‘taking your mob with you’: giving voice to the experiences of indigenous australian...

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‘Taking your mob with you’: givingvoice to the experiences of IndigenousAustralian postgraduate studentsKatelyn Barney aa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit , The Universityof Queensland , Brisbane , AustraliaPublished online: 14 May 2013.

To cite this article: Katelyn Barney (2013) ‘Taking your mob with you’: giving voice to theexperiences of Indigenous Australian postgraduate students, Higher Education Research &Development, 32:4, 515-528, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2012.696186

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‘Taking your mob with you’: giving voice to the experiencesof Indigenous Australian postgraduate students

Katelyn Barney*

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland, Brisbane,Australia

Indigenous Australian postgraduate students experience different barriers fromthose encountered by non-Indigenous students. In the transition fromundergraduate to postgraduate study, Indigenous students are more likely to comefrom disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, have lower personal incomesand lack family and other networks supportive of engagement with tertiary, andespecially postgraduate, study. While there is a growing literature on Indigenousparticipation in higher education, with the exception of a few notable examples,there is little known about the effectiveness of support mechanisms and issues forIndigenous students undertaking postgraduate study. Drawing on interviews withcurrent and past Indigenous postgraduate students at The University ofQueensland, this paper problematises the postgraduate experience for IndigenousAustralian students, identifying common themes in their accounts. It alsodiscusses one of the outcomes of the project along with planned futuredevelopments that aim to provide better support for Indigenous Australianpostgraduate students at The University of Queensland. By knowing and actingupon the kinds of mechanisms that can assist Indigenous postgraduate students,the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous student participation inpostgraduate study can begin to be addressed.

Keywords: cultural safety; Indigenous students; online networking; postgraduateexperience; support

Introduction

Indigenous students’ rates of participation, retention and completion are much lowerthan those for non-Indigenous students in Australian higher education (James et al.,2008). Difficulties include disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, lower personalincomes, cultural isolation and prejudice, more responsibilities and dependents thannon-Indigenous students, and a lack of family and other networks supportive of engage-ment with tertiary, and especially postgraduate, study (Bin-Sallik, 2000; Coolwell,1993). There is a critical need to improve postgraduate enrolments of Indigenous Aus-tralians1 at universities to increase participation rates in order to achieve key nationalsocial-justice goals of reducing Indigenous disadvantage and building a better futurefor Indigenous Australians. While there is a growing literature on Indigenous partici-pation in higher education (e.g. Andersen, Bunda, & Walter, 2008; Devlin, 2009;DiGregrio, Farrington, & Page, 2000; Ellis, 2001; Morgan, 2001), with the exceptionof a few notable examples (e.g. Day, 2007; Council of Australian Postgraduate Associ-ations, 1997; Trudgett, 2009; Weir, 2000), there is little known about the issues faced

*Email: k.barney@uq.edu.au

Higher Education Research & Development, 2013Vol. 32, No. 4, 515–528, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2012.696186

and effectiveness of support mechanisms for Indigenous Australian students undertak-ing postgraduate study.

This paper draws on the findings of a project undertaken by the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Studies Unit at The University of Queensland, which sought togive voice to the experiences of current and past Indigenous Australian postgraduatestudents. Drawing on critical pedagogy theories and methodologies and interviewswith current and graduated Indigenous Australian postgraduate students (of courseworkand research degrees), this paper problematises the postgraduate experience for Indi-genous Australian students and identifies common themes in students’ experiences.It also discusses one of the outcomes of the project that attempts to provide bettersupport and increase the retention and graduation rates of Indigenous Australian post-graduate students at The University of Queensland.

