On Country –Off Country: Web Based Engagement with Indigenous Communities

Abstract

Australia’s first nation people have suffered deep loss stemming from the colonisation of their lands and restrictions on cultural practises. Despite endemic disadvantage, many people maintain profound connections to traditional lands, their country, and retain a desire to share their cultural knowledge. This presents opportunities for design academics and tertiary students to establish partnerships with indigenous communities. This paper casts a reflective lens over an architecturally focused case study with a remotely located indigenous Australian community to differentiate learning outcomes that are site based on country and those conducted in classrooms off country. In the pre-COVID era,..