Acknowledgement of Country in the Classroom

...the personalisation of the acknowledgement really frames the seminar in such a way that we can all bring our own positionalities into that space,  valuing Indigenous knowledges and experiences at the same time.
Download this Educator Guide (PDF)

The Context

In 2022, Universities Australia formally acknowledged the need to “recognis[e] the value Indigenous people and knowledges bring to the university and embed Indigenous value systems and knowledges in teaching and research” (Universities Australia, 2022, p. 53).

Acknowledging Country is a practice that affirms the relationship between an Indigenous person/group and a particular place, or Country. It is often, but not exclusively, adopted by non-Indigenous people and organisations to recognise the effect that colonisation has had and continues to have on Indigenous peoples, despite some criticism and resistance to the practice.

Many Indigenous scholars suggest that there is no one right way to Acknowledge Country, and that Acknowledgments of Country should be flexible and responsive to the social context (Onus, 2020; Northcote, 2023).

Acknowledging Country in educational settings in universities provides an opportunity to recognise Indigenous peoples and knowledge systems by allowing educators and students to engage with Indigenous peoples and knowledges, regardless of the teaching material, subject, or discipline.

Acknowledging Country is an opportunity to:

  • Educate ourselves and our students about place, community, culture, law, history, and colonialism;
  • Take a step towards Indigenising the curriculum; and
  • Contribute to enhancing cultural safety for Indigenous students, and all students.

Acknowledging Country in the classroom can be:

  • A powerful pedagogy that can engage diverse students in nuanced and ethically challenging discussions;
  • A highly engaging process for educators and for students when focused on local and context-specific issues and events; and
  • An open-ended and dialogical process, that welcomes a diversity of perspectives and experiences and resists conclusive or definitive understandings.

Recommendations

  • Be informed about the local Indigenous groups in the area where you are teaching, including their languages, culture, ongoing activities and leadership to acknowledge the local First Peoples’ relationships to your location and institution.
  • Reflect on your own positionality and how this shapes your engagement with Country to make your Acknowledgment of Country more personal, authentic and enjoyable for everyone.
  • Frame academia as a space that should value Indigenous knowledge and experiences, and create opportunities for exploring connections between classroom activities, the broader curriculum, and Indigenous peoples, knowledges and experiences.
  • Be aware that you may encounter some resistance or debate. Some students may view the practice as unnecessary, whereas others may see it as tokenistic. You can guide respectful discussions around these topics. The CSHE Guide to Managing Polarising Topics provides some helpful guidance.
  • Avoid using what is known as ‘deficit discourse’ when discussing Indigenous Peoples (Fogarty et. al., 2018) and promote a strengths-based discourse.

Suggested Activities

  • Research the history of your local area and the location of your campus, including First Peoples’ perspectives. For example, if you are on the Parkville campus, you can download the Billibellary’s Walkapp and share some of these learnings with your students. What is the significance of your local area for First Peoples? How has this relationship changed as a consequence of colonisation? Use this knowledge as a point of reference for your own reflections.
  • Personalise your Acknowledgement of Country, for example, you might use personal or family stories of your journey to Australia/Victoria.
  • Invite students to reflect on their positionalities and relationships to place, holding space for different ways of responding to past and current events, and for contrasting views.

References

  • Northcote, K. (2023, September 1). Be brave. There is no script for Acknowledgment of Country, according to Tiriki Onus. Professional Development Blog University of Melbourne https://study.unimelb.edu.au/study-with-us/professional-development/blog/be-brave.-there-is-no-script-for-acknowledgment-of-country-according-to-tiriki-onus). Retrieved 20/09/2024