Brolga song is an animated story of Gamarrang a young man whose fathers and grandfathers have all passed.  He feels alone and searches for their dreaming body. He asks all the animals and finally in desperation, begs his fathers to show themselves. Two brolgas come to him explaining they carry the spirit of his fathers. 

The story is more appropriate for older children, however, could be used with 3-year-olds if scaffolded well. AITSL focus 2.4 implores teachers to ensure they have a good understanding of kinship, moiety’s, reciprocity and country so that scaffolding in this instance is sound.

The animations in the story are delightful and would engage small children for the duration of the video. Children are able to share aspects of their culture and the importance of reciprocity with the land with their non-indigenous peers, as reflected in VEYLDF outcome 1.3.3. 

The video is a Dhuwa story from Arnhem Land, relating to dreaming bodies and reciprocity (Focus of task) with the land and the animals of the dreaming. Bourke and Bourke (1995) explain that dreaming stories are a philosophy with unique morals and values, containing the ‘rules’ of traditional kinship and principles of reciprocity and responsibility. Aboriginal families see the rocks, trees and waterholes as ancestors from the creation, reciprocity with the land is important, so that ancestral beings remain a part of life (Bourke and Bourke, 1995).  

Kearney (2018) tells of a young Yanyuwa woman who explains that Country can be hard sometimes, the old people (deceased elders and ancestral spirits) watch, and they might get angry and give you nothing when you go hunting. Maintaining relationships with the land, reciprocity, ensures the land returns the favour.

In applying the YARNS tool (Shay and Oliver 2021), it appears the video is a little old, however as Gamarrang himself is speaking the language appears appropriate and it is a great video to demonstrate kinship systems and reciprocity with the land. Children will require some contextual information prior to watching the video to understand some of the spiritual references to dreaming bodies. 

The film is made by Djilpin Aboriginal Arts Corporation telling the story of Victor Hood (Gamarrang) and Gordon Forrest (Balang), with Tom E Lewis as Indigenous consultant. The Authors acknowledge this is a Dhuwa story told in Rembarrnga language in Arnhem Land and recorded at Wugularr community.  The intellectual property is acknowledged as owned by the Dhuwa moiety at Wugularr Community. The representations are Gamarrang’s own story with a historical context, however, are appropriate. The website has a warning about sensitive content; however, this is not present on every story.

Developed by Victorian Aboriginal Council for Languages, the ngulu wurneet, glada-al wurrung-u, parniwaru tyalingi, waran woorroong-ee barringgi dyaling, River of Language virtual tour allows children to stroll around the exhibition, investigating various exhibits of their choice, Yunkaporta (2009) and Harris (1980, 1984)( cited in Perso and Hayward, 2015) found that Aboriginal children are more likely to take risks and learn new things if able to work collaboratively in a group, allowing them to bring their own cultural perspective and realise implications for their own mob.  Children are invited to learn through looking and listening.  Many of the exhibits have narration in Aboriginal dialect enhancing the implementation of AITSL focus 2.4 where children are supported in cultural and linguistic identity, the focus of this task. 

The exhibition tells the story of language.  In the entryway, 44 spears and 4 shields invite you in, the 44 spears represent the 44 Aboriginal dialects of Victoria and ask you to state your purpose as you assemble on the Wominjeka mat.  Small children understand that Wominjeka means state your purpose and this exhibit reinforces this understanding. 

The stories are from all parts of Victoria, enhancing identity, pride and custodianship for all Victorian Aboriginal peoples and educating all children in Victoria’s local history and current society. The stories reflect creator and dreaming stories and educate all with knowledge only Australia’s First Peoples are privy to. The one element of concern is the length of the ‘tour’, it would probably warrant several ‘lessons’ of 3 or 4 exhibits per day when using this with very young children.  

In applying the YARNS tool (Shay and Oliver, 2021) the resource is recent (2019-2020) with credit given to the two Aboriginal Artist co-curators, Vicki Couzens and Brendan Kennedy Tati Tati Wadi Wadi Mutti Mutti, who created the exhibition with VACL and Melbourne Museum. Aboriginal people are portrayed in individual circumstance, establishing identity in individual language groups and tells the stories of where they are from. All 44 language groups of Victoria are portrayed in the exhibition as is everything that makes up Country. Children can identify with the language group of their area, deepening their understanding of Aboriginal culture, both historical and contemporary and further language lessons could follow.   

There is a cultural warning on the site alerting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors of sensitive content. 

