Aboriginal Curriculum Enactment: Stirring Teachers into the Practices of Learning from Country in the City

Abstract

AbstractIn this chapter, the theory of practice architectures is used to identify and analyse the cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social–political arrangements that enable and/or constrain early career teachers in applying Aboriginal curriculum and pedagogies to their daily teaching practice. These teachers completed Aboriginal community-led ‘Learning from Country’ (LFC) electives at university, and so this chapter details the extent to which they were able to enact this learning when they began teaching in schools. Key findings highlight the critical role of school sites in supporting or dismissing teachers’ efforts. A lack of material resources and time to fully implement LFC was a key concern. Nevertheless, teachers focused on strengths-based learning approaches and developing relationships with Aboriginal communities, creating solidarity between local Aboriginal communities and the teachers. Through enacting LFC, a sense of belonging and connection to place was developed and teachers were empowered through experiencing Aboriginal Knowledges as ‘real’ and valuable. Despite often oppressive, ignorant, and dismissive system-wide practices, teachers demonstrated passion, commitment, and courage through centring Aboriginal voices, Country, and Knowledges in the educational practices of their site. We suggest LFC facilitates Yindyamara Winhanga-nha’—‘the wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in’.