Indigenous Australian postgraduate students: research and support

The 2008 Federal Review of Australian Higher Education (commonly referred to asthe Bradley Report) identified Indigenous students as one of the most under-rep-resented groups in higher education today (Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales,2008). While the number of Indigenous students participating in higher educationhas markedly increased since the 1960s, Indigenous students are still grosslyunder-represented (Ellis, 2001). For example, Indigenous postgraduates at The Uni-versity of Queensland between 2005 and 2009 were only 0.5% of the PhD postgradu-ate population, 0.27% of the Doctorate by Coursework programs, 1.49% of Mastersby Research programs and 0.32% of Masters by Coursework students (University ofQueensland Reportal, 2010). This is despite a relative increase in the Indigenouspopulation between 2001 and 2006 from 2.1 to 2.4% of the general populationand an overall increase in Indigenous school participation between 2001 and 2006from 3.5 to 4.2% (Devlin, 2009). With a greater number of university-aged peoplein the Indigenous population compared with the non-Indigenous population, Indigen-ous participation in higher education should be much higher than it currently is(Devlin, 2009). Importantly, though, a number of scholars are exploring ways tosupport and increase Indigenous student participation at both undergraduate and post-graduate level.

The role of Indigenous support services

Morgan (2001) demonstrates the importance of Indigenous support services to assistIndigenous students in undertaking and completing degrees. Similarly, Andersenet al. (2008) point to the essential role Indigenous units/centres play in supporting Indi-genous students. Linked closely with the role of Indigenous units is the importance ofculturally safe learning spaces and orientation processes for Indigenous students. Pro-viding positive learning environments as well as carefully managing each student’sorientation process when beginning university study is suggested by DiGregrio et al.(2000) as being essential. The importance of Indigenous support units, specificallyfor Indigenous postgraduate students, is also discussed by Trudgett (2009). Shesuggests the need for designated Indigenous postgraduate support officers within Indi-genous units who can assist students to navigate the postgraduate experience.

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Culturally appropriate supervision

The importance of culturally appropriate supervision for Indigenous postgraduate stu-dents is highlighted by Fredericks, Croft and Jansen (Council of Australian Postgradu-ate Associations, 1997). Similarly, Day (2007) more closely examines issues relating tothe supervision of Indigenous research higher degree students and notes that these post-graduate students need alternative types of support. Day emphasises the importance ofsupervisors having experience with Indigenous cultural issues and, like the Council ofAustralian Postgraduate Associations 10 years previously, argues further that culturallyappropriate support and supervision is required for Indigenous postgraduate students.As McKinley, Grant, Middleton, Irwin, and Tumoana Williams (2011) suggest,‘having academic advisors with the right mix of disciplinary knowledge and expertise,research skills, and understanding of [Indigenous students] is crucial’ (p. 123); (forfurther exploration of issues faced by Maori doctoral students see McKinley, Grant,Middleton, Irwin, and Williams [2007, 2009]).

Indigenous research methodologies

The importanceof Indigenous researchmethodologies for Indigenouspostgraduate studentsis an important development in the higher education literature. Saunders, West, and Usher(2010) argue that ‘Indigenist’ research ‘offers new methodologies, creative approaches toresearch, more rigorous ways of conducting research, emergent and innovative approaches,opportunities to help resolve the academic contradiction, and importantly, ways to liberateIndigenous people from the oppressive forces of colonialism’ (p. 6) (also seeRigney, 2006).

Linked closely with this, O’Sullivan (2009) explores the possibilities of alternativeforms of dissemination for Indigenous research students. Her project aims to facilitatesupport for Indigenous postgraduates in the development of Indigenous research meth-odologies (p. 156). O’Sullivan emphasises that ‘at a time when we have so few quali-fied Indigenous researchers in the academy, the capacity for our research students tocreate significant contributions to the emergence of new Indigenous researchmethods and practices should be fostered and encouraged’ (p. 160).

The project discussed in this paper builds on and extends this research by exploringthe experiences of Indigenous postgraduate students. It draws directly on the voices ofcurrent Indigenous postgraduate students, as well as completed and non-completed stu-dents, and provides an up-to-date examination of their experiences to demonstrate theneed to support Indigenous postgraduate students in reaching their potential.

