Student Voice
Pakenham Secondary College
Reconciliation Week
On Monday, 27th May, our College Principal, Mr Smith, and College Captains, Jemma and Holly and I went to the Flag Raising Ceremony at the Cardinia Shire Civic Centre in Officer to commemorate Reconciliation Week.
- They had an Acknowledgement of Country and a Smoking Ceremony at the event. A Smoking Ceremony is an ancient custom that involves burning native plants just enough so they produce smoke. The smoke cleanses the area and wards off bad spirits.
They also had a sausage sizzle and other food, as well as fun activities for the people who attended. I wandered around the event and met friends from my old Primary School, which was great.
I am happy and proud to be Indigenous but there is still so much that I don’t know at the moment about my culture. In our class last year we made a huge Indigenous Art poster and it was great that lots of people asked me about this and the style of art that we used. I would certainly like to explore Indigenous Art more and be creative in this area. I would also like to learn more about my tribe and especially my language.
Tori Conden
Year 8
Indigenous Artist in Residence
Our Indigenous Artist in Residence, Sam Richards, joined our PACT Personal Development Skills Class this week to talk about Aboriginal Culture, including the 12 traditional symbols.
Sam shared a story that she had created using some of these symbols and the students then started 'writing' their own stories with the Indigenous symbols. They will be using these designs next week to paint on boomerangs.
The class were extremely interested in Aboriginal culture, with many asking insightful questions of Sam, who was happy to share her in-depth knowledge.
Reconciliation Week - 27th May - 3rd June 2024
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year's theme, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will - and must - continue.
