Situating Indigenous Knowledges Within the University 1996–2006

Indigenous voices began to question the authority of an exclusive circle of scholars, insisting that their knowledges be incorporated into the academic world in a manner and style that resonated with the realities of their cultural life-worlds. They challenged the very foundations of the academic world, questioning many of the philosophical assumptions embodied in the ongoing life of the university. Indigenous methodologies within the Centre for Aboriginal Studies legitimated the lived experience of Indigenous people and the priority of Aboriginal voices. They insisted that Aboriginal voices be pre-eminent in discussions of Indigenous issues and that decision making around these issues should be under the control of an active Aboriginal leadership. In these ways the Centre for Aboriginal Studies opened the doors for inclusion of Aboriginal knowledges into what previously had been considered exclusively academic territory. Issues investigated were not just subject to abstract scholarly debate, but dynamically embedded in the very fabric of people’s lives. The purpose of academic debate was not just to extend understanding, but to arrive at culturally acceptable, practical solutions to the issues engaged. These processes were a constant point of contention and struggle that not only applied to teaching and learning processes, but also to processes of investigation and research.