstothemajorquestiondevelopedinthisresearchaboutthe

perspectivessurroundingcultureandschoolingthatoperatedwithinMECS

forbeginningandshapingitsparticularpracticeofIndigenousstudieshas

revealedtheprimaryfindingthatMECSreliesheavilyontheunderstanding

ofcultureasenactedworldview.Thenotionthatworldviewisfoundational

tocultureandculturaldifferencehassomeoverlapwiththeideasoutlined

intheliteraturereviewwiththecultureasperspectiveparadigm

(Gullestrup,2006;M.Harris,1999)andcultureaslanguage(LoBianco,et

al.,1999;Ovando,1990).

However,simplyemployingtheunderstanding,thatworldviewis

foundationalforunderstandinganotherculture(becauseculturecanbe

thoughtofasenactedworldview)doesnotnecessarilyleadtoaschool

adoptingthestudyofAustralianIndigenousstudiesasapriorityforthe

schoolortobestpracticeinteachingIndigenousstudies.Forexample,a

schoolusingaliberalframeworkofrespectandtoleranceforalldifferent

beliefscouldasktheirstudentstobecomefamiliarwithanumberof

differentculturesandtheworldviewsunderlyingthem.Evenifthese

studiesalsoadoptedMECS’sapproachofdemonstratingthestronglinks

betweenaperson’sworldviewandthewaytheyrespondi.e.treatthe

variousculturesasenactedworldview,therewouldbenostrictimperative

toseeAustralianIndigenouscultureasanymoreimportantinmeetingthe

school’seducationalgoalsthanstudyingKenyanorIndonesianculture.

WhatthisstudyshowsisMECSemploysnotjustaworldviewperspective

onculturebutframesthisunderstandinginaparticularapproachto

humansandhumanactivityinareligiocriticalparadigm.Thereligio‐critical

frameworkwasstronglypresentintheschool’shistoryandphilosophyand

stronglydirectsthepurposeoftheschoolandallitsworkings.Essentialto

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thereligio‐criticalapproachistheunderstandingthatthecentralnatureof

humansandcultureisreligiouslydriventoservesomeultimateend,thatis,

cultureandreligioncannotbeeasilyseparated.TheapproachthatMECS

usesinsomewayscollapsestheboundarybetweenculture,religionand

worldvieworatleastmakestheboundariesbetweenthempermeable.The

religiousdirectionofaculture,personorschoolmustbecriticallydiscerned

andunderstandingworldviewbehindactionsisvitalinthisapproach.The

religio‐criticalpointsthegoalofschoolingandcurriculumintothe

transformingcultureparadigmoutlinedintheliteraturereviewchapter

(Thompson,2008).Itseesthegoalsoftrainingstudentstobecritically

discerningoftheirownworldviewandthereligiousdirectionoftheirown

livesandcultureasaprimarypurpose.Inthisprocessdirectexperiencesof

one’sowncultureandofotherculturesplayanimportantrole,anideaalso

supportedbySchirowherehesaysaboutcurriculmplanningthat,

This means that one’s experiences play a crucial role. Students obtain

more from them than knowledge of a social experience. They also

acquire feelings, a social perspective and a set of values about what

is socially just or unjust.

(Schiro, 2008, p. 66)

Thedescriptionintothehistoricalmovementsbehindtheschool’s

beginningsprovidesthebasistolinkmostfeaturesoftheprogram

identifiedintheanalysis.Thethemesofunderstandingculturesasenacted

worldview,dynamic,complex,andbasedonreligiousgroundmotivesare

directlyrelatedtothecharacteristicsofareligio‐criticalapproach.Directly

flowingfromthisarethecurriculumandpedagogicalissuestodowith

teachingaboutcultures(worldview)thatemphasizedirectexperience,

language,andthesensitivityandwillingnesstounderstandandchallenge

one’sownworldviewwhicharelinkedtothethemesofIntegrality,and

knowledgeaswisdom.Theconnectionscomesfromphilosophersand

educatorssuchasDooewwerd(1979),Blomberg(2007)andWalsh(1984)

who,workingthereligiousgroundmotiveofhumanlife,notonlywantedto

critiquesecularhumanism’sspiritualheartofmodernsocietybutattempted

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topictureeducationalpracticebeginningwithotherreligiousground

motivesderivedfromtherevelationoftheScriptures.

Sothereyouhaveit,eventhoughitwaspartlybyaccident,theinitial

experienceofspendingtimewithapeoplewhosespiritualityvisibly

influencedalltheydid,andwasradicallydifferentfromWestern

modernism,totallysupportedanopportunityfortheschooltoenactits

distinctivevisionandphilosophyofteachingstudentstobediscerningof

religiousdirectionanditsoutworkinginculture,andtochallengestudents

tobeactiveintransformingtheirownculture.

ItisalsoanoutworkingofpedagogicalidealsrelatedtotheIntegral

curriculumandknowledgeaswisdom.Inoneofhisearlierchaptersofhis

bookWisdomandSchooling,DougBlomberguseshisearlyexperienceof

MECStoconstructanimaginarydialoguewiththeprincipaltogive

examplesontheIntegralcurriculum.Heaskstheprincipalaboutthe

Aboriginalstudiesprogramandprincipalreplies,

The Aboriginal studies program is a general feature of the school that

springs from an attempt to recognise the diversity of ways of knowing

and to engage with it as a concrete complex whole.

(Blomberg, 2007, p. 43)

Theprogramquicklybecameanexemplarofwhattheschoolisonabout

andexplainstoagreatextentwhytheschoolhasdevelopedacentralrole

forthisprogram,whyithasdevelopeditthewayithas,andwhyithasbeen

sustainedforsolong.

6.2 Learning from the Case study

InChapter1adescriptionwasprovidedofthecallsforthecompulsory

teachingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandstudiesinallschools.Implicit

behindthesecallsarealsotherationalesforthesecalls.Indigenousadvisory

groupsemphasisedacurriculumthatprovidedadeepappreciationof

Aboriginalperspectivesofhistoryandofthelandandrecognitionand

appreciationofthediverseexpressionsofindigeneity(Councilfor

AboriginalReconciliation,1998;M.Dodson,1994).Itwasfeltthatthese

twofeatureswereimportantinachievingthegoalsofgreaterabilitytowork

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withandrelatetoIndigenouspeopleandsupportofjusticeforIndigenous

people.Schoolcommunitiesshouldalsoleadbyexampleandincludelocal

Indigenouspeopleinequalpartnershiparrangementsinconstructingand

teachingIndigenousstudies(VAEAI/DEET,2001).

