Reconciliation agendas in the Australian Curriculum English: Using postcolonial theory to enter the fray

Abstract

This article begins by discussing the Australian Curriculum: English and its remit to contribute to this nation's reconciliation agenda. Ever cognisant of our individual identities as non-Indigenous teachers and teacher educators and our relations to this topic, we hone in on one Content Description from Year 10, and analyse one stimulus text, an interview transcript between Michael Hohnen and Patrick Pittman. In the interview, Hohnen reflects on the long term collaborative relationship with Dr G. Yunupingu, a hailed musician from Galiwinku (Elcho Island), North East Arnhem Land. The theoretical grounding for thinking about these reflective recounts is drawn from a critical theory paradigm imbued with a postcolonial lens. Specifically, we draw on Bhabha's (1994) notion of cultural hybridity. Our analysis of this text points to the utility of using postcolonial theory for framing discussions of this ilk. We conclude by commenting on implications for non-Indigenous teachers and teacher educators working within an agenda of reconciliation in subject English.