Indigenous Studies Research

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.