Koorie Club News
**WARNING: THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS NAMES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED AND SENSITIVE INFORMATION**
Nation Wide News:
Recently, a disagreement has arisen between acclaimed Archibald Prize-winning Indigenous artist Vincent Namatjira and Australia’s richest woman/billionaire Gina Rinehart. Rinehart reportedly requested the National Gallery of Australia remove a portrait of her done by Namatjira because she finds it ‘unflattering’. Namatjira defends his work, saying he paints people who are significant and influential and that “[he] paints the world as [he] [sees] it,”, subsequently, The National Gallery has refused to remove the painting.
In 2022, Ms Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting firm ripped up to $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia. The furore erupted when Indigenous player Donnell Wallam was said to be uncomfortable wearing a uniform with the Hancock Prospecting logo. This was reportedly due to comments made by Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock in the 1980s. He infamously suggested in 1984 that Indigenous Australians should be sterilised to “breed themselves out” in the coming years. After the unease in the team about Hancock’s involvement became public, the firm scrapped its sponsorship deal saying it did “not want to add to netball’s disunity problems”. Ms Rinehart’s Roy Hill company will also stop sponsoring Netball WA and team the West Coast Fever.
The High Court has unanimously agreed the Commonwealth can be held criminally liable for damage done to sacred sites at Gunlom Falls, in a major win for traditional owners. The Court ruled that the Commonwealth can be held criminally liable for the damage, which was caused by the construction of a walkway too close to a sacred men's site. High Court said the ultimate question was whether the DNP “can be criminally liable for breach of the prohibition of the (Sacred Sites Act) against carrying out work on a “sacred site”. Acting chief executive of AAPA, Shannon Tchia, said it was “disappointing and frustrating” it had taken so long, but the judgment was a significant win. She spoke “Going forward, Commonwealth corporations and offices cannot assume territory criminal laws do not apply to them. I think it is pretty significant.”
Schoolwide Updates:
Last week St Helena engaged in a schoolwide Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country conducted by Bill Nicholson, Elder of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Heritage Corporation.
A smoking ceremony is an Indigenous tradition that involves smouldering native plants, intended to have cleansing properties. They are a powerful way for Indigenous Australians to connect with their culture, spirituality, and the land. It is a tradition that has endured for millennia and continues to be a vital part of their identity and connection. The event was led by College Captains Mike Locke and Niamh Coffey, Vice College Captains Martina Charalambous and Nathan Campbell, along with Koorie Leader Rachel Aden. Thank you to everyone who attended the St Helena community are grateful we were able to share that experience with you and each other.
During next week’s National Reconciliation Week, year seven and year eight Strive students are partaking in the ‘Sea of Hands’ event led by St Helena’s Koorie group. This involves participants raising their hands in a unified gesture of solidarity. The sea of hands represents the collective commitment of Australians to working towards a future where all Australians have equal access to healthcare.
Also during next week St Helena’s Koorie group will be taking an excursion to the Gawa Wurundjeri Resource Trail in honour of National Reconciliation Week. This guided 340m loop trail offers a fascinating glimpse into how the Wurundjeri people lived off the land. This walking tour allows you to discover how Wurundjeri people obtained food, medicine, tools, shelter and clothing from the natural environment. The trail also showcases native plants and animals, including manna gums, Lomandra (used for weaving baskets) and wombat burrows. This is an important opportunity for students to get out of the classroom, to learn and to enter the environment and Indigenous culture around us.
New in the school library there has been the new edition of a Wominjeka sign above the entry from the foyer into the library, this design was made in conjunction with ideas of the native plants, waterways, and terrain.
Didge ya know?
The Long Walk is inspired by Michael Long’s historic walk from Melbourne to Canberra on November 21st, 2004. Community take part by walking from Federation Square to the MCG to open the Dreamtime at the 'G AFL match. Dreamtime at the ‘G has been held annually since 2005 on the Saturday night of the AFL’s Indigenous round at the MCG (Sir Doug Nicholls Round). Essendon and Richmond face off as their colours combine to make the colours of the Aboriginal flag (black, yellow, red). After the game, the Yiooken (‘dreaming’ in Woiwurrung) award is presented for the best on the ground.
The Dreaming, also sometimes referred to as the Dreamtime, is a concept in Aboriginal and Indigenous Australian culture and history. It is not simply a creation story, but a complex system of beliefs that encompasses:
- The creation: Dreamtime explains how the world, including the landscape, animals, and people, came into existence through the actions of ancestral spirits.
- Order: The Dreaming establishes the laws and social structures that guide Aboriginal and Indigenous societies. These laws dictate how people should behave towards each other and the environment.
- Identity: Aboriginal and Indigenous Australians connect to the Dreaming through their Dreaming stories, which are passed down through generations. These stories tell them about their ancestors, their place in the land, and their responsibilities.
From: https://www.vacca.org/
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Koorie Club Leaders.
Rachel Aden (Koorie Club Leader) – ADE0010@sthelena.vic.edu.au
Jamie Humphries (Koorie Club Leader) – HUM0004@sthelena.vic.edu.au
For any other support needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please visit: https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/