BUILDING CHANGE

Building Change is an elective subject open to students inYear9and 10 at Ruyton.

It addresses the uncomfortable subject of whether racism exists in Australia, and how we can learn effective ways to tackle racism and unconscious bias. With a ‘truth-telling’ but ultimately positive approach, students examine a variety of different topics, major themes and big ideas about First Nations communities in Australia. This year we built a strong friendship and connection with the senior girls’ class at Tiwi College, and in May we were lucky enough to host five students and two staff who came toMelbourne and experienced life at Ruyton. Darcie Kane-Priestley Director of Drama

My perception of the world has shifted from our very first Building Change lesson. Trying to gauge how much we knew, Ms Kane-Priestley asked the class about what and whose land we were on, and we answered the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. Ms Kane-Priestley then asked us what the name of Melbourne was and I had no idea. It is Naarm. In a distinct moment, I realised how much, not just the struggles, but the beautiful living culture of the First Nations people is ignored, pushed to the sidelines, hidden or destroyed. The most powerful part of this course for me was the First Nations voices we heard. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s perspectives and stories had almost always been placed in the past, learning about them through History classes that don't speak to the art, music, language, medicine, stories, singers, sport stars and more that make masterpieces and inspirations that have such a rich patchwork of the past and modern identity. Getting to know the girls at Tiwi College and hearing about their lives was incredible. Hearing stories about swimming and hunting, and going camping with their families, as well as the culture they learn and live at school was such a beautiful experience. In class, we also listened to music written by First Nations Artists like Thelma Plum, or Briggs which was amazing too and opened my mind to new perspectives. But amongst the celebration, we learnt about the past and ongoing pain and trauma that First Nations people face. AMonologue by Gamilaroi/Torres Strait Islander woman Nakkiah Lui described it as ‘aslow genocide as each generation dies younger and younger’. People always say about the past ‘how could people just let that happen?’ but we are allowing governments toimprison a generation from as young as ten years old. We are feigning ignorance so that we can let languages, cultures and people die. Genocide and racism are not just in our past, they are our present and future unless we make a drastic change to value FirstNations language, culture, and people. Juliet Bland Year 10 student

Through studying the devastating stories of police brutality in Australia, I was confronted bythe terrifying realities of being Indigenous ora person of colour in Australia. Although Ihave been blessed to grow up in a household where I have been taught and made aware of my white privilege, over the past few years Ihave learnt that not everyone is. Particularly during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, I found myself having uncomfortable conversations with friends who were unable tosee their implicit biases or empathise with the message that the movement brought. Building Change is a subject that, in my firm belief, everybody should do. Our explorations of our own implicit biases and overcoming them together brought our cohort even closer, as we mourned the loss and grief Indigenous Australians suffer, whilst simultaneously celebrating their remarkable achievements, culture and connections to the land. We learnt how to listen to First Nations people, putting them at the front and centre of the movement advocating for their civil rights and liberties andwhat we can do to dismantle institutional and systemic racism in Australia. Francesca Yatomi-Clarke Year 9 Being a part of the Building Change elective hasenriched my learning of personal bias, racism and the importance Indigenous culture. To kickstart the semester, our first area oflearning was ourselves. We became aware ofour own personal biases through reflection of past events, completing The Implicit Bias Test and consideration of what we, as people, need todo to change for the better. This unit of study changed my whole world iew. Another focus of Building Change was racism in society. For Indigenous Australians, racism is an ongoing and daily battle. Many awful stereotypes surround Indigenous Australians, leading to an instilled fear put into others. Through my experience of hosting two beautiful girls from the Tiwi Islands, I have been able to connect to and understand why Indigenous culture is so special and should beprotected around Australia. Simple things like Acknowledgement of/Welcome to Country should be implemented into every gathering and official meeting Australia-wide. It is so important to remember that Indigenous people have been on this land for much longer than anyone else and we should thank them for protecting and preserving it. Stephanie Elford Year 10