Sharing a place-based indigenous methodology and learnings

Abstract

Building on a methodology of Cooperative Inquiry, the outcomes of five interconnected place-based learning projects from Australia are synthesised and elaborated in this paper. The methodology can facilitate the everyday living and sharing of an Earth-based consciousness: one that enriches Transformative Sustainability Education (TSE) through recognising meanings and stories in landscape, and celebrates Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. Indigenous-led environmental education is shown to link with one of the longest continuous environmental education systems in the world and it is contended that because of its ongoing history, environmental education carries a cultural obligation. In Australia, every landscape is Indigenous and storied, and all Australians have an inherent right to learn that joy in place, along with the responsibility to care for it. Teaching and learning a relationship with place as family, is one way that environmental education can lead that campaign. This place-based methodology is a lifetime commitment involving everyday actions for change, a whole-of-education dedication.

Keywords:

• Cooperative inquiry
• transformative sustainability education
• place-based methodology
• indigenous methodology
• environmental education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 We wish to thank the reviewers for their insightful comments and feedback.

2 We use the term science here to mean a way of understanding and finding our way in the world; in doing so we challenge the often-assumed idea that western science represents definitive ‘truth’.

3 Land and Country are capitalised to denote Indigenous relational concepts including place-as-family, a sense of the sacred and nourishing provider (Wooltorton, Collard, and Horwitz 2019b).

4 At the time of publication, debate continues in Australia, in relation to sovereignty and/or constitutional recognition. We do not take a position, and for brevity we use ‘sovereignty’ to refer to the movement towards Indigenous nationhood.

5 ‘Right way’, in Western Australia, refers to a protocol of respect and recognition. Being a short form of ‘right Country, right people, right way’, it refers to practices central to Indigenous communication since time immemorial. See Nulungu Research Institute (2016) for further information.

6 Cooperative Inquiry is capitalized to denote the form originally recommended by Heron (1996).

7 There is an important protocol for ensuring truth-values in Cooperative Inquiry, description of which is not included in this paper for reasons of brevity. Further information is available (Heron and Reason 2011; Napan et al. 2018).

8 Two way learning generally refers to the use of Indigenous and English languages and epistemologies collaboratively and separately for conceptual discussions and learning. In this case, the purpose is landcare and management tasks to revitalise and relearn Indigenous place-based sciences for contemporary purposes such as carbon sequestration.

9 Bawaka Country is a place in Arnhemland, in the Northern Territory of Australia.

10 Yolŋu is a first nation group of Arnhemland.

11 The project is illustrated here: https://www.derbalnara.org.au/

12 The full studies behind the first three descriptions are free downloads from PAN: Philosophy Activism Nature, at http://panjournal.net/.

13 Historians believe the roundabout was named Elaap as it was the name of the settler farm that was cleared to make way for the roadway. However our reading of the history shows that those first settlers in the location – the Scott’s – seemed to be respectful people who named their farm after the Elaap people.

14 These days, we write things so we can ‘forget’ them; this requires a less attentiveness.

15 See https://vimeo.com/87175648

16 See Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature: http://therightsofnature.org/

17 Dr Anne Poelina was also a delegate to the International Summit on Indigenous Environmental Philosophy (2010), resulting in the Redstone Statement: https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/untindigenousenvirosummit10/20120220212925/http://indigenousenvirosummit10.unt.edu

18 Terrans are earth inhabitants: a science fiction term.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sandra Wooltorton

Associate Professor Sandra Wooltorton is a Senior Research Fellow with the Nulungu Research Institute, at the University of Notre Dame Australia’s Broome Campus. She leads inter- and transdisciplinary research on topics including environmental education, social change, climate hope, Indigenous sustainability and transformative learning.

Len Collard

Professor Len Collard is with the School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Western Australia. Len has a background in literature and communications and his research interests are in the area of Australian Indigenous Studies, including Nyungar interpretive histories.

Pierre Horwitz

Professor Pierre Horwitz is at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. His research and teaching have included an ecosystems approach to the relationships between biodiversity, culture and human health and well-being, with a particular interest in karl and gabi in Noongar boodja.

Anne Poelina

Dr Anne Poelina is a Yimardoowarra marnin: an Indigenous woman from the Mardoowarra, Fitzroy River who is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with the Nulungu Research Institute in Broome. She has been a research consultant and research fellow for various universities for more than 28 years.

David Palmer

Dr David Palmer is a Senior Lecturer in Community Development at Murdoch University. He has been researching community-based projects throughout WA and other parts of the country, and partnering for research with Indigenous organisations for many years.