10
I came across this article, written by Linda Doherty, in the weekend Herald a few weeks back. While the piece reads like a press release, it signifies an incredible leap in the way the NSW Education Department views Indigenous custodianship.
Pupils to salute Aboriginal custodians
NSW public school students are to acknowledge Aborigines as the the original custodians of the land, under the new Department of Education guidelines.
The Aboriginal "welcome to country" greeting and the "acknowledgement of country" will be performed at assemblies and other formal school functions. They are already used at functions attended by NSW and federal ministers, including the federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, but their extension to NSW public schools and TAFE is an Australian first, and have been hailed by Aboriginal leaders as a major milestone towards reconciliation.
The president of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Dave Ella, said the greetings would engender respect toward Indigenous people and raise students' self esteem. "It's probably one of the biggest developments since the reconciliation Bridge walk[in 2000]," he said. "The community is really excited about it."
The state Education and Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Andrew Refshauge, said the guidelines were not mandatory but were a "useful" way of explaining the proper form of address and acknowledgement. "People do want to recognise the traditional owners, that's been part of a growing feeling about people understanding our history and having respect," he said. "And all political parties have agreed that respect is the starting point you need for reconciliation".
The guidelines, which will be implemented this year, explain the "welcome to country" can take the form of a speech of a dance but can only be performed by an Aboriginal elder. The acknowledgment, which can be said by anyone, recognised the school event is "taking place on the country of the traditional custodians". Both would show "respect for Aboriginal people as Australia's first peoples."
For Aborigines in Sydney, around the CBD, eastern suburbs and inner west, the greeting would be: "I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. I would also like to pay respect to the elders, both past and present, of the Eora national and extend that respect to other Aboriginals present."
The plan originated with Aboriginal teachers in the NSW Teachers Federation and was adopted by the Education Department and the Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group, which advises the Government.
The senior vice-president of the federation, Angelo Gavrielatos, said using the greeting in school was emblematic of Aborigines' "rightful place" in Australia's history. "It will have an incredibly positive affect on Aboriginal students across the state. They will be able to feel pride in terms of their inheritance and identity," he said.
A recent state government review highlighted the acknowledgement of Aboriginal identity - inextricably linked to "belonging to the land and to each other" - as important to improving the performance of Indigenous students.
The review found Aboriginal students were up to five years behind non-Aboriginal students in reading and writing by Year 7.
© Sydney Morning Herald 01/01/2005
When I was in high school (a sort of posh yet open minded all girls school back in WA that claimed to produce "feminine feminists") I remember spending a whole term of Social Studies learning about Australian history. We worked backwards through the years until we reached the late 1700's, the time of invasion/colonisation. I sadly realised then that there would be no Indigenous history included as it was the last week of term.
I remember standing up, in front of everyone and asking my teacher why we wouldn't be learning about Aboriginal people. She looked shocked that a Yr 9 student was actually questioning what they were being taught. Fumbling for words, she explained that as Indigenous history wasn't written down, or recorded properly (hah! properly!) that there was no way to include it into the curriculum. I nearly burst into tears. I had plenty of responses, what about the elders who can tell stories, what about my great Grandmother who can sing a Yamatji lullaby, what about the languages, there's an entire culture none of you people know just waiting to be heard, why is our history irrelevant? How can it be irrelevant?! I swallowed all those words all the way down losing my pride somewhere along the way. That was the day I began to hate the education system.
My marks slumped, my attendance levels were absolutely shocking and finally, sometime in Yr 10, I just never went back. What was the point? What was the point of attending such a supposedly prestigious school, where I was the one of three blackfullas in the entire school (the other two were sisters and not in my year) and not even my own ancestors stories were being told?
A few years later, when I started work, I heard my first welcome to country and acknowledgement of country. It made me feel so proud, like I was an important part of something much bigger and that I certainly was not alone. It's now become automatic to expect a welcome to country and acknowledgement of country at major Indigenous cultural events. It gives elders the opportunity to speak some language, to show non-Indigenous people that we are a fiercely proud people determined to not be forgotten, to not be ignored anymore.
I would love to see non-Indigenous events including a welcome to country and acknowledgement of country, the impact on the general public would be astounding. As a blackfulla, it's a beautiful thing to hear, for wadjella's, well I don't know how they would respond. Maybe with a mix of shame, for the way we have been treated for so long, and awe, for a small insight into a culture that has been hidden for centuries. Can you imagine the impact it would have on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids? I think it'd be incredible.
The only problem I have with the guidelines is that they are for NSW only and are not mandatory, so each NSW school can choose whether or not to implement them. Here's hoping other state Education Department will realise what a bold step this is towards real reconciliation and take it on board.
