Mapping shared spaces : an approach to teaching Indigenous Australian studies

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education.NO FULL TEXT AVAILABLE. Access is restricted indefinitely. The hardcopy may be available for consultation at the UTS Library.NO FULL TEXT AVAILABLE. Access is restricted indefinitely. ----- This thesis discusses an approach to teaching Indigenous Australian Studies within a university setting. It argues the need to employ a holistic approach to learning that can be achieved by utilising the arts as part of classroom practice. The arts have always been used within Indigenous Australian communities as a way of teaching and disseminating information and important lessons. As with all cultural practices, the arts have changed and adapted in order to reflect and relate to new environments. Such changes do not negate their importance but create a way forward in reaching and communicating to a wider audience. The thesis notes that Universities have [also] changed with the inclusion of Indigenous Australian studies and students and argues that university environments must also reflect and adapt to accommodate cultural change and influences so that it remains relevant and inclusive of today's society. It is therefore necessary that we find a positive way forward for including Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives within all areas of the university including Indigenous Australian Studies. This thesis will argue the importance of finding and naming connections in order to create a safe position within Indigenous Australian Studies for all to actively participate