Insights from the Oldest Living Culture - First Nations Wisdom

Australians are avid travellers, venturing overseas to study ancient civilisations.  What might we learn from the oldest living culture on our doorstep? Indigenous Australians have prospered as a people for 65,000 years. Their history is a remarkable and rich journey of transformation, resilience and diversity. How did they survive an Ice Age and sea level rises? What kinship and scientific systems allowed them to live well with each other and harmoniously with country? What skills are required by an oral history culture? How might Indigenous philosophy and insights, such as stewardship, help all Australians face future challenges of climate change and geopolitical tensions?

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• Monash University, Indigenous science can help solve some of the great problems of our time
• Adapt NSW, How Aboriginal culture can help us understand climate change
• CSIRO, Indigenous knowledge
• Jeff Corntassel, Indigenous Perspectives on International Relations
• The Conversation, Non-Indigenous Australians need to educate themselves. One way to do this is to take an Indigenous tour.
• The First Knowledges series in partnership with the National Museum of Australia
• The Royal Society of Victoria with Dr Mary Graham (Indigenous Philosopher), The Land and its Laws of Obligation
• Australian Academy of Science, Looking back, moving forwards - Recognising Indigenous knowledges
• Australian Philosophy Research Group, Towards an Australian Worldview: A Conversation with Mary Graham & Freya Mathews

COURSE OUTLINE

• A timeline of Indigenous Australia
• Strategies that made it possible to survive an Ice Age, sea level rises and colonisation.
• Insights from the First Knowledges book series on kinship principles, law/lore, fire science, astronomy and weather as a basis for living well with each other and country.
• An overview of the cognitive science required by an oral history culture.
• How might Indigenous philosophy and insights, such as civilisation, stewardship, help all Australians face future challenges of climate change and geopolitical tensions?

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Appreciate the achievement of a culture living across 65,000 years.
2. Understand the skills and systems required to survive an Ice Age, sea level rise and colonisation.
3. Reflect on the deep knowledge of kinship principles, law/lore, fire science, astronomy and weather from the oldest civilisation.
4. Appreciate the cognitive science required by an oral history culture.
5. Discuss ‘How might Indigenous philosophy and insights, such as civilisation, stewardship, help all Australians face future challenges of climate change and geopolitical tensions?’
6. Share their own experiences with, and appreciation of, Indigenous Australian knowledge and philosophy.