It is important to note that there have been a number of initiatives undertaken at uni-versities across Australia to support Indigenous students undertaking postgraduatestudy. For example, each year the University of Melbourne offers an Indigenous Post-graduate Summer School (now a Professional Certificate in Indigenous Research)bringing Indigenous postgraduate students together along with their thesis supervisorsand senior Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars from the Social Sciences. Thepurpose of the Summer School is to provide students with the knowledge, skills andmentoring to help them toward successful completion of their postgraduate degreesand furthering of their careers. Flinders University runs a workshop on issues specifi-cally related to supervising Indigenous postgraduates and Queensland University ofTechnology offers a master class on Indigenous research methodologies for postgradu-ate and early career researchers. The University of Sydney has begun organising ‘learn-ing circles’ for Indigenous postgraduate health students.

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At The University of Queensland, at the time of this study, there were 44 Indigenouspostgraduate students consisting of 12 Doctor of Philosophy students, one Master ofPhilosophy student and 31 postgraduate coursework students. Yet, before thisproject, the effectiveness of support for Indigenous students in undertaking postgradu-ate study was unknown. While the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit atThe University of Queensland provided wide-ranging assistance for Indigenous stu-dents, there were no programs designed specifically to assist Indigenous postgraduatestudents.

Positioning the project: a critical pedagogical lens

The project, titled ‘Facilitating and Supporting Indigenous Students in the Transitionfrom Undergraduate to Postgraduate Study’, draws on critical pedagogy (Freire,1996; Giroux, 1992; Greene, 2000; hooks, 2010; Kincheloe, 2008) as its theoreticaland methodological framework to examine the experiences of current and completedIndigenous Australian postgraduate students. As Kincheloe (2008) points out, thereare many different definitions of critical pedagogy and this depends on those whodevise them and the values they hold. bell hooks (2010) suggests that ‘critical pedagogyencompasses all areas of study that aim to redress biases that have informed ways ofteaching and knowing in our society’ (p. 23). Critical pedagogy is committed tosocial justice, grounded in dialogue (Freire, 1996) and aims to empower culturally mar-ginalised students (Darder, Bartodano, & Torres, 2009a, p. 9). It also involves bothreflection and action (Monchincki, 2008, p. 1). Giroux (2009) proposes that criticalpedagogy should be ‘fundamentally concerned with student experience insofar as ittakes the problems and needs of the students themselves as its starting point’(p. 453). In keeping with this, the methodology used in the study positions Indigenousstudents’ voices at the centre. This project reflects on Indigenous postgraduate students’experiences but also provides some action or practical outcomes to assist and supportIndigenous postgraduate students. The project aims to address the ways Indigenouspostgraduate students are marginalised and to bring about a change in Indigenousstudent participation by exploring their experiences and considering the ways univer-sities can encourage more Indigenous students to continue their studies to postgraduatelevel.

Critical pedagogy provides me with a way of puzzling through my position as anon-Indigenous researcher and educator working in Indigenous Australian studies. Iagree with Darder, Bartodano and Torres (2009b), who point out that critical pedagogycan provide a ‘powerful lens of analysis from which social inequalities and oppressiveinstitutional structures can be unveiled, critiqued and, most importantly, transformedthrough the process of political engagement and social action’ (p. 24). I began analysingissues of social inequality and oppression in 2002, when I began my PhD working withIndigenous women performing in contemporary music contexts. Since then myresearch has shifted to a collaborative framework and I have undertaken a number ofresearch partnerships with Indigenous researchers and colleagues (Barney & Proud,2010; Barney & Solomon, 2010).

