Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities

Remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander schools and communities are diverse and complex sites shaped by contrasting geographies, languages, histories and cultures, including historical and ongoing relationships with colonialism, and connected yet contextually unique epistemologies,...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sam Osborne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland 2015-12-01
Series:The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/157
_version_ 1797965942509010944
author Sam Osborne
author_facet Sam Osborne
author_sort Sam Osborne
collection DOAJ
description Remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander schools and communities are diverse and complex sites shaped by contrasting geographies, languages, histories and cultures, including historical and ongoing relationships with colonialism, and connected yet contextually unique epistemologies, ontologies and cosmologies. This paper explores the history of Anangu (Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and Ngaatjatjarra) populations, including the establishment of incorporated communities and schools across the tri-state remote region of central Australia. This study will show that Anangu have a relatively recent contact history with Europeans and Anangu experiences of engagement with colonisation and schooling are diverse and complex. By describing historical patterns of population centralisation and decentralisation, I argue that schooling and broader education policies need to be contextually responsive to Anangu histories, values, ontologies and epistemologies in order to produce an education approach that resists colonialist social models and assumptions and instead, works more effectively towards a broader aim of social justice. Through assisting educators and policy makers to acquire a clearer understanding of Anangu histories, capacities and struggle, I hope to inform a more nuanced, contextually responsive and socially-just consideration of the provision of Western education in the tri-state region.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T02:07:57Z
format Article
id doaj.art-f7031475ff72450985df0136b6957a59
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2049-7784
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T02:07:57Z
publishDate 2015-12-01
publisher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland
record_format Article
series The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
spelling doaj.art-f7031475ff72450985df0136b6957a592023-01-03T02:53:20ZengAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of QueenslandThe Australian Journal of Indigenous Education2049-77842015-12-0144210.1017/jie.2015.17Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote CommunitiesSam Osborne0Victoria University Remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander schools and communities are diverse and complex sites shaped by contrasting geographies, languages, histories and cultures, including historical and ongoing relationships with colonialism, and connected yet contextually unique epistemologies, ontologies and cosmologies. This paper explores the history of Anangu (Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and Ngaatjatjarra) populations, including the establishment of incorporated communities and schools across the tri-state remote region of central Australia. This study will show that Anangu have a relatively recent contact history with Europeans and Anangu experiences of engagement with colonisation and schooling are diverse and complex. By describing historical patterns of population centralisation and decentralisation, I argue that schooling and broader education policies need to be contextually responsive to Anangu histories, values, ontologies and epistemologies in order to produce an education approach that resists colonialist social models and assumptions and instead, works more effectively towards a broader aim of social justice. Through assisting educators and policy makers to acquire a clearer understanding of Anangu histories, capacities and struggle, I hope to inform a more nuanced, contextually responsive and socially-just consideration of the provision of Western education in the tri-state region. https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/157Anangu educationAnangu historytristate schoolscolonisationremote communities
spellingShingle Sam Osborne
Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
Anangu education
Anangu history
tristate schools
colonisation
remote communities
title Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
title_full Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
title_fullStr Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
title_full_unstemmed Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
title_short Learning from Anangu Histories: Population Centralisation and Decentralisation Influences and the Provision of Schooling in Tri-state Remote Communities
title_sort learning from anangu histories population centralisation and decentralisation influences and the provision of schooling in tri state remote communities
topic Anangu education
Anangu history
tristate schools
colonisation
remote communities
url https://ajie.atsis.uq.edu.au/ajie/article/view/157
work_keys_str_mv AT samosborne learningfromananguhistoriespopulationcentralisationanddecentralisationinfluencesandtheprovisionofschoolingintristateremotecommunities