Part of the Powerful Stories Network

Ngura Ninti (‘Knowing Home’): A methodological approach for ethically based truth telling in Australian history writing

Professor Kat Ellinghaus (La Trobe) & Professor Barry Judd (Melbourne)

Wednesday, 5 November | 12:10pm-1:30pm

This paper describes our attempt to develop a new methodology for writing history that is based in truthful and respectful dialogues between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars. As scholars globally begin to recognise the importance of collaborative and Indigenous-led approaches that places Indigenous people at the centre, there are pressing needs for methodologies to guide Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars in doing ethical research work on Indigenous issues and with Indigenous peoples. How can truth telling be done and how can it be formulated for community needs when produced in universities, which have their own processes, priorities, and pressures on researchers? The Ngura Ninti (‘Knowing Home’) methodology enables ethical scholarship that has utility beyond academia. It prioritises outcomes that fulfil both academic and Indigenous priorities. Originating in a research collaboration that focussed on a little-known education scheme for Indigenous girls run by Lutheran missionaries in Australia, the methodology both pushes up against and works with the current status quo of research and publication practices providing a middle way approach that we hope serves both academic and Indigenous ends. Such a relationship is referred to as ngapartji ngapartji (in-return) in Indigenous Australia, a relationship of reciprocity where all parties gain benefits to meet their needs.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Kat Ellinghaus is a Professor of History in the School of Archaeology and History at La Trobe University. She is of Irish and German descent and is the author of three monographs: Taking Assimilation to Heart (University of Nebraska Press, 2006), Blood Will Tell (University of Nebraska Press, 2017) and, with Professor Barry Judd, Enlightened Aboriginal Futures

(Routledge, 2023). Together with Professors Barry Judd and Richard Broome she is leading a large team working to produce a four-volume collection of primary documents entitled 'Ngura Ninti: A History of Documents 1770-2000' to be published by Routledge in 2027 and funded by both the Australian Research Council and the Cripps Foundation. In 2023, guided by Elders Judi Wickes and Kella Robinson, she was part of a team that was awarded an Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant to write a history of Aboriginal exemption policies in Australia. Kat runs a website, www.aboriginalexemption.com.au, which aims to assist people to find information about exemption in their family history. Kat has researched and written extensively on Indigenous assimilation policies and made an enduring contribution to the field in Australia and internationally. In the field of Australian history, ethical scholarly practices are becoming as, if not more, important than scholarly esteem and expertise. In her most recent work Kat has added a new and important focus: collaborative practice and history writing based on collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and people which places ethics and community at the highest priority.

Barry Judd is a distinguished academic and accomplished leader, currently holding the positions of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) and Professor of Indigenous Studies in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. As the DVC (Indigenous), he plays a crucial role in shaping institutional policy, strategy, and guidance on all aspects of Indigenous higher education. In addition to these duties, Professor Judd provides academic leadership to the Indigenous Studies Program through undergraduate teaching, Higher Degree Research supervisions, and research activity, all of which support the development of this emerging field of studies. He is a member of the esteemed Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and was a foundation Chief Investigator of the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN). Professor Judd's expertise is widely recognised, and he serves as a Board member of the Museums and Galleries of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) and the Life Again Foundation. He is also a member of the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) committee of the Richmond Football Club. Professor Judd's academic background is extensive, with an MA in Public Policy and a PhD in Australian Indigenous Studies, as well as postgraduate qualifications in higher education teaching and learning. His research expertise lies in Australian race relations in Australian sports and interdisciplinary research methods in Indigenous Studies and Australian history. With over 30 years of experience in supporting Indigenous activity in Australian higher education, Professor Judd is widely published and holds several current Australian Research Council research grants. His invaluable contributions to the field of Indigenous Studies are a testament to his exceptional work, inspiring and leading the way for future Indigenous leaders.

Hybrid Event

Places to attend in-person are limited, so please register as soon as possible to reserve your place.

On Campus venue:

Vere Gordon Childe Centre,

Level 4 Madsen Building (F09)

Click here for map

Zoom link to be sent ahead of the event via registration and subscription list.

Image: Unsplash