Acknowledgement of Country practices in Early Learning Centres

This report explores ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ practices in early education. The report identifies key features of Acknowledgement of Country practices, examines the process that contribute to their implementation, and explores how families and educators perceive the significance, meaning, benefits and impacts of Acknowledgement practices. An important aim of this research is to provide research data that informs the development of professional training for educators, particularly non-Aboriginal educators, to support them as they embed Acknowledgement of Country in early learning environments. The research was informed by an Indigenist research framework (Martin & Mirraboopa, 2003) and yarning methodology (Bessarab & Ng’andu, 2010). Guidance was provided by a steering committee which included Aboriginal members with practitioner and research expertise in early education. We interviewed 20 educators and six adult family members, including Aboriginal educators and an Aboriginal family. However, since one explicit purpose of the research was to contribute to professional development for non-Aboriginal educators to better embed Aboriginal Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing, the predominance of non-Aboriginal voices was appropriate to understanding the development needs of this group. From the research data we constructed five themes, and the report is structured around these themes. These are: the range of Acknowledgement practices present; the land on which we play; living with many cultures – acknowledging the First Peoples; Getting it right / just start; someone to ask; and begin with the children. We have developed seven guiding principles, and our recommendations for practice are clustered by these principles. 1. Develop relationships with local Aboriginal people. 2. Seek out and honour local Aboriginal knowledge. 3. Privilege Aboriginal culture in celebrations of diversity, because we are on land that belongs to the First Peoples. 4. Encourage families to travel this journey with you. 5. Prioritise time for professional reflection and learning. 6. Decide as a centre the extent to which you will share difficult knowledges with the children. 7. Invest in a shared collection of resources. We acknowledge our recommendations are based on the inclusive practice of educators and other staff at all WSUEL centres. These recommendations are intended to support and enhance this practice, and make it visible, for the benefit of other early learning centres.