Acceptingtheseasaguide,adiscussionisbeguninthisnextsectionasto

howthefindingsofMECS’sapproachmaycontributetoachievingthese

aims.ThischapteralsopicksupthediscussionraisedinChapter3aboutthe

tensionsbetweenemicandeticparadigmsforresearchingprograms.

Severaloftheviewsuncoveredsuchastheplaceofreligioninhumans

movedtheanalysistotheeticplaneandareputforwardaschallengestoall

schools.

6.2.1PresentingIndigenousworldviewwithappreciationand

respect

TheanalysisandfindingsabouthowandwhyMECSconstructsandteaches

itsIndigenousstudiesprogramisavaluablecontributiontothe‘how’ofthe

callforprogramstobuildappreciationandrespectforAboriginal

perspectiveonhistoryandland.Tryingtounderstandapersonor

communitywithoutknowingtheirworldviewisfraughtwithdangerand

misunderstandings.Trudgen(2000)pointsthisoutintheattemptsto

understandsimpleconceptssuchas‘sicknessandhealth’indealingwiththe

Yolngupeople.Theconceptsbecomesocomplexwhenviewedfrom

differentworldviewlensesandproblemsarisewhenoneassumesthat

becausepeopleareusingthesameEnglishword,theymeanthesamething!

Iftheunderstandingofanotherpersondoesn’tgotothepointofhowthey

think(ATSIC,2003)thenunderstandingoftheiractionscouldleadtofalse

judgments.MuchoftheconstructionofIndigeneityundercolonialtimes

interpretedIndigenousactionsandbehaviourfromawhitestandpoint

(Beckett&AustralianInstituteofAboriginalStudies.,1988;Maddock,1988;

Russel,2001).Therewouldbefewpeopletodaythatdon’tacceptthat

Indigenouscultureisdiverseandverticallystratifiedandfoundedona

differentworldviewtoWesternculture(Hofstede,1984).

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CoursesonIndigenousStudiesmustcometogripswiththeradicalnatureof

theIndigenousworldview.Thisfindingisnotthatstartling.Manymore

groupsareheedingthecallstoincludeIndigenousperspectiveintothe

curriculumsuchastherecentMelbournedeclarationonEducationalGoals

forYoungAustraliandeclarationstatedthat,‘inaddition,afocuson

environmentalsustainabilitywillbeintegratedacrossthecurriculumand

allstudentswillbegiventheopportunitytoaccessIndigenouscontent

whererelevant(MinisterialCouncilonEducationEmploymentTrainingand

YouthAffairs(MCEETYA),1995,p.14).

However,whattheMECScasestudyhasbroughtoutisaparticular

understandingofworldviewandimportanttoolstounderstandone’sown

andothers’worldviewsothatwhenone’sownandanother’sperspectives

arebroughtintofocustheycanbothbeappreciatedandrespected.Simply

presentingtheworldviewofothersinitselfwillnotencourageappreciation

andrespect.If,forexample,studentshavealowopinionofand

understandingofthenatureandroleofworldviewtheymaystay

disconnectedfrombeingunderstanding.ThestudentsintheMECSprogram

hadatermofconcentratedteachingonthenatureandtheimportanceof

worldviewsasasubject.

MECS’sunderstandingofaworldviewasanimplicitsetofbeliefsandasa

patternforlivingpointstotheimpossibilitytofullycapturewhatliesbelow

thearticulatedconceptuallevelofhumanaction(Fowler,2006)andcanbe

betterthoughtofasanarrative,astory(Fernhout,1997)thatonelivesout,

andpresentsasanalternativetoconceptualunderstandingsofworldviews

(J.Spradley,1972).TheMECSpositiononworldviewchallengesmodern

rationalistunderstandings.ItbecameclearthatMECS,adoptingthis

understandingofworldviewassomethingthatcannotbeeasilystatedina

setofconceptsorpropositionsandcannotbepresentedtostudentsinthe

usualwayconceptsaretaught,hadimplicationsforthegainingof

knowledgeaboutworldview.Worldviewsfromthisunderstandingmustbe

experiencedthroughdirectinteractionwithapersonandtheircommunity.

Itmustariseoutofwholeconcreteandpersonalisedexperiences.Secondly,

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languageisveryimportantinprovidingnewwordsandideastoexplore

waysofunderstanding.Bothofthesefactorsareaddressedinmoredetailin

thenextsection.

TheintroductionoftheWarlpiriworldviewintheMECSprogramcomes

fromviewingtheWarlpirifilmssuchas“BushMechanics”,learningthe

languageandspendingtimewiththepeople.LessonsontheDreamingand

theskinnamesystemareusefultoolsforbeginningtosensetheimplicit

beliefsandhowIndigenouspeoplemayviewthings.Warlpiriworldview

wasarealitybehindthewayordinarypeoplereactandrespondtotheir

everydayissues.Nocoursecaneverteachsomeoneelse’sworldview;itcan

onlygivesnippetsintoitandtheglimpsesofhowitisdifferentfromone’s

ownworldview.Oneofthebiggestchallengesfacingtheteachingofother

culturesishowtoplacethatdifferenceinasettingthatdoesn’tromanticise

itordenigrateit.ThroughouttheMECScoursethecomplexityanddepthof

Warlpiriworldviewwasforemostinthepresentations.Abigpartin

buildingrespectforthisworldviewwasidentifyingthatithadthesame

characteristicsastheirownworldviewandofanyotherculture.Indigenous

worldviewprovidedmeaningforeverydayeventsandemanatedfroma

religiouscore,apointthatisdevelopedfurtherinthenextsection.

Insummary,theMECScasepointstotheimportanceofschoolsdoingsome

philosophicalworkonthenatureofworldviewswiththeirstudentsand

theirimportanceinunderstandingeverydaylifeasenactedworldview.

Alongsidethis,italsoimportanttobeawareoftheoverarchingreligious

andphilosophicalsystemsthatmayframetheworldviewworkundertaken

byanorganization.Whentheseframeworksaredisclosedafocuson

worldviewopensupgreaterpossibilitiesforappreciatingandrespecting

othercultures’perspectives.

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6.2.2.Thedifficultyofunderstandingyourownandothers’

worldview:Theimportanceofdirectexperienceandlanguage.

I have nearly completed a major in Indigenous Studies at University

and even though we have had some great guest lecturers from the

Indigenous community, it somehow doesn’t feel right to say that I

know Indigenous people or their culture. I don’t know them personally,

or where they live or how they live.

