Every year NAIDOC Week is celebrated in the first week of July right across Australia, and it recognises the incredible achievements, histories and cultures of First Nations people. At Gowrie, embedding First Nations perspectives into our children’s programs is an integral part of what we do.
Here’s a glimpse into what some of our services did to commemorate NAIDOC Week.
At Broadmeadows Valley, learning about and respecting First Nations culture is an important part of what they do every day. Educator Stephen introduced the children to a special type of fibre art he learnt, inspired by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers – a group of First Nations women who create beautiful art using natural materials from the desert.
Under Stephen’s guidance, the children made “Mr Wombat” and an Eel using this technique. The children reflected about things they’ve learned in the past about First Nations culture. “What’s been really special is how the learning has spread,” says Stephen. “The children in the Kinder room went over to the neighbouring room and shared what they learned with their peers. Now, both rooms are working together on a project to create Bunjil the eagle who is an important figure in First Nations stories by using the same fibre art techniques.”
As the children work on this project, they’ll continue learning about First Nations culture. “We’re helping them see how looking back at what we’ve learned can help us move forward with understanding, respect, and connection,” says Stephen.
Over at The Harbour, the children visited the Koorie Heritage Trust Museum in Federation Square to explore the perspectives and culture of First Nations people.
At the museum, the children had the opportunity to see and touch Marngrook, which is a ball made from possum skin. They learnt that this traditional ball may have inspired the modern game of AFL, which helped them connect Aboriginal culture to something familiar in their own lives—football.
They also noticed a large eagle sculpture at the entrance. This led to a discussion about Bunjil, the creator spirit in Koorie culture, and the important role Bunjil plays in Dreamtime stories.
Later, the children engaged in an activity to create Bunjil the eagle using natural materials in the room. As they worked, they had thoughtful conversations about the deep relationship the Wurundjeri people have with the land, animals, and stories passed down through generations.
And at Carlton North, Early Childhood Teachers Evie and Audrey, along with a group of children, sat in a circle with a group of children and performed an Acknowledgement of Country through song.
“NAIDOC Week is such a special week celebrating First Nations perspectives, and it’s really important to embed them into our curriculum so that it’s not just a week, but instead reflecting every day,” said Audrey. Evie added, saying that children would teach their parents and siblings at home how they do Acknowledgement of Country at Gowrie and talk about what land they are living and playing on every day.