This project was undertaken in collaboration with Monique Proud (Aboriginalresearch assistant and Student Support Officer) at The University of Queensland whoassisted with the collection and analysis of the data. After I completed ethical clearanceprocesses, we interviewed 12 current Indigenous postgraduate students, four non-completed students and seven graduates to explore their experiences, the kinds of

518 K. Barney

mechanisms that assisted them and what could be done to further support IndigenousAustralian postgraduate students. We decided to interview both research higherdegree students and coursework students because although the structure of thesedegrees are different, we wanted to learn about the experiences of all postgraduate stu-dents. Also, there are only a very small number of Indigenous research higher degreestudents at The University of Queensland, so to widen the scope of the study it wasimportant to interview coursework students. Most of the interviews took place in Bris-bane and surrounding areas at locations suitable to the participants, two participantsflew to Brisbane from Cairns and Sydney, respectively, and we interviewed anotherin Melbourne. Informed consent was obtained from participants and interviews wereaudio- and video- recorded with the permission of participants. After transcribing theinterviews, we engaged in thematic analysis, as we looked for common themes inthe interviews. Drawing out the themes in the interviews provided the analyticaltools to generate meanings from the interview transcripts.

Certainly, critical pedagogy is context-specific (Monchincki, 2008, p. 2). In theAustralian context, critical pedagogy has been applied to analyse teaching and learningin Indigenous studies (Mackinlay, 2008) and to explore methodological approaches inworking with Indigenous students (Stewart &Mackinlay, 2003). Like the work of thesescholars, I am using critical pedagogy to foreground the voices of Indigenous studentsin an attempt to highlight their perspectives and redress the ways Indigenous studentshave been marginalised in higher education.

Listening to Indigenous Australian postgraduate students: experiences,difficulties and dilemmas

Postgraduate study can be a daunting experience for all students and during interviewswith Indigenous Australian postgraduate students there are certainly some issues thatarose that could apply to all postgraduate students, particularly students from culturallyand linguistically diverse backgrounds, including the financial stress of study, the over-whelming nature of postgraduate study and the difficulties balancing work-life press-ures. However, there are also unique difficulties and pressures experienced byIndigenous postgraduate students. Since the students and graduates interviewed wereboth research higher degree students and postgraduate coursework students, issues con-cerning supervision are interwoven within the themes below.

‘It’s a very lonely time’: cultural and social isolation

Postgraduate study can be an isolating experience for all students and, as Coe andKeeling (2000) note, postgraduate students need to be provided with avenues tonetwork with their peers. Similarly, Manathunga (2009) highlights that students fromall backgrounds can experience a profound sense of isolation while undertaking post-graduate study. However, for Indigenous students, this isolation is compounded by thelimited number of Indigenous students currently undertaking postgraduate study. Asone student pointed out:

I’m sure it happens to every student whether they’re Indigenous or non-Indigenous but thecapacity to go and find somebody and talk to them about it in a way they understand isprobably a lot greater for a non-Indigenous student than an Indigenous one on campus.

Many of the Indigenous postgraduate students interviewed spoke of feelings of iso-lation as they were the only Indigenous student, that they were aware of, in theirSchool or Faculty. One graduate noted her experience while undertaking her PhD was:

A very lonely time … there’s absolutely no network of Indigenous postgrads that I wasaware of …

Another Indigenous PhD graduate pointed out that:

In some respects I got more and more isolated because I found myself at a loss sometimesin terms of who to seek outside of the one-on-one supervision relationships.

Similarly, a graduate noted the cultural isolation she experienced as a result of havingvery few Indigenous people to discuss her postgraduate study with:

I think isolation comes to mind for me… I think that was really hard and it was an isolatingexperience because you do it on your own and so you ask people in our [Indigenous] com-munity what a PhD is and very few people understand what it necessarily involves or isabout and even a Bachelor degree half my family didn’t know what that meant and Ididn’t know what that meant either until I did it … so it can be culturally isolating as wellbecause you can’t … there’s not a whole pool of people in your community that you cancheck in with and even trying to find an Indigenous supervisor… I wasn’t able to find oneand Iwas really hoping to have an Indigenous supervisor so culturally itwas isolating aswell.

