Reconciliation Action Plan News 

The Indigenous Marathon Project and laykara 25 

Relationships/Community – Build Relationships with Community

“Running well is a matter of having the patience to persevere when we are tired and not expect instant results. There are no shortcuts. Be patient and look long-term.” Robert de Castella, IMF Director 

The Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF) is a health promotion charity that uses running to celebrate Indigenous resilience and achievement and create inspirational Indigenous leaders. Earlier this year St Virgil’s College staff member and young palawa mentor Jamie Graham Blair was selected in the squad for the 2022 Indigenous Marathon Project which uses running to change lives and provide a sense of empowerment, purpose and pride. Its participants train all over Australia gradually building up enough fitness and experience to compete in the New York Marathon in November.

 Jamie has already completed two milestones on his way to New York including the Mother’s Day classic 10km race on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country in Canberra and a Half-Marathon on Kombumerri Yugambeh Country on the Gold Coast in July. This Saturday Jamie will be hosting his project team-mates in his hometown of nipaluna Hobart and running the up slopes of kunanyi Mt Wellington as part of his laykara 25 Event (https://fb.me/e/3me0epU1i ) Saturday’s 25km run will begin at 8:00am at the Fern-tree Tavern, where there also be fundraising activities and guided bush walks with staff from the award winning Wukalina Walks. 

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and takara nipaluna

Respect/Community - Celebrate Days of National Significance 

Tuesday August 9 was the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with this year’s theme highlighting the role of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge. This courageous sharing of culture, knowledge and true history was evident when we had the opportunity to attend takara nipaluna last Thursday evening. Sixteen members of our College community, including teaching and support staff from both campuses, staff from the St Francis Flexible Learning Centre and EREA, past students and RAP Working Group members came together to learn the true history of our city. Created and led by palawa/warlpiri woman Nunami Sculthorpe-Green, takara nipaluna is a walking tour of the streets of nipaluna Hobart. We followed the route taken in 1832 by a group of forty members of the Aboriginal resistance, when they walked from the midlands to the old Government House to negotiate an end to the Black War. We finished outside Parliament House, and came away with a far richer understanding of the city and waterfront and of the palawa experience here as told by this strong and proud First Nations woman.

Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Refresh Process

Opportunities/Community – Celebrate RAP Progress 

After a very intense review period our RAP has now been re-submitted to Reconciliation Australia for updating to the Narragunnawali Platform. We are blessed to have such a broad and dedicated RAP Working Group who have spent much time reviewing our Vision Statement, updating our Acknowledgement of Country, participating in the Reflection Survey and reviewing and updating all 39 Actions and their associated Goals and Deliverables. 

This is a huge task which for which we warmly thank this committed group of teaching and support staff from both campuses, past students, parents and Aboriginal community members.