‘This is not me or my community’s beliefs’: an intersectional collaborative autoethnography of First Nations student experiences in higher education

First Nations students in Australian higher education face persistent barriers to access, participation, and completion. This study employs intersectionality to explore how multiple identities shape the lived experience of a First Nations student navigating higher education. Using collaborative autoethnography and yarning methodology, we present Tracey’s narrative, revealing challenges including challenging outdated curriculum content, managing cultural load alongside academic demands, experiencing imposter syndrome from non-traditional pathways, and actively claiming identity due to racial ambiguity. Her experiences demonstrate that barriers intersect in complex ways requiring holistic responses. Findings informed a four-component intersectional model grounded in Indigenous voice: promoting equity and inclusion, challenging dominant narratives, increasing leadership representation, and addressing multiple forms of oppression. Recommendations emphasise structural changes including alternative entry pathways recognising professional experience, co-designing curriculum with First Nations communities for accuracy and contemporary perspectives, providing holistic support systems addressing intersecting barriers, and advancing cultural safety beyond performative gestures. This research contributes a strength-based framework centring First Nations knowledge, leadership, and community ways of being, demonstrating how collaborative autoethnography supports Indigenous voice in transforming higher education experiences.