(recent conversation with a university student)

ThesecondpointtolearnfromthiscasestudyisthepracticesusedbyMECS

onhowtolearnaboutyourownoranother’sworldview.Thereligiocritical

standpointholdsthatthepurposeandroleofeducationisexposingand

challengingastudent’sworldviewanditsreligiousrootsi.e.theimportance

ofcritique.Thisisnosmallthing,one’sworldviewissofamiliar,liketheair

breathed,anditiseasytotakesomuchofitforgrantedwhenlookingatany

issue.Akeycomponentofthisreligio‐criticalperspectiveandits

transformationalgoalsistheimportanceofdirectexperience.Direct

experiencewasoutlinedasimportantfortheroleitplayedinchallenging

worldview.Theliteraturereviewshowedthatexposingsomeone’s

worldviewcannotbejustanintellectualexercise;itneedstohappenatthe

levelofwhole,fullbodiedexperienceoflivingamongstotherpeopleand

language(Tin.C,1999).EventhoughYuendumuisnotnearby,itprovides

that‘wholebodied’experienceofbeinginadifferentplace,ratherthana

familiarplace.TheexperienceofWarlpirilanguageandwaysthatpeople

relatemovesstudentstoseetheworlddifferentlyforfleetingmoments.It

wasenoughtochallengesomestudents’viewsofseeingUluruasa

challengingclimb,aconquest,toseeingitassacredplaceofanotherculture

thatneedstoberespected.Thefeelingofstrangenessandseeing

alternativesenactedoutinallitscomplexityisanimportantpartofthe

processofbecomingbothawareandcriticalofone’sownculture.

Theimportanceofdirectexperienceinchallengingone’sworldviewisalso

supportedbythecosmologicalpositionoftheframeworkthatMECSworks

with.Thisrecognisesrealityasanintegralwholewithmanycomplex

dimensionsand,flowingfromthis,knowledgeofthisrealitycanonlybegin

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withintegralexperiencesofthewhole.Thisisoneoftheprimarydirectives

behindthedevelopmentoftheintegralcurriculummodelthatoperates

withintheschool.Indigenouspeopleoranyeventandplacecannotbe

studiedasabstractconcepts;theyneedtoberootedinconcrete,complex

reality.Kalsbeekexplainsthisideasas,

Drawing on the ontological position that acknowledges that reality and

our responses to it are holistic, incorporating many dimensions at the

same time, it is not possible to separate these concepts when

explaining and analysing human endeavour or “acting” however they

can be distinguished from each other .

(Kalsbeek, 1975).

Theunityoflifeandculturecanonlybeappreciatedthroughdirect

experienceofconcretewholes.Textbooksandfilmscanonlygive

experiencesofsomedimensionsoflifenotthewholeatonce.Theepistemic

partnertothisviewisthatwhole,directexperienceisimportantin

developingknowledgeaswisdom.Responsestocomplexconcreterealities

cannotbeformulaicbutmustbesensitive,appropriateuniqueresponsesto

uniquesituations.Theseideaswereexploredthroughthethemeofintegral

invariousplacesinthedataanditsanalysis.

Languageisalsoveryimportantinunderstandingandchallengingthe

worldviewprocess.Linguistshaveshownthatwhataculturevaluesandthe

wayitperceivesrelationshipsbetweenthingsarereflectedinits

vocabulary,grammarandinlanguageasawhole(Deyhele,etal.,2008;

Gadd,1999).Similarly,postmodernrelianceondeconstructionofatext

highlightedabsenceofwordsorthepositionofwordstoconveycultural

biases(Foucault,1972;S.Hall,1980).Themethodologyofthisstudyalso

focusedontheterminologyandpositionofwordsusedbytheparticipants

togaininsightintotheperspective,meaning,valueandimportanceofthe

program.Thus,languageisveryimportantingettinginsightintotheway

peopleviewtheworld.

Thesefindingspresentmanychallengesforschoolsconsideringteaching

Indigenousstudies.Acommitmenttospendingextendedtimebeingwith

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Indigenouspeopleandlearningtheirlanguageisnotonthebudgetsor

agendasofmostschools.

6.2.3Explaininghumansas“beingreligious”andcentraltohuman

life

TheparticularphilosophicalframeworkthatstandsbehindtheMECSview

ofcultureaddsadimensionthatisoftenmissingfromotherpractices.It

proclaimsthatthecentralnatureofhumansandcultureisspirituallydriven

toservesomeultimateend.Thatis,cultureandreligioncannotbeeasily

separated.ThelensthatMECSusestoviewhumansandcultureinsome

wayscollapsestheboundarybetweenspirituality,religionandworldview

oratleastmakestheboundariesbetweenthemelastic.Thewayitdoesthis

ittoadoptabroaderunderstandingofreligionasbeingreligious.

Anthropologicallyspeaking,humansareunderstoodasbeingnotcentrally

rationaloreconomicbeingsbutasspiritualbeings.Thepositionthatall

cultureshavedrivingthroughthemareligiousdevotiontoultimateends

thatshapestheirday‐to‐dayactivity,standsincontrasttotheprevailing

messageofthemodernismofWesterncultures.Commonly,Westernculture

representsitsfoundationsasderivedthroughtherationalscientific

frameworkandthereforeseesitselfasareligiouslyandspirituallyneutral

culture(Pearcey,2004).Thisviewsubordinatestheplaceofreligionand

spiritualtoaminorroleinshapingeverydaypubliclifeandsupports

modernistideasthatpeoplewhotakespiritualmatterstooseriouslyinto

everyareaoflifearesomewhat“primitive”.

TheMECSpositionisalsodistinctfrommostpostmodernpositionsthatdo

embracetheimportanceofstoryasopposedtofacts,butwhosechorus

singsthatthereisnograndnarrative,noessentialontologicalcharacterof

beinghumanbutonlyindividualonesthatneedtobeconstantlynegotiated

andwrittenaswego(Lyotard,1984).Bothpositionsdenyanyauthorityto

transcendentorspiritualrealitiesasthesourceforculturalnarratives.

BothcommunityandsuburbanIndigenouspeopleplacemorecentrallythe

roleofspiritualitywitheverydaylifethanthetraditionalWesternperson.

PatDodson,talkingaboutthefuture,seesgreathopeinthat,

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..this generation has brought back to the public arena of policy

programs and practice the importance of recognising, respecting and

expressing their people’s spirituality and the importance of the

spiritual as an essential ingredient for living healthy lives.

(P. L. Dodson, et al., 2006, p. 262)

Untilnow,notmuchcredencehasbeengiventothesedifferentperspectives

andpositionofreligionwhenschoolcommunitiesareframingIndigenous

studiesprograms.Theissueofidentifyingone’sselfascentrallyareligious,

spiritualbeingis,Ibelieve,acriticalissueinthedebateaboutrelatingto

Indigenouspeople.IfpeopleinsuburbanschoolsaroundAustraliaaccept

uncriticallytheprevailingmessageofmodernitywithitsperipheralrolefor

religionanddenialofspiritualrealtiesorpostmodernity’sclaimsthat

religionsaredangerousgrandnarrativestheywillsubtlycreatesome

unwarrantedlimitationsinrelatingtoandunderstandingmostIndigenous

people.

