Taba Naba Styles is a sit-down song which is from Torres Strait Islands. This song allows children to do traditional movements when they are singing the lyrics (Julie, 2020). This song is performed by the Wiggles and Christine Anu, who is a Torres Strait Islander as well as a well-known pop star in Australia. This performance has the feature of an accurate interpretation of the music, lyrics, and movements. (Burton & McFarland, 2008). 

 

This is a very happy song that allows teachers to have interactions with children. Because Taba Naba is usually a “sit down” dance, I can encourage children to follow the traditional movements by the dancers correspond to the song’s lyrics when watching the video (TSIREC,2021). According to VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority) (2022), foundation students can respond to dance, express what they enjoy, and where and why (VCAA, 2022), so it will be suitable for children aging from 3 to 4. However, the song is sung in the language of Meriam Mir, it is not easy to memorize the lyrics, we can only focus on the tune and dance. 

 

This song describes the everyday activity-- going out to fish near the reef , so I am going to teach this song by introducing the lyrics first.  I will introduce it by storytelling, which means students and I will share information about the topic of fishing, and I will ask students whether they have previously gone fishing with their family before (DET's Bangamalanha Centre, 2009). I will also play the video to the whole class for them to enjoy the melody, learn the movement for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students (2.6, AITSL, 2011). 

 

Taba Naba also expresses how much people love the country because they sang for it with a joyful way. Country is significant, deep and intimate for the Aboriginal people because they are born for it, and their life is given by the country (Rose, 1996, Powell, et al. 2017). People and Country take care of each other (Martin, 2013, cited in Powell, et al, 2017). As a childcare educator, I should understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (AITSL, 2011).

 

The Lost Girl is a book which tells us the story of a little girl.  One day, this little girl walks away from her family and gets lost in the bush. She couldn’t find her way back to her family’s camp. As time goes on, she feels cold, thirsty, tired, and hungry.  Fortunately, she finds food and water in the bush and finally goes back home by following a crow. The pictures in this book are gloriously bright and colourful. This book describes lots of lovely details about the bush and desert landscapes (Fecility, 2020), so it is very suitable for the children aging from 3 to 4 years old. What impressed me most is what the little girl described how her mother- her country offers her and lead her back home (Fecility, 2020).

According to AITSL, 2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to promote reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians (AITSL, 2011), after reading the book, I will have rich conversations with the children and I think it is a good way to help children start to understand the deep relationships between Aboriginal people with their country (Fecility, 2020). Linking it to VCAA (2022), foundation students need to know Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Country/Place on which the school is located and why Country/Place is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and the ways in which they maintain special connections to Country/ Place (VCAA, 2022). 

However, the meaning of Country is more than just providing food to the Aboriginal people or leading their way back home. Instead, it has further meanings. It is not just the physical or natural place, but deeply embedded in the relationships between all living things and their home(Langton, 2002). Human beings don’t own the land but belong to the land (Dudgeon, et al. 2010). Country is also a special social group of the Aboriginal people surrounding all the knowledge, beliefs, stories, culture within that special place—that special Aboriginal land (Fredericks, 2013)

This book describes the everyday life of a little boy called Tom and his life is very different to the life for the children who live in the big cities. Tom lives in a remote area in the Norther Territory, and he shares his life with his 28 cousins, other extended family, his friends and his teacher. This book uses joyful tones and vivid pictures to attract people’s eyes successfully. After reading the book, I can’t help thinking of the life when I was a little child and my unforgettable experience.

 

I will share with Kinder children. I think the children will love it because of its interesting content of the story. This lovely book also allows children to understand something of the diverse ways the Aboriginal people in in Australia. Before sharing the book, I will ask the children what they do in their spare time, such as who they play with, and where they go. As Perso & Hayward (2020) mentioned that when people hear new experience, they have a reflection on it and link it to their experience. After reading it with my children, I will have a discussion with them from plenty of scope. I will ask them whether they have extended family living with them, and who is in their family. According to VCAA (2022), the Victorian Curriculum includes the knowledge and skills students are expected to develop about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders histories and cultures, given their particular and enduring importance and all teachers must follow the relevant protocols when teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. 

