Visual arts: a multimodal language for Indigenous education

Abstract

Visual arts and other modes and media of communication are vital to Indigenous People, yet multimodal forms of representation, such as those prioritised in the arts, are often poorly understood and excluded from Indigenous education. This article describes cross-cultural, participatory community research enacted with an Indigenous school in Australia. Indigenous elementary students were taught by Indigenous community leaders to engage in visual arts through paintings and other forms of artistic representation (e.g. dances, rap video). These artistic expressions were coherent with Indigenous ways of learning and communicating. The multidimensionality of Indigenous students’ paintings was analysed, and the significance explained in relation to the language of transgenerational Indigenous Lore. The results demonstrate how Indigenous visual arts enabled powerful representations of transgenerational knowledge and understandings. The findings also provide generative illustrations of a culturally informed and responsive multimodal literacy pedagogy, highlighting the need to respect the multimodal dimensions of representation that have cultural meanings for Indigenous identity and education practices. The article challenges Western, privileged forms of literacy, while highlighting the need to respect visual arts as language in the English curriculum for equitable and culturally responsive education for Indigenous students.

Keywords:

• Multimodal
• literacy
• Indigenous
• visual art
• digital media
• social semiotics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Indigenous refers to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People of Australia, or the Original People of Australia. There are many First Nations People, each with their own tribe, culture and language.

2 Elders are those who have been observed throughout their lives as knowing and upholding the Lore in righteousness. They are bestowed the position of ‘Elder’ and held in esteem within their communities (Debbie Mundy 2019, Elder).

3 Debbie Mundy is an Original Elder. Due to the oral nature of passing on culture, history, and meanings from ‘place’, discussions were held to check and explain aspects of Original culture cited here.

4 Robert Lawlor is a respected researcher providing insights into the Original Australian Indigenous Lore. This major and specialised work was recommended by Indigenous Elders.

5 Roger Saunders is an Indigenous Artist from Central Queensland. In the oral tradition of the Original Peoples, he advised on Indigenous children’s multidimensional artwork.

6 Link to dance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0gUFxDxfcM&feature=youtu.be

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Australian Research Council, DE140100047. The views are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the Australian Research Council.