Essentially,afocusjustonworldviewsandworldviewdifferencesalone

withouttheunityofacommonreligiousanthropologycancontinueata

moresophisticatedlevelthecolonialpracticesofconstructingIndigenous

peopleinbinaryoppositiontononIndigenouspeople(Attwood,1992a).

TheMECSstudyraisesimportantissuesastotheplaceofreligiongivento

cultureformation.Whatisneededonthepartofthepeopleand

organisationsrelatingto,andtryingtounderstandIndigenouspeopleisa

criticalunderstandingoftheirownculturalandreligiousheritage.Ina

similarveinAttwood(1992a)arguesthatthebestchallengeto

“Aboriginalism”wastorecogniseIndigenouspeopleassubjectswith

identitiesrelationalanddynamicand‘thisapproachnecessarilyinvolve

newobjectsofknowledge–ourselves’(p.8).

MECS,becauseofitstransformationalvisionforschoolingdoeshavethis

critiqueofitsownWesternheritageandofthecentralplaceofitsfaith.

Faith,theywouldargue,precedesknowledgeandschooling.

Acritiqueofsecularhumanismasbeingfoundedonreligious

presuppositionsandhavingareligiousnarrativeaboutlifeisamorehonest

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understandingofhumanism(Ellul,1975).Goudzwaard(1984)studyingthe

notionofidolsandidolatry,identifiesseveralidols,spiritualforcesdriving

Westernculture.O’Sullivan(2004)arguesthatWesterneducationlacksa

comprehensivecosmologyandtreatsspiritualityonlysuperficiallyand

‘musttakeontheconcernsanddevelopmentofthespiritualatamore

fundamentallevel’(p.49).Anunderstandingof“WesternSpirituality”

wouldgoalongwaytoseeingandunderstandingthatIndigenouspeople

areworkingouttheirlivesinthesamemodeaseveryotherhuman,theonly

differencebeingthetypeofreligiousbeliefsbeingused.Inotherwords,we

canagreetodifferonourstartingpointsratherthan,asthedebateis

sometimesput,onthemethodstoarriveattruths.Inthisframework,

rationalityispittedagainstreligion.

Atthecrudestleveloneoftheimplicationsofthisfalsetensionwouldbe

programsthatdecentralizeandlessentheroleoftheDreamingin

explainingthemeaningofIndigenouseverydaylife.TheDreaminginthis

casewouldbetreatedinasimilarwaythatreligionistreatedinmodern

culturei.e.placedintheprivatearenaoflifeandlimitedtoimportant

ceremoniessuchaschristening,funerals,specialholidays,andplacesbut

notreallydirectingeverydaylifeandpubliclife.Thiscompartmentalised

wayofdealingwithlifecomesthroughwhenstudiesbreakupthe

Indigenousstudiesintonon‐connectedheadingssuchasfamilylife,

ceremonies,foods,anddonotgivethedepthofunderstandingtothe

Dreamingasbeingapresentaswellaspastshaperoflife.Thethemeofthe

centralityofreligioninChapter5demonstratedawayofdealingwiththe

Dreaminginamorecentralwaywithoutromanticsingit.

Recently,moreprogramsareacknowledgingthecentralroleofDreaming

andthespirituallinkswithcountry.Teasdale(2005)notesthatsecular

educationcoursesinternationallysuchasthatofUNESCOisstarting‘to

emphasisethespiritualandtoadvocatetheroleofeducationinthespiritual

developmentofchildrenandyouth’(p.9).

Inthelightofuncriticalviewsabouttheirlifebeingfoundedonrationality,

manynon‐IndigenousstudentswillunwittinglyromanticizeIndigenous

172

culture(Pattel‐Gray,1996).Maybethisoccursbecauseitremindsstudents

ofsomethingWesternculturehaslost,aspiritualityandwholenesswith

everythingbeingorganicallyconnectedtogether.

Alternatively,theuncriticalacceptanceofrationalitycouldsubtly,if

unaddressed,continuethecolonialnotionthatreligiouslybasedcultures

andexplaininglifeintermsofSpiritualrealitiesaremoresimplisticormore

primitivebecausetheyplacenon‐rationalformsofknowledge(revelations)

suchasdreamsandstoriesinahigherpositiontoexplainexistencerather

thanknowledgebasedonscientificactivity.Theargumentbeingadvanced

hereissimilartothoseconcernedaboutschoolstacklingracismwithout

havingacriticalunderstandingofbeing‘white’(Avelo,1996;Stephan,

1999).

6.2.4DealingwiththecomplexityofAboriginalChristianity

OneoftheotherpointscomingoutoftheMECScasestudyisthe

appreciationofthedynamicnatureofIndigenousreligiousbeliefs.The

Dreaminghasadynamiccharactertoitandforsomecommunitiesthe

mergingofgroupsandtheintroductionofChristianityhasmeantchangesto

thebeliefsshapingeverydaylife.Somehavecloselylinkedcolonialismand

ChristianityandwouldliketoseeanabsenceoftheroleofChristianbeliefs

inanydiscourseaboutIndigeneity.Fanon(1963),reflectingonthechurch

inthecoloniesexpressedthesesentimentsclaiming‘thechurchinthe

coloniesisthewhitepeople’schurch,theforeigner’schurch.Shedoesnot

callnativestoGod’swaysbuttothewaysofthewhiteman,ofthemasterof

theoppressor’(p.34).Therealityismorecomplexthanthatandthere

needstobegivenrecognitionofthespectrumofthevariedimportanceof

AboriginalChristianityacrossthecountry.Inthe1996census,72%of

IndigenouspeopleidentifiedthemselvesasChristian.WritingaboutPacific

indigeneity,Paumau(2006)boldlyclaimsthatidentitywithChristianityis

essentialtotheidentityofbeinganIndigenousPacificIslander.Shereasons

thatChristianityhasbeentotallyintegratedandinternalisedbythepeople,

itispartoftheirpostmodernidentityand,unliketheWesterneducation

systemitisnotanimposed,outsidesetofvalues.

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Groome(1994)alsowarnsthattheadoptionofChristianity‘cannotbe

equatedwiththelossofcultureandgreaterrecognitionneedstobegivenin

studiestothesyncreticformsofIndigenousChristianity’(p.94).

