Around the School
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year , to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all of us at St Mary's to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Below is a snapshot from each classroom this week:
In Prep we learnt that The Rainbow Serpent is a story of creation.
The Rainbow Serpent is the creator and protector of the land and the people. The people live together and look after the land given to them by the Rainbow Serpent.
In Year One we discussed the importance of the land to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We looked at symbols, colours and Australian animals and their significance. We learned about how the boomerang holds an importance for Aboriginal Australians, serving as a hunting tool and a symbol of cultural heritage. It represents traditional knowledge, skills, and a deep connection to the land, frequently appearing in ceremonies and storytelling.
To understand the importance of discussion, spoken stories and language to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture, Year Two explored a different form of text podcasts. They learnt about and practised a meaningful form of communication called ‘yarning’. Students listened and responded to several ‘Little Yarns’ podcasts. These podcasts are held on different nations within Indigenous Australia. They connected stories to the country it belongs too and learnt some words in the local language of the countries explored.
This week Year Three learned about the origin of NAIDOC Week in 1938. This evolved into a week that celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We explored the dreamtime stories and how they play an important role in passing on important lessons and the history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. We listened to the story of the Butu Wugun (Black Crow) and the Wilbung (Magpie). The lesson of this story is that you should always do the best you can and respect the differences of those around you and look for ways to share your knowledge and skills with others. We discussed the importance of the story with a yarn circle, an important part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tradition. We also explored the alternative Australian National Anthem created by Judith Durham which acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the traditional custodians of the land. We compared this to our current National Anthem and pointed out the similarities and differences between the two songs. Students drew images that reflected the words of the alternative National Anthem.
Year 4M researched and wrote our own information report about NAIDOC Week. We defined the term NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee), described how it evolved and why it is important to ALL Australians. To celebrate NAIDOC Week, we listened to our favourite Dreamtime stories and watched Adam Briggs, an Indigenous Australian rapper, read his book, “Our Home, Our Heartbeat”. The book honours and celebrates past and present First Nations legends, as well as, emerging generations. Finally, to help us reflect on this year’s theme: ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’, we made 3D paper flames.
Year 5/6M spent time reflecting on, investigating and discussing the artwork and artist of the 2024 NAIDOC Week poster. We looked at the colour, motifs, style and message we each saw in the art. The theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning’ lead us to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been ‘Trailblazers & Change Makers’ for their people. We listened to Paul Kelly’s song ‘From Little things Big Things Grow’ and wrote a summary of the story of Vincent Lingari and his persistence and courage to reclaim the land belonging to his people, the Gurindji. We visited the State Library and immersed ourselves in the exhibition dedicated to ‘Beruk’, a Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung artist and Ngurungaeta, activist, leader, trailblazer, whose influence continues to influence generations world wide. Other Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander ‘Trailblazers and Change Makers’ we learned about included Yunupingu, Eddie Koiki Mabo, Dr Alice Rigney, Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue and, Matilda's goal keeper, Lydia Williams.
Year 5/6D researched the history of NAIDOC Week through watching an episode of ‘Behind The News”. In Home Learning, we viewed a video of CommBank Matilda's goalkeeper and Noongar woman Lydia Williams who reflected on keeping the fire burning for her culture as she represents her country on the football field. We also looked into the story of the Torres Strait Islander artist, Deb Belyea, who designed the official poster for NAIDOC Week 2024. Finally, within our excursion to the State Library and the NGV Ian Potter Centre, we collected information about indigenous artists and their works and learnt about a significant member of the Naarm community, Beruk, who was an artist, activist and diplomat in colonial and post colonial Victoria.
