The Importance Of Educating Non Indigenous Australians...

This report will investigate the importance of educating non-Indigenous Australians about Indigenous culture and epistemologies. There are many ways in which knowledge can be shared and the acquisition of this knowledge can greatly benefit society in many ways. The first advantage is that it has the potential to enhance interpersonal relationships which may help overcome prejudiced or racist attitudes within society. A lot of literature focuses on the importance of empathy; however, the need for this knowledge goes beyond just the benefits for interpersonal relationships, it also includes benefit for health of people, animals and land. It is important that this knowledge is taught by people with a lived experience to avoid†¦show more content†¦It can also provide non-Indigenous people with alternative ways of viewing and dealing with aspects of their own lives. Another benefit of sharing Indigenous knowledge can be seen in land and natural resource management. Integration of these knowledges with western knowledge systems can help preserve the biodiversity of Australia. The importance of learning within context has been highlighted, the majority of research and literature on Indigenous people is completed by non-Indigenous people. Most literature is written by people observing Indigenous life rather than those who have a lived experience. This can lead to misinterpretation of facts, and some facts being omitted or over simplified to serve the purpose of the author. Background The recent cuts to funding for tertiary education in Australia have forced universities across the country to make cuts to various areas of study. Indigenous education is one area experiencing reduced funding. The School of Indigenous Australian Studies at James Cook University in Cairns is no exception to these cuts. The number of subjects being offered internally is dropping, recently, students were informed that this is due to the school being down to three academic staff and looking to cut back to only one academic staff member in the future. Aiding Multicultural Education A study by Brown (2007) on racialized societal dissonance in America highlighted the importance of educating those that were