Koorie Club News
**WARNING: THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS NAMES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED**
Didge ya know?
As we depart from the Kooyang, the season of eels which occurs in late summer (January 23rd - 31st) it is time to get informed about the significance of the Welcome to Country and the Acknowledgement of Country.
A Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country is an important part of Indigenous culture for many reasons. When practiced between different Mobs, a Welcome or an Acknowledgement shows respect and strengthens ties between communities.
When a non-Indigenous person acknowledges Country, it shows respect and recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians of the land.
It is important to remember that the way a Welcome or Acknowledgement may look, and sound differs between Mobs, and not everyone may practice them.
A Welcome to Country is performed by the Traditional Custodians of the land you are on. It is a formal welcome that invites people to their land, explains the Lore of the land and grants you a safe passage and protection during your time there.
An Acknowledgement of Country is performed by anyone who is not a Traditional Custodian. The individual acknowledges that they are on the lands of someone else, pays respect to the Traditional Custodians, their Elders, and their Lore, and acknowledges all other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders gathered as a sign of respect. This can be both formal and informal and is used for many different meetings, functions, events, and ceremonies.
Within our college, many Acknowledgement of Country signs and stickers are displayed on our campus.
St Helena Secondary is proud to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which our school is located, the Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.
From: https://www.vacca.org/
Nation Wide News:
In recent news, National Indigenous Times Editor Giovanni Torre has informed us that February 14th, 2024, will mark the 20th anniversary since the death of a young boy in custody Thomas (TJ) Hickey, a 17-year-old Gamilaraay boy who was chased by two police paddy wagons through Redfern when he was thrown from his push bike fatally injured. TJ’s mother, Gail Hickey has been fighting for justice for her son and the truth for two decades. The Indigenous Social Justice Association – Melbourne is holding a Speak-Out at the Victorian State Library at noon on the 17th of February to honour the memory of TJ Hickey and show solidarity with the many families who have lost a loved one in police and prison custody.
A landmark report of the Royal Commission found that over-incarceration of First Nations people was the key factor contributing to the shockingly high rates of Indigenous deaths in custody and racial profiling contributes directly to the growing First Nations imprisonment. Alison Thorne from the Indigenous Social Justice Association says that TJ was indeed racially profiled when he was wrongly chased by police, who were looking for another person suspected of bag snatching.
Also, in the realm of the National Indigenous Times, host Brendan Foster delivered the news that an Indigenous businesswoman Corina Muir is changing the world, one piece of clothing at a time. Corina Muir designs and sells environmentally friendly and Indigenous clothing designs, and she has recently received a grant from the government for her work. She said, “While getting national recognition for her sustainable clothing is wonderful, seeing young Indigenous kids wearing the designs brings the most joy to her”. The proud Yorta Yorta/Boonwurrung woman started her indigenous fashion label “Amber Days” just five years ago but is already a regular at the Melbourne Fashion Week and the Melbourne Fashion Festival and has even appeared in British Vogue. The 34-year-old said that her designs are inspired by her connection to the bush, desert, and sea and her passion for the environment.
Corina’s story sets an amazing principle that anyone can do anything with the right mindset and drive, an aspiring story.
Sports News:
In the world of AFL, Liam Ryan will be staying with the West Coast Eagles for two more years with his new contract extension keeping him at the club at least until the end of 2026. The Eagles announced the 27-year-old’s newly inked deal on Monday. This dynamic Indigenous star who was out on injury for the bulk of 2023 with a hamstring injury has suffered a further setback after injuring his other hamstring during the club’s first training session back after Christmas. Liam is an Indigenous icon to the sport helping sink Magpie hearts with a huge, contested mark during a late stage passage to set up Dom Sheed’s winning goal in the 2018 Grand Final. Moving on to a different athlete an unbeaten knock from Ash Gardener has guided Australia to a final over victory against South Africa. The 26-year-old Muruwari woman’s talent scored the win which saw Australia clinch the three-match T20 series 2-1.
Going into a different sport, Donnell Wallam has publicly taken the fall over the loss of a $15 million sponsorship deal that walked away from the board more than a month ago without fanfare. The third Aboriginal netballer to represent Australia, Wallam was overheard saying she was uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting name on the National Australian Netball Diamonds team uniform. She had raised concerns over the company founder, Lang Hancock who called for the sterilization of Indigenous people in the 1980s.https://nit.com.au/31-01-2024/9549/gardner-cameo-secures-series-victory-for-aussies
https://nit.com.au/30-01-2024/9536/liam-ryan-puts-pen-to-paper-at-west-coast
https://nit.com.au/20-01-2024/9385/advisor-for-sponsorship-saga-revealed
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/