The language used is definitely current as the curators endeavour to preserve language and identity in contemporary society, aligning with VEYLDF outcome 1.3.5 where children are encouraged to develop strong foundations in both culture and language without compromising identity.  

The resource will be used on Bunurong Country with 3-year-old preschoolers and may need educator support.

Children’s picture book written by Adam Goodes an Adnyamathanha and Narungga man, and Ellie Lang, Illustrated by David Hardy, a Barkindji man.  

Written in 2021, the book is part of a five-part series titled Welcome to Our Country and acknowledges that it was written on the traditional lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and was published on the lands of the Gadigal clan of the Dharawal Nation. This resource will be used on Bunurong Land with 3-year-old kindergarten students, and for the purpose of this task, will focus on developing an understanding of Country and what that signifies for Aboriginal people. Identifying culture and the differences between prior to, and after white invasion as depicted in the book align with AITSL focus 1.4. 

In applying the YARNS tool (Shay and Oliver, 2021), it is apparent this book is a very recent resource, it demonstrates a delightful depiction of both traditional and contemporary cultural practices, as it attempts to gently educate very young children about Australia’s rich history, (AITSL focus 2.4).  The illustrations depict Aboriginal life prior to the arrival of the white people, comparing practices today’s children might relate to, such as picking berries and sitting together to tell stories, reinforcing that society on Country was thriving, in direct contrast to the invader’s conceptions. It also depicts the fear and confusion experienced by the Aboriginal people as the white man came in and began destroying Country. Shay and Oliver, (2021) explain that the silencing of Indigenous knowledges of Country began with the arrival of the white man and this is obvious to the children, as they began to cut down trees, with the Aboriginal people reduced to looking on in horror. 

The language used is contemporary, appropriate for the targeted audience and together with the detailed illustrations invites conversation, learning and change (VEYLDF 2.2.2), the ultimate goal of the authors. The term Terra Nullius is introduced with repetition and explanation that resonates in the minds of the young children. Price, (2012) suggests that unless we educate all children about Aboriginal ties to Country, we have no foundation to build a nation on.  

Past tense is used in the book to describe society prior to the arrival of the white man, however, concludes with present tense, stressing the point: this is Aboriginal Land and always will be.

The book does depict and describe ‘Aboriginal People’ generally, however in context this is appropriate given the nature of the story and the targeted age level. The particular individuality of the authors is defined in the blurb and adults can convey this to the children in discussion and further lessons.  

Eastern and Central Arrernte dictionary compiled by Veronica Perururle Dobson OA, senior Arrernte person and John Henderson. 

The justification for such a specific resource is a child attending the service who is from Alice springs and whose family speaks Arrernte. Arrernte words are very hard for non-Indigenous folk to read and therefore pronounce, so the verbal pronunciation of the words is invaluable. AITSL focus 2.4 requires teachers to demonstrate a broad knowledge of cultural identity and linguistic background of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and this resource not only supports the child but also the teacher. Identity is the focus of this task.

The website has an introduction in both English and Arrernte and can be used in either direction, making it an invaluable resource in the classroom. The site is easily accessed by children and operation is just as simple. It is the perfect ‘teaching’ tool for very young children eager to learn the language of their Country, or for their peers wanting to understand there are many Aboriginal and Torres Strait languages. It is also an excellent avenue to point out successful Indigenous Australians and what they are doing to preserve Indigenous languages in Australia.  Shay and Oliver (2021) suggest that there are fewer than 70 Indigenous languages still being spoken and although there has been a resurgence to try and revive some of these languages most remain endangered. VEYLDF Outcome 1 – Identity, stresses on several occasions that language contributes to identity. Outcomes 1.3.3, and 1.3.4.

The VAEAI Aboriginal Cultural Protocols state the importance of acknowledging and respecting the Country, culture, history and in this case language, of any student in the service. Armour and Miller, (2021) suggest that for effective teaching and learning of Indigenous students to occur, they need to be supported to show pride in their identity and cultural heritage, language is the perfect avenue for this. 

In applying the YARNS tool (Shay and Oliver, 2021), no date was found for the compilation of the dictionary, however as it is a dictionary, language used is simple words without bias. The dictionary was compiled by Veronica Perrurle Dobson OA, senior Arrernte person who was awarded the Order of Australia in 2011 for service to the preservation of language and culture in Central Australia, and John Henderson, honorary research fellow in linguistics at the university of Western Australia. A range of people from in and around Alice Springs recorded the pronunciation of the Arrernte words and all are acknowledged with profiles on the website, stating where they are from. The dictionary applies verbal clarification of the pronunciation without pictures of the speaker, there is no sensitivity warning.