First Knowledging, First Languaging: Australian Teacher Education

ABSTRACT Colonial policy and practices in Australia have led to the current situation of economic and social disadvantage for First Nations peoples. These policies were also instrumental in the demise of their traditional languages, from approximately 250 to now only 12 being learnt as a first language. The consequence of this has been deleterious for the speakers in terms of their self‐identity, well‐being and for the cultural transmission. Using the indigenist methodology of yarning to reflect upon the issues, the authors describe the need for a social justice turn through First Knowledging and First Languaging in Australian Teacher Education. These will serve to counter colonialinguistic policies and practices and to challenge systemic inequities in language ideologies.