Views and voices: indigenous people in Australian teaching and learning materials 2000-2011

The article compares the telling of Indigenous Australians' history as they are presented in teaching and learning materials for History education written and illustrated by Indigenous Australians and by White Australians. Three positions of ethno-race are presented: firstly the Indigenous people as a people of nature, secondly Indigenous people becoming European Australians and thirdly Indigenous people as nomadic. Inspired by the concept of intersectionality, the three positions are connected with the socio-cultural categories of gender, sexuality, nationality and class. Different views of history are shown in light of the questions 'where' and 'who' used by Indigenous Australians, whereas the questions of 'why' and 'when' are more used by White Australians. The storytelling in the materials written by Indigenous Australians is about the European invasion of their country and the nature of Indigenous people. White Australians present this history as an invasion but also as a period of European exploration and adventure.