Early childhood education and care for Indigenous children and their families from colonised nations : working towards culturally meaningful service provision

The United Nations Convention on the rights of the child (UNCRC) (1989) has been instrumental in bringing attention to the importance of addressing the inequities experienced by Indigenous children who live in their ancestors’ countries that were colonised and are now dominated by the cultures, values and political systems of the colonisers. Articles 29 and 30 of the UNCRC call for respect for an Indigenous child’s cultural identity, languages and values, including in the curriculum and practices of education settings. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (2007) further reinforces this message, with Article 14 outlining the right of Indigenous people to establish and control their own education systems appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning, and Article 15 stressing their right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions and histories. This chapter explores the ways in which these messages have been understood and have formed the basis for advocacy and change within the field of early childhood