Yarning Conference

20 committed and passionate year 3, 4, and 5 students have been talking about treaty to begin this term. Their powerful conversations were celebrated through participation in the 2024 Darebin Schools' NAIDOC Yarning Conference on Tuesday.

The conference involved meeting 21 other schools from Darebin at Bundoora Park to stand in solidarity and learn from significant and local First Nations people including Uncle Bill Nicholson, members of the First People's Assembly Aunty Esme Bamblett, Barry Firebrace-Briggs, and Zoe Upton, Grant Hansen of Blackfire, and many more. 

Our students loudly and proudly demonstrated all of our school values as they listened with enthusiasm and intent, questioned and answered with knowledge and respect, and expressed their voice with creativity and conviction.

Across the day, the students were part of a range of activities including speeches, Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, traditional First Nation games, Q&As, and listening to poetry. However, the students tell me that their favourites were the NAIDOC march around Bundoora Park when their posters shone, and joining the other 400 students to sing 'Talkin' Treaty' by Blackfire (atop).

At school, in the lead up to the Yarning Conference, this group of students gave up recess to learn about the conference's key themes: NAIDOC- Keep the Fire Burning Blak, Loud, and Proud; The First People's Assembly and Treaty in Victoria; Truth-Telling and The Yoorrook Justice Commission; and Traditional Owners of Darebin- Caring for Country. This learning culminated in the creation of the posters they marched with at the conference. I'd like to congratulate them on their commitment, which lead to positivity and pride and laid the base for a special day.

Yours in anticipation for next year's Yarning Conference,

Simon