First in Family, First for Family - Indigenous academic women’s legacy motivation

Oct 15, 2026

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Indigenous academic women remain underrepresented in university contexts, and while motivation for enrolling and completing higher education has been studied, far less is known about why Indigenous graduates also choose academic careers and persist in the academy. This article draws on existing literature and interviews with 17 Indigenous academic women, using Indigenous research methodologies to foreground legacy motivations. It argues these motivations shape professional work and initial higher education journeys and have primary, family-to-community impacts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction: A journey in

Motivation, challenges, and academic engagement

Research aims and Indigenous voices

First in Family, First for Family: Indigenous academic women’s legacy motivation Amy Thunig School of Education, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, 2109, Australia [email: amy.thunig@mq.edu.au](email: amy.thunig@mq.edu.au) Indigenous academics are a minority within the academy, with the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics, staffing and student numbers well established. A growing body of literature examines the motivations of Indigenous peoples who enrol in and complete university degrees; however, there is a dearth of literature examining the journeys and motivations of those who, as well as graduating, also choose to be academics. A review of papers largely produced by Indigenous academics highlights that, though a paucity of literature directly centres their motivation in undertaking their initial studies or joining the academy, legacy, family and community motivations appear regularly, though often mentioned in incidental, backgrounded or de-centred ways. Drawing upon existing literature, interviews with 17 Indigenous academic women and Indigenous research methodologies, this article foregrounds and centres consideration of legacy motivations for academic women’s professional work and initial journey into higher education study. It argues the implications of academic engagement for Indigenous women, in so-called Australia, include wider influences, impacts and outcomes for their immediate familial, extended kinship and broader Indigenous community groups. It posits that these are not secondary or incidental, but primary motivations and shaping influences on Indigenous women’s academic careers and how they should be understood, valued and supported by institutions. Keywords: Indigenous women, academic careers, first in family Introduction: A journey in Indigenous academics write on/are written on, speak of/are spoken of, and are thoroughly established as experiencing many challenges and obstacles. Research shows these are faced not only in entering the academy, but in attaining publication, promotion, and reasonable and respectful treatment once within the academy as academics (Behrendt et al., 2012; Fredericks, 2009a, 2009b; Fredericks & White, 2018; Fredericks et al., 2019; Green et al., 2018; Moreton-Robinson et al., 2011; Nakata, 2007a; Page et al., 2017; Thunig & Jones, 2020; Uink et al., 2021) . Increasingly, the valuable work of Indigenous academics and staff in shaping, contributing to and improving academic spaces and how this relates to recruitment and retention, as well as to engage in research and curriculum development within the academy, is being acknowledged, studied and published (Coates et al., 2021; Fredericks et al., 2019; Page et al., 2017) . Recent studies have considered the higher education aspiration of sub-sets of Indigenous school students (Patfield et al., 2019), adding to the growing literature which considers motivation and factors impacting on the success of Indigenous peoples who engage in tertiary education (DiGregorio et al., 2000; Jones, et al., 2016) . However, in light of the established challenges Indigenous peoples experience within higher education institutions, and the significant value they bring as academics, there remains a dearth of literature on how Indigenous academics journey into the academy, why they initially chose to engage in their higher education studies as students, and why they choose (ongoing) to be academics. Understanding the motivations of those who have not only navigated higher education as students, but chosen to return to the space to undertake academic roles, can inform institutional practice and policy in relation to recruitment, support and retention of such staff. With Indigenous academics presently less than 1 per cent of staff in higher education institutions in so-called Australia, and universities performing speech acts committing to increasing Indigenous staffing, student support, and content creation, such

FAQs

What gap does the article identify in existing research?

It notes a lack of literature centering how Indigenous graduates journey into the academy, why they initially choose higher education study, and why they continue choosing academic roles.

How does the article investigate legacy motivations?

It draws on existing literature and interviews with 17 Indigenous academic women, guided by Indigenous research methodologies.

Why does the article frame legacy motivations as primary rather than incidental?

It argues that legacy, family, and community motivations meaningfully shape Indigenous women’s academic careers and should be understood, valued, and supported by institutions.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz