1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
From Dead to Deadly
Holy Spirit School
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

2. Traditional Ownership
We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of this land we visit. We respect and are grateful for the wisdom of the Elders – past, present, future, their dedication to their communities and for preserving the knowledge and rich cultural heritage of the natural resources for all.

3. Conversation
What are the rewards and challenges of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures and Histories into our Curriculum?
The Aboriginal flag
Slide 7
Give a description of the meaning of the flags
You can share the following information about the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flags
Torres Strait Islander Flag
The late Bernard Namok designed the Torres Strait Islander flag. The flag stands for the unity and identity of all Torres Strait Islanders. It features three horizontal coloured stripes, with green at the top and bottom, and blue in between, divided by thin black lines. A white dhari (headdress) sits in the centre, with a five-pointed star underneath it. The colour green is for the land, blue represents the sea, and black stands for the people. The white dhari is a symbol of all Torres Strait Islanders, and the five-pointed star represents the island groups. Used in navigation, the star is also an important symbol for the seafaring Torres Strait Islander people. The colour white of the star represents peace. Along with the Aboriginal flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag was also recognised as a ‘flag of Australia’ by the Australian Government in 1995.
Aboriginal Flag
The Aboriginal flag is a very important symbol for Aboriginal people. The flag represents cultural resilience, affirmation and identity. The Aboriginal flag is divided horizontally into equal halves of black (top) and red (bottom), with a yellow circle in the centre. The black symbolizes Aboriginal people and the yellow represents the sun, the constant giver of life. Red depicts the earth and also represents ochre, which is used by Aboriginal people in ceremonies. The flag was designed by Harold Thomas and was first flown at Victoria Square, Adelaide, on National Aborigines Day on 12 July It was used later at the tent embassy in Canberra in Today the flag has been adopted by all Aboriginal groups and is flown or displayed permanently at Aboriginal centres throughout Australia. In 1995 the Aboriginal flag was formally recognised as a ‘flag of Australia’ by the Australian Government.
The Torres Strait Islander flag
EL&QR 2012 3

4. Who are We?

5. HSS PROFILE Holy Spirit School is a large P-7 Catholic Primary School.
Current enrolment is approaching 900 students.
5 Year 5 Classes in 2013
4 Streams at each year level.
3 Curriculum Developers
1 School Counsellor
2 Teachers for Students with Special Needs
3 Learning Support Teachers
1 Technology Teacher
1 Librarian
24 Special Needs Students
35 Students on Personal Learning Plans (PLPs)
66 Students with Individual Learning Plans

6. Australian Curriculum- where?
It is one of the three cross curriculum perspectives

7. Moving from Dead to Deadly…
What are the BIG 5?

8. Moving beyond the BIG 5… Bush tucker Dreaming stories Artefacts
Dot paintings
Comparing lifestyles

9. Organising ideas: Country/Place
Australia has two distinct Indigenous groups, Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place throughout all of Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have unique belief systems and are spiritually connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways.

12. Wulgurukaba
Wulgurukaba means ‘canoe people’. The canoes were made from the corkwood tree as the bark was thick and light. The people lived off the sea for thousands of years. Families would fish, and collect sea shells and other coastal items.

14. Bindal

15. Organising ideas: Culture
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies have many Language Groups.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years and experiences can be viewed through historical, social and political lenses.

16. Culture Wulgurukaba Bindal
There are some important Bindal rock art sites near Townsville which show dreaming stories, native animals (turtle, wallaby and possum).
Rock art in the area also displays symbols of shields and bora rings.
Cultural Heritage items of the Wulgurukaba people include: shell middens, stone tools, art sites and burial sites.
Aboriginal people chipped stone into an axe shape and then sharpened by grinding the edges on sandstone.

17. Cultural Identity Comes from having access to:
Your culture – its institutions, land, language, knowledge, social resources, economic resources.
The institutions of the community (lifestyle) – its codes for living (social and environmental), nutrition, safety, protection of physical, spiritual and emotional integrity of children and families.
Cultural expression and cultural endorsement.
(DEEWR, 2010, p. 22)
Slide 22
EL&QR 2012

18. Organising ideas: People
The broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies encompass a diversity of nations across Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have sophisticated family and kinship structures
Australia acknowledges the significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people locally and globally.

