Throughout this page you will find my reflections as I journey through the course.

A huge part of my identity is my identity as a mother. My children have diverse ancestries.

They are both fair in complexion, like myself. I hope to raise them with the values I hold myself to - justice, resistance, diversity, and respect. I hope to raise them as children who know the True History of Australia. I hope to raise them explore their identities.

As I raise my two children on Yuggera Country I consider the children who have come before, and those who may come in the future.

I also am reminded of the privilege I have in raising two children who are free from persecution. The privilege I have, by way of my ancestry and identity, of being presumed to be a safe and competent mother by society and by the state.

During my viewing of Lousy Little Sixpence, once story of being stolen stood out to me. The woman sharing this story describes hearing of her mother's response to her removal. Being separated from your child is deeply traumatic.

When my son was born, I had to leave him behind in special care. However, reassured by my White Privilege, I knew he would be returned to me and that if and when I had to advocate or make decisions they would be trusted and followed. I witnessed active and passive racism throughout that time as Aboriginal mothers and babies where overrepresented in the special care unit.

This anecdotal experience is supported by data. In 2022, the year I had my first child, 91% of non-indigenous babies were born at full term, however 86% of First Nations babies where born prematurely (Queensland Health, 2024). Kildea et al (2021) highlight that babies born to First Nations mothers are more likely to be admitted to special care or NICU, and that this statistic has remained relatively static over time.

McGuire (2024) discusses the concept of the "The Imaginary Child" who is in need of saving by the White Man, and the enduring relevance of this concept after Kevin Rudd's apology. I cannot help but consider the relevance to how Inala - the suburb I live in - is viewed given the high Aboriginal population. McGuire (2024) describes a political climate in Australia where Aboriginal children are increasingly removed from their families and countries, and placed into white families - at higher rates even then during the stolen generations. This is of key importance in understanding the cultural context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families I work with who may not feel safe engaging with the institution of Early Childhood Education and Care.

In particular, the librarians discussed the 8 ways framework (Yunkaporta, 2009) and applications for early childhood. This has inspired me to do further research and learning around the 8 ways.

• practising deep listening - seeking and respecting Indigenous knowledges

• caring for Country

• acknowledging Country

• paying the rent - setting aside a portion of my earnings for professional development, donating to community fundraisers, and buying resources from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned businesses

• using my White Privilege to speak out and call out practices and conversations that are inappropriate, tokenistic or racist

• de-centre myself - Allyship is earnt

• tell the truth - not hide history

• promote cultural safety

On reflection I consider the notion of performative allyship. Grapin & Goldie (2024) define performative allyship as being "inauthentic, ill-intended or otherwise superficial". The noisy, yet self centred, reaction of my non-Indigenous peers aligns with this definition. Outcomes of performative allyship include direct psycho-social implications, giving the example of lower-self esteem for members of a marginalised group and socio-political, giving the example of reproducing institutional oppression.

De Souza & Dreher (2021) expand on this topic by asserting that “where sovereignty was never ceded and treaties were never negotiated, a persistent refusal to listen to First Nations forms the foundation of the settler colonial Australian state and haunts contemporary political relations". Listening is fundamental to truth-telling, as evidenced by the recent Yoorook comission in Victoria. Yoorook (2025) found that contemporary issues could be directly and explicitly linked to the impact of colonisation, and that colonisation is an ongoing process. By listening and engaging with the truth, Yoorook has established a series of reccomendations for education based on the inquiry which are part of an ongoing process to negotiate treaty.