Indigenous students' wellbeing and the mobilisation of ethics of care in the contact zone

Abstract

Schools have historically been a location of oppression for Indigenous students in Australian schools. This paper explores the processes of democratising (Giroux, 1992, p. 24) the school space by Aboriginal Community Education Officers (henceforward ACEOs) through an Indigenous ethics of care framework. The enactment of Indigenous ethics of care between ACEOs and Indigenous students will be explored, with a particular focus on the use of the Nunga room (Blanch, 2009, p. 66) as a 'safe-house' (Pratt, 1991). The paucity of Indigenous ethics of care theory and the role of ACEOs' work in the Nunga room in education literature is problematic, as many non- Indigenous teachers continue to racialise Indigenous students through negative stereotypes. This is critical information for teachers and preservice teachers as it expands conceptualisations of social justice and its link to pedagogy.