Our research is Indigenous-led, interdisciplinary, and aligned with the cultural priorities of our times, including campaigns for climate justice, black lives matter, anti-nuclear, sovereignty, and protection of Country. Our Indigenous-centred methodologies offer opportunities for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to understand, heal and transform from traumatic and violent histories within Indigenous and settler-colonial communities through creative, embodied and situated Indigenous ways of knowing.
Our creative arts praxis generates new ways to speak back to colonial power; confront underlying structural racism embedded within colonial settler-state societies and its institutions of knowledge production; and enable critical dialogue beyond and within institutional and disciplinary boundaries. This work centres the agency and stories of our families and communities and critiques dominant narratives informed by the state's colonial archive.
Our praxis is informed by global First Nations, decolonising, and black feminist scholarship to generate new knowledge through mixed-media installation, visual and performative arts, poetry, performance, and song. We sit with our communities on Country in the spirit of reciprocity to create work that is deeply affecting and grounded in long-held Indigenous philosophies, language, and cultural traditions. We aim to generate new insights into truth-telling, race and racism, history, representation, counter narrative and critique, community collaboration, social inclusion and wellbeing through Indigenous creative-arts praxis. This work also contributes to broader conversations and theorisation about ethical research practice to advance Indigenous futures.
Indigenous Studies research aims and aspires toward an active decolonisation, positive social transformation and benefit for Indigenous communities.
Research within this area should support Indigenous self-determination; privilege Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing through a growing body of national and international Indigenous-led scholarship; build Indigenous researcher capacity where possible; consider Indigenous research ethics and data sovereignty; and draw on Indigenous research frameworks to present research decolonising traditional and non-traditional outputs.
Examples of research in this field can include studies on: Indigenous creative arts praxis; Indigenous storytelling pedagogies; Indigenous ways of Caring for Country; and inclusion of Indigenous languages.
Flinders' Reconciliation Action Plan and Indigenous Research Strategy reflect the significance of Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing and perspectives and the discipline of Indigenous Studies within teaching and learning and research engagement.
Together forming the Unbound Collective, our Indigenous researchers explore what it means to be sovereign peoples within and outside of the institutionalisation of the colonial settler state.
Using film, performance, poetry, rap, blood-memory, haunting and grandmother-stories, the Collective research and reveal Australia's true history.
Meet the Flinders Indigenous Studies researchers below.
Associate Professor Ali Gumillya Baker (Mirning)
Research focus
Indigenous Studies; Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing; Creative Arts/Film and Digital Media; Visual Arts and Curation; Decolonising history; Cultural Studies; Decolonising Institutions
Research disciplines
Indigenous Studies
Creative Arts
Visual Arts
History
Professor Simone Ulalka Tur (Yankunytjatjara)
Research focus
Indigenous Studies; Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing; Creative Arts/Drama and Performance; Singing; Education; Cultural Studies; Decolonising Institutions
Research disciplines
Indigenous Studies
Creative Arts/Drama
History
Education
Associate Professor Natalie Harkin (Narungga)
Research focus
Indigenous Studies; Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing; Creative Arts/Poetry and Digital Media; Decolonising history; Cultural Studies; Decolonising Institutions; Colonial Archives; Indigenous Women's Labour history
Research disciplines
Indigenous Studies
Creative Arts
Poetry/Literature
History and Archives
Dr Faye Rosas Blanch (Yidinyji/MBarbaram)
Research focus
Indigenous Studies; Creative Arts / Performance poetry; Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing; Education; Decolonising history; Cultural Studies; Decolonising Institutions
Research disciplines
Indigenous Studies
Creative Arts
Education
Cultural Studies
History
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
CRICOS Provider: 00114A TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12097 TEQSA category: Australian University
Flinders University uses cookies to ensure website functionality, personalisation and a variety of purposes as set out in its website privacy statement. This statement explains cookies and their use by Flinders.
If you consent to the use of our cookies then please click the button below:
If you do not consent to the use of all our cookies then please click the button below. Clicking this button will result in all cookies being rejected except for those that are required for essential functionality on our website.