Listening to First Nations Voices – Podcast 6

This edition of Listening to First Nations Voices features Ashley Harrison and Wendy Somerville who teach in the recently introduced Indigenous Minor and units at the University of Canberra. The podcast, which is presented in two parts, was facilitated by Aleara Pearce.

We recorded the interview a week before Canberra was affected by the COVID-19 situation, and it was great to have this podcast content recorded and for us to gain skills in the proper recording studio. The interview was really valuable for us as a project team, and the information conveyed by both lecturers was so valuable that we have decided to split it into two episodes to keep everything of importance in, whilst still ensuring the episodes are still succinct to listen to. We feel that the merits of these two podcasts episodes will be to showcase how UC is expanding its unit choices, to incorporate Indigenous knowledge. This may lead to students who otherwise had no idea about these units being on offer- finding an interest in their content and looking to include them in their study plans. Both Ashley and Wendy had a wealth of knowledge on their units, and why they were so important to be taught, as a way of changing perceptions and expanding students’ minds on topics surrounding Indigenous Australia.

The Listening to First Nations Voices podcast was created by non-Indigenous University of Canberra students. The idea for this podcast came from Associate Professor Samia Goudie who is passionate about Indigenous people and culture and is attempting to expand people’s knowledge on the subject and start a conversation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This podcast was developed to educate people on Indigenous ways of being, doing and knowing, and to inspire awareness and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the richness Aboriginal people bring to Australia.The Creators:

Sally Witchalls:
Hi, I’m Sally, and I am a third-year student studying Global Studies and looking to do a Master’s in International Development. I wanted to be part of furthering the Listening to First Nations Podcast to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous Knowledge and ways that this can be integrated into a learning environment such as UC. I enjoyed learning through our podcast episodes, the work UC has done to engage Indigenous culture, and the opportunities that the University still has, to improve in the area of Indigenous acceptance and understanding.

Passang Dorji:
I am Passang Dorji, an international student from Bhutan. This is the final year of my degree in B.A Global studies. Being a part of this project was not just intriguing to listen to the diversity of “First Nations Voices,” from various sources but also, it enhanced towards strengthening my capacity to understand the indigenous Australian culture in context to the podcast theme we undertook as a team. Further, it was a satisfying moment for me to be teammates with my group who possess a deeper understanding of Australian values and culture. Through which I have developed, at least basic understanding of Australian culture.

Aleara Pearce:
Hi I’m Aleara Pearce and I’m a third year student studying a Bachelor of Art (Global Studies). As a Barkandji woman, Indigenous affairs is something that I love and hold dear. Being a part of this project was a way to experience matters of Indigenous affairs in a different context. I had the opportunity to learn from those that our project team interviewed for the podcasts, as well as learn from my team members. The best part of this project was being able to start a conversation about Indigenous culture and practice at UC.

Miles Mckenzie:
Hi I’m Miles, I’m a 3rd year student studying Heritage,Museums and Conservation majoring museum studies. I saw this project as a way to further my knowledge in Indigenous Australian affairs while also furthering the knowledge of my peers at UC. Allowing First Nations voices to be heard by the UC community and the wider public through a podcast was also a cool idea of which I wanted to be a part of. I have learnt new technical skills and enjoyed working with my team, mentors and subject experts to see the project through from a few ideas to a podcast on important subjects giving people an understanding of the Indigenous links to UC.

Music: Sparks by Chael (https://soundcloud.com/chael_music/sparks)

The background artwork is part of UC’s Indigenous Treatment for branding.