IlikentherecognitionofAboriginalChristianitytothatofAboriginal

English.InanintroductiontothetopicofAboriginalEnglishEades(2007)

writes,

Aboriginal English is the name given to the various kinds of English

spoken by Aboriginal people throughout Australia. Technically, the

language varieties are dialects of English. They have much in

common with other varieties of Australian English, but there are

distinctive features of accent, grammar, words and meanings, as well

as language use. These Aboriginal English features often show

continuities with the traditional Aboriginal languages. In many subtle

ways Aboriginal English is a powerful vehicle for the expression of

Aboriginal identity.

(Eades, 2007, p. 1)

Eventhoughmotherlanguageisimportanttoidentity,somearebeginning

toacknowledgeaparticularwayIndigenouspeoplehavetakenupEnglish

asdistinctiveandworthrecognitionaspartofthepictureofwhatitmeans

tobeanIndigenousperson.InasimilarwayformanyAboriginal

communitiesandpeoplesuchasDarby,Christianityprovokesanimportant

setofbeliefsshapingeverydaylifeandoughtnottobeignoredbecauseof

politicalcorrectness(Campbell,2006).Silenceorsimplisticexplanations

regardingAboriginalChristianitydonotdojusticetothediversityof

Indigenousculture.

6.2.5Knowledgeaswisdom

InexplainingthethemeofintegralasadrivingforceandthemeofMECS’s

work,boththeontologicalandepistemologicalthreadsofthethemewere

examined.Theontologicalthreadunderstandsthattheworldexistsas

creation.Itbelievesthatworldexists‘asaunitybroughtintobeingand

sustainedmomentbymomentbytheword/order/lawoftheCreator’

(Schoolcreed,section1).TheWordisoneunifiedwordandtheresponsesto

itarediversebutmaintainanintegralunity.Theappropriatewayto

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respondtosuchcomplexconcreterealitiescannotbeformulaicbutmustbe

sensitive,appropriateanduniqueresponsestouniquesituations.Theymust

besensitivetothedistinguishingcharacter(theunityofasituation)andto

itsuniquedifferences.This,insimpleterms,wouldbeawayofdefining

whattheschoolunderstandsaswisdom(Blomberg2007).

Applyingthisphilosophyaboutthegainingofwisdom,aboutacting

sensitivelyandappropriatelytoIndigenouspeopleandcommunitiesresults

inidentifyingandrespectingboththecommonreligiouscoreofIndigenous

culturerepresentedintheDreamingandtheuniquelanguage,history,

experiencesofindividualpeopleandcommunities.

AfocusonwhatunifiesIndigenouspeople,ignoresthedifferencesand

continuesthemistakesofmodernityintryingtofindtheoneperfect

formulatodescribereality.Itwillresultinonewayofactingtoallsituations

which,throughouthistory,hasledtodisastrousconsequences.Ontheother

hand,afocusonlyonthedifferencesanduniquenessofeachindividualand

communityfailstodistinguishwhatthecommunitieshaveincommon.This

leadstoafailuretodistinguishIndigenouscharacterandculturefromnon‐

Indigenousculture.Thismayresultinthedeathofaculture.

Theknowledgeaswisdomparadigmoutlinedhereandinearlierpartsofthis

studyisanalternativetobothmodernistviewsofknowledge,focusedsolely

ongeneralisedlaws,patternsandformulasandofpostmodernviews

focusedonlyondifferenceandthelocal.Thewisdomasknowledge

paradigmprovidesanimportantsubheadingforschoolstotheearlier

challengeofthischapterofcritiquingandacknowledgingtheirreligious

frameworktoalsoincludeanunderstandingoftheircommitmenttowhatis

knowledgeandhowknowledgeisacquiredanddistributed.

6.2.6Meetingpeopleontheirhometurf

InChapter5underthethemeofchallengingworldviewsthestorywastold

aboutthedifferenceinthebehaviourofIndigenouspeopleinrelationtothe

proximityoftheircountry.Colinaddedtothisrecentlybytellingthestoryof

howJapaljarriSpencercametoMelbourneasaguestoftheschoolin1983

175

andaccompaniedtheschoolonthetripbacktoYuendumu.Colinnever

forgetsAndrew’sdiscomfortatUluru.Hedidn’twanttolookattherocksor

talkaboutthem.Hejustwantedtogetoutofthere;itwasnothiscountry!

ThereisanoldKenyansayingthatyouhavenotreallymetapersonuntil

youhavesharedamealwiththemintheirhouse.Somanynon‐Indigenous

peoplehaveonlyinteractedwithpeopleinthecontextofthepublicspace

andplaces,nothomeorcountrytoIndigenouspeople.Howtheyactthereis

notthesameathome.AtYuendumu,studentsexperienceavibranthappy

community,playingsport,laughing,goinghunting,andgoingtochurch.I

thinkthatiswhatisbehindColin’scommentinthenewsletterquoted

earlier.

As well, I hope the experience of a Centre Trip and a few days in

another world will mean that our kids resist negative, crippling

stereotypes and if faced with them will be able to say something like

“Wait a minute I met some of these people and they were not like

that!”

(MECS newsletter, May 2005)

TheMECScasestudythrowsupthechallengetoschoolsonwhoseturfare

meetingstotakeplace?LogisticallyitiseasiertobringoneIndigenous

personintotheclassroomthentobringthewholeclassroomtothembut

theinsightsgainedandthequalityoftherelationshipincreasesdramatically

whenmeetingplacesareshared.

6.3 Sustaining Relationships and Programs

Oneofthethreeinitialquestionsaskedofthisprogramconcernedthe

sustainabilityofinnovations.Itaskedhowhasthisinnovativeprogram

beguninthe80sbeenabletobesustainedwhensomanyprogramsbegan

thenhavedisappeared?Thedatarevealfourkeywaysinwhichthis

programhasbeensustained.Thefirstandmosttellingisthedirect

connectionbetweentheprogramandtheschool’svisionandreasonfor

existence.Thestudyhasshownhowthisprogram,withitskeyfeaturesof

integral,enactedworldview,andchallenge,flowfromareligiocritical

worldviewlensfordealingwithculture.Thissamereligiocriticalworldview

hasalsoshapedtheschoolsoverallvisionandpurpose.Oneofthekey

176

pointstolearnfromthiscasestudyregardingsustainabilityisits

confirmationofthefindingsthatforinnovationtomigratefromthe

peripheryofanorganizationtothecentre,thewholeschoolandall

participantsmustbeinvolvedoveralengthyperiod(Pendergast,2006).

