Science and Mathematics Education Centre Crossing Cultural Borders – A Journey Towards Understanding and Celebration in Aboriginal Australian and Non-Aboriginal Australian Contexts Marianne McLaughlin This thesis is presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Curtin University June 2012 Declaration Page This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published by any person except where due acknowledgement has been made. ii Abstract Aboriginal students will often approach their teacher with the biggest and most beautiful smile. That smile, if it could be verbalised, asks the teacher to ‘learn me’. Non-Aboriginal teachers may find that crossing cultural borders, between their own worldview and that of the Aboriginal students’ can be a challenging and frightening experience, so much so that they may not see the open smile and desire to learn from the Aboriginal student. I have been fortunate to have experienced crossing multiple cultural borders with Aboriginal people using an Aboriginal form of the Third Space (Bhabar, 1994) based on the lived experience of Scott Fatnowna who is the creator of this teaching and learning model. This model is designed to cause positive change between Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians through understanding each other’s worldview by working and learning together with equal power and cross cultural dialogue. The model also resonates with the Ganma metaphor (Yolgnu people from the Northern Territory). This study investigates, through an autoethnographic narrative and participant interviews, what ‘learn me’ may mean for teachers with Aboriginal students in the classroom. This research also investigates how teachers may not only avoid the pitfalls involved in cultural border crossings but also increase the engagement and retention of Aboriginal students as both students and teachers ‘learn’ each other in a truly holistic fashion. iii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my mother Kathleen Margaret McLaughlin for always reminding me of who I really am, especially when I forget. iv Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisor Peter Taylor for his patience, persistence and sheer tenacity without which I would not have completed this thesis. I would also like to thank all my participants for giving so generously of their time and energy and sharing their stories with me. A special thank you must go to Scott Fatnowna who is the other half of my Third Space. Thanks also to all those people who cheered me on and offered encouragement in the dark times. Finally, but not lastly, I would like to thank my children Matthew and Zoe for putting up with grumpy Mum and believing in a “Bran neu day” for all of us. v Terminology When used in the Australian context ‘Indigenous’ refers to a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as much by the community in which s/he lives. Throughout this thesis there are references which refer exclusively to Aboriginal people/students whose experiences may be different to Torres Strait Islander people/students. Therefore, when the term “Aboriginal” is used, this refers specifically to Indigenous Australians of Aboriginal descent, identification and acceptance. vi Table of Contents Declaration Page ii Abstract iii Dedication iv Acknowledgments v Terminology vi Preface xiii Part 1 Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction 1 Background 3 Research Questions 6 Significance 8 Research Methodology 11 Ethics 12 Chapter 2 A Place to Belong: A Theoretical Framework for the Third Space Introduction 14 Background 14 Western Paradigms 19 Interpretivism 19 Criticalism 21 The Critical Reflective Practitioner 22 Critical Autoethnographic Inquiry – The Narrative Approach 24 Indigenous Paradigms 27 Chapter 3 A Way of Being: A Methodology for the Third Space Introduction 30 The Third Space and Hybridity 30 The Yarn as a Methodology 37 The Yarn 38 vii Quality Standards 41 Trustworthiness and Authenticity 41 Critical Reflexivity and Vulnerability 42 Pedagogical Thoughtfulness and Verisimillitude 42 Wisdom, Praxis and Humility 42 Chapter 4 Do We Have a Problem? Introduction 44 My Journey Towards the Third Space: The Seed of the Enquiry 44 Suzie’s Story 47 Suzie’s/Saffron’s First Day 47 Sharoma’s Story 50 Sharoma as the “Other” 52 Sharoma’s Map – The Third Space 53 Graduating Year 11 54 Chapter 5 Why Do We Have a Problem? Introduction 57 Western Thought 57 Australian Indigenous Thought 61 A Short History of Aboriginal Education in Australia 64 Chapter 6 What Can We Do About the Problem? Introduction 70 The Aboriginal Education Unit (AEU) Third Space Pedagogy 70 Creating a Third Space - The Ganma Metaphor 74 Being Strong and Smart in the Third Space 78 International Examples of Third Space Programs 88 Chapter 7 Essential Tools for Non-Aboriginals Entering the Third Space Introduction 95 Cultural Schema Theory 96 Aboriginal English 99 viii Family/Kin Relationships and the Ownership of Knowledge 103 The Spiritual/Material Context 105 Time/Space Relations 106 Social, Cultural and Cognitive Foundations 107 Differences in the Way Time is Expressed and Perceived 108 Chapter 8 Journeying Towards the Third Space Introduction 111 Journeys in my First Space (non-Aboriginal Australian Worldview) 112 Journey’s in my Second Space (Australian Aboriginal worldview) 118 Journeys in my Third Space – Coming Back 130 Going Home 130 Finding my Own Space 132 Part 2 The Yarns 137 Introduction 137 Chapter 9 University Days Introduction 138 Which Space/Which Language? 