In June and July we celebrate the Noongar season of Makuru, we recognize NAIDOC week in the ways we can. This year NAIDOC week was postponed however we are still doing what we can and reflecting on the past activites we have done. Last year we welcomed Josh Kelly who visited Kids College. We are all part of our shared Australian culture and we take great delight in our place as early childhood educators to share and celebrate Australia’s Indigenous heritage and build a strong foundation of shared love, respect and caring.
This article covers:- Kids College activities and events, season of Makuru, Acknowledgement of Country, NAIDOC week 2020, past NAIDOC week, and Bilba the Bilby dreamtime story.
A very special visit by Josh Kelly
Kids College would like to thank Josh Kelly from Cultural Infusion for our wonderful incursion. We learnt so much and the children absolutely loved it. We learnt that the Didgeridoo makes all kinds of sounds that represent different animals as well as good and bad spirits. We heard Josh play the emu, kangaroo, dingo, honeybee, kookaburra and even a train sound. We all got to act out the dances of the different animals and did a good spirit dance imagining and ball of good energy in our hands. This was a big hit with our children. So if they come home today acting out animals and good energy balls, that’s why.
Josh’s outfit was beautiful full of colours and meanings. His headband represents the colours of the Aboriginal flag, red, yellow and black. His top was from his Binar club and we could see the shooting star story depicted in the design. He showed us some facepaint and explained to us how the paint colours are made by crushing up flowers and plants.
We recorded our visit and have been enjoying watching it back. The children are enthralled with the interesting ideas and sounds.
We are also quite proud of ourselves as Josh pointed out that we were the first childcare centre to have a yarning circle of our own to come together and celebrate our stories. We had a great time today, Josh, we can’t wait to see you again.
Noongar Makuru season is June and July
The Noongar people divided the year into six seasons. They moved to a different area and fed on different foods during each season.
Makuru was June and July and was the wettest part of the year featuring cold fronts (cold air). The Noongar people moved further inland to hunt where the rain had filled the billabongs and rivers. Hunting for kangaroos and emus would begin and their coats used for clothing to keep warm. They knew the season was beginning when the swans began to molt and there were lots of widjety grubs.
Fire was very important during this season throughout June and July, and travelling groups rarely went anywhere without a smouldering branch of bull banksia held beneath their booka (kangaroo-skin cloaks).
Fire was made using the slender flower stems from grass trees. Fire was perhaps the Noongar people’s most useful and precious resource, with many uses: tool and artefact production, food preparation and cooking, hunting and driving game, warmth and signalling. The campfire provided comfort and company.
Makuru was a time to dig and eat djida pink tuber roots. Swans moulted in June and were easy prey as they were unable to fly. Women and children would drive the swimming birds across a lake or river to the men, who waited to catch the birds.
Bilba the Bilby dreamtime story
Legend has it that Bilba the soft-furred sandhill rat was once a man and lived in a camp with his mate, Mayra, the wind, who was invisible. Bilba could hold conversations with Mayra but much as he wanted to, Bilba could never see his friend. Bilba pleaded with Mayra to become like him so that he could see him as Bilba longed to see someone again. If he could only see Mayra, he would not wish for a better mullaya [mate]. Mayra, despite Bilba’s pleas, was happy to stay as he was as Mayra could see Bilba – he was all right.
One day, after again pleading with his friend to make himself visible, Bilba decided not to go hunting with Mayra that day but he would stay in the camp. Mayra the wind then went off angrily without Bilba. Later that evening, Bilba suddenly heard a roaring in the distance such as he had never heard before. Bilba quickly went up to the sand-ridge behind his camp and made a hole in the soft ground and buried himself in it until the windstorm had passed. Up came the wind tearing on to the ridge, whirling round the camp. On and on he went round Bilba’s hole; but he could not shift it, so howling with impotent rage as he went, Mayra passed on until his voice was only heard in the distance and at length, not at all. After a time, Bilba came out. He had been so safe and warm in his hole in the sand that he lived there ever afterwards; and there he took his wife to live.
