Page 458 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

35 Australian Torres Strait Islander Students 433

Excluding Indigenous Ways

As we thought through the research findings and read more widely, a larger
ontological consideration raised its questioning head. Science curriculum, as it is
constituted at both state and national level, makes little real concession to indigenous
ways of knowing. The Queensland Studies Authority website advises, “the QSA is
currently developing a range of materials to support the inclusion of Australian
Indigenous perspectives into the school curriculum. [Some] materials are available
now, and more are in development” (QSA 2009c). On this website is http://www.
qsa.qld.edu.au/ a beautiful Torres Strait Islander seasonal events calendar, a seasonal
star calendar and a Zugubul star map. Such materials can be integrated into existing
curriculum, but the ontological structure of the curriculum remains untroubled by
this “inclusion.” Mr. Ernie Grant (2002 p. 51–52), a Dijirabal/Djirrabal Elder from
far north Queensland, sets out the problem this way:

Indigenous communities have a holistic view of their world, which incorporates a vital link
between Land, Language and Culture. This view is considerably different from what is
considered the norm in western society. Many academics, over the years, have recognised
and noted its success in passing on information accurately for centuries … there is a sig-
nificant difference between western and indigenous approaches to the application and
acquisition of knowledge. Western thinking generally adopts a more holistic approach to
the wider issues, while its approach in more localised issues is compartmentalised. The end
result is that most information in schools and institutions – whether it be oral or written – is
organised and presented in a way that reflects this. On the other hand, largely because of
the people’s dependence on the spoken word and observation for sharing knowledge about
their own world, the indigenous approach is quite the opposite. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people look at the whole picture and identify relationships and links within it,
whereas their western counterparts often focus on the detail of the individual parts without
considering their possible interaction with others. This apparent conflict can be confusing
and frustrating for all those involved in sharing the knowledge.
Grant advocates a holistic approach to knowing and teaching indigenous studies, to
create “the total picture” encompassing consideration of Land, Language and
Culture by contextualising Time, Place and Relationships. Grant (2002, p. 54)
proposes that together, “these six components provide a flexible framework for
organising and presenting information on a range of topics.” The standardised
science curriculum in the state of Queensland and the newly proposed national
curriculum make no explicit reference to any of these elements. As it is constructed
through formal curriculum discourses, scientific knowledge stands outside from
Place and Time. Knowledge doesn’t of course, but the way science is presented in
state-sanctioned curriculum statements makes it very difficult to recognise the place
of Place and the time of Time. No direct mention is made of Land – the central
organising concept of Australian indigenous ways of knowing – nor is there formal
mention of Culture. There is little, if any, recognition of the many and different
cultures of indigenous Australians. And certainly, nothing is said concerning
Language, the unquestioning default position being Standard Australian English in
a continent with a multitude of unique and now disappearing indigenous tongues.
More worryingly, the new national science curriculum in its current draft iteration