Whenaprogramflowsfromanddemonstratesaschoolsfoundingvision,

continuedsupportismorelikelytooccur.Whenaprogramoperatesinthis

wayitisguaranteedmoresupportandresourcesandwillbemore

sustainableoveralongerperiodthanprogramsputinplacemerelyto

satisfymandatedexternalrequirementsorasmallsectionofthe

community.Thispresentsagreatdealofchallengetothosecallingfor

mandatedIndigenousstudies.Ifschoolshaveonly‘academicexcellence’as

theircorevalueorvision,connectingIndigenousstudiestothisgoalmaybe

superficial.

LongevityoftheMECSprogramisalsoachievedthroughthreeothermeans.

Thefirstisthelongevityofkeypersonnel.ColinandRogerhavebeen

associatedwiththeprogramsincethebeginning.In2005theschool

celebratedfiveteachersforbeingwithandservingtheschoolforover20

years.Manyteachershavebeenthereforovertenyears.Thisisanunusual

intoday’schangingworkplace.Twoofthesenior,“20+club”teachersare

teacherswhohavespenttimelivingintheYuendumucommunityanda

thirdhasbeentheremanytimesaspartoftheCentreTrip.Thepersonal

investment,interestandskilloftheseteachershaveassistedinsustaining

theprogramoverthistime.DevelopingasuccessorforColin,andthe

teachingofWarlpirilanguageisofparticularconcernfortheschoolifitisto

sustaintheprogramintothefuture.

Afurtherreasonforthesustainabilityistheschool’semphasisonregular

reviewprocess.Thestaffandhelpersinvolvedinthecentretripwereall

involvedinareviewprocessafterthetriptovoiceconcernsandissuesto

improvetheexperienceforthefollowingyear.Thismeetingisminutedand

theminutesreferredtoattheplanningmeetings.Similarly,thereviewweek

(heldatthestartofterm4)hasaprocessforthewholestafftomeetand

reviewitsprograms.TherelationshipbetweenWarlpiri,Kooristudiesand

177

Worldviewstudies,timeallocated,contentareallreviewedinthese

meetings.

Afinalimpetusforsustainabilityisthemomentumandsuccessofthefirst

tenyears,spillingoverintointer‐generationalexpectations.Inotherwords,

sustainabilityiseasierthelongeraprogramgoes.Whatisnoticeableasyou

begintalkingtothestudentsisthatabout70%havehadanolderbrother,

sister,cousinortheirmumanddadgoingthroughtheschoolaheadofthem.

Manyofthepastgraduateparentshaveretainedtheirfriendshipsmadein

theschool,contributingtoastrongcommunitybaseconnectedinvarious

levelstotheschool.Theyarepleasedthattheirchildrenarereceiving

similarexperiencesofschoolingthattheyreceived.

Inthedescriptionoftheschool’sprogram,theCentreTripeveningwas

described.Thestrongdesireofbeingacommunity,ratherthanan

institution,isonethefeaturesoftheschool.Itlimitsonsize,itsorganisation

ofstudentsandteachersanditsleadershipstyleencouragerelatingand

workingtogetherasacommunity.Thisemphasisonbeingacommunity,

andtheintergenerationaldimensionoftheschool,contributetothe

sustainabilityoftheIndigenousstudiesprogramandtheYuendumu

connection.TheMECSparentsandteachersdonotjustseethemselvesasa

schoolbut,astheYuendumucommunityseesit,theyarethe‘southmob’the

‘MECSmob’.

6.4 Equal Partnership?

Oneofthepointsraisedintheintroductionandsupportedbymanyofthe

AboriginalorganisationscallingforIndigenousstudiesinschoolsisthe

importanceofequalpartnershipsbetweenschoolsandIndigenous

communitiesinthedevelopmentofunderstanding.Toooftennon‐

Indigenousgroupsformapositionofthemajorityorofpower,controlling

eventstotheirownenhancement.TheMECSstudyraisesquestionsabout

thequalityofthepartnershipwithYuendumucommunitywhichcannotbe

fullyexploredbecauseofthelimitednatureofthisresearchprojectbut

neithercanitbeignored.

178

Thelanguageanddiscussionuntilthispointmayhaveaclinicaledgetoit

thatplacestherelationshipbetweenMECSandYuendumuintoanegative

light.Readingtheresultsofthisresearchonecouldeasilybeledtobelieve

thattherelationshipisheavilybiasedtoonlybenefitMECS’svisionof

educationandtosomedegreetheYuendumucommunityareunwittingly

beingusedtobenefitMECS’svisionofeducation,ascenariosubtle,butno

differenttotheexploitationthathasoccurredandcontinuestooccurto

Indigenouspeopleallaroundtheworld.Fromaresearcher’sperspective,I

believethatthisisnotnecessarilythecase.

TherelationshipbetweenMECSandYuendemuismorecomplexthat.What

hasnotbeendetailedsofarinChapter5intheanalysisofthedata

presented,(butpresentbetweenthelines,inChapter4)istherealabiding

friendshipsthathavegrownupbetweenindividualsfromboth

communities.ThepeopleofYuendumuarenotmerelypeoplewitha

particularworldview,butaregenuinefriends,peoplewithnamesand

personalities.WhenOldDarbyJumpinjinpadied,severalofthestaffcried

andtwostaffwentbacktoshareinthe‘sorrytime’andfuneral.Twostaff

membersrecentlywentouttovisittwoWarlpirigirlsatWorawaCollege,

offeringcontactandhelpiftheyneededit.Recentlytheheadof

administrationhasbeeninvolvedinacampaigntohelpmaintainthe

bilingualprogramatYuendumu,whichisunderthreatandupsettingthe

community.ConnectionstoYuendumumadethroughtheschoolhavebeen

workinginYuendumuseveralmonthseachyear,workingtosupportthe

communityintryingtogetreleaseoftheirownmoneytiedupintrustsso

thecommunitycanbuilditsownschool.

Thereisalevelofcareandconcernforpeoplethatextendsbeyond

educationalboundaries.Theconcernforjusticeasoneofthethemesin

Chapter5wasoverlaidwithlotsofinjusticesthathadhappenedto

particularpeopleregardedasfriends.

Thewarmthandjoyexperienced,asthepeoplemeetisgenuineandgoes

beyondrolessuchasteachersandteachingbutoperatesatthelevelofa

personwithperson.Onewordthatemanatesfromlisteningtopeoplefrom

179

bothcommunitiesisrespect.ThefolkatYuendumuseemtorespectthefact

thatMECSwanttospendtimewiththeminarelaxedwaywithoutinvolving

themina‘program’andarewillingtolearntheirlanguage.Thewaythe

MECScommunitytalksaboutYuendumuanditresidentsisalways

respectful.ThemostobviousevidenceofrespectisthattheYuendumu

communityeachyeargivesMECSpermissiontocomeandcampoutinthe

town.Thispermissionisnotpresumedbytheschool,ispolitelyaskedfor

eachyear,andhasbeenfreelygivenforover25years.Itisreasonableto

speculatethatiftheYuendumucommunitywereexperiencingnegative

effectsfromthevisitsortherelationships,permissionwouldnotbe

forthcoming.

