Chapter 9: We Speak: Indigenous Voices Redefine the Doctoral Experience

The authors of this chapter represent a unique position in that each identifies as Indigenous Australian and are situated as colleagues within the same university. Bunda, Gilbey, Heckenberg and Ward identify as Aboriginal people though with differing connections to differing Aboriginal countries within Australia whilst te Ava identifies as a Cook Islander and member of the Pacifika community in Australia. The terms Indigenous, Aboriginal and First Nations/Peoples will be referred to in this article to denote Indigenous as First Peoples of a country and to accommodate the collective identities of the authors across nations as understood in non-Indigenous terms. Additionally, the authors share common understandings with regards to Indigenous education and health, the disciplinary fields in which the Indigenous scholars are situated. Such locations have given rise to shared philosophical positions regarding the larger domain of Aboriginal education and health and within this the doctoral educational experience. The authors have been mindful of this complexity which has been used to frame the dialogues of this chapter.