Hints and Help - How do I start?
Find out what you know about Indigenous Australia. What do you know about the local community?
Start researching about your local area (identify an area - if you don't live near an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community) and make links with local Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community or government groups. What local Aboriginal and non Aboriginal knowledge exists that you can access?
What do your students know?
It is important that you know your students' background and attitudes. This should be done sensitively. Some children may have preconceived notions about Indigenous Australians. What sort of issues are you faced with?
Are there any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students in your class?
It might be that you have one or more Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students in your class. You need to be sensitive to their cultural needs. In the past Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been taught about white Australian history and to ashamed of their heritage. Great sensitivity will be needed when talking about this in the classroom and some of the issues that will arise from class discussions.
Who is your local community?
Find out which Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander groups or people are in your community. Investigate the history of Aboriginal people in your community.
Contacting your local community
Indigenous people are the best resource in teaching and learning about Indigenous Australia. These groups should also be able to help you locate information and the best ways to present information to your students. If there is no community group in your area make contact via mail or email or use other agencies or networks
Developing a program
The best place to start when developing a program on Indigenous Studies is to work out what both you and the students you will be teaching know already.
Start with content that you feel comfortable about teaching. Learning about Indigenous Australia doesn't have to be confined to a six week program but integrated in subjects throughout the year wherever possible.
Where can you get help?
There are a number of places you can go to get help. If you have an Indigenous cultural centre in your area this is always a good place to start. To find out if there is a centre near you, you will need to use the local phone directory or contact your local council or community centre.
What records are available of the past, such as engravings at local sites? Contact National Parks and Wildlife for advice and information if you are planning to visit Aboriginal sites.
Other places which can provide help are:
Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups
Departments of School Education
Museums and Libraries
University Koori Centres
For a full list of bodies that can provide information or assistance go to Resources and Links on this site
What should you teach? How should you teach it?
Most government and private education bodies have guidelines for teachers to follow when teaching Indigenous Studies. State and national Aboriginal Education agencies also provide resources and guidelines of teachers.
Craven, Ronda (ed) 1999, Teaching Aboriginal Studies, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, is a reference worth looking at.
Also visit the page for teachers on this site. It lists links and contacts for Aboriginal studies nationally and some sites such as the Aboriginal Education - Education Department of Western Australia have good guidelines for teaching Aboriginal studies.
