Developing Cultural Understandings

By Jane Leyshon, Indigenous Student Support Teacher

On their first day back this year, staff across the College took part in a cultural learning professional development day. Schools and organisations across Australia are engaging in such learning to create more culturally safe and inclusive environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Given the increasing number of ATSI students at The Geelong College, it was important for staff to engage in this professional development.

The day began with a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country performed by Corrina Eccles, a local Wadda Wurrung (Geelong and Ballarat region) Traditional Owner.

Following this was a panel discussion with four local people with connections to the school, both Aboriginal and nonAboriginal, who discussed what it meant to be culturally safe and inclusive for our students. The panel included Edie Wright, grandmother of Dylan, Lotte, Grace and Harriet in the Junior and Middle Schools; Leanne Smith, program manager of the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program scholarship through which six of our ATSI students are supported; Cameron Begg from Geelong, who boards students from North East Arnhem Land that attend Belmont High School and who spent 12 years as a teacher in Yirrkala in Arnhem Land; and Corrina Eccles.

The discussion that unfolded was rich, honest and robust. It gave staff an opportunity to listen firsthand to the sorts of experiences and challenges that Aboriginal people face in Australia, particularly within a school setting. One of the more important messages that came out of this discussion was that each of our ATSI students has a different experience of being Aboriginal and that it was wrong to place assumptions on them, particularly in the classroom and socially, based on their Aboriginality.

A collaborative artwork took shape with the combined efforts of staff and Aboriginal artist Nathan Patterson.

The staff’s care for our students was very much evident, and the focus was on how to care in a culturally sensitive way. The only way we can do this is to learn about the actual culture, which was the purpose of this day. The College hopes to extend this cultural learning by including it more in the school curriculum and embedding cultural practices within the life of the school.

The response from staff was extremely positive and I think the most meaningful aspect of this forum was creating a safe space where conscious and respectful sharing and listening could take place. The art of listening underpins much of Australian Aboriginal culture.

The afternoon was then filled with various cultural workshops that staff could take part in. These included learning from master basket-weaver Bronwyn Razem (Gunditjmara heritage); Wayapa, an Aboriginal mindfulness movement practice with Thaedra Frangos; a boomerangthrowing, yidaki (didgeridoo) and weapons presentation with Anthony Hume from Narana; a tour of local sites of cultural significance with Corrina Eccles; collaborative painting with local Aboriginal artist Nathan Patterson; and a screening of the Gurrumul documentary. Overall it was a fantastic and fun day where a lot of heartfelt learning took place that we hope will inform best practice when it comes to being inclusive and sensitive of Aboriginal culture and heritage, particularly with our ATSI students.