rationale
“ We all have been given some of these stories that will stay with us and become part of the stories we tell ourchildren and grandchildren. Sharing those stories that will influence the next generation and be the tomorrow. We are at a point where we need these stories to keep us grounded. This is who we are,the storytellers. The changemakers.”
-Aunty Stephanie Armstrong
(Gamilaraay and Bigambul)
(NAIDOC, 2023).
UNESCO (2006) advocates for art and creative practice as essential components in the education of every child, both for developing individual capabilities and promoting cultural diversity and participation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, as the oldest continuous cultures on Earth—existing for at least 50,000 years—hold unique wisdom that all Australians should value and respect (VCAA, n.d.). Acknowledging this in classrooms helps foster equitable and meaningful cultural engagement. For Indigenous Australians, art is not merely aesthetic but a powerful expression of identity, cultural values, and sacred connection to Country through the Dreaming. As the world’s oldest continuous artistic tradition, Aboriginal art embodies spiritual and cultural narratives conveyed through visual art, song, dance, and ceremony using ochres on rock surfaces, bodies, sacred objects, and ceremonial sites (Australian Aboriginal Art Gallery, 2020).
Indigenous Australians, like many oral cultures, use the landscape as a mnemonic framework for transmitting knowledge, values, and wisdom. Songlines are central to this, functioning as ancient cultural maps that weave stories, spirituality, and connection to Country directly into the land itself. These songlines act as living records of identity, heritage, and belonging, while guiding navigation and cultural continuity (Malcolm & Willis, 2016). The deep ties between First Nations Peoples and the land are also embedded in Aboriginal art, which often serves as a visual map tracing the topography, personal histories, mythologies, and Dreaming tracks of ancestors (Linklater, 2023). This makes the study of Aboriginal art within school visual arts programs essential for nurturing cultural understanding.International research shows that integrating Indigenous perspectives, histories, and languages into curricula improves academic and social outcomes for all students (Department of Education, Science and Training, 2007).
In Australia, the ‘Closing the Gap’ framework, initiated in 2008 to address systemic inequalities, has made only limited progress, with just 5 of 19 targets on track (Productivity Commission, 2023). Embedding Indigenous knowledge into visual arts curricula offers a meaningful entry point for students to engage with Acknowledgement of Country and deepen their understanding of Australia’s First Nations cultures (Ministerial Council of Education, 2008).
Ankomah (2020) contends that teachers are an “essential part of knowledge creation and dissemination” (p.39), hence play a vital role in designing and implementing learning experiences that cater to students' diverse backgrounds and abilities.
However, authentic inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in education requires more than content additions. It calls for genuine collaboration between teachers, parents, and community Elders as equal partners to enhance student engagement and advance reconciliation (Armour et al., 2016). Recent national policy developments reinforce this, urging greater First Peoples' involvement to ensure learning experiences are respectful and authentic (VAEAI, 2016). The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) emphasise that Koorie students should not be singled out as ‘experts’ on Indigenous knowledge in classrooms. Instead, perspectives should be introduced through community-informed collaboration to prevent isolation and promote inclusion for all students (AITSL, n.d.). Addressing the ongoing presence of Eurocentrism, which can distort or marginalise Indigenous worldviews, is equally important for fostering accurate and respectful understanding within the curriculum. Embedding Aboriginal ways of ‘being, becoming, and belonging’ in education creates more culturally responsive classrooms and supports reconciliation by broadening students’ perspectives on history, identity, and community (Japingka Gallery, n.d.).
Victoria’s Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) promotes excellence and equity by prioritising the wellbeing and academic success of every student, with a strong emphasis on activating student voice, leadership, and agency—including that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners (Department of Education and Training [DET], 2022). Research indicates that thoughtfully designed curricula, supported by structured pedagogical interventions, can positively influence student attitudes toward race, social inequalities, and contribute to well-rounded academic success (Halse et al., 2015). The inclusive learning experience I have designed aims to empower students to extend these conversations beyond the classroom, fostering critical reflection, acknowledging the lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and actively working to reduce social exclusion (Banks, 2020). Through high-impact teaching strategies and culturally sensitive, positive student-staff relationships, FISO 2.0 fosters safe, inclusive environments where students develop essential capabilities to thrive, contribute, and navigate life’s challenges (DET, 2022).The Australian Curriculum sets consistent national standards designed to improve outcomes for all students, while directly addressing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their non-Indigenous peers (ACARA, 2018). Its twofold goal is to ensure that Indigenous students see their identities, cultures, and histories reflected meaningfully in all learning areas to support full participation and self-esteem, and that all students develop respect for the world’s oldest continuous cultures through the cross-curriculum priority on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.The artworks selected for study should reflect the goals set by MCEETYA (2008) to foster healthy relationships based on empathy, honesty, resilience, and mutual understanding.
Visual symbolism analysis aligns with the Australian Curriculum’s Personal and Social Capabilities (ACARA, 2012), promoting ethical reasoning and intercultural understanding. For example, studying Archie Moore’s visual ethnography allows students to critically interpret cultural narratives in art and reflect on their broader social and ethical implications. This practice supports UNESCO’s (2011) aim of using arts education to foster intercultural dialogue and global social cohesion. In this way, Visual Arts becomes a vital platform for challenging binary views of Australian history and for cultivating critical thinking and cultural awareness in students. Designing arts curricula that explore themes of identity, belonging, people, and place also aligns with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, reinforcing the principle that a sense of belonging is foundational to self-worth, empathy, and inclusive educational environments (Kunc, 1992).Sharma (2023) highlights that classroom culture is shaped not only by teaching practices but also by the prior experiences of students, their home lives, and the collective environment of the school. Australian Teaching Standards Criterion 1.4 asserts that teachers must demonstrate a broad understanding of the impact of culture and identity on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ education (AITSL, 2022). Embedding Indigenous perspectives within lesson plans both acknowledges these influences and promotes students' awareness of the cultural assumptions embedded in daily interactions and institutional frameworks (Rogoff, 2023).
Finally, Nakata’s (2007) concept of the Cultural Interface offers a useful lens for understanding the space where Indigenous and Western knowledge systems intersect. The 8ways framework (n.d.) notes that the “higher the knowledge, the greater the overlap across cultures,” highlighting how deep learning emerges from cross-cultural engagement. Embedding these principles into visual arts curricula creates both an educational and ethical foundation for fostering respectful, meaningful, and transformative learning experiences for all students.
Cultural Interface Protocols for Engaging with Aboriginal Knowledge
1. Use Aboriginal processes to engage with Aboriginal knowledge.
2. Approach Aboriginal knowledge in gradual stages, not all at once.
3. Be grounded in your own cultural identity (not “colour”) with integrity.
4. Bring your highest self to the knowledge and settle your fears and issues.
5. Share your own stories of relatedness and deepest knowledge.
6. See the shape of the knowledge and express it with images and objects.
7. Build your knowledge around real relationships with Aboriginal people.
8. Use this knowledge for the benefit of the Aboriginal community.
9. Bring your familiar understandings, but be willing to grow beyond these.
10. Respect the aspects of spirit and place that the knowledge is grounded in.