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:
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



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.