The culturally nourishing schooling project and indigenous resurgence: the possible and the promise for indigenous education

Since the late 1970s, a consistent message has centred on the hope, potential, and promise of local Indigenous Peoples contributing to decision-making with regard to schooling policies and practices. However, this period is also intertwined with the influence of neoliberalism, such as the marketisation and human capital-driven approaches to education. Within this framework, the notion of local decision-making has been deployed by the state to assist with governance processes, serving to further erode decolonising and social justice aspirations. A scenario that has been described thinking with statecraft as ‘the local trap’. In this paper, we reflect on the possibilities and promises that the shift towards localism offers in the context of a research project conducted in New South Wales (Australia) between 2020–2024. Titled Culturally Nourishing Schooling, the project aimed to strengthen students’ cultural identities, foster a sense of belonging, increase the visibility and respect for Indigenous knowledge and histories, and partner with local families and communities. Central to this ambition were changes in decision-making concerning how, what, and why practices are enacted in classrooms. While the research team remains cautious of concerns about localism, we suggest that schools can become contexts where localised resurgence and co-resistance are within reach.