The Centre for Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges is in the Faculty of Arts Social Sciences (FASS) at the University of Technology Sydney.
We are a group of Indigenous and ally scholars teaching and researching in the discipline of Indigenous Studies. Our research supports Indigenous peoples’ rightful place in the nation. We see the repossession of land, the revitalisation of Indigenous worlds through pedagogy, storytelling and the return of cultural heritage, and truth-telling about our nation’s past as central to Indigenous justice claims in Australia and globally. Our research foregrounds Indigenous knowledges and experiences and contributes to challenging systemic racism, transforming institutions such as universities and museums, and re-imagining the national narrative on Indigenous-settler relations to improve outcomes for Indigenous communities.
Through our teaching and mentoring we foster emerging Indigenous scholars and create opportunities for allyship and collaboration. We embed Indigenous content, perspectives, knowledges and methodologies in research and teaching, and bring to the fore Indigenous agency, cultural resilience and survival. We do this through delivering dedicated Indigenous Studies courses in FASS and University-wide, and through Indigenising content across degree programs. We also build the capacity of non-Indigenous staff and students to work collaboratively with Indigenous researchers and communities.
Our work as scholars and practitioners is underscored by an ethics of care, and ambitions for Indigenous self-determination and land justice, as we work for a reconciled nation. Our expertise and research is recognised for both scholarly and real-world impact. We collaborate with a range of national and international stakeholders. Our researchers specialise in the fields of Indigenous education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and knowledges, creative writing and practice, museum and cultural heritage studies, media and Indigenous representation and Aboriginal polity and land justice. At the heart of our research is our commitment to supporting community-led research and critical Indigenous scholarship.