The above comments point to the limited number of Indigenous supervisors and, asAsmar and Page (2008) note, ‘the well-documented lack of Indigenous universitystaff is a serious issue for the retention and success of Indigenous students’ (p. 109).Asmar and Page point out that the demands placed on Indigenous academic staff forsupervision is high due to their limited numbers and the pressures placed on them tosupport non-Indigenous as well as Indigenous students.

Linked closely to this issue of isolation is the issue that many participants were thefirst in their family to undertake postgraduate study:

My family supports me in whatever I do but I am the first one to go to university in myfamily so I don’t think they quite understand how to support you because the mostcommon question I get from grandparents is ‘are you done yet?’ and I say ‘no Gran,it’s a three or four year process’ and she says ‘oh oh what are you doing?’ and you cantell her as many times as you want but she thinks it’s… like an assignment you completein a couple of weeks and you’re done … it’s particularly hard when you have familymembers who have no idea of the process, and none of my family have even done under-graduate so yeah they’re supportive but they don’t really understand.

Another student stated that:

My family has always been extremely supportive … but at the same time haven’t reallygot what it is that I was doing. And my father didn’t really encourage me to go to uni andwas a bit disappointed that I decided I wanted to go to uni when I finished high school. Hejust wanted me to have a job and be a hard worker and that was his expectation which isnot to criticise him but … there wasn’t this kind of expectation that university was goingto lead to some meaningful role in society.

First-generation university students tend to be at a distinct disadvantage to their peerswith respect to basic knowledge about postsecondary education, level of family income

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and support, educational degree expectations and plans and academic preparation (Pas-carella, Pierson, Wolniak, & Terenzini, 2004; see also London, 1992). O’Rourke(2009) highlights that ‘many Indigenous tertiary students are often the first memberof their family to attend university, and as such, have limited experience in dealingwith these barriers’ (n.p.).

‘In a community setting we know about who’s gone before us’: lack ofnetworking, mentoring and peer support

Indigenous postgraduates and graduates noted a lack of social networking amongstIndigenous postgraduate students at The University of Queensland. Many said thatthey were not aware of other Indigenous postgraduates and/or that they are the onlyperson in their course who is Indigenous. This issue of a lack of networking is particu-larly important because as one student noted, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islandercommunities shared knowledge and experiences are valued: ‘We like to learn collec-tively and pass on and share knowledge and experiences’. As Hughes, More and Wil-liams (2004, p. 182) point out, there is not a single, distinctive Aboriginal learning stylebut recurring strengths in Aboriginal ways of learning. However, it is possible to ident-ify pedagogical characteristics common to Indigenous groups, both locally and glob-ally, that are relevant to why networking and peer support may be so important toIndigenous postgraduate students. The autonomous, embodied and experientialnature of teaching and learning is a striking attribute of Indigenous cultures. Hooley(2000) contends that Aboriginal ways of learning begin ‘with the culture and under-standings of learners, enquiry emphasises a unity of practice and theory and of so-called academic and practical knowledge, without privileging one over the other’(n.p.). Cooperative learning styles are also considered central to many Indigenouslearning styles, whereby students and teachers ‘look after, learn from, and teach eachother’ (Davison, 1998, p. 8). Alongside dialogue and interaction with peers, Indigenouspedagogy allows students to assert independence by ‘observing, listening and partici-pating with a minimum of intervention or instruction’ (Battiste, 2002, p. 15). Thismay be why it is particularly beneficial to Indigenous students to know other studentsand be given opportunities to network with them.

One student noted the importance of forming relationships with peers during post-graduate study and stated ‘it’s about connections with individual people … I think it’sabout those relationships’. Linked with the issue of a lack of networking opportunities,Indigenous postgraduate students and graduates emphasised the importance of rolemodels and mentors in assisting Indigenous postgraduates to completion. As onestudent noted: ‘We can help tutor undergrads but who can help tutor us?’

