This article explores the notion of “learning on country” as a pedagogical approach through engagement with Aboriginal communities and organisations in the context of a masters sustainable design course. Offered at the University of South Australia since 2013, experiential learning provides an educational praxis whereby skills and knowledges are acquired through processes of participation and the transformative nature of reflection. Students engage with Ngarrindjeri worldviews, beliefs and values, and an awareness of their cultural positionality provides broader contexts for learning outcomes. Staff and students participate in cultural activities and share perspectives and design ideas with Ngarrindjeri elders. Learning interactions between students and elders also strengthens an understanding of Ngarrindjeri relationships to country and further enhances knowledge of the socio-cultural environment of Aboriginal people. Transferable to other disciplines and contexts, the program offers further opportunities for collaborative engagement with Aboriginal communities and highlights the significance of multiple ways of being and knowing.
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