TheschoolisopenandkeentohostanyvisitationfromYuendumuandhas

exploredvariousoptionsovertheyearsbutthesevisitsareverydifficultfor

mostofthecommunityandhaveonlyoccurredaboutsixtimesoverthe

historyoftheirrelationship.

Mostex‐studentswhoIhavecameacrossspeakpositivelyaboutthe

IndigenouspeopleofAustraliaandareconcernedaboutongoingsituations

ofdisempowermentanddisadvantageofIndigenouspeople.The

identificationofbothgroupswithChristianityhasalsoplayedaroleinhow

thetwogroupsvieweachother.AttendingandcontributingtotheSunday

churchserviceatYuendumuhasestablishedalinkbetweenthetwo

communitiesthatisimportantinbroadeningandunderstandingtheir

relationship.

Theoriginalstudydesignhasnotcollectedenoughdatatodefendany

definitivestatementsaboutthelongertermeffectsoftheprogramand

qualityoftherelationshipontheYuendumucommunityandonpast

studentsexcepttheanecdotalonesdescribedabove.However,theseinitial

observationswouldsuggestthatthoughthepossibilityoftherelationship

beingunequalexiststherearemanycomplexfactorsatworkanditwould

beunwisetojumptoaconclusionbasedonthisstudyalone.

180

6.5 Conclusion

Thischapterhastakentheframeworkofbeingreligio‐criticalandthe

transformationalgoalsforschoolingflowingfromtheChristianphilosophy

ofDooyeweerdinthe1920sand30sintheNetherlands(reformational

philosophy)andshowedhowithasbeengivenvoiceinthedistinctive

characteristicsofMECStobetheintegratingthreadtothevariousviewson

culture,teachingcultureandpurposeforschoolingbehindMECS’s

Indigenousstudiesprogram(Dooyeweerd,1979).

IthighlightedsixcharacteristicsoftheMECSapproachthathasimplications

forthewayschoolsrelatetoIndigenouspeopleandcultures.Inparticular,

thewaystoidentifyandchallengeyourownandothers’worldviewandthe

importanceofunderstandingofone’sownculture’sspiritual,religiousroots

anddirectionwasseenasasignificantchallengetothewaysschoolsengage

withIndigenouspeopleandtheirculture.

181

Figure7.YumurrpaJurkurrpa(bushpotatodreaming)

Painted by Ruby Nakamarra Collins, 1990

Women are digging the puurda. The two in the centre are Nakamarra

and Napurrula. These are the kirda (owners) of this dreaming. The

roots of the main plant spread out under the ground.

182

Chapter 7

Final Comments and Conclusion

An ignoramus is a pawn who is used by all sorts of cultural forces, doesn’t

think, is not aware of culture, just reaches decisions, thinking about his

decisions. If you think about it most of the decisions we’ve made are so

channelled by our culture, the car we buy, what we wear, what we spend

our money on, are so channelled by our culture that an uneducated

person doesn’t know culture exists. He’s a will-o'-the-wisp; he’s washed

along by culture isn’t he? A challenge for schools, for parents, is to ensure

that all our young adults are critically aware of their own culture and its

religious roots and to appreciate and respect differences and similarities

with other people and cultures

(extract from interview with principal of MECS)

7.0 Revisiting the story of this study

OnthebustravellingthemanykilometrestoYuendumuandback,various

songsareplayed.Oneoftheregularsongsplayedisthesong“Fromlittle

thingsbigthingsgrow6”.Littledidthepioneersin1981knowthatthey

wouldsetinmotionaseriesofeventsthatwouldleadtoabigpartofthe

historyandfunctionoftheschool’slife.Itoo,havebeenonajourneyover

thepastsixyears,readingtranscripts,listeningtointerviews,reading

journalsandreviewingvariousliteratureaboutIndigenousstudies

programs.AjourneythatstartedwithanintuitivesensethatwhatMECS

had,wasnotjustdifferentbutimportant.Itcontinuedasaparticipant

observer,immersingmyselfinthecomplexitiesofschoollifeandexperience

oftheprogram.ItcontinuedasIsiftedthroughthoseexperiencestryingto

capturethemindescriptivewords,andteasingoutvariousconsistent

meaningsaboutAustralianIndigenouscultureandteachingaboutother

culturespresentintheprogram.Whatwasattheheartoftheschoolthat

fosteredthesemeaningswhentherewassolittlearoundinthatera?

6 Paul Kelly, 1991, Mushroom Records

183

Intheintroduction,anecdotalgleaningsoftheprogramwereputalongside

thevariousparadigmsforteachingaboutothercultures.Thiscomparison

revealedthatMECSbeganitsstudylongbeforemostschoolsandhas

developeditscourseinwaysthatdidnotfitcommonparadigmsfor

teachingIndigenousstudies.ThisestablishedMECSasaninterestingand

worthwhilecasetostudy.

Theintroductionalsopointedtohowthevariousunderstandingsofculture

andhowtogainknowledgeofculturestogetherwiththepurposesof

schoolingoftenshapespractice.Variousunderstandingsandparadigms

surroundingcultureandknowledgeandpurposesofschoolingwere

developedintheliteraturereview.Thispartofthestudyalsointroduced

anddiscussedtheconceptsofworldview,religionandlanguagesbecause

theywerekeyconceptsdiscoveredintheanalysis.

Chapter3outlinedthemethodologicalandethicalconsiderationsin

collectingthedataandwhatdatawascollectedforanalysis.Embedding

oneselfinaschooltoobserveaprogramhadmanycomplexities.

Thestoryoftheprogram,whatitlookedlike,wastoldinChapter4through

theselectionofvariousvoices,theteacher,thestudentsandmineown.It

covereddescriptionsoftheworkintheclassrooms,theCentralAustralian

TripandthetimespentatYuendumu.

Theinterpretationandmeaningoftheeventsdescribedwerediscussedin

Chapter5,revealingthekeythemesofcultureascomplex,dynamicandas

enactedworldview,andshowingthatitsteachingaboutcultureswashighly

influencedbythethemesofintegrality,justiceandchallengingworldviews.

Thediscussionalsolookedatwhatthecoursedidn’tlookatintermsof

silencesandhighlightedthegapssuchaslackofcontactwithlocal

Indigenousgroups.

