Kingston Koorie Mob

Acknowledgement of Country, Reconciliation Week

Acknowledgement of Country. 

Patterson River Secondary College is situated on Carrum Carrum swamp a site of historical and cultural significance. We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of this area, the Bunurong and we pay our respects to their Elders both past, present and future, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Indigenous Australians. We also extend our respect to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families.

 

 

Reconciliation Week

This Reconciliation Week, all the Year 7 and 8 students learned about the Stolen Generations. In the 20th century, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families to be “assimilated” into white Australian culture. These children are known as the “Stolen Generations.”

 

It took several Australian government administrations coming and going before an apology was officially offered to Indigenous Australians. However, it finally became official and actions are still being undertaken to this day to repair the damage caused by tearing First Nations families apart.

 

This week all the Junior students participated in painting a leaf. They were asked to reflect on the past and paint something that represents the future of Australia. The leaves will be collected and presented as a large-scale collaborative display.