Pupils to salute Aboriginal custodians
NSW public school students are to acknowledge Aborigines as the the original custodians of the land, under the new Department of Education guidelines.
The Aboriginal "welcome to country" greeting and the "acknowledgement of country" will be performed at assemblies and other formal school functions. They are already used at functions attended by NSW and federal ministers, including the federal Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, but their extension to NSW public schools and TAFE is an Australian first, and have been hailed by Aboriginal leaders as a major milestone towards reconciliation.
The president of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, Dave Ella, said the greetings would engender respect toward Indigenous people and raise students' self esteem. "It's probably one of the biggest developments since the reconciliation Bridge walk[in 2000]," he said. "The community is really excited about it."
The state Education and Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Andrew Refshauge, said the guidelines were not mandatory but were a "useful" way of explaining the proper form of address and acknowledgement. "People do want to recognise the traditional owners, that's been part of a growing feeling about people understanding our history and having respect," he said. "And all political parties have agreed that respect is the starting point you need for reconciliation".
The guidelines, which will be implemented this year, explain the "welcome to country" can take the form of a speech of a dance but can only be performed by an Aboriginal elder. The acknowledgment, which can be said by anyone, recognised the school event is "taking place on the country of the traditional custodians". Both would show "respect for Aboriginal people as Australia's first peoples."
For Aborigines in Sydney, around the CBD, eastern suburbs and inner west, the greeting would be: "I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. I would also like to pay respect to the elders, both past and present, of the Eora national and extend that respect to other Aboriginals present."
The plan originated with Aboriginal teachers in the NSW Teachers Federation and was adopted by the Education Department and the Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group, which advises the Government.
The senior vice-president of the federation, Angelo Gavrielatos, said using the greeting in school was emblematic of Aborigines' "rightful place" in Australia's history. "It will have an incredibly positive affect on Aboriginal students across the state. They will be able to feel pride in terms of their inheritance and identity," he said.
A recent state government review highlighted the acknowledgement of Aboriginal identity - inextricably linked to "belonging to the land and to each other" - as important to improving the performance of Indigenous students.
The review found Aboriginal students were up to five years behind non-Aboriginal students in reading and writing by Year 7.
© Sydney Morning Herald 01/01/2005
When I was in high school (a sort of posh yet open minded all girls school back in WA that claimed to produce "feminine feminists") I remember spending a whole term of Social Studies learning about Australian history. We worked backwards through the years until we reached the late 1700's, the time of invasion/colonisation. I sadly realised then that there would be no Indigenous history included as it was the last week of term.
I remember standing up, in front of everyone and asking my teacher why we wouldn't be learning about Aboriginal people. She looked shocked that a Yr 9 student was actually questioning what they were being taught. Fumbling for words, she explained that as Indigenous history wasn't written down, or recorded properly (hah! properly!) that there was no way to include it into the curriculum. I nearly burst into tears. I had plenty of responses, what about the elders who can tell stories, what about my great Grandmother who can sing a Yamatji lullaby, what about the languages, there's an entire culture none of you people know just waiting to be heard, why is our history irrelevant? How can it be irrelevant?! I swallowed all those words all the way down losing my pride somewhere along the way. That was the day I began to hate the education system.
My marks slumped, my attendance levels were absolutely shocking and finally, sometime in Yr 10, I just never went back. What was the point? What was the point of attending such a supposedly prestigious school, where I was the one of three blackfullas in the entire school (the other two were sisters and not in my year) and not even my own ancestors stories were being told?
A few years later, when I started work, I heard my first welcome to country and acknowledgement of country. It made me feel so proud, like I was an important part of something much bigger and that I certainly was not alone. It's now become automatic to expect a welcome to country and acknowledgement of country at major Indigenous cultural events. It gives elders the opportunity to speak some language, to show non-Indigenous people that we are a fiercely proud people determined to not be forgotten, to not be ignored anymore.
I would love to see non-Indigenous events including a welcome to country and acknowledgement of country, the impact on the general public would be astounding. As a blackfulla, it's a beautiful thing to hear, for wadjella's, well I don't know how they would respond. Maybe with a mix of shame, for the way we have been treated for so long, and awe, for a small insight into a culture that has been hidden for centuries. Can you imagine the impact it would have on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids? I think it'd be incredible.
The only problem I have with the guidelines is that they are for NSW only and are not mandatory, so each NSW school can choose whether or not to implement them. Here's hoping other state Education Department will realise what a bold step this is towards real reconciliation and take it on board.
posted by dreamonblackgirl at 1:22 PM
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