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Resource 1 - Play School’s 'Walking Together'

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Resource 1 - Play School’s 'Walking Together'

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This resource fosters early understanding about the significance of Country to Indigenous Australians.  It was produced in 2020 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and developed in consultation with Reconciliation Australia, SNAICC, ANTaR and AIATSIS, it features regular presenters Hunter and Rachel, along with guest Emma Donovan who is an acclaimed Indigenous Australian singer.  These elements ensure the information being shared is an authentic representation of contemporary Indigenous culture and ways of knowing and being, this supports the practice principle ‘Respect for Diversity’ of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF, 2009).

Country is explained by Rose as multi-dimensional and consisting of “people, animals, plants, Dreamings, underground, earth, soils, minerals, waters and air” (1996, p. 8), Ngunnawal Elder Jude Barlow elaborates further saying County contains ideas about “law, place, custom, language, spiritual belief, cultural practice, material sustenance family and identity” (AIATSIS, 2022).  These highlight that Country is a complex and multifaceted topic in Indigenous culture, this resource approaches the topic in an age appropriate manner using language and activities that young children can understand and relate to, for example; the explanation of what an acknowledgement of Country is followed by an interactive example, this fosters an early awareness and understanding of Indigenous Australian culture in young children and links to AITSIL standard 2.4 (2011).

The topic is explored deeper through a pretend play activity where the soft toys go on a bush walk and talk about how they care for Country and why it is important, along with the use of a language map of Indigenous Australia which provides visual representation of the vast number of languages and they Country they come from.  These are effective methods of engaging young children and offer great opportunities to extend the learning beyond the digital resource by replicating within the classroom.

Also of significance in this resource is a segment they call ‘through the windows’, here they show a clip of two young children preparing for ceremony with their nana, they are using language from Country and providing translations, they mention their personal totems and talk about what Country means to them and their culture, this is supported further

This presents important aspects of the topic in a format that young children can relate to, they will observe and notice the similarities and differences between themselves and the children on the screen, learning to embrace diversity with respect and supporting their development towards learning outcome two (EYLF, 2009).

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Hunter, Rachael & Emma Donovan walk us through our shared histories and the role we all play in building relationships & communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and futures.

This program was published 5 months ago.

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Hunter, Rachael & Emma Donovan walk us through our shared histories and the role we all play in building relationships & communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and futures.

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This resource engages children with elements of reciprocity in Indigenous culture.  The Sharing Stories Foundation has been working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities since 2012 to share their cultural knowledge through digital storytelling, they collaborate with 17 different language groups from all around Australia, sharing their Dreaming stories, language and cultural heritage through interactive digital books, animations, short films, photographs, and podcasts.

The content is predominantly the retelling of Dreamtime stories that have been shared by Indigenous Elders, there is extensive use of Indigenous language with translations in English, making this resource an authentic representation of historical and contemporary cultural practice and appropriate for use according to the YARNS evaluation tool (Shay & Oliver, 2021).  The content within this resource offers children meaningful stories and knowledge that accurately represent aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and perspectives (Shay & Oliver), therefore is linked to standard 2.4 of the AITSIL standards (2011) and supports practice principle ‘Respect for Diversity’ (EYLY, 2009).

The Dreaming refers to the creation period when “ancestral beings created all the plants, animals and humans, establishing societies and entrusting them with the Law - the rules for living, languages, customs and ceremonies”, the Dreamings have been passed on between generations for thousands of years through stories, ceremony, songs and dances (Pascoe & Horton, 2018, p. 12).  Aboriginal kinship is an integral part of the Dreaming, and each person’s position within the kinship system dictates their obligations to other people and Country (Nicholls, 2016), reciprocity is a fundamental component of the kinship system, Couzens states “Our stories are our Law, they are important learning and teaching for our People” (2015, p. 4 ).

The array of stories shared though this resource are delivered in an age appropriate method, the visuals will be appealing to this age group and support their engagement with the content.  In particular, the digital multi touch books offer the most appeal, there are video clips of Indigenous people sharing their thoughts and perspectives of the story, along with options to have the story read aloud in both English and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages, providing an authentic experience for the audience, this supports children working toward learning outcome one as children learn to interact with others with care, empathy and respect (EYLF, 2009).

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We work with First Nations communities to protect, maintain and grow languages, stories and cultural heritage.

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Resource 3 - Little J and Big Cuz 'Desert Camp'

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Resource 3 - Little J and Big Cuz 'Desert Camp'

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This resource engages young children with aspects of Aboriginal language and connection to County, both of which support an emerging awareness of identity in Aboriginal culture.  The first season of ‘Little J and Big Cuz’ was released on 28th April 2017 and is now into season three, episodes are written by Aboriginal writers from across Australia, and the cast features prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander actors, and there are Indigenous language versions of each episode available to view, along with the English ones.  There is an acknowledgement to Priscilla Reid-Loynes, Elizabeth Barret Jackson, Dr Sue Atkinson, and Alison Wunungmurra for their advice and input when acting as the Indigenous Early Years Advisory Committee during the production, and the show is supported by SNAICC and produced in association with National Indigenous Television.  When considering this in relation to the YARNS evaluation tool (Shay & Oliver, 2021), it is an acceptable resource that represents contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and perspectives.

This episode has an initial focus on language, with Nanna explaining how there are over 100 different languages spoken around Australia before going to school to teach the children the names of different animals in Noongar language, such as ‘yongka’ for kangaroo.  Morcom (2017) states that “Aboriginal languages allow for a link to the land, cultural values and ceremonies, and to Aboriginal ways of knowing, understanding, doing and honouring” (p. 365), highlighting the critical link between language and identity for Aboriginal people.  This links to standard 1.4 of the AITSIL (standards as it provides an effective strategy to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children within the class, while also supporting practice principle ‘Respect for Diversity’ (EYLF, 2009).

