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Resource 4: Welcome, by Aunty Joy Murphy AO

Theme: Indigenous Country

https://youtu.be/i9ta1EQJYqE (Australia Day Victoria 2021).

This video resource introduces children to the concept of Country, its history and the importance of the Acknowledgement of Country. Watching the video allows the children to witness and understand how the Indigenous peoples welcome others to their Country, share the resources with them and thrust upon them the responsibility to care of it as it cares of them. Focus area 2.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards stresses the importance of teachers' ability to provide experiences that allow Indigenous and non-Indigenous children to learn about Indigenous peoples culture.

The resource was created in 2021 and authored by Australia Day Victoria, featuring Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Elder Aunty Joy Murphy AO, who welcomes the viewers to the Wurundjeri land, sharing a leaf of Manna Gum and explains the importance of sharing the Country, including its resources and caring for it. The Indigenous peoples have been represented respectfully, and capital letters have been used appropriately. No derogatory names have been used (Madsen et al. 2021:143-145).

The resource provides teachers opportunities to discuss the name of the Country the centre is located on, why the Elder is welcoming us to the Country in the Woiwurrung language and the importance of acknowledging the Country. Focus area 1.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards states that teachers should be mindful of the resources and the content used in the classroom and anticipate its impact on Indigenous students by acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills.

The resource provides teachers with opportunities to discuss the name of the Country and the name of the language spoken on the Country. Outcome 1 of the VEYLDF states that Indigenous children's learning about the Country supports the development of their identity and sense of belonging (DET 2016). Outcome 2 of the VEYLDF states that providing opportunities to learn about the Country helps children understand its values and practices and make connections to it (DET 2016).

The resource provides teachers opportunities to speak about the history of the Country and teach them to respect it, beginning with the Acknowledgement of Country. According to the review by Kowal (2015), Acknowledgement of Country is a pathway to healing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Finally, Blair (2015) states that by doing the Acknowledgement of Country, one is acknowledging the traditional owners, honouring their history, and creating their own connections with the Country.

Reference List: Deakin Harvard Style
AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Australian Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Australia Day Victoria (29 January 2021) ‘Welcome, by Aunty Joy Murphy AO, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elder’ [video], Australia Day Victoria, YouTube, accessed 7 February 2023.

Blair N (2015) ‘Why do we acknowledge Country?’, Independent Education, 45(1):28-29, doi:10.3316/informit.162502272758493

DET (Department of Education) (2016) Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: For all children from birth to eight years, DET, Victoria State Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Kowal E (2015), ‘Welcome to Country: Acknowledgement, belonging and white anti-racism’, Cultural Studies Review, 21(2):173-204, doi: 10.3316/informit.655418894422916

Madsen B, Perkins R and Shay M (2021) ‘Critical selection of curriculum materials: tools for educators’, in Shay M and Oliver R (eds) Indigenous education in Australia: learning and teaching for Deadly futures, Routledge, New York.

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Resource 3: Benny Bungarra’s big bush clean-up

Theme: Indigenous Country

https://youtu.be/Hy8KAqoiBgo (Morgan and Kwaymullina 2019).

This resource is a children's picture book addressing human-made pollution and its impact on the environment in the bushes and living beings in it. According to Fellowes and Oakley (2020), choosing quality picture books is critical for providing children with age-appropriate, authentic and contemporary information. They further emphasize the importance of including books authored/co-authored by Indigenous peoples to create connections with the Country and promote a sense of belonging to it (Fellowes and Oakley 2020).

This resource was created in 2019, making it recent. The author of this resource is Sally Morgan, and the illustrator is Ambelin Kwaymullina, both belonging to the Palyku people of the Pilbara region. There is no direct representation, either in words or pictures of Indigenous peoples in the resource, except for the information on the author and illustrator, which has been done respectfully. No derogatory terms/names were used in the resource, and no sensitivity warning was provided (Madsen et al. 2021:143-145).

The resource has simple and easy-to-understand language with beautiful illustrations to connect with the wordings that allow the teacher to speak about the Country the centre is located on and how to respect and take care of it. Focus area 1.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards states that teachers need to understand the different aspects of the Indigenous culture and its impact on the Indigenous students while planning and implementing lessons in the classroom.

