New media, ancient culture:the power and potential of social media in Indigenous education

• Main Authors: Thunig, Amy, Pearson, Luke
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/mqoutputs/29; E3 - Conference Publication - published abstract or extract of paper; First Nations
• Online Access: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/09b720a0-e886-49fb-9808-0e1f26d6b367; https://www.aare.edu.au/publications/aare-conference-papers/show/12549/new-media-ancient-culture-the-power-and-potential-of-social-media-in-indigenous-education

The First People of this continent now known as Australia are often referred to collectively as Indigenous or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. However, the reality is that these terms are applied to a variety of rich and unique people groups, each with complex social, political, ecological, and educational systems who’ve existed on these lands for time immemorial. Whilst acknowledged collectively as the oldest continuous cultures in the world (Nagle, et al., 2017), since British invasion in 1788 it has been common for the knowledges, practices, lives and histories of First Peoples to be erased, excluded, or only acknowledged in very limited capacities within formal systems imposed within this settler-colonial state. Whilst First Peoples are no longer legislatively denied access to formal education, the limitations of Eurocentric, outsider-based epistemologies, which have been utilised to develop and implement policies and practices within formal education have for First Peoples perpetuated the very inequalities which it is often said they would address (Tracey, et al., 2016; Bodkin-Andrew & Carlson, 2016). In this way, while formal education within Australia now allows the attendance of First Peoples, the system itself continues to perpetuate inadequate recognition of Indigenous cultures, history, and ways of knowing within what remains ‘assimilationist curricula’ (Hickling-Hidson & Ahlquist, 2003).With minuscule numbers of First Nations people working within academia, and/or holding formally recognised positions of power and influence within politics, media, education, health, or higher education, the burden carried by those identifiable as ‘representative’ is significant. However, with the increase in innovative technology, accessible platforms such as social media, and the emergence of First People owned and run media and websites, how knowledge is accessed, shared, and legitimised in Australia is beginning to change. This presentation began utilising IndigenousX as a case study of the ...