Multiculturalism, the cultural interface and migrant teachers

Abstract Multicultural diversity in settler-colonial Australia impacts the way that the growing number of migrant teachers in Australia’s teaching workforce engage in Indigenous education. Foundational ideas of multiculturalism promote diversity and inclusion yet can inadvertently perpetuate the narratives of settler colonialism. The impact is that the important decolonial work required to prevent Indigenous erasure is further impeded. Drawing on Nakata’s (2007) concept of the cultural interface, this paper illustrates how migrant teachers navigate complex knowledge-power dynamics shaped by Indigenous sovereignty, white colonial privilege, and multicultural diversity. Literature from these fields illustrates the knowledge contestations required for migrant teachers to engage effectively in Indigenous education. Multicultural diversity, when uncritically aligned with white colonial privilege, can reinforce systemic barriers to Indigenous representation and sovereignty in education. Ultimately, the paper recommends ways to support migrant teachers to engage in the contested knowledge space at the Western/Indigenous cultural interface and develop intercultural responsiveness in order to advance reconciliation and ensure that Indigenous knowledges and perspectives are valued as integral to Australia’s educational future.