Learning the Indigenous Way
CASM set itself apart by educating students through Elders’ traditional ways of transmitting knowledge. These traditional methods were adapted for an urban setting through the Adelaide Aboriginal Orchestra based in Port Adelaide. Learners would sit next to experienced players, giving them the confidence to follow along.
Imparting life skills and providing opportunities for developing Aboriginal identity were seen to be as important as teaching music skills. Leila Rankine, CASM co-founder, was influential in bringing together new, young ideas and older Aboriginal traditions. These ideals flourished as CASM educated urban Aboriginal adults through music, reconnecting people with traditional culture and carving pathways to navigate a white-dominated society.
The ground-breaking appointment of the Pitjantjatjara songman, Minyungu Baker, as a Senior Lecturer at CASM in 1975, was a key achievement. Developed with the Aṉangu community at Iwantja, this was a radical step by an institution in recognising Elders as academics in their own right on the basis of their traditional training and expertise.