A graduate pointed out that in an Indigenous community setting knowledge ispassed down between generations:

I think it’s about creating opportunities for people to engage with each other and knowthat other people are out there. … Because in a community setting we know aboutwho’s gone before us, those stories are passed on in our community and are shared butin terms of the world of academia it’s like a secret club. Yeah once you get throughyou get to see who else is there.

Certainly, universities can be viewed as ivory towers where only the elite are welcome(Becher & Trowler, 2001) and there is a need for more opportunities for Indigenous

postgraduates to meet in order to disperse some of the ‘secret club’ of academia. Anumber of participants noted that initiatives like the University of MelbourneSummer School for Indigenous postgraduates are important to allow the students tonetwork and meet each other:

I think things like summer schools are important like the summer school that MarciaLangton and others run at Melbourne Uni … I think that’s really important and thereshould be more of that kind of thing around the country. I think we should have more Indi-genous researchers, student researcher gatherings … I think that’s important becausestudent/peer support is really important.

University is ‘not seen as a black space, it is seen as a largely white space’: lack ofcultural understanding, safety and support

The place of Indigenous knowledge within university contexts is being discussed anddebated by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars in the academy. Certainly,Western knowledge systems have tended to marginalise Indigenous knowledge anddiscourses. Nakata (2006) suggests that Western knowledge is deeply implicated inthe historical mistreatment and continuing position of Indigenous people in Australiaand cannot fully understand Indigenous histories, knowledges and experiences. Simi-larly, Bird-Rose (1996) describes a double bind inherent ‘in the encounter betweenIndigenous knowledge systems which include boundaries of exclusion and silence,and the colonising demand for information’ (p. 6). As one student pointed out:

You know, I thought that was just the normal way to do things, and then realised that thereis this big Western way of doing social science research and actually the school, or uni-versity or that person was not flexible enough at all.

This student’s comment points to the differences between Western and Indigenousresearch methodologies and the lack of cultural understanding Indigenous postgraduatestudents can face from the university. Manathunga (2009) notes that ‘researchers fromculturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly Indigenous researchers,continue to struggle with alien epistemologies and research practices in many disci-plines’ (p. 171) and there is increasing acknowledgement that for many IndigenousAustralian students, university participation is a cross-cultural experience (Christie,1985; Harris, 1990; Sherwood & McConville, 1994). A number of participants empha-sised a lack of cultural understanding and support from postgraduate supervisors and aneed for cultural safety within universities more generally. A graduate stated:

We talk about cultural safety and when people feel like certain opportunities are culturallysafe then they are more likely to engage in them. And you have already had the dilemmagetting Indigenous people into university because it’s not seen as a black space, it is seenas a largely white space. It’s not really for us, it’s for somebody else and I think we arestarting to break those barriers down and now it’s about saying that we are in here wecan actually reach the highest level in academia.

Bin-Sallik (2003) emphasises that ‘cultural safety is an issue which has not receivedadequate recognition’ (p. 21) in universities and ‘we should be challenging universitiesfrom a cultural safety standpoint’ (p. 27). She draws on Williams’ (1999) definition of‘cultural safety’ being ‘an environment that is spiritually, socially and emotionally safe,as well as physically safe for people’ (p. 213). Bin-Sallik (2003, p. 27) argues that it is

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important for there to be designated Indigenous spaces in universities, culturally appro-priate curriculum and courses, as well as the need for Indigenous academics. Similarly,one graduate suggested that:

I think it’s really, really important that there’s somebody who is there to some extent tobuffer too, or to protect the student and I know that sounds really patronising and I don’tmean it to be but if the student does run into cultural difference or being challenged aboutthings that really are not about the subject but are about Aboriginal issues you know,because of lack of understanding or inappropriate perceptions then somehow there hasto be some way of resolving those conflicts.

