Crossing a Bridge at Ground Zero: Teaching CDU’s First Nations Pre-Law Enabling Program

Darwin, or Garramilla, sits on Larrakia Country. This is a place saltwater meets fresh; the two waters blend together, gently and almost invisibly. Here, we also find another blending: the coming together of stories, cultures and knowledges, between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. These interactions between have not always been gentle or peaceful. Colonisation and its ongoing legacies have resulted in dispossession and destruction of culture and Country. However, Larrakia culture is not only strong, but welcoming. The ways that educators work together in our teaching can recognise the impacts of colonisation, without letting them define us.
In this paper, the coordinators of Charles Darwin University’s First Nations pre-law program will discuss our approach to giving Indigenous students an introduction to law school. The First Nations pre-law program is run by two coordinators – One Larrakia and one non-Indigenous. Through a process of mutual respect and mentoring, our teaching team creates a culturally safe space for First Nations students within a colonial institution: The University. This paper will discuss how we strive to overcome the challenges of teaching in our unique pre-law enabling program.