A personal reflection on using embodied drama to explore Indigenous perspectives in the classroom

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides an account of using embodied drama practices to explore two poems by Indigenous authors (Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Travis Eulo) with Year 9 Drama classes at a Victorian state secondary school. The work has been shaped by the author’s position as a non-Indigenous teacher-researcher endeavouring to fulfil both curriculum requirements and the Protocols for Koorie Education. It focuses on the challenges of engaging with complex and sensitive texts and provides practical examples of putting available protocols into practice. Reflections on problems enered as well as positive outcomes provide a starting-point for similar work. The impact on students and other participants is demonstrated through interviews made throughout the teaching process.