Stories for Country: Developing a Place-Based Pedagogy Based on Indigenous Ways of Knowing

Abstract

Indigenous people have different ways of being, knowing, and doing. The ways that we educate our children led to the most sustainable society in the history of our planet, lasting well over 60 000 years. The pedagogical approaches of Indigenous Australians must surely have something to offer in the way of teaching sustainability, particularly considering the immense ecological, social, and economic challenges that loom just over the horizon. The Indigenous approach to learning is mainly built on developing in individuals a profound and lasting respect and affection for the places they inhabit through encouraging them to explore their own stories of connection to these localities, their histories, and Earth-kin. All we are is a story, and a good story is one of connection, obligation, and responsibility. This thesis uses a new methodological paradigm (Narrative Ecography) to develop the Stories for Country Pedagogy - a teaching and learning framework aligned with Indigenous processes and suitable for implementation in mainstream Australian schools. This approach is designed to help educators prepare students to enter into a more honourable relationship with Country, and thus develop in them the skills and capabilities to restore an ecological balance for the good of all humankind. Show more