Many Indigenous postgraduates commented on having supervisors who had sound aca-demic knowledge yet lacked cultural awareness and understanding. They noted thattheir supervisors sometimes then looked to them, the student, for advice on variousIndigenous issues and matters. Similarly, writing of his experience as an Aboriginalpostgraduate student, Budby (2001) notes that:

supervisors and fellow students expect that because one is from a cultural group differentto their own that one is an expert in that field … others’ expectations of me as an expertlead to embarrassment and the transmission of inaccurate information. (p. 250)

A research outcome and beyond: the Postgraduate Meeting Place

In response to the voiced experiences of Indigenous postgraduate students, a websitecalled the Postgraduate Meeting Place (www.uq.edu.au/meetingplace) was developedand launched. It is designed to provide information for current and prospective Indigen-ous postgraduates and also assist Indigenous postgraduate students at The University ofQueensland to network and meet. In designing the website, I consulted with Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander staff in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unitto discuss what should be included and the kind of ‘look’ that would be most appropri-ate. While there were diverse ideas, the importance of including many Indigenouspeople and their stories on the website was a common theme, as was the importanceof having an ‘Indigenous’ look to the website through artwork.

The website includes:

. resources for both current and future Indigenous Australian students includingstudy options, postgraduate prospectus, guide to supervision resources, and lit-erature relating to Indigenous students and higher education

. an Indigenous Australian student networking email list

. information on scholarships and awards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderpostgraduate students

. frequently asked questions about postgraduate study

. news and events relevant to Indigenous postgraduate students

. profiles on Indigenous postgraduate students and graduates.

The profiles include short video clips of Indigenous students and graduates tellingstories of their experiences undertaking postgraduate study, the support they finduseful and giving their advice for other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentsconsidering postgraduate study.

Aboriginal artist and early childhood educatorDenise Proud painted an artwork titled‘Pathways to Knowledge’ for the project (see Figure 1), which has been used on the

website to signify the many pathways that need to be made between Indigenous post-graduate students, the university and the Indigenous Australian community. It also sig-nifies the change of the space of universities so that they are not viewed by Indigenousstudents as being only a ‘white space’ and expresses a hope that differentways of learningand passing on knowledge will gain further acceptance within the university context.

The website was launched in November 2010 but is being updated and revised inaccordance with suggestions from Indigenous postgraduate students. An evaluativesurvey administered to participants and staff in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderStudies Unit found that the initial website is being positively received. One studentnoted that the website is:

A great way of finding all the information about what support is available to us, all in onelocation. The best aspect would have to be the great colourful photos, it makes the websitevery ‘real’ and human … a real meeting place.

A graduate stated that the benefits could go beyond postgraduate students as the websitecould demonstrate to school-age Indigenous students that postgraduate study is apossibility:

I reckon it’s a very good thing, too bad starting now… should have started a long time ago[laughs]. Yeah but it’s good anyhow children who are there now in high school all thoseyoung ones coming through … I reckon they’d benefit from it …

Another student highlighted the overwhelming nature of postgraduate study and thehope that the project will create further networking opportunities for her:

I think it’s good, because … it was overwhelming for me to decide to come back anddecide to commit to postgrad study. So I think it [the website] is really good because itwill give people an opportunity to see what’s out there and the value in it and knowthat other people have been through it and yeah … if there was some kind of networkof postgraduate students I think that would be fantastic.

A longitudinal study will assess whether more students are undertaking and completingpostgraduate study. In order to further address the issues raised by Indigenous students

Figure 1. Denise Proud, Pathways to knowledge (2010).

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of isolation, lack of cultural understanding and cultural safety within universities andlack of networking and support for Indigenous postgraduates, the next steps will beto establish:

. an Indigenous postgraduate seminar series with invitations to both postgraduateand undergraduate students, particularly those in their honours’ year

. a mentoring program connecting completed and commencing Indigenouspostgraduates

. a symposium on Indigenous research capacity building for staff and Indigenousstudents

. an Indigenous Student Research Network.

