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Integrating Indigenous Knowledges in the Curriculum

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Indigenous Knowledge Attribution Decision Tree

An essential component of information literacy is the ability to use "information with an understanding and acknowledgement of cultural, ethical, economic, and social issues surrounding the use of information" (ANZIL, 2004, p.22). When engaging with information about Indigenous People and Indigenous Knowledges it is necessary to critically evaluate both the content and authorship of the source to determine if it is appropriate for use. It is recommended sources using Indigenous Knowledge:

  • Use respectful terminology, avoiding racist language.
  • Are contemporary where possible as it will be more likely to include a diversity of views and Indigenous perspectives. 
  • Include Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing.
  • Have informed consent from Indigenous participants.
  • Are written by Indigenous authors or in partnership with communities.
  • Appropriately cite Indigenous authors.
  • Clearly outline the author's relationship to the knowledge.

Where sources do not adequately meet the above criteria, it is suggested to look for alternatives. It is acceptable if an individual wishes to use a source that is found to be problematic, however it is necessary to be clear about the sources limitations and justify its use in the wider context of Indigenous Knowledges and authorship. 

Faulkhead et al. (2023) from the Indigenous Archives Collective have released the Indigenous Referencing Guidance for Indigenous Knowledges toolkit, which provides the decision tree  below, designed to support evaluating the appropriateness of resources.

 

Decision tree flowchart image. For full description of image expand the textbox below.

Indigenous Archives Collective, 2023, CC BY-NC-SA

 

 

Is the resource appropriate?

Content.

Does the source use outdates/racist terminology? Is it a contemporary source? Or could it be? Does the source contain content that was collected without informed consent? Does the source centre Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing?

Authorship.

Is the author Indigenous? Or is it partnership research supported by community? Does the author cite Indigenous authors? Are there Indigenous authors in the field that you could cite instead? What is the author’s relationship to the knowledge?

Do you still want to use this resource?

If No, consider using a course that is Indigenous authored and preferences first-person lived experience.

If Yes, but the source is problematic. Ensure it is used outlining its limitations, and refer to the Indigenous knowledge referencing guide.

If yes, the source is appropriate. Great! You’ve found an appropriate source that attributes Indigenous knowledge and/or is Indigenous authored and preferences first-person lived experience.

References

Bundy, A. (Ed.). (2004). Australian and  New Zealand Information Literacy Framework (2nd ed.). Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy. https://adbu.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Infolit-2nd-edition.pdf 

Indigenous Archives Collective, Faulkhead, S; Thorpe, K; Sentance, N; Booker, L; & R Barrowcliffe. (2023). Indigenous Referencing Guidance for Indigenous Knowledges. Indigenous Archives Collective and the UTS Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research. https://members.caval.edu.au/media/images/Documents/CRIG/CACIK/CAVAL_Indigenous_Knowledges_Citation_Guide.pdf

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