To this day Bilba’s tribe live in burrows in the sand. They still hear the voice of old Bilba’s mate. For so angry was Mayra at Bilba’s desire to see his face or leave him that he only howls and roars as he rushes past their camps. Never since has any of the tribes seen where he camps nor does anyone know except the six winds that blow and they tell the secret to none.
Michael J Connolly
Dreamtime Kullilla-Art
The 2024 National NAIDOC Week Poster winner: Deborah (Deb) Belyea
The National NAIDOC committee are thrilled to announce artist Deb Belyea (pronounced Bel-yaaaay) as the winner of the 2024 NAIDOC Week Poster Competition. Deb’s design captivated the National NAIDOC Committee and perfectly captured the meaning of the 2024 National NAIDOC Week theme Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.
Deb is a proud member of the Samuawgadhalgal, (pronounced Sum-oo-ow-guth-ull-gull) Cassowary Clan, whose bloodlines stretch to the people of the top Western Torres Strait islands of Saibai (pronounced Si-bi), Dauan (pronounced Doo-un), and the Bamaga-Saibai (pronounced Bam-uga Si-bi) community of Cape York.
Currently living on the lands of the Juru people in Bowen, North Queensland, Deb is an educator, curriculum writer and practising artist.
“We saw tremendous talent in this year’s NAIDOC poster competition. We knew the theme would inspire mob and Deb’s work was exceptional,” explained National NAIDOC Committee Co-Chair Steven Satour.
The winning entry is titled, ‘Urapun Muy’ (pronounced Oorr-up-oon Mooy), and means ‘One Fire’ in the Kalaw Kawaw Ya (pronounced Kull-ow Koww-ow Yah) dialect.
“When I saw that the NAIDOC theme for this year was Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, I wanted to create an art piece that reflected our First Nations cultures”, said Deb.
‘Urapun Muy’ depicts the rich, multifaceted tapestry that makes up who we are as Blak, Loud and Proud mob.
The artwork shows ancestors hands placing an ember into a burning fire. This ember, and the fire, represents the sharing of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.
“Culture is the fire that burns within all of us. It is essential to us when we talk about our people, identity, and spirituality.
“Throughout our lives, culture is taught to us by our Elders in our rich heritage languages, which have sprouted from our homelands. It shows us our roads to one another and how we belong to our Place or Country. As First Nations mob, it is our lifelong responsibility of learning, teaching and practising culture.”
What do we do at Kids College during NAIDOC week?
When planning, organising and thinking of meaningful activities to embed into our programing at Kids College we refer to Narragunnawali’s online platform to provide us with relevant information. It introduces meaningful reconciliation initiatives to use around our centre and within the community.
Narragunnawali is a program of Reconciliation Australia. Reconciliation Australia is an independent, national not-for-profit organisation promoting reconciliation by building stronger relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For NAIDOC week we have had lots of wonderful activities planned. Each day we have read Aboriginal Stories to the children, which include beautiful Aboriginal artworks. We have done some hand painting using the colours of the flags. Explaining the meaning of each colour as we paint them on their hand. Every morning we cite the Acknowledgement to country with the children and lastly we have some Aboriginal symbol playdough cards for the children to re-create using playdough and other natural materials.These are fun and engaging activities, which the children love! As we celebrate NAIDOC week we like to highlight the importance of not only using this week to celebrate the history, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples but also focus on continuously embedding meaningful learning experiences into our weekly programming.
Kids College Reconciliation Action Plan
We are working with the Narragunnawali organization and have developed our Kids College RAP. A “RAP” is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation. A school or early learning service can develop a RAP using the Narragunnawali platform to register existing initiatives or to begin a new journey. RAP Actions are the commitments included in the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). There are 39 RAP Actions, each of which relates to relationships, respect and opportunities, as they play out in the classroom, around the school or early learning service and with the community. At Kids College we chose 16 actions to implement over a year across Kids College.