 

This book stresses the importance of Kinship and reciprocal relationship in Aboriginal culture. Like what Hartley (1995) contended, the Indigenous people are stuck together because of Aboriginal Kinship and family structure. Instead of mentioning how Aboriginal Kinship arranges each Aboriginal person in connection to every other person in the social groups and decide their behaviours (Dudgeon et al, 2010). This book talks about how happy and loved Tom feels when he has so many relatives, friends and teachers surrounded by him. It means the author thinks the Aboriginal Kinship networks is good to individuals. Kilcullen et al (2022) has the same opinion. He affirms that kinship networks have positive influence on individuals and community.

 

This is a very interesting story which will not happen in real life, but there is a Three Sisters Hills in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. I will show the children the pictures of Three Sisters before reading the story to them. According to Perso & Hayward (2020), people hear new information or experiences, they reflect on it and connect it to their previous experience. Some children may have heard or known about the hills, which will arouse their interests of the story. Also linking it to the AITSL (2011), 2.4, graduate teachers should demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and languages. (AITSL, 2011).

This story mentioned the Great Creator who punished the three sisters and turned them into three hills by magic spell. It reminds me of what Barwick (1974 cited in Hartley, 1995). He asserts that Aboriginal families consider that they are different because of their different values and beliefs. To be aboriginal is to be loyal to a family. The Three Sisters were published because they betrayed the family. Also, this story makes me think of the Dreamings, because we can consider this story as a part of the Dreamings, which is the law of social conduct, for a family member, they need to take care of the children in the family instead of treating family members nastily, otherwise, this person will be punished (Eickelkamp, 2017).  However, the significance of the Dreaming is not often valued by non-Aboriginal people (Sithole et al, 2007). 

Barney, K (2007). Torres Strait Islander Women Performing Contemporary Music. Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures, Volume 1. 

Burton, J. B., & McFarland, A. L. (2008). Multicultural resources. General Music Today, 21(2), 27-31.

 

DET's Bangamalanha Centre. (2009). About 8 ways. Retrieved from https://www.8ways.online/about  

Perso, T., & Hayward, C. (2015). Teaching indigenous students : Cultural awareness and classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes. Taylor & Francis Group.

 

Dudgeon, P., Wright, M., Paradies, Y., Garvey, D., & Walker, I. (2010). The social, cultural and historical context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice, 25-42.

 

Eickelkamp, U. (2017). Finding spirit: Ontological monism in an Australian Aboriginal desert world today. HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory, 7(1), 235-264.

 

Fecility (2020). https://www.bookbaskets.com.au/blog/picture-books-about-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/

Fredericks, B. (2013). “We don’t leave our identities at the city limits”: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in urban localities. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 1, 4–16. 

 

Julie, L. (2020). Preserving Indigenous languages. 

 

Powell, G., McMahon, S., & Jones, D. (2017). Aboriginal voices and inclusivity in Australian land use Country planning. In DesTech 2016: Proceedings of the International Conference on Design and Technology (pp. 30-36). Knowledge E.

 

Perso, T., & Hayward, C. (2015). Teaching indigenous students : Cultural awareness and classroom strategies for improving learning outcomes. Taylor & Francis Group.

 

Robin, L., Robin, K., Camerlenghi, E., Ireland, L., & Ryan‐Colton, E. (2022). How Dreaming and Indigenous ancestral stories are central to nature conservation: Perspectives from Walalkara Indigenous Protected Area, Australia. Ecological Management & Restoration, 23, 43-52.

 

Rose, D. B. (1996). Nourishing terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness. Australian Heritage Commission.

 

Rosemary Sullivan, Dee Huxley. (2008). Tom Tom. Working Title Press – AU. https://www.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEB&search_query=tom+tom+book

 

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

 

TSIREC (Torres Strait Islanders’ Regional Education Council). (2021). Taba Naba. https://www.tsirec.com.au/news/taba-naba

 

Taba Naba. (2017). Kodaly Australia. https://kodaly.org.au/aboriginal-music-and-torres-strait-islander-music-in-the-primary-classroom/taba-naba-3/

 

VCAA (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority). 2022. https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/static/docs/Learning%20about%20Aboriginal%20and%20Torres%20Strait%20Islander%20Histories%20and%20Cultures.pdf

 

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

Wiggles & Christine (2014). [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmAyAbzNBac