Yr 8 English-Yarning Circles

Yarning Circles 

Year 8 English classes each experienced a yarning circle as part of their text study of the indigenous slam poem Common Wealth.  A yarning circle is where an Elder  

shares stories about traditions or the past, maybe a lesson about safety or a made-up story  

to prevent children from doing something stupid and/or getting themselves hurt. In the  

yarning circle Dylan taught us what happened in a yarning circle, and then he showed us Gunaikurnai artefacts including possum skin cloak, emu eggs and a variety of tools and weapons. He then explained about different types of boomerangs and showed us how to throw a returning boomerang. We then were able to throw the boomerangs. 

The yarning circle highlighted the importance of oral language in indigenous culture. 

Loueen Smith

Year 8 English