RAP action 4 Welcome to country at Kids College
Welcoming visitors
Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have been part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for thousands of years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups have boundaries – not always marked by geographical boundaries – separating their Country from that of other groups. Crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter, and when that permission was granted, the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and outlining responsibilities whilst on Country.
As a general rule, if people are travelling from areas outside the location of the event, it is appropriate to have a Welcome to Country.
Continuation of respect
A Welcome to Country is a continuation of these protocols of respect. A Welcome to Country usually occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can only be delivered by Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been given permission from Traditional Owners to welcome visitors to their Country on which the event is taking place.
This is different from an Acknowledgement of Country which can be given by a non-Indigenous person or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is connected to another place. A Welcome to Country can take many forms including singing, dancing, a smoking ceremony or a speech in traditional language or English.
Deep connection to country
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to Country. Connection to Country is important whether a person lives in the city or in a rural area. This connection has been the core of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander existence since time immemorial and continues to be integral today; influencing spiritual, physical, cultural, social and emotional wellbeing. ‘Healthy Country, healthy people’ is an intrinsic belief held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“Country in Aboriginal English is not only a common noun but also a proper noun. People talk about country in the same way that they would talk about a person: they speak to country, sing to country, visit country, worry about country, feel sorry for country, and long for country. People say that country knows, hears, smells, takes notice, takes care, is sorry or happy. Country is not a generalised or undifferentiated type of place, such as one might indicate with terms like ‘spending a day in the country’ or ‘going up the country’. Rather, country is a living entity with a yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a consciousness, and a will toward life.” – Rose, D. (1996). Nourishing terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness (p. 7). Canberra, ACT: Australian Heritage Commission.
Welcome to Country book
We enjoyed a particularly wonderful book with our children. It is called ‘Welcome to Country’ by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy.
This multi-award-winning picture book is an expansive and generous Welcome to Country from a most respected Elder, Aunty Joy Murphy, beautifully given form by Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy.
This book shows us their welcoming ceremony as a cultural greeting by the Elders who give permission for visitors to enter onto their traditional lands. Aboriginal communities across Australia have boundaries that are defined by mountain ranges and waterways. To cross these boundaries or enter community country you need permission from the neighbouring community. Each community has its own way of welcoming country. Welcome to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People. We are part of this land and the land is part of us. This is where we come from. Wominjeka Wurundjeri balluk yearmenn koondee bik. Welcome to Country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEKUyht_fs8
RAP action 9 Acknowledgement of Country
Acknowledgement of Country is different to a Welcome to country
An Acknowledgment of Country is a way for all people to show awareness of and respect for Aboriginal people.
An Acknowledgement of Country is different from a Welcome to Country, which is a formal welcome onto land and can only be conducted by Traditional Owners or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been given permission from Traditional Owners to welcome visitors to their Country. An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country. It can be given by both non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Symbolic act of reconciliation
The acts of being welcomed to and acknowledging Country are a continuation of protocols that have been practiced for thousands of years. For non-Indigenous Australians, Acknowledgement of Country is a symbolic act of reconciliation as it recognises the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country.
Connection to country
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to Country. Connection to Country is important whether a person lives in the city or in a rural area. This connection has been the core of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander existence in Australia from the time of the Dreaming and continues to be integral in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives today, influencing spiritual, physical, cultural, social and emotional wellbeing. ‘Healthy Country, healthy people’ is an intrinsic belief held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have always held a responsibility for caring for Country throughout Australia.
For more information, you may wish to review Reconciliation Australia’s Let’s Talk: Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country fact sheet
Kids College Acknowledgement of Country
Kids College recognises the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the Country on which we live, work, learn and grow.
We respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional custodians of this land, which we are meeting the Whadjuk people. It is a privilege to be standing on Mooro country.
We also acknowledge the contributions of aboriginal Australian and non-Aboriginal Australians to the education of all children and people in this country, we all live in and share together- Australia.
Children’s version of our Kids College Acknowledgement of County
Here is the land, here is the sky.
