Indigenising a commerce course: challenges and opportunities for non-Indigenous educators

Power imbalance between Indigenous and non-Indigenous created through colonisation has led academics to engage in intellectual decolonisation (Woods et al., 2022). Universities Australia call for staff and students to hold cultural competencies which encompasses:
“…an understanding of Indigenous Australian cultures, histories and contemporary realities and awareness of Indigenous protocols, combined with the proficiency to engage and work effectively in Indigenous contexts congruent to the expectations of Indigenous Australian peoples” (Universities Australia, 2011, p. 3).

This cultural competency work has started to be embedded in humanities, health, leadership, entrepreneurship, and creative studies; however, there is minimal discussion on Indigenising the curriculum in commerce-finance degrees which prepares students to take on management roles (Bennett et al., 2016; Williamson & Dalal, 2007). It is not yet known if the Indigenising of the curriculum is a particular challenge for commerce courses because the origins of commerce lie in colonial assumptions (Andrews, 1914).

Introductory Indigenous perspectives are not comprehensively taught at the start of a commerce student’s university studies. Rather Western ways of knowing are reinforced. Most commerce students have not had an opportunity to consciously deconstruct their own cultural situatedness, let alone be aware of the complexities of cross-cultural sensitivities to be ready and open to “bridge the divide between different knowledge systems” (Williamson & Dalal, 2007, p. 55). It is not known if these students have engaged in self-reflection enabling them to hold an epistemic humility to engage in dialogue which challenges mainstream commerce theory as it applies to Indigenous experiences (Marshall, 1997).

The question asked is what are the challenges of Indigenising the business school curricula for commerce students? And what is the role of non-Indigenous educators in this space? Here there is a concern that nothing may done, because people ‘do not want to offend.’ Aligned with this concern is there is no baseline of what knowledge staff and students have on Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing; and to commence this work requires time and resources when university budgets are strained and people are time poor.

In terms of ideas, there is much that can be done such as experiential learning which includes learning on country, reflective practice, case study analysis, and inviting Elders into the classroom. However, questions still arise regarding how to approach Indigenous Knowledge with commerce students because the nature of Indigenising curriculum challenges Western finance logic. Some of this behaviour was evident when introducing Indigenous perspectives to commerce students and observing them initially snickering at an acknowledgment of country as well as a suggested course improvement: “No Indigenous stuff.”