Cultural competency and how it relates to Indigenous Australians Talking Points Intro: 1. Recap on the iceberg model – Culture is more than food, dress, dance and language (surface/folk culture) but it is about the more subtle and deep ways that culture impacts on individuals. E.g. child rearing practices, ordering of time, patterns of group decision making. 2. However, in discussing this culture, we need to also acknowledge that Indigenous culture is not a homogeneous group. The research has come from a range of indigenous communities, but might not be reflective of everyone who identifies as ATSI. 3. Need to be integrated into the whole curriculum – any learning takes places on Indigenous land – acknowledgment of country 4. This topic has been difficult – even in this last 4 weeks, I have been given a lot more information. They way we use language in academic spaces does not include marginalised people. I’m going to do my best to address them all – but forgive me for not getting them all right. 5. Indigenous students – these students have been excluded from the education narrative for so long so they come back to education we need to prioritise voices. Point 1: Understand your community As Tania & Daniella pointed out, a vital step of cultural competency is knowing the community you are going into. This extends looking at the classroom both as a group of individuals all existing very different ecosystems (Bronfenbenner), as well as a group that exists within a community. The only way in which you can truly have a culturally competent classroom is by getting to know your students and working towards a contextualised vision. Don’t assume that what you want for the classroom is what the classroom actually needs. The only way to understand behaviour is to be immersed in it and speak to the locals: Perceived Behaviour Student avoids eye contact Student smiles at seemingly inappropriate times Student seems reluctant to engage in debate, speculation, argument or other classroom processes Possible Cultural Source Casting the eyes down may be a demonstration of respect A smile may be a gesture of respect, meant to avoid offence in difficult situations In some cultures, it is considered inappropriate to openly challenge another’s point of view, especially the teacher’s Research suggests that for Indigenous students, an authentic relationship is essential, since relationships are of primary importance in Indigenous cultures In Indigenous communities, this extends to knowing the ways in which they approach learning. Point 2: Understand & integrate the Indigenous ways of knowing into your teaching (a) Intro The second point is not just applicable for teachers going into school with Indigenous students, it is about recognising Australia’s history and ensuring that you really get into that mindset of cultural competency, and not just as a list to tick off. Gay, (2000) maintains that Culturally Responsive Teachers appreciate the existing strengths and accomplishments of all students, develop them further in instruction, and use them as a resource for teaching and learning. It should be noted that moving along the cultural competence continuum is a lifelong journey, an ongoing process and an ideal to strive for. A comparison made by Myer was that Western society embodies Descartes notion of ‘I think therefore I am’ (focus on needs and rights of the individual) to the Indigenous view that individual knowledge comes through the knowledge of others and you exist through the interaction with others. Yunkaporta & McGinty (2009) support this in their work with some Aboriginal culture groups, stating “In the Gamilaraay worldview, learning pathways are not direct and the outcomes and the journey are one and the same. This logic can be seen in the language. For example, the word for search and find is the same – ngaawa-y, and the word manila-y means hunt, search and find simultaneously (Ash, et al 2003). This indicates that the process is as important as the outcome, or rather that the outcomes are integral to the process.”(p.62) (b) 8 Indigenous ways of knowing What is it? It comprises eight interconnected pedagogies that see teaching and learning as fundamentally holistic, non-linear, visual, kinaesthetic, social and contextualised. The eight interconnected pedagogies are: Yunkaporta in his 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning Framework explains that Aboriginal culture has used narrative pedagogy (using personal and wider stories) for teaching and learning. He explains that the use of these stories – and through inviting local members of the community to share theirs –grounded learning in what is part of students’ reality, and that as a result, this “story-telling and sharing was found to be the cornerstone of successful lessons.“ If over-generalizations are made about the preferred learning styles of Indigenous and minority children, there is a risk of stereotyping. What can result is a biased pedagogy that may result in the needs of some children not being addressed through the pedagogies used. Just as there are many Indigenous cultures, so there are many Indigenous learning styles. Yazzie maintains that “Affective qualities, rather than skills or academic preparation, seem to characterize effective teachers in the research literature. Studies indicate that teachers who serve Native students effectively are informal, are caring and warm, give up authority, and have and show respect for their students.” We need to ensure that it is seen not as sitting separate or unique to Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities, but is incorporated into the Australian classroom. And the way in which schools implement learning. Why is it important? Link with Emily & Wren’s – if we are looking to be culturally competent then we need to implement this into all classrooms. It always was and always will be Indigenous land and we need this to make systematic changes – avoid things like Mango. Your job to be culturally competent – you need to seek it out. No excuses.
