Abstract:
Apple (1990) speaks of a power to teach about the knowledge of all of us, rather than only elite knowledge in schools. This presentation discusses the exploration of mathematics education in an emerging post-treaty settlement society in relation to the continued contestation for the revitalisation and sustainability of indigenous knowledge/s in indigenous education communities. Contestation has been initiated and is perpetuated through the supposition of the superiority of, and need for, the knowledge and truth of an imposed colonial mathematics education system. This supposition of superiority has been one of the many factors that have lead to the diminution and devaluing of indigenous knowledge/s and truths over time. A further effect has been to strip indigenous educational communities of the right to exercise autonomous decision-making - to self-determine, authenticate and prioritise indigenous knowledge structures. It is a responsibility of indigenous educational institutions to be involved in the critique of state mechanisms that dictate the prioritisation of educational content and context for indigenous students. As such a process of conscientised[1] learning about mathematics education and its relationship with indigenous world view/s must be integral to such a university's teacher training programmes. It then follows that the indigenous university is a site of huge potential for actions, events and opportunities for the disruption of status quo, the re-ordering of disciplinary power and, thus, a social transformation where mathematics education no longer has the power to oppress, but rather, to be of benefit to indigenous communities. This presentation discusses a training institution and indigenous educational settings where both mathematics and self-determined indigenous mathematics education programmes co-exist.