Chapter6drewonthehistoricalrootsoftheschoolandansweredthe

question:WhatworldviewlensdidMECSusedtoshapeitspractice?Thisled

todiscussionofthethemesofthedataintermsofareligiocriticalapproach.

Thisapproachbroughttotheforethecentralityofallculturesandhumans

184

beingreligious(understoodasspiritualdirection)andexpressedthrough

worldviewandlanguage.

AswellasprovidingaplatformforunderstandingMECS’spracticebetter,

thisapproachalsoraisedsixchallengesforschoolsengagingintheteaching

ofIndigenousstudies.

7.2 Limitations of the Study

Therewerethreemainlimitationstothisstudy.Thefirstwasthelackof

materialsandresearchregardingwhatishappeninginschoolswiththe

uptakeandteachingofIndigenousstudiesprograms.Thismadeitdifficult

todoanycomparativeevaluationsofwhatMECShasdone.Instead,gaps

andpossiblebestpracticecommentswerebasedonAboriginalconsultancy

committees’recommendations.

Thesecondlimitationinthisstudywasthepositionoftheresearcheras

beingpartlyaninsiderandpartlyanoutsider.Hadthestudybeendonebya

completeoutsiderorcompleteinsiderusing,forexample,anaction

researchapproach,differentfindingsandconclusionsmayhavebeen

reached.

Thethirdlimitofthestudywasthenumberandspreadofparticipants.This

studyfocusedprimarilyontheexistingparticipantsinaparticularyear.

Eventhoughseveralofthekeyparticipantshavebeenwiththeprogram

fromthebeginningandsomeofthedocumentsusedlookedatprevious

years,broadeningtheparticipantstoincludepaststudentsandmoreofthe

Yuendumucommunitywouldhaveaddedextravoicestotheconvergence

anddivergenceofthedata.

7.3 Future directions

Itishopedthatthisstudycreatessomeinterestinwhatishappeningin

schoolswithregardtoIndigenousstudiesprograms,andstimulatesmore

peopletoresearchandevaluatewhattheirschoolsaredoing.Thebuildupof

thiskindofresearchisvitaltopolicymaking.Therecordsummarisedin

Chapter1demonstratedthattherehavebeennumerouspoliciesand

185

organisationalstructuresputinplacetosupportIndigenouspeopleandtry

todealwithdisadvantagefacedbymanyIndigenouspeopleand

communities.Akeypartofthisistobettereducatethemajorityof

AustraliansaboutthepastfromanIndigenousperpesectiveandthepresent

realityanddiversityofbeinganIndigenouspersoninAustralia.Knowing

howwelltheseeducationalinitiativeshavebeentakenupandimplemented

andwhethertheyaremakingadifferenceisvitalinconsideringfurthernew

policyororganisationalstructures.Morestudiesofwhatishappeiningin

schoolsneedtobemade.

Theissueofwhoshoulddothisresearchisalsoimportant.Thestudyraised

someadvantagesinhavingabalancebetweeneticandemicapproachesto

researchingwhatwashappening.However,italsoraisedthelimitationsof

bothofthesebeingheldintensionwithintheoneperson.Futurestudies

shouldtrytoachievethisbalancethroughacooperativeresearchapproach.

Perhapshavingoneortwooutsidersworkingcloselywithaoneortwo

insiderstocreatearesearchteamtolookatallaspectsoftheschools

approachtoteachinghistoryandIndigenousstudiesorperspectiveswould

generatebetterqualitydata.Ideally,oneofthevoicesofsuchateamshould

bealocalIndigenouspersonsothattheprogramisexaminedfroma

mixtureofstandpoints.

Thisstudyalsostronglypointedtotheimportanceoffuturestudies

examiningnotjustaschool’spracticebutalsotheworldviewshapingthose

practices.Inparticular,theschoolcommunity’sviewsonwhatitmeansto

bereligiousorspiritualneedstobeexposedandclarified.

ThisstudyhasalsoraisedissuestodowiththewayAboriginalChristianity

intersectsandrelatestoWesternChristianity.Morestudiesinthefutureare

neededtoexplorethisrelationshipanddimensionofIndigenousidentity.

7.4 In Conclusion

EventhoughtheMECSprogramhassomenegativeissuesaround

partnershipandidentifyingwithlocalIndigenousgroups,itprovidessome

importantchallengestothequestionofrelatingtoandunderstanding

186

Indigenouspeopleandculture.Thecentralityofworldviewandreligionand

theirrelationshiphasnotjusthelpedtounderstandtheprogramatadeeper

levelbuthasraisedimportantissuesfornon‐Indigenousschoolsand

organisationstoconsiderastheyrelateandworkwithIndigenouspeople.

Beingblissfullyignorantordismissiveaboutone’sownworldviewflowing

fromaspiritualcentre,directinglife,maycontinuetocontributeinsubtle

waystoseeingAustralianIndigenouspeopleasbeingsomewhat“strange”,

notnormalorromanticisesthem.Bothpositionsimpartbarrierstothe

developmentofrich,deep,respectfulandequalfriendshipandpartnerships

betweenpeoples.Historycontinuestoshowthatbeingthestrangeroran

idolwithinyourmainstreamcultureplacesandholdsyouina

disadvantagedplace.

Inauniqueway,theMECSapproachtocultureandknowledgearguesthat

thepostmodernsuspicionofessentialismhasgonetoofar.Nordoesit

supportareturnofessentialismthatprescribesafixedsetofknowledgeor

practices,confiningIndigenouspeopletothepast.Insteaditprescribesto

theessentialcharacterofhumansasbeingreligiousandhowdistinctbeliefs

aboutbeginningsandultimateends,foundationalinaworldview,shapeall

culturesdynamicallyintonewfutures.

187

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Appendix 1 Description of MECS course in the Koori Resource Index

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Appendix 2 Observation Schedule used in Class

CONTENTofLESSON

Precontact/traditional OtherGroups

• FocussedonSpecificWarlpiri Contact Generalisations

TodayContrastedwithourwayofdoingthings

TopicKinshipFoodDreamingHumourLanguageSportArt…….

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PetrolsniffingStorybyelders

SharingCHURCH

Walkingaroundthetown

AttheDisco

SoftballFootball

Theartcentreandart

Huntingtrip

Appendix 3 Stimulus Chart used to Interview Student Groups

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PeoplearoundtheAlice

ReadingsintheBooklets

OtherExperienceontheCentreTrip

Visiting sites and hearing the dreaming stories e.g. Uluru

Visiting Aboriginal TV and Radio station in Alice

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Appendix 4. Warlpiri Subsections as taught By MECS