PS9 R2c Connect to Country

Title

Connect to Country

Author(s)

Kristy Cooper, Indigenous Academic Fellow, School of Nursing, CoHM

Subtheme

Connected to place

Presentation Type

Lightning Presentation

Room

Room 2

Time

11.40-12.05

Abstract

Acknowledgement of Country is not a new practice; rather, an ancient tradition that has taken place on these lands for thousands and thousands of years. Acknowledgment of Country acknowledges First Nations peoples and their culture of belonging to Country. The University of Tasmania’s Acknowledgement of Country protocol enables a valuable opportunity to engage with and demonstrate respect for Indigenous knowledge systems, histories, and cultures. Honouring the protocol in teaching and learning provides students with a unique, guided opportunity to reflect on and to connect with Country on which their learning takes place. Learning on Country is First Nations culture of the palawa and pakana peoples of lutruwita (Tasmania). Thus, connecting with Country provides insight into and understanding of the histories, knowledges and belonging to Country of the oldest living cultures of the world.

This presentation will reflect on the integrity of the University of Tasmania’s Cultural Protocol Acknowledgement of Country as an opportunistic teaching and learning practice in the tertiary education setting. Delivered by PechaKucha, the presentation will offer a reflective experience for academic staff to connect with Country; offered from the perspective of an Indigenous Academic Fellow within the School of Nursing.