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Critical Evaluation
Following the YARNS tool (Madsen et al., 2021) we can evaluate this resource.
The educational program was posted on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Education website in 2023 and is presented by Tyrone a young Ngarrindjeri boy.
The ABC has a strong commitment to recognizing and embracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures  (ABC Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2019-22, n.d.).
The information provided portrays First Nation Peoples as knowledgeable and it respectfully follows contemporary protocols. It shows the connection between historical and contemporary Aboriginal customs and practices.

Justification

This program consists of eight short videos, background information, and exploratory questions that centre around the Murray river system. It probes children’s pre-existing knowledge and introduces new perspectives for them to extend upon their worldview.

Tyrone narrates the videos and introduces some of the children that live on the Murray River and the role it plays in their lives.

The first video in the program explains the importance that the Murray river holds for his people The Ngarrindjeri, the traditional owners of the Lower Lakes, Coorong, and Murray Mouth.
It tells The Dreaming story of Ngurunderi, their ancestor, and how his journey chasing both his wives and a giant cod led to the creation of the Murray river system (Ngurunderi - Dreaming of the Ngarrindjeri People Murray River, n.d.).
It shows a dance being performed that has been passed down for thousands of years and talks of their connection to Country and the symbiotic relationship between the river and themselves.
Tyrone’s grandfather explains how generations of Ngarrindjeri have seen the river change due to the introduction of western farming methods and introduced species and how it is now suffering.

The videos following explore other children’s lives and how they also depend on the health of the river for their family’s livelihoods. The program explains how by working together and utilizing the knowledge of First Nations people the river is being nursed back to health.

The program shows how an understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples history and culture can help to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (AITSL, n.d., Standard 2.4).

Through educational programs such as these children become aware of the impact of the local environment, both physical and social, on their lives. They learn ways to care for the environment and contribute to a sustainable future (DET & VCAA, 2016).

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What do you know about the Murray River?

Did you know that it's Australia's largest river system? The Murray River is sometimes described as the lifeblood of our country. What do you think this means?

Join Tyrone, a young Ngarrindjeri boy, as he introduces us to people who depend on the Murray River. Discover how Australians are working together to look after the river, and how the river supports people, wildlife and the economy.

Table of contents:

1. The Ngarrindjeri people and the Coorong

The Ngarrindjeri people are recognised as the traditional owners of the Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth. Tyrone's grandfather Ngarrindjeri elder Major Sumner shares his story about how he has seen the river change.

Aboriginal Dreaming stories pass on important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems to later generations. Through song, dance, painting and storytelling that each express the Dreaming stories, Aboriginal people have maintained a link with the Dreaming from ancient times to today.

Many sites of Dreaming significance are located along the Murray River.

Ngurunderi is a Dreaming story explaining the creation of the Murray River. In the story, the Ngarrindjeri people's ancestor Ngurunderi created the Murray River and its landscape with his long journey to the Coorong. Do some research to find out about the Ngurunderi Dreaming story and explain in your own words why the Murray River is important to Ngarrindjeri people.

Things to think about

1.What are some of the changes Major Sumner has observed?

2. Fishing in the Murray River

Jock lives at Manangatang in Victoria. He's been fishing in the Murray River since he was little. Jock talks about his favourite fish to catch: the iconic Murray Cod. He talks about the threats they face and how people have changed their fishing practices to protect them.

3. Paddle steaming along the Murray River

Jackson is a deckhand on the PS Industry at Renmark in South Australia. He's always been passionate about paddle steamers. Jackson is keen to keep the spirit of paddle steamers alive along the Murray River. He explains their history and how they helped to open up inland Australia before the introduction of modern rail and road transport.

Things to think about

1. 1.What else can you find out about paddle steamers?

2. 2.When were they first used on the Murray River?

3. 3.What were they used for in the past?

4. 4.How are they used today?

4. The Murray River's locks and weirs

Kasey's dad is a lockmaster at Lock 5 at Paringa in South Australia. Her dad has followed in the footsteps of Kasey's grandfather, who was also a lockmaster.

Kasey explains the historic role of lockmasters and describes how they helped river boats to travel up and down the Murray. She tells us how their role has changed over the years and why locks are important for the health of the river.

5. Irrigating the Murray Darling Basin

Latara and Brooklyn live on a vineyard at Cabarita in Victoria. They use water from the Murray River to water their crops. More than 40 percent of Australia's food is grown in the Murray Darling Basin. Latara and Brooklyn explain the importance of irrigating crops in this area and how their family has changed their irrigation practices to protect the river and nearby lakes.

Things to think about

1. 1.What percentage of Australia's farms are located in the Murray-Darling Basin area?

2. 2.What do the farms in this area produce?

3. 3.What are some issues surrounding water use and the health of the Murray River?

4. 4.How have farmers changed their irrigation practices to protect the Murray River?

6. Investigating Murray River ecology

Each year, students who live in and around the Murray Darling Basin take part in an educational program at Wonga Wetlands, located along the floodplain of the Murray River. The students learn about freshwater research, conservation and the environment. It gives them a better understanding about how the Murray River works and how we can look after it.

7. Regenerating Murray River wetlands

Bella and Pippa's grandparents bought land near Albury in 1979 and turned it into wetlands called Galateah. The land was regenerated to grow native plants and to attract native wildlife. The wetlands are connected to a weir that's located at the top of the Murray River.

8. Looking after the Murray River

Why is the health of the Murray River important? Think about the people you've met along the river in these videos and make a list of the reasons the river is special or important for them.

Why might it be important for you?

Things to think about

1. 1.Make a model or map of the Murray River. Using maps online find towns along the edge of the Murray River and include them on your model or map. Consider including other elements like locks, weirs, barrages and iconic sites. What are the main activities that take place in and around the towns you've included?

2. 2.Think back on some of the things that people along the river are doing to keep the Murray River healthy. Are there any additional things that you think could or should be done to ensure the health of this important river?

Acknowledgement and credits

Copyright
Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated).Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated).Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Source: ABC Behind the News.

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aboriginal and torres strait islander history and culture

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Join Tyrone, a young Ngarrindjeri boy, as he introduces us to people who depend on the Murray River. Discover how Australians are working together to look after the river, and how the river supports people, wildlife and the economy.

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Shake A Leg by Boori Monty Prior and Jan Ormerod

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Shake A Leg by Boori Monty Prior and Jan Ormerod

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Critical Evaluation
When using the YARNS tool (Madsen et al.,2021), we understand the value of the book Shake A Leg (Pryor & Ormerod, 2010). The book was written by Boori Monty Pryor, a First Nation Author in 2010. The language in the book is respectful and reflects contemporary protocols. There are words used in the book that are of the Gunggay dialect and are translated in a way young children will understand. The story shows the connection between historical and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples culture. The pictures are accurate representations of cultural customs.
I would have liked to have shown a video of the author reading the book but the best example of this was on https://www.storyboxlibrary.com.au/, whilst you can access this website free if you have a library membership for personal use, you need to pay for a professional subscription to use the service in an educational setting.
The video I have used is freely available on Facebook and Youtube. It was part of a playgroup live session, created by the Deadly Kindies Program, an initiative of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and the Queensland Government Department of Education. This program has a focus on providing Integrated health care and Early Childhood Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (Deadly Kindies, n.d.).
The story is being read by Tyrone Robert, a Bundjalung man and Deadly Choices ambassador (Deadly Choices, 2018), and Kendi Grant-Freeman,n a First Nation Early Learning Officer and Early Childhood Professional.

Justification

Story sharing is the first step in Yunkaporta’s Eight Aboriginal Ways of Learning Framework (Yunkaporta, 2009). In this book Boori shares some of his family’s story and those of his people (Pryor & Ormerod, 2010).
Whilst the premise is fictional, the traditional stories and dances portrayed in the book have been passed down in the Aboriginal community for thousands of years.
The book talks about reciprocity and kinship as it explores the importance of family structure, community (both living and ancestral), and spirituality. The story shows the connection and progression of modern-day and past customs within First Nation cultures.
Boori demonstrates the eternal connections First Nation Peoples have to the land and to each other. Bourke and Bourke (1995) talk about how The Dreaming stories lay out the unique values, morals, and kinship rules that form Aboriginal culture and how everything connects to form the social unit. This provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and languages (AITSL, n.d., Standard 2.4).
When children engage with a range of texts and, with educator guidance make meaning of those texts, it helps them become effective communicators (DET & VCAA, 2016).

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Shake A Leg | Hey you mob and welcome back to another Deadly Kindies Playgroup Live session. Today we are joined by Deadly Choices  Ambassador Tyrone Roberts as he and... | By Deadly Kindies | Facebook

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57 views, 4 likes, 4 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Deadly Kindies: Hey you mob and welcome back to another Deadly Kindies Playgroup Live session. Today we are joined by...

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Critical Evaluation
This video produced as part of a series in 2017 demonstrates all of the aspects that are deemed important when assessing it using the YARNS tool ( Madsen et al., 2021).
It was created using First Nation voice actors and the scripts were written by First Nation writers. The Little J and Big Cuz series was made by Screen Australia & National Indigenous Television & The Australian Council For Educational Research, working with First Nation communities. The language is contemporary and aimed at a young audience. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are shown in a positive light and the video portrays respectful relationships.
The video can be accessed directly through the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) on-demand website https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/ and also through the Little J and Big Cuz website https://www.littlejandbigcuz.com.au/, both websites are free to access.
The SBS site has a large collection of First Nation content and supports the National Indigenous Television (NITV) channel. The little J and Big Cuz official website provides links to different animated videos featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and perspectives in both English and some First Nation dialects. It also offers games for children and educational resources for parents and educators.

Justification

In Australia, there is a legacy of non-Indigenous people creating content and programs for Indigenous communities rather than with Indigenous communities.
Too often First Nation peoples are being told what they need or should want by people that do not understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives (Buckskin, 2012). The Little J and Big Cuz series of videos helps to redress this problem by depicting everyday First Nation children living their lives in scenarios created by First Nation writers and artists in consultation with First Nation communities.

The video I chose to evaluate Lucky Undies is an example of the value of this animated series. It contains elements that many Indigenous and non-Indigenous children can relate to such as navigating relationships between, family, peers, and the wider community and dealing with confidence and a sense of self-identity.
It is important for First Nation children to see themselves and their culture represented positively and in a contemporary fashion in the media, to demonstrate that they matter, and their lives are just as important as those of non-Indigenous children. This helps them to build their own identity and understand where they fit in today’s society (Kennedy, 2021).

The video also offers a perspective on the lives of some Aboriginal families living on Country, this helps educators build their knowledge and understanding of the impact of culture and cultural identity on the education of students from First Nation backgrounds (AITSL, n.d., Standard 1.4). When being supported to learn about, appreciate, and respect the differences and similarities between individuals and groups, children develop and explore their sense of identity (DET & VCAA, 2016).

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Little J loses his new undies that have special powers and doesn't think he can play basketball without them.

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Didgeridoo Yidaki Stories & Songs: Kinder Dreaming at Home

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Didgeridoo Yidaki Stories & Songs: Kinder Dreaming at Home

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Critical Evaluation
I will be reflecting on this resource using the YARNS tool (Madsen et al., 2021). This video was created by Noongar and Wongatha Elder, Alan Harris, and his son Tristan in 2020. Some of the language used is outdated, so educators need to be mindful when presenting it to the children. The video displays a positive representation of First Nations Peoples and the knowledge they have passed down over thousands of years. The video was accessed on the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) Website. VACCA is an organization that is fully controlled by the Aboriginal community.

Justification
This video promotes reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by helping children understand and respect the cultures and languages of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], n.d., Standard 2.4). The video helps to redress the misrepresentation of a part of First Nations Culture, the Yidaki, by explaining to the children how it got to be known as the didgeridoo. Whilst I cannot verify the story told by Big Al, it is true that didgeridoo is not the Aboriginal word for the instrument. The story demonstrates the connection that First Nation Peoples have to Country by talking about how they work with nature in their everyday lives. It displays a continuation of customs and practices that have been passed down for thousands of years, it shows that Aboriginal People walk in their ancestor’s footprints (Tapia, 2021). In the story the people hold a celebration to thank Country for providing a bountiful fishing season, demonstrating the respect they have for Country.  It is a fun video that uses music and storytelling to convey knowledge so it would be suitable for any age. Learning about the different cultures, customs, and aspects of their wider community helps children form a connection to their world and encourages them to contribute their own cultural practices as advocated for by the VEYLDF (DET & VCAA, 2016).

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Big Al and Tristan from Cultural Infusion show you musical wonders of the didgeridoo and the legendary stories behind this unique musical instrument. Tune in for some Didgeridoo/Yidaki stories and songs for younger children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material. To listen to our Acknowledgement of Country, click here.

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Didgeridoo Yidaki Stories & Songs: Kinder Dreaming at Home

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Big Al and Tristan from Cultural Infusion show you musical wonders of the didgeridoo and the legendary stories behind this unique musical instrument. Tune in for some Didgeridoo/Yidaki stories and songs for younger children. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.