First Nations knowledge has much to offer a world beset by crises yet Indigenous communities are under-represented across higher education, from undergraduate to vice-chancellor level. Addressing the issue goes beyond increasing the enrolment of Indigenous students – institutions must work to create more equitable pathways through school to admissions, tailor support on campus, and increase visibility in curricula and representation among faculty and university leadership. It’s time the academy started listening and learning from First Nations scholars’ lived experience, growing numbers of people recognise. This collection of resources from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond explores how institutions and academics can break down barriers to First Nations’ involvement in higher education and academia.

Indigenous perspectives in university curricula

A better understanding of Indigenous beliefs, values and practices is vital to integrating diverse knowledge systems into academia in a meaningful way. But broadening curricula to bring in Indigenous voices is often an incremental process. Steps can include embracing its interdisciplinary nature, connecting with community and industry bodies, and appointing First Nations staff to guide the process. 

How to bring Indigenous knowledge into classrooms and curricula: Academic institutions have a mandate to engage and serve the Indigenous communities whose land they occupy, writes Edward Polanco of Virginia Tech. Here, he offers tangible techniques for amplifying these voices on campus.

Indigenous knowledge provides skills for lifelong learning that AI cannot: Indigenous ways of knowing can provide skills and strategies for learning that could assist educators in addressing the climate emergency, decolonisation and balance the outsourcing of knowledge to AI, Alexandra Sherlock of RMIT University writes.

Steps to decolonise higher education: after yourself, change the curriculum: Opening the curriculum to First Nations’ histories and knowledge is a key part of decolonisation, as Monash University’s lisahunter and Karen Lambert explain in this second part of their series.

Seven structural changes to help bring Indigenous perspectives into curricula: Impermanence of resources, priorities and personnel makes curriculum reform a challenge. Here, Kirstie Smith and Simon Young of the University of Southern Queensland offer strategies based on their experience in a regional law school.

Indigenising teaching and learning through the Big Five ideas of traditional knowledge: Educators should familiarise themselves with the foundational values and beliefs that inform Indigenous Knowledges in order to integrate them into their teaching in a meaningful way, write three First Nations lecturers from the University of Southern Queensland.

A collaborative research culture

Indigenous communities hold cultural, traditional and ecological knowledge, honed over generations. By integrating Indigenous thinking into research, academics can ensure their work remains relevant and benefits those directly affected. This requires a shift away from conventional research methods towards more collaborative and participatory approaches, built on mutual trust and respect, as the resources below explain.

Uncovering Indigenous insights - let’s research together: Meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities requires researchers to shift away from conventional methodologies and towards more collaborative and participatory approaches. Sarah Wiki-Bennett of the University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha shares six key tenets.

Community-engaged research can give a voice to marginalised people: Our biggest challenges cannot be resolved by ‘expert’ research alone – community knowledge is essential. Simon Fraser University’s Tara Mahoney and Scott Neufeld argue that researchers should let communities set the agenda.

Higher education has a crucial role to play in reaching out to Indigenous communities: Indigenous researcher Roselind Wan of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) outlines strategies for universities hoping to champion Indigenous languages and inclusion.

What is the cost of students’ social mobility from a community ties perspective?Personal networking strategies can influence successful academic integration and emotional stability of students from under-represented communities in higher education. Here are ways to support these groups, based an analysis of the egocentric networks of Roma students, by Ágnes Lukács J. and Beáta Dávid of Semmelweis University.

Support for Indigenous students into and through higher education

Open, accessible pathways and tailored support have been shown to boost Indigenous participation and success in higher education. In recognition of the strengths these students bring, institutions can create a welcoming campus environment in which students can build a sense of community – find out how. 

Campus talks: what Indigenous knowledge brings to higher education: Two Indigenous university leaders explain how their institutions support First Nations’ participation in higher education, create space for community and build trust in postcolonial environments.

Building equitable learning pathways in higher education: Higher education pathways that enable equitable opportunities for students to gain the required academic knowledge and skills for successful study are essential for widening participation, writes Anna Bennett of the University of Newcastle, Australia.

Fulfilling a mission and serving Indigenous students: Universities can do much to support Indigenous students, strengthening the institution’s community, increasing visibility and highlighting the needs of Native Nations students and faculty through deliberate action, writes Melissa Faircloth of Virginia Tech.

Student support takes a village – but you need to create one first: To support students from diverse backgrounds, universities should actively foster supportive communities. For one institution, this meant creating a ‘village’ on campus, as the University of Auckland’s Melissa Leaupepe explains.

Indigenous and First Nations leadership in higher education

Hear from Indigenous and First Nations leaders in universities on how they work to navigate higher education while honouring their heritage and recognising many institutions’ colonial past. Read how these individuals are shaping clearer pathways and support for students and academics from Indigenous and under-represented backgrounds.

Principles of Indigenous leadership and self-care in the academy: Indigenous leadership requires resilience, humility and self-awareness. These 10 principles, from Chris Andersen of the University of Alberta, offer a guide to cultivating wellness and fostering a supportive community.

Truth is necessary for reconciliation: Good intentions and generalisations about Indigenous people and topics can harm reconciliation in the classroom and academy, writes Daniel Sims of the University of Northern British Columbia.

Recognising First Nations through place - creating an inclusive university environment: Universities, as places of social good and inclusive education, have a responsibility to create environments that nurture and support learning of First Nations people, writes Angela Leitch of Queensland University of Technology.

Campus talks: an interview with Ngiare Brown, chancellor of James Cook University: Ngiare Brown is the first female and the first Indigenous chancellor of James Cook University. Here, she shares what she hopes to achieve during her tenure, including making higher education a place for Indigenous students.

How to advance equity-informed leadership in universities: Increasing diversity at universities requires more than raising aspirations and enrolment among Indigenous and other under-represented students. Braden Hill of Edith Cowan University offers seven ways leaders can address barriers to equity.

The journey towards decolonising the academy

Decolonising higher education means thinking differently, re-centring knowledge and listening to marginalised voices. This applies not only in the classroom, but also to how recruitment practices, cultural working norms, governance and well-being programmes are developed and managed. Non-Indigenous faculty and staff need to engage in this effort, as these resources explain. 

Start the journey of anti-colonial work with these first steps: Many non-Indigenous staff are worried about doing anti-colonial work for fear of getting it wrong. Sue Sharpe of the Australian National University shares four tips for getting started.

Decolonisation to Indigenisation - how can institutions centre Indigenous knowledge? Beyond the concept of decolonisation is the process of Indigenisation. Here, Raelee Lancaster of the University of Queensland provides four reflective questions that institutions can ask themselves when considering how to respect and elevate Indigenous knowledge.

Decolonising interview methods - a call to look to the moon: The interview process often rests on colonial perceptions of what counts as knowledge, how knowledge is generated and who ‘owns’ it. But researchers can use orienting questions to reflect upon and decentre this approach, as Rosalind Edwards, Teah Carlson and Rachel Liebert of the University of Southampton, Massey University and the University of East London respectively, write.

Five steps to decolonise your university curriculum and pave the way for a better future: How can universities reset their curricula and embrace a range of experiences? Here are five ways to start down the path of decolonisation, shared by Steve Larkin of the University of Adelaide.

How to decolonise initial teacher education - start with yourself: Decolonisation has the potential to rattle higher education’s sandstones and ivory towers, yet many struggle to know where to start. Karen Lambert and lisahunter of Monash University use the context of initial teacher education in Australia to explain that it starts with you.

Thank you to all who contributed their expertise to this guide.

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