These other initiatives are all suggestions from Indigenous postgraduate students andgraduates that will supplement the existing Postgraduate Meeting Place website byfacilitating networking and helping them gain peer support.

Conclusion: gaining the ‘life jacket, kayak and paddles’ for postgraduate study

Listening to the experiences of Indigenous postgraduates illustrates that there are manycomplex issues faced by Indigenous students undertaking postgraduate study. Socialand cultural isolation are often experienced and it is important to find ways toprovide students with opportunities to network, or ‘take your mob with you’, as onepostgraduate student noted. This is particularly important because Indigenous studentscan feel alienated both at university and from family as a result of not being aware ofother Indigenous postgraduates in their school or faculty and because many are first-generation university students. Indigenous postgraduates emphasise the lack ofmentors and Indigenous supervisors available and the limited peer-to-peer supportand networking opportunities. The significance of interaction with peers and learningfrom each other have been identified by a number of scholars as common characteristicsof Aboriginal ways of learning and this may indicate why peer support is so importantto Indigenous postgraduate students. A lack of cultural understanding and supportwithin the university and the importance of cultural safety for Indigenous studentsare also highlighted by Indigenous postgraduates.

A Torres Strait Islander student noted that her experience of postgraduate study waslike being alone in the ocean and identified the importance of gaining the right tools orequipment needed to stay afloat:

I have put a life jacket on now and then I would say I have got a little kayak and then Iwould say I have got the paddles now … you know I am able to paddle now.

The Postgraduate Meeting Place website is providing Indigenous postgraduate studentsand potential students with the essential ‘kayak’ and ‘paddles’ needed to help Indigen-ous students to navigate the waters of postgraduate study. The Indigenous Australianstudent networking email list provides opportunities for students to interact, while pro-files of Indigenous postgraduates provide more awareness of, and connection with, theirpeers.

Yet, as Indigenous postgraduate students indicate, there is still much work to bedone in order to support Indigenous postgraduates and make spaces that are culturallysafe. The future outcomes aim to supplement the website and extend peer-to-peer

support and networking opportunities through having further face-to-face chances tomeet, with a seminar series, an Indigenous Research Student Network and a mentoringprogram. The additional symposium for staff and students on Indigenous researchcapacity building will provide a forum to discuss key issues for Indigenous studentsand develop models for their culturally appropriate supervision. Together, thesefuture initiatives have the potential to provide a critical pedagogical space ‘wherepeople come together to speak, to engage in dialogue, to share their stories and tostruggle together within social relations that strengthen rather than weaken possibilitiesfor active citizenship’ (Giroux, 2009, p. 456). A number of Indigenous graduates haveindicated that they would like to take part in organising these initiatives and staff in theAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit will be training these postgraduatestudents so that eventually the program can be managed and coordinated by Indigenouspeople. Overall, it is hoped that the project can provide a significant and sustainable‘meeting place’ for Indigenous postgraduates that will empower them to achievetheir education goals, have their voices heard and help build a better future for Indigen-ous Australians.

AcknowledgementsI wish to thank the Indigenous postgraduate students and Indigenous graduates for generouslysharing their stories. Thanks also to Ian Lilley for providing me with the opportunity to work onthis project, Monique Proud for her research assistance and companionship and ChristineAsmar, Sandy O’Sullivan, Simone Brotherton and Celmara Pocock for insightful discussionsaround the topic. Many thanks to the Higher Education Equity Support Program (HEESP) forgenerous funding support.

Note1. The term ‘Aboriginal’ refers to Indigenous Australians whose culture is tied to the country of

mainland Australia, while ‘Torres Strait’ describes those Indigenous Australians whosecountry comprises the islands in the Torres Strait. While acknowledging the diversity amongstand between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in this article I use the term ‘Indigen-ous Australian’ to refer to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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