Before Contact

At St Catherine’s we take pride in laying the foundations for a respectful and culturally aware generation of young Australians that respect our shared land.

Strengthening the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions within St Catherine’s curriculum forms an important element of our School’s commitment to reconciliation. It also fosters the curiosity and empathy of our students as they develop their understanding of the rich history of First Nations Australians and their cultures.

In Year 4 HASS (Humanities and Social Studies), students developed an historical understanding of First Nations Australians through a research inquiry on Indigenous life before first contact with European settlers. Students explored the proposition ‘What can we learn about Indigenous life from traditional and sacred sites and artefacts?’

The girls developed their critical thinking skills applying their questioning, listening, wondering, and discovering skills to complete their research investigation through examining:

• How First Nations Australians’ lives before contact were different from today; • Survival techniques used to provide food and shelter; • The importance of visual and oral storytelling to share cultures, beliefs, and the past; and • The diversity of language groups. When the research was complete, the girls synthesised their findings in a report, which was then presented to the class. This facilitated a creative and communal sharing of knowledge and improved the collective understanding of all the students on this important topic.

Kunwinjku Dreaming Stories were also shared during reading time to further develop the girls’ appreciation of the use of oral storytelling in Indigenous culture as an essential element of connecting with and belonging to country. At the start of these lessons, the girls paid respect to the local community and nation(s) through the Barbreck Acknowledgement of

Country, that acknowledges the custodians of the land in which their learning takes place.

Through these learning opportunities our students gain a stronger understanding and appreciation of the First Nations Australians’ unique belief systems and ways of being, knowing, thinking, and doing linked to physical and spiritual interconnections.

We look forward to further strengthening this knowledge, awareness, and respect.

Ms Auveen Twomey Year 4 Teacher

Barbreck Acknowledgement of Country

We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation who are the traditional custodians of the land on which our campus stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Wurundjeri Elders, past, present and emerging and extend this respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait people from other Communities.