Webquest

Indigenous Education 

Colonisation has had devastating consequences for Indigenous people and their education. The negative impacts on the cultural identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people due to colonisation has had lasting negative effects, passed from generation to generation (Kidsmatter, 2008). Since the invasion of Australia, Aboriginal people have been forced to accommodate other ways of knowing and take these as fact (Kerwin 2009, pp.249) which has had a severe effect on their cultural identity.

 

One major impact on the learning development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is that English is the only official language used in Australia today and because of this, how Aboriginal society educates young people and interprets the world has been affected (Kerwin 2009, pp.251). Before colonisation, Aboriginal children were educated via the means of storytelling, dance, song and art. Stories were used as an educational tool where the narrative tells about rules, relationships, science and the environment and art was used to teach about the law, spirituality, religious beliefs and health (Kerwin 2009, pp.253). This way of teaching was stripped away from them after colonisation when children and young people were placed in missionaries.

 

Bogimbah, a mission on Fraser Island has been described as a life of ‘virtual imprisonment, malnourishment and paternalism that induced a cultural coma’ (Kerwin 2009, pp.251). In these conditions, children are not fulfilling the basic needs listed in Maslow’s Heirachy of Needs (Maslow 1943) and will not be able to reach a level of self-actualisation where they will feel acceptance and inner potential.

​

Teaching our students through Aboriginal perspectives will not only help them academically but also raise their self-esteem and promote a positive sense of cultural identity. 

​

Wiradjuri Country

The Wiradjuri nation is the biggest nation in NSW and many thousands of people spoke the Wiradjuri language. Wiradjuri lands are known as the land of three rivers;

• Murrumbidgee 

• Gulari (Lachlan)

• Womboy (Macquarie) (Greenwood 2015)

​

The Wiraduri people journeyed throughout their country and fished from canoes and hunted with spears and nets for duck, kangaroo, goannas, snakes, lizards, emus, possums, wallabies and waterfowl (Bathurst Heritage Matters n.d.). Their food supply also included various plants, roots and vegetables.

​

Each tribe in the Wiradjuri nation had it's own area to live. The tribe of between 10 to 50 people would collect everything they need from the environment and would move camp when the food supply was getting low (Greenwood 2015).

​

The Dreaming

"The Dreaming is continuous and present, a cycle of life without beginning or end, a parallel and all-inclusive reality. It is something mystic and beyond words - a feeling of the harmony of the universe, in tune with the rhythm of the land. Dreaming is the life of the spirit and the imagination, expressed in art and poetry, music, drama and dance. Most of all, Dreaming is the religious experience, the spiritual tie that binds Aboriginal people to the land that owns them."

- Nigel Parbury (2005 p.10)

 

The Dreaming is an essential component of Aboriginal culture and should be seen in all classrooms across Australia. For us to reach true reconciliation we need to teach all students about the Dreaming and the stories associated with it so they learn the real history of this country. This learning is especially important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to see that their culture is reflected in their schooling - otherwise that schooling will be irrelevant (Moran et al. 2011, pg.39).

​

Totems

Every Indigenous person has a totem that defines their roles and responsibilities and their relationships with each other. Totems can be birds, animals, plants, rocks or elements and they are used in traditional ceremonies. Each clan family belonging to the group is responsible for taking care of their totem: the flora and fauna of their area as well as the stewardship of the sacred sites attached to their area (Paulson n.d.). The wouldn't eat or hunt their totem. It is essential that teachers incorporate totems into their classroom to create a sense of belonging and spiritual connectedness to the land and others in their tribe (Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council 2017). 

​

Indigenous Art

Australian Indigenous art is the oldest ongoing tradition of art in the world- some rock carvings and ground designs dating back to more than 30,000 years (Australian Government 2015). Artlandish (2017) explains that 'there is no written language for Australian Aboriginal People so in order to convey their important cultural stories through the generations it is portrayed by symbols/icons through their artwork'. Incorporating Indigenous art into our curriculum doesn't only build our Aboriginal students self-esteem but it also helps our non-Indigenous students understand the land that they live on. Indigenous art is a way that positive and effective teachers can make Indigenous students feel valued and accepted (Lester & Munns 2011 p.253) and it focuses on connecting young people to their Aboriginal identity and emphasise cultural maintenance (Australian Parliament 2007).

​

​