First, I would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation, as the traditional custodians the land I am writing from today. I thank their elders, past and present for the undeniable connection and care they have with this country. To any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, I pay my respects to you also.
Please be advised, this blog is written with my personal opinions and views as to why and how we embed Aboriginal perspectives, I hope you are challenged but moreover, encouraged by this post. If you have any questions or comments, I encourage you to send me an email, my email address is sarai@wanyara.com.au
Have you ever considered someone else’s perspective, maybe within a relationship or in your workplace. To consider someone else’s perspective, we must try to imagine the world through someone else’s eyes. At Wanyara, we try to give you the glasses, the key, to see the world through the eyes of Indigenous Australians.
We want you to understand the way our country’s history looks through our eyes, the way our experiences, beliefs, languages and culture impact the way we see this place now called Australia.
Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives should be the first step you take to respect and acknowledge diversity within your classroom.
As educators, we have the responsibility to create opportunities for our students to increase their understanding of the world, sometimes that means, putting on a new or different lens. By putting on these new lenses, your students will be able to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a range of different things. We can encourage our learners to challenge the stereotypes around first nations people, challenge their past education and ultimately, challenge their viewpoint on the foundation in which our nation has been built.
If we acknowledge the dispossession of Aboriginal land, rather than the discovery of Aboriginal land, we will begin to open our learner’s mind. We can begin to view history with truth and wisdom.
Did you know, it wasn’t until 1972 that the ‘White Australia Policy’ was abolished? What if we teach about the strength and resilience it would have taken for our people to live under such policies, while going through the everyday challenges that life presents us. What if all Australians built a National identity full of pride. As a nation we have so much to be proud of, although horrific acts of genocide happened to our first people, we have survived and we endeavour to live united on our sacred country.
How can you raise a discussion around the strength ad resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
Can you think of some examples of ways to highlight this strength?
We would live to hear about the people, events or places you are highlighting to your students to demonstrate the strength of First Nations Australians, please jump on our instagram @wanyara.aus and show us the ways you embed.
