Ways of Knowing

Question 1

ATSI Ways of Knowing

(6)

Answer 1

• connected to landscape
• relational
• reciprocal
• spiritual and based on deep connection to ancestral knowledge
• holistic
• traditionally transmitted orally
• learning occurs within the same context that it should be applied

Question 2

Country

Answer 2

• contains complex ideas about place, law, spirituality, language, cultural practice, material, sustenance, family and identity - much more than just the land

Question 3

Learning Embedded in Relationships

(4)

Answer 3

• kinship defines one’s relationship to Country
• kinship structures - system of social organisation in which everyone is related to each other in defined ways
• inter-generational checks to ensure accuracy of knowledge
• determines who can hold what knowledge

Question 4

Multi-modal System of Knowledge

(4)

Answer 4

• all entities on Country have their own language - learning to listen, observe and sense relationships between entities on Country
  e.g. land links
• learning occurs through multiple modalities
  e.g. story, song, art

Question 5

Knowledge patterned on Country

(3)

Answer 5

• Country holds and teaches all knowledge
• kinship structures are mapped to Country
  e.g. Songlines