Here are my friends, and here am I
We thank the Whadjuk Noongar people for the land on which we learn and play
Hands up, hands down
We are on Noongar ground.
We feel it is important to honour and respect all Australians and have updated our Acknowledgement of country. This is inspired by Teacher Tina who is part of the NSW indigenous community. The wording is simpler and we have included hand gestures to ensure it is easy to understand, more memorable and relevant to our young children. We teach sign language and love the idea of incorporating this learning in such a strong way.
The acts of being welcomed to and acknowledging Country are a continuation of protocols that have been practiced for thousands of years. For non-Indigenous Australians, Acknowledgement of Country is a symbolic act of reconciliation as it recognises the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country.
Connection to Country is important whether a person lives in the city or in a rural area. This connection has been the core of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander existence in Australia from the time of the Dreaming and continues to be integral in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives today, influencing spiritual, physical, cultural, social and emotional wellbeing. ‘Healthy Country, healthy people’ is an intrinsic belief held by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have always held a responsibility for caring for Country throughout Australia.
RAP Action 11. Take action against racism with the community
Racism can have serious negative consequences for the people who experience it, for those who witness it, and for wider society. When racism is properly understood it is easier to overcome. We commit to building awareness of what racism is, the impacts of racism and how to respond effectively when it occurs through an anti-racism strategy tailored to the needs of our early learning service.
Race relations is one of the five integral and interrelated dimensions of reconciliation in Australia. That is, the race relations dimension calls for all Australians to understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous cultures, rights and experiences, which results in stronger relationships based on trust and respect and that are free of racism.
Australia is a vibrant, multicultural country. 3% of the population identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. Almost half of our population was born overseas or has a parent who was born overseas. One in five of us speak a language other than English at home (ABS, 2013).
This rich cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is central to our national identity. Research shows that 86% of Australians believe that multiculturalism is a positive factor in maintaining social cohesion (Markus and Dharmalingam, 2015). While cultural diversity is a celebrated part of our national identity, the unfortunate reality is that many individuals and communities in Australia still experience prejudice, discrimination and racism on a regular basis.
Racism can be broadly defined as behaviours, practices, beliefs and prejudices that underlie avoidable and unfair inequalities across groups in society based on ‘race,’ ethnicity, culture or religion (Berman and Paradies, 2010).
Schools and early learning services play a major role in influencing the formation of students’ and children’s attitudes and world views, as well as those of the wider communities. Educating communities can therefore counter racist attitudes and their negative effects by assisting students to develop an understanding and respect for cultural differences.
At a staff meeting we used the Reconciliation Australia’s Share our Pride resource. Share Our Pride can be engaged with a group of people to help to reduce racialised or stereotypical assumptions and instead increase awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in Australia.
This website gives you a glimpse of how life looks from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective. It is a learning journey of video’s interviews and resources by respected elders in the community that really brings to life and celebrates the rich culture of riches and oldest continuing cultures in the world. The topics included are:- first Australians, our culture, our shared history, beyond the myths and respectful relationships.
Kids College Philosophy
‘We value our collaborative partnerships with professional, community and research organisations and enjoy playing an active role in shaping the future of early childhood education.’
‘We view the context of family, culture and diversity as central to children’s sense of being and belonging.’
National Quality Standards
6.2.3 Community engagement. The service builds relationships and engages with its community
Kids College family
At Kids College we work each day embedding our values and philosophy into each facet of what we do. We continually improve our practices by critically reflecting and engaging in meaningful relationships with our community and for this we need your support and input.
Let us know if you have any comments, suggestions, queries of know of any resources we night make use of. Make sure to follow Kids College Childcare on facebook, watch for our regular emails and keep an eye on our Kids College website. Share in our vision of creating the very best childcare where children experience love, laughter and learning every day. You can reach us on Jennifer@kidscollege.com.au
With love, laughter and learning from your friends in the
‘village it takes to raise a child’
Kids College Childcare family