The resource shows the impact of pollution on the environment and suggests ways to reduce it, highlighting one's responsibility in taking care of it. The VEYLDF states that children must be provided with opportunities to understand the interdependence and interconnectedness of human choices in the environment. This will empower them with information to make better choices and help them develop respect towards the environment and everything in it (DET 2016).

The resource provides practical ways to look after the Country providing the teacher with an opportunity to discuss the interdependence between the wellbeing of the Country and Indigenous peoples. Focus area 2.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards highlights the importance of teachers' knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of the Indigenous peoples culture and how to include the content and implement experiences in the classroom respectfully. Additionally, Coff (2021) highlights that the Country to Indigenous peoples is the land and all living and non-living things in it. Research based on a literature review by Sangha, Le Brocque, Costanza and Cadet-James (2015) states that the wellbeing of the Country includes social, economic and cultural wellbeing. Their findings highlight the relationship between the Country and the people through a two-way duty of care system, where the people respect and take care of the Country, and the Country provides the essential resources needed for the people to survive (Sangha et al. 2015).

Reference List: Deakin Harvard Style
AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Australian Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Coff K (2021) ‘Learning on and from Country: teaching by incorporating Indigenous relational worldviews’, in Shay M and Oliver R (eds) Indigenous education in Australia: learning and teaching for Deadly futures, Routledge, New York.

DET (Department of Education) (2016) Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: For all children from birth to eight years, DET, Victoria State Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Fellowes J and Oakley G (2020) Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, Victoria.

Madsen B, Perkins R and Shay M (2021) ‘Critical selection of curriculum materials: tools for educators’, in Shay M and Oliver R (eds) Indigenous education in Australia: learning and teaching for Deadly futures, Routledge, New York.

Morgan S and Kwaymullina A (2019) Benny Bungarra’s big bush clean-up, Magabala Books, Western Australia.

Sangha KK, Le Brocque A, Costanza R and Cadet-James Y (2015) ‘Ecosystems and indigenous well-being: an integrated framework’, Global Ecology and conservation, 4:197-206, doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2015.06.008

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Resource 2: Learning a few words in the Woiwurrung language.

Theme: Indigenous Identity

Preserving the language of Indigenous Victorians (theage.com.au) (Latimore 2021).

This resource can be used as an audio or audio-visual resource to teach children how to pronounce and understand essential words in the Woiwurrung language correctly. Language is at the heart of Aboriginal culture and connects the people to the Country and creates their identity (Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages [VACL] 2014). Thus, teaching words in the Indigenous language will deepen their knowledge about the place they are in and help them understand the interdependence between the Country and the development of Indigenous peoples identity.

The resource was created in 2021, making it current. It features video and audio clips of words taught by Mandy Nicholson, a Wurundjeri woman, for an article by Jack Latimore, a Birpai man, for The Age. Students should have background knowledge of the name of the Country and understand how the Country is made up of language groups to use this resource effectively. The resource uses present-day language and provides the correct Indigenous pronunciation and meaning/importance of the words, along with their corresponding English words. The resource uses appropriate capitals and does not use any derogatory terms. Sensitivity warning and Acknowledgment of Country are not provided in the video. However, the contents have been delivered by a Wurundjeri woman, making them authentic (Madsen et al. 2021:143-145).

Less than half of the spoken Indigenous languages are currently in use, with most being in danger of extinction (VACL 2014). The VEYLDF states that children must be encouraged to learn different languages, especially their mother tongue since it creates opportunities for developing their identity and promotes cultural diversity that leads to social integration (DET 2016). Additionally, according to focus area 2.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards, by creating opportunities for teaching Indigenous language within the classroom, the teacher understands her responsibility in closing the gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Depending on children's learning abilities, the resource can be used either as an audio or video resource. Focus area 1.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards states that teachers must teach the content by providing children with resources that support their learning styles. The resource explains why learning and understanding the language is important and creates opportunities for the teacher to spark conversations about how language is a part of Indigenous peoples identity. The research report by Marmion, Obata and Troy (2014) indicates that learning and using Indigenous language in everyday life supports the development of a sense of identity in Indigenous peoples that impacts their wellbeing. Thus, it is important to learn the language and practice using it in everyday life to keep it alive.