19. Professor Rhonda Craven
University of Western Sydney

20. A Cycle of Learning
Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is a cycle of learning involving:
Understanding of students, community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols and knowledge frameworks
Curriculum, assessment and reporting
School culture and environment
Strong community partnerships #
Title
Text
Suggestions 14
Cycle of Learning
A cycle of learning
Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives is a cycle of learning involving:
Understanding of students, community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols and knowledge frameworks
Understanding languages and appropriate language usage
Curriculum, assessment and reporting
School culture and environment
Strong community partnerships
To embed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective in the curriculum is an ongoing cycle of learning.
The EATSIPS Guidelines will:
• give you some background information
• give you ideas for appropriately embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the classroom
• direct you to many resources and web links that will
assist you in this process.
Refer to the EATSIPS Online professional development modules via this link:
While challenging, it is also a very rewarding process.

21. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander frameworks
Holistic approach to Indigenous studies My Land My Tracks: A framework for the holistic approach to Indigenous studies was developed by Ernie Grant, Dijirabal/Djirrabal Elder and published by the Innisfail and District Education Centre. The holistic approach to learning promotes cross-cultural understanding.

22. Holistic Planning and Teaching Framework My Land My Tracks
Developed by Ernie Grant Dijrabal/Djirrabal Elder from Tully, North Queensland

23. Holistic Planning and Teaching Framework
A local Elder
Historical figure
Artefact e.g. digeridoo
Local area study

24. Cross Curriculum Priorities
BUT… Out of 135 content descriptors across Foundation to 6 Only 31 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Out of 181 content descriptors across 7-10 Only 13 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

25. HSS Curriculum Planning
Prep Unit
Year 2
Year 4
Year 6
Year 3

26. Holistic Planning and Teaching Framework
Schools and school communities are encouraged to find out about their local Indigenous history and stories from their region.
It is important to connect with your local Indigenous community through local families at the school or local Indigenous organisations.
Holistic Planning and Teaching Framework My Land, My Tracks by Uncle Ernie Grant is an excellent resource for doing this.

27. “Take me Home” Gowrie Boys

28. Yarning Circle http://www.theyarningcircle.com/

29. Yarning Circle
Yarning Circle® Creator, Lee Townsend, is an Aboriginal woman born and raised in Blacktown, NSW. During her role with the Commonwealth Employment Services she was involved with young people looking for work. Many of these young people needed assistance in gaining the necessary skills to participate fully in today's modern world. Lee set her heart on giving them that assistance. Making a life-changing decision she redirected her career and joined the Australian Catholic University to study Primary School Teaching.

30. Yarning Circle Student speaks when they have the object Turn taking
Deep listening
Open and honest sharing

31. Yarning Circle

32. Yarning Circle

33. NAIDOC WEEK
Holy Spirit School community sets aside Term 3 Week 2 for NAIDOC celebrations.
We also celebrate other cultural events throughout the year – where appropriate

34. 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning
Tell a story. Make a plan. Think and do. Draw it. Take it outside. Try a new way. Watch first, then do. Share it with others.
This is a pedagogy framework that allows teachers to include Aboriginal perspectives by using Aboriginal learning techniques.
It came from a research project involving DET staff, James Cook University’s School of Indigenous Studies and the Western New South Wales Regional Aboriginal Education Team between 2007 and 2009.

35. Every place, every People, has its own unique pedagogies
Every place, every People, has its own unique pedagogies. These 8 simple ones are merely a starting point for dialogue. Each school engages in a different way, and produces its own unique frameworks for Aboriginal education through dialogue with the community about local ways of doing things.

36. Building Partnerships
Classroom teachers meet with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ parents.
We have meetings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.
The school has made connections with local elders.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community members are involved in activities at our school.

38. Meeting Individual Needs
We track the literacy and numeracy outcomes of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
All our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have Personal Learning Plans. These plans are a result of individual meetings with the child and their family and the class teacher.
PLP Template
PLP Interactive Site

39. Resources 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fact Sheet
Pinterest: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

40. To find out more For more information or resources: