# data[].attributes.headline
Resource 1: ‘My Culture and Me’ written by Greg Dreise 

# data[].attributes.subject
Resource 1: ‘My Culture and Me’ written by Greg Dreise 

# data[].attributes.body
‘My Culture and Me’, written by Greg Dreise is a children’s story book about emphasising, cherishing, and sustaining Indigenous cultures.  As stated by Shay and Oliver (2021:137), we need to recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history is Australian history. Thus, by ‘acknowledging our shared history and being critical of the language describing this that we can develop a shared sense of what our full and embodied histories mean in this country.’ The power of language in texts shown in classrooms with young students, will impact and expose how they represent ideas about Australian histories. Therefore, this text demonstrates the significance of language and pictures, and its use for representing Indigenous peoples culture and their identity. This text aims to sustain Aboriginal culture within Australian society, exposing students of various backgrounds, to understand and respect their histories that shape the Indigenous community’s identity, ultimately gaining recognition and acceptance in the world today. By introducing texts such as this resource into the classroom, students will be able to gain an understanding of the histories of Indigenous culture, interconnecting Australian history. Thus, the representation of the Aboriginal identity in today’s society will be strengthened and cherished by the community.

This resource can be linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL:2017) Standard 1.4, ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,’ as it demonstrates how knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal history and culture can impact the education of students. This resource can be implemented into designing effective teaching strategies that are responsive to the local community and express the cultural histories of Aboriginal people. It also supports ongoing participation of students, creating inclusive learning tasks. This resource can also be linked to AITSL (2017) Standard 2.4, Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, as it demonstrates how respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identify, histories and culture, can impact the education of students. This resource can be linked to the Victorian Curriculum for Intercultural Capability, levels 3 and 4, (VCAA:2015), sub strand cultural diversity, as it supports students to develop an understanding of how the role of cultural traditions can impact the development of personal, group and national identities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resource 2: Gambay - Interactive map of Australia’ first languages 

# data[].attributes.subject
Resource 2: Gambay - Interactive map of Australia’ first languages 

# data[].attributes.body
The second resource, is an engaging and effective learning too,l that students can use to develop an understanding of the land they live on and its history. Australia’s first languages are a precious and rich resource for society, as they are the bridge to gaining knowledge about the world we live in. The Indigenous community regard country as a ‘place that gives and receives life.’ (Rose 1996:7). The land is very sacred and precious to Aboriginal people as they see the country as a ‘living entity with a yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a consciousness, and a will toward life.’ The country is interconnected with the person and their ancestors histories, and woven within their everyday life, practices, and behaviours. Country is the foundation of their society and their interaction between one another within the community. ‘Because of this richness, country is home, and peace; nourishment for body, mind and spirit; heart’s ease.’ (Rose 1996:7).

Therefore, the aim of exposing students to this resource, where they can learn about first languages around Australia, is so they can experience how significant the land was to Aboriginal people. The interactive map can be transformed into an enjoyable learning task for students so they can learn about the multiple languages preserved within the different regions. Language and culture are interdependent, therefore, it can be understood that language is the verbal expression of culture. Thus, students having gained a knowledge of the multiple languages, can begin to appreciate and improve their perception of Aboriginal culture.

This resource can be linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL:2017) Standard 1.4, ‘Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,’ as it demonstrates the importance of the linguistic backgrounds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the impact it has on culture. Teachers are able to use this resource as a guide to create effective and responsive student learning tasks that are inclusive and support ongoing participation of students from diverse backgrounds. This resource can also be linked to AITSL (2017) Standard 2.4, Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, as the resource can be used to demonstrate an understanding and respect for the Indigenous community’s histories, cultures and languages and how they are all interconnects. In addition, it provides opportunities for teachers to lead students to gain an understanding and respect for the first languages of Australia. This resource can be linked to the Victorian Curriculum for Intercultural Capability, levels 5 and 6, (VCAA:2015), sub strand cultural practices as it students can analyse how aspects of lifestyle, behaviour, attitudes and beliefs can be an influence the Indigenous Community developing their culture and their relationship to the land of Australia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mapping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

# data[].attributes.headline
 Resource 3: ‘Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country’ written by Adam Goodes

# data[].attributes.subject
 Resource 3: ‘Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country’ written by Adam Goodes

# data[].attributes.body
‘Somebody’s Land’ is a children book that introduces a connection with First Nations culture and their history when white people came and called this land Terra Nullius, ‘nobody’s land.’ The text guides the reader to acknowledge the hurt of the past and how Australian land is and always will be the foundation of the Aboriginal Identity. This is a rich resource for students to perceive Australia’s past through the eyes of the First Nations people, to acknowledge that Australia was never Terra Nullius but was already somebody’s land. Shay and Oliver (2021:65) state how ‘when the British claimed Australia was Terra Nullius, it has impacted on how Indigenous peoples have been categorised, subjugated and constructed over the past 230 years or so.’  Not only did the concept of ‘Terra Nullius’ lead to the dispossession of the lands natural and cultural resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, they suffered a severed connection to the land that fundamentally represented their identity. They were stripped of their identity, values and practices when the White Australian Policy (1901) ‘overtly stated that the future of Australia was white.’ (Shay & Oliver 2021:66). Thus, this resource can be utilised within classrooms as an introductory tool for distinguishing colonisation within Australian history and its significant impact on the Indigenous community.

This resource can be linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL:2017) Standard 1.4, as it demonstrates how the impact of culture and cultural identity can affect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. This resource can be used to effectively develop teaching strategies that responsive to the cultural identity and histories of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and students. In addition, this resource will be able to support ongoing participation of all students from various backgrounds, especially with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, engaging them to be more involved in the learning of their ancestors past. This resource can also be linked to AITSL (2017) Standard 2.4, Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, as it provides students an opportunity to gain an understanding and respect of the Indigenous community and their cultural identity and histories. It also creates initiatives for teachers and students to interconnect Australia’s history with different perceptions, further developing students understanding, acceptance and respect for the Indigenous community. This resource can be linked to the Victorian Curriculum for Intercultural Capability, levels 5 and 6, (VCAA:2015), sub strand cultural practices, as students are given the opportunity to compare their own with other cultural practices, showing how these may influence the way people relate to each other.

# data[].attributes.headline
Resource 4: ‘Welcome To Country’ written by Aunty Joy Murphy 

# data[].attributes.subject
Resource 4: ‘Welcome To Country’ written by Aunty Joy Murphy 

# data[].attributes.body
‘Welcome To Country’ written by Aunty Joy Murphy explores the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People, demonstrating the relationship between the people, and the treatment of the land. This text is an effective tool at teaching young students’ the ideology of reciprocity that was apparent amongst Wurundjeri People, and ultimately, what shapes the Indigenous community. The text asserts a strong notion of the importance of taking only as much as you can give back. Transcending from the treatment of the land to the relationships between the people; taking care of your kin as they will do for you. This text encapsulates the basis of reciprocity, demonstrating the practise of exchange for mutual benefit, which is the foundation of the Wurundjeri People and many other Indigenous communities. As stated by Schwab (2018:4), ‘one of the most visible features of this common Aboriginality in urban communities is an emphasis on sharing.’ In addition, reciprocity was a fundamental rule in Aboriginal kinship systems, and kinship was considered significant amongst Aboriginal communities, as it connected people from different families to unite with one another and have mutual obligations and responsibilities. Overall, this resource is an effective learning tool for students to gain an understanding of the importance of reciprocal relationships and how this shaped the Indigenous community, and their relationship with each other and the land, as well as, how this ideology can affect students own relationships with each other in society today.

This resource can be linked to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL:2017) Standard 1.4, as it demonstrates how culture and cultural identity can affect reciprocal relationships, and how this can impact the education of students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. This resource can also be utilised as a learning task to effectively teach students how to be responsive to the local community, and the culture of the Indigenous community. In addition, this resource can also be linked to AITSL (2017) Standard 2.4, Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, as it provides students with the opportunity to develop a respect and understanding of the reciprocal relationships the Indigenous community have with one another and the land. This resource can be linked to the Victorian Curriculum for Intercultural Capability, levels 5 and 6, (VCAA:2015), sub strand cultural practices, as students can analyse how experiences can influence beliefs and behaviours, as well as develop a critical perspective and respect, for the Indigenous community’s culture and traditions.