Reference List: Deakin Harvard Style
AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Australian Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

DET (Department of Education) (2016) Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: For all children from birth to eight years, DET, Victoria State Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Latimore B (13 October 2021) ‘‘The embodiment of everything’: Preserving the language of Indigenous Victorians’, The Age, accessed 02 February 2023.

Madsen B, Perkins R and Shay M (2021) ‘Critical selection of curriculum materials: tools for educators’, in Shay M and Oliver R (eds) Indigenous education in Australia: learning and teaching for Deadly futures, Routledge, New York.

Marmion D, Obata K and Troy J (2014) Community, identity, wellbeing: the report of the Second National Indigenous Languages Survey, Indigenous Language Surveys, Australian Government, Canberra.

VACL (Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages) (2014) Nyernila: Listen Continuously, Arts Victoria, Melbourne.

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Resource 1 – Introducing Kinship

Theme: Indigenous Kinship

https://deadlystory.com/page/culture/Life_Lore/Family/Kinship (Reconciliation Australia 2013).

This video resource introduces children to kinship and its meaning and importance in Aboriginal families. According to Early Childhood Australia (ECA) (2019), watching videos along with the teacher's guidance about Indigenous culture helps children to understand the concepts better and allows them to relate to the content and Indigenous peoples. Focus area 2.4 of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) (2011) states that teachers must promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by planning and implementing experiences that best suit the children's learning styles and abilities.

The resource was created in 2013 by Reconciliation Australia and uses present-day representations, simple language and practical illustrations. The Indigenous peoples have been represented in a balanced way, and the images in the video are neutral. The website provides a sensitivity warning along with an Acknowledgement of Country. No Indigenous peoples were photographed, and no derogatory terms/names were used in the resource (Madsen, Perkins and Shay 2021:143-145).

The video highlights the difference between kinship in Aboriginal peoples families and Western families. According to the Ecological Model in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), children must be provided with opportunities to understand the diverse set of cultural traditions, beliefs, values and practices to foster respect for diversity and help them in deepening their connections with peers in the classroom and towards the community (Department of Education and Training [DET] 2016).

The video highlights that Aboriginal families are made of groups of people, not individual people, and are built on the foundation of continuity in relationships. Bourke and Bourke (1995) acknowledge that kinship in Aboriginal families not only determines a person's place in the family system but also defines their identity with others in the system and with people not in the system. Thus, developing children's, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, knowledge and understanding of relationships within the Aboriginal families and its basis in Aboriginal identity is fundamental to the understanding of Indigenous kinship.

Focus area 1.4 of the AITSL (2011) standards stresses the importance of the teacher's ability to apply appropriate teaching techniques to authentically deliver lessons to enhance the learning of the Indigenous children in the classroom. Teaching children about kinship in Aboriginal culture will help them understand the importance of relationships and connections within the Aboriginal culture and how it impacts the identity and behaviour of Aboriginal peoples. This is evident in the study by Perso and Hayward (2015), where they point out that certain behaviours within the Indigenous culture may be misunderstood unless explicitly taught to the children. For example, alternative ways of expressing gratitude through the kinship system than using explicit terms such as thank you.

Reference List: Deakin Harvard Style
AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, AITSL, Australian Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Bourke E and Bourke C (1995) ‘Aboriginal families in Australia’, in Hartley R and Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) (eds) Families and cultural diversity in Australia, Allen & Unwin in association with the Australian Institute of Family Studies, NSW.

DET (Department of Education) (2016) Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework: For all children from birth to eight years, DET, Victoria State Government, accessed 29 January 2023.

Early Childhood Australia (1 August 2019) ‘Exploring Indigenous ways of knowing and being’, Early Childhood Australia’s Blog, accessed 29 January 2023.

Madsen B, Perkins R and Shay M (2021) ‘Critical selection of curriculum materials: tools for educators’, in Shay M and Oliver R (eds) Indigenous education in Australia: learning and teaching for Deadly futures, Routledge, New York.

Perso T and Hayward C (2020) Teaching Indigenous Students: Cultural awareness and classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes, Routledge, New York.

Reconciliation Australia (1 February 2013) Kinship [video], Reconciliation Australia, Deadly Story, accessed 29 January 2023.