Recognising the power of story: narrative prospects for democratic practitioner research

This paper grapples with the difficult question of Australian Indigenous learning in regular schools. Principles of Indigenous knowing have been consistently identified by Indigenous groups in various countries, where it may be that a lack of political will or educational understanding by the dominant society can prevent their incorporation into the regular curriculum. Indigenous Australian communities are often highly sceptical towards educational research as well, seeing this as another form of colonialism or oppression and one that offers little for educational improvement. Some research methodologies may not be appropriate in terms of Indigenous knowledge production and can be disrespectful of community interest, culture and history. Issues such as these that frame Indigenous education and research are extremely important in Australia as practices that can inhibit rather than enhance cultural democracy and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people