141 Yarns with Scott 143 Scott as Teacher – Marianne as Learner 148 First Semester, 2000 150 Yarns with Haydn 151 Haydn as Learner/Teacher – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 154 Semester 1, 2001 155 Yarns with John 156 John as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 160 Chapter 10 The Kooya Days Introduction 161 Semester 1, 2003 161 Yarns with Kim 163 ix Kim as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 170 2004 – 2006 171 Yarns with Kathleen 171 Kathleen as Learner/Teacher - Marianne as Teacher/Learner 177 2007 – 2008 180 Yarns with Marlene 181 Marlene as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 184 Yarns with Janice 187 Janice as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 189 Chapter 11 Dreamtime Days Introduction 191 Yarns with Eric 192 Eric as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Learner/Teacher 198 Yarns with Megan 199 Megan as Teacher/Learner – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 202 The Teacher/Learner Relationship in the Third Space 203 Chapter 12 Creating Third Spaces Yarns with Alana 207 Alana as Learner/Teacher – Marianne as Teacher/Learner 214 Full Circle 216 Epilogue Discussion and Conclusions Introduction 222 Research Questions reviewed 222 Marianne in the Land of Enchantment (Celebration and Understanding) 239 And in Conclusion… 244 Glossary of Terms 251 List of References 246 x List of Figures Figure 1 Doorndjil yoordaniny (coming together – moving ahead.) (Copyright Kooya Consultancy, 2003) 34 Figure 2 The Third Space Methodology 46 Figure 3 Sharoma’s Third Space 54 Figure 4 Bark painting of Ganma; moiety-Yirritja clan – Gumatji; Painter YalmayYunupingu (1989) 76 Figure 5 Strategies for Appropriate Work Practice- The Pedagogy of the Third Space within the AEU 77 Figure 6 Strategies for Appropriate Work Practice- The Pedagogy of the Stronger Smarter Program at Cherbourg, Queensland 85 Figure 7 Linear Timeline 108 Figure 8 Marianne’s Map and Original Pathway 112 List of Appendices Appendix 1 Unit Outline for Ed 510 – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education 264 Appendix 2 The Tindale Map 278 Appendix 3 Map of Australia 279 Appendix 4 Map of Western Australia 280 Appendix 5 Map of Gibb River Road, Western Australia 281 Appendix 6 Map of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory 282 xi Doorndjil yoordaniny (coming together – moving ahead).A Noongar representation of the Ganma Metaphor. (by Dale Tilbrook. Copyright Kooya Consultancy, 2003. Permission for use granted by Kim Collard July 2010) xii Preface This thesis is about a journey I have undertaken over the last 10 years. The journey involved a tatty and much worn piece of paper which was a map of sorts, however it is possible that the map was not as it appeared and, instead of sending me directly to my destination, I followed a long and convoluted trail. The trail that I followed was what some have termed a learning journey. This particular learning journey involved my extensive sojourns and, at times, assimilation into a culture other than my own. This is the culture of Australian Aboriginal people. During this long and intrepid journey I met some remarkable people, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, and I learnt a great deal about Australian Aboriginal cultural schema. The journey was made unconsciously at the outset in an effort to find a place of engagement between Aboriginal Australians and mainstream Australians and can be attributed to my involvement with pre-service teacher education at a university in Perth, Western Australia. I believe that in finding and defining this space it may be of use to other non-Aboriginal people who, for one reason or another, find themselves in a position where they need to cross the cultural borderlands between these two disparate cultural groups. It may also be useful to Aboriginal people as they make the journey from one worldview to another. This place of intersection between two cultures, sometimes termed the Third Space, is directed towards education and teacher education specifically. I begin this thesis towards the end of my journey on a very hot summer’s day in Perth, Western Australia, and I invite you to come on this learning journey with me. xiii Chapter 1 Introduction Walking into the lobby of the hotel a little sigh escapes me as it is so very cool.