Envisioning Indigenous education sovereignty through story: Our education, our way

Michelle Bishop

doi:10.55146/ajie.v53i2.1105

Authors

Michelle Bishop Macquarie University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3292-2355

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v53i2.1105

Keywords:

Indigenous futurities, decolonial approach, storying, Indigenous education sovereignty, envisioning, anonymity

Abstract

Within an Aboriginal community in so-called Australia, conversations of education sovereignty are being held. These conversations, as part of my doctoral research, are envisioning an educational future outside of colonial-controlled schooling, an educational future grounded in Indigenous knowledges. In recognition that education has been occurring here, very successfully, for tens of thousands of years, community members share their vision for Indigenous futurities, looking at the patterns of the past to prepare for the future. Envisioning education sovereignty creates time and space to think deeply about the future, and to embrace ancient educational practices that our ancestors would recognise. These conversations do not subscribe to Western notions of “progress”, nor start from a premise that colonial rule is ever-lasting. This research contends with Indigenous education sovereignty for our grandchildren’s grandchildren. Some findings from this research are shared here, in the form of a story, as a decolonial approach to centre Indigenous knowledges and methodologies. This story—“Our Education, Our Way”—presents a vision for what education could look and feel like, and has implications for the way formal education currently functions.

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Author Biography

Michelle Bishop, Macquarie University

Michelle Bishop is Gamilaroi woman from western New South Wales and has been grown up on D’harawal Country in south-west Sydney. From a critical Aboriginal perspective, her teaching and research critiques dominant practices in education and offers counter-narratives to advocate for emancipatory change in education for Indigenous students. This includes looking closely at teacher ontology and teacher education, culturally responsive schooling practices, school–community relationships, and inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in teaching and learning. Michelle’s PhD research is focused on Indigenous education sovereignty, envisioning an educational future outside of colonial-controlled schooling, and centred in Indigenous axiologies, ontologies and epistemologies.

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