The episode also sees the characters of Little J, Big Cuz, and Nanna take teacher Ms Chen camping on Country to see native animals up close, they use Aboriginal symbols to track kangaroo and emu, and demonstrate making damper and cooking on a campfire, by engaging with this resource, young children will observe Aboriginal ways of knowing and being in an age appropriate manner and format.  Norris (2010) suggests that providing opportunities for young children to observe Indigenous families interacting with each other and non-Indigenous people can support their early understanding on how to engage with cultures other than their own.  This emerging awareness supports children’s development towards learning outcome two, children are connected and contribute to their world (EYLF, 2009).

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Little J And Big Cuz: Series 2 Desert Camp

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Big Cuz learns that her teacher has never seen kangaroos or emus up close. She’s delighted when Ms Chen accepts the invitation to go camping out bush. But will giggling Little J ever stop scaring all the animals away?

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This resource engages young children with Indigenous Australian language, supporting an emerging awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity.  Marrin Gamu is an initiative from First Languages Australia, it is a body parts song created to introduce Australian children to Indigenous language and as a tool that encourages educators to engage with their local Indigenous language group to create a local version, the words ‘Marrin’ and ‘Gamu’ mean ‘body’ in the Kalaw Kawaw Ya (Torres Strait) and Wiradjuri (NSW) languages (First Languages Australia, n.d).  The song was used in the national Indigenous Languages Song Competition, from 2016-2019, schools were encouraged to research the lyrics with their local Indigenous language group and record their version of the song, many of the versions are available to view through the website.  This concept ensures the language used in each song is authentic and an accurate representation of local Indigenous groups, supporting practice principle ‘Respect for Diversity’ (EYLF, 2009).

Shay & Oliver (2021) state that language is fundamental in sustaining culture, positive cultural identity, and heavily contributes to positive wellbeing, highlighting how fundamental language is to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sense of identity, supported with “Language is more than just a means to communicate, it is what makes us unique and plays a central role in our sense of identity” (AIATSIS, 2022).

The song is age appropriate and shows both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children singing which will create appeal to the audience and encourage their engagement to listen and learn a some basic words in the local Indigenous language, this fosters awareness and appreciation of Indigenous culture and is supported by Kerry Boyenga, an Indigenous school teacher in NSW, who states “When you teach Aboriginal language, you’re not just teaching words, you’re teaching culture as well which is a valuable lesson for kids” (First Languages Australia, 2015).  Therefore, this resource supports children’s development towards learning outcome two, children are connected with and contribute to their world (EYLF, 2009).  Further, this resource encourages engagement with local Indigenous groups to seek translation of the words, providing opportunities to broaden educator knowledge and develop further strategies for embedding Indigenous culture within the curriculum, this links to standard 2.4 of the AITSIL standards (2011).

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The Marrin Gamu song was created to introduce Australians to the diversity and beauty of our first languages. Australia is home to hundreds of Indigenous languages. This project will gather versions of Marrin Gamu in beautiful languages from across the country.

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Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSIL, Melbourne. [Online]. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/national-policy-framework/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers.pdf

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (2022). Welcome to Country. AIATSIS. [Online]. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/welcome-country

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (2022). Living Languages. AIATSIS. [Online]. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/living-languages

Couzens, V. (2014). Nyernila Listen Continuously: Aboriginal Creation Stories of Victoria. Creative Victoria. [Online]. https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170306233933/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/129728/20210413-0000/cv.vic.gov.au/media/3046/nyernila-listen-continously-2015.pdf

Department of Education and Training. (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. EYLF. [Online]. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-02/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf

First Languages Australia. (n.d). Marrin Gamu: Many languages, one song. [Online]. https://www.firstlanguages.org.au/marrin-gamu#:~:text=The%20words%20'Marrin'%20and%20',.marringamu.com.au.

First Languages Australia. (2015). Reclaiming the Dhurga language. [Online]. https://medium.com/mother-tongue-sharing-australias-first-languages/reclaiming-the-dhurga-language-43ad60e6c00e

Morcom, L. (2017). Self-esteem and Cultural Identity in Aboriginal Language Immersion Kindergartners. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, Volume 16(6), 365-380. [Online]. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=65615409-c182-4739-9cdf-629cc7040b23%40redis

Nicholls, C. (2016). Land, kinship and ownership of ‘Dreamings’. The Conversation: Academic rigour, journalistic flair. [Online]. https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-land-kinship-and-ownership-of-dreamings-39637

Ned Lander Media Pty. (2023). About the show. [Online]. https://www.littlejandbigcuz.com.au/about

Pascoe, B., & Horton, D. (2018). The Little Red Yellow Black Book: An Introduction to Indigenous Australia. Aboriginal Studies Press. [Online]. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzIyNjczNDBfX0FO0?sid=1b1e4437-9f60-44ac-8988-c8da0e723af6%40redis&vid=2&format=EB&rid=1

Rose, D. (1996). Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal Views of Landscape and Wilderness. Australian Heritage Commission. [Online]. https://www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au/catholicidentity/index.php/sustainability/sustainability-and-aboriginal-education/91-nourishing-terrains/file

Shay, M., & Oliver, R. (2021). Indigenous education in Australia: Learning and teaching for deadly futures. Taylor and Francis Group.

Stradling, J., & Hall, B. (Executive Producers). (2021). Play School: Walking Together [TV Series]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [Online]. https://iview.abc.net.au/show/play-school-walking-together