'I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, Djarra, the people of Dja Dja Wurrung Country, on which we meet today. I would also like to pay my respects to the Elders both past, present and emerging.'

Womindjika (Welcome) to Djandak (Dja Dja Wurrung Country - pronounced Ja-Ja-war-rung)

Country of origin (location within Australia) identifies where someone comes from and their responsibilities to that land.

Country means different things to First Nations people. It includes but is not limited to:

• the lands, waterways and seas to which they are connected

• things that cannot be seen or touched, like knowledge 

• relationships with plants, animals, ancestors  

One finding was that younger Australians are more likely to know who the traditional owners where they live are than older Australians with around 70 % of Australians under 30 agreeing in comparison to less than half agreeing for those over 65.* 

Why do you think this might be the findings?

What First Nation Traditional Country is Bendigo located on?

The City of Greater Bendigo is located on the traditional lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. It is believed Dja Dja Wurrung is the name of the language and Djarra is the name of the Dja Dja Wurrung people.

Djadjawurrung or Dja Dja Wurrung (Pronounced Ja-Ja-war-rung) people (Djaara) are an Aboriginal Australian people who are the Traditional owners of lands in the City of Greater Bendigo region of central Victoria, Australia.

It is important to be aware of the customs and traditions of individual First Nations communities (rather than assume all have the same customs and traditions) because it shows respect for the cultures you’re working with, which can help you build stronger relationships with First Nations people.  

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people don’t see themselves as ‘owning land, animals, plants or nature but rather belonging with these things as equal parts of creation, only taking from the land the resources they need and will use and they understand resources used must be looked after. For example, removing the bark from certain trees (example, red gums to make collamons - bowls, canoes and to make temporary shelters) that did not destroy the trees. *

*Sources  https://www.firstlanguages.org.au/ 

https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia 

Discussion points 

The Gap- Federal Government initiative to close the disadvantage that exists between Indigineous and non-Indigenous Astralians (in for example completing Year 12 and tertiary education, employment or training, life expectancy, income, incarceration rates, appropriate sized housing):'

• As of 30 June 2021, Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) estimates indicate that 984,000 First Nations people were living in Australia, representing 3.8% of the total Australian population. This was an increase of 23% (185,600 people) from the 30 June 2016 estimate of 798,400.

• Research has shown the Northern Territory has the worst economic outcomes for Indigenous people in remote or very remote locations of any state or territory in Australia by some margin. South Australia has the best.  Why might this be?

• In 2018–19, the Indigenous employment rate was highest in Major Cities (around 59 per cent) and lowest in Very Remote areas (around 35 per cent).

• First Nations people are most disadvantaged in remote areas: higher rates of household overcrowding than those in non-remote areas. In 2021, the proportion of First Nations people living in appropriately sized housing ranged from 88% in Major cities to 45% in Very remote areas.

• According to 2021 ABS Estimated Resident Population, over 34% of First Nations people (340,000 people) lived in New South Wales and 28% (273,000 people) in Queensland. The Northern Territory had the highest proportion of First Nations residents among its population in 2021– about 31% (76,500 people) 

Sources: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/profile-of-indigenous-australians

https://www.cis.org.au/publication/the-territory-gap/

Australia is made up of many different tribes with different land areas.  Traditionally, tribes that wanted to pass through another tribe's country needed permission to do so and had to be welcomed through. 

When permission was granted the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. Visitors had to respect the rules of the land owner group while on their Country. 

Today, while these protocols have been adapted to present circumstances, the elements remain: welcoming visitors and respect for Country. 

These ceremonies are usually held at the start of an event and can vary from speeches of welcome to traditional dance and singing and smoking ceremonies, depending on the particular culture of the Traditional Custodians.*

Source * https://www.reconciliation.org.au/acknowledgement-of-country-and-welcome-to-country/

Unlike a Welcome to Country, an Acknowledgment usually simply involves a speech. Scott Kneebone, a Bangerang man based in Canberra, has found an easy way to explain the difference between the two.

'A Welcome to Country' is like if you're hosting a birthday: you do a welcome and say thank you for coming to my birthday.

'And an Acknowledgement of Country is like if you're a guest at the birthday where you would say thank you for having me.'

A welcome is more of an obligation — it's to protect your guest physically and in a spiritual sense as well. 

An Acknowledgment is an obligation to respect the people's land and water you are on. 

'First Nation people have been experiencing exclusion, discrimination and oppression for so long. Aboriginal people weren't even classed as human beings not so long ago, so being recognised as the true custodians of the land with an Acknowledgement shows we've come a long way.'

*Excerpt: https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/why-acknowledgement-of-country-is-important-and-how-to-give-one/11881902 

However, Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter said the use of the acknowledgment was “totally unnecessary”.

“It should only be used where appropriate such as a citizenship ceremony,” Mr Hunter said.

“When too many people use it very lightly it devalues our ceremonial programs – it’s condescending.”

ACU social scientist Dr Anthony Dillon said the Acknowledgement of Country on prime time TV was a “tipping point”.

“While I don’t outright oppose it, I’m definitely not a fan of it,” Dr Dillon said.

“It’s become oversaturated, just like the warnings for Indigenous viewers on some stations that warn there could be images of deceased persons – it’s only applicable to very few people.” *

What is your view?

Extension: You can read the full story and view the video clip here.

You can also read a further article 'Use of Acknowledgement of Country gone too far,' which discusses Coles Acknowledgement of Country addition to their receipts in 2022 here to help further inform your own opinion on this issue. 

Extract: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/tv-shows-labelled-condescending-for-acknowledgement-of-country/news-story/5c08428ea0983ffc1403fc3f9d87473e

For some, English will be a second language particularly those who live remotely. They also have a history of powerlessness, disadvantage and discrimination. These things must be acknowledged and accommodated when providing health and community services. 

Indigenous Australians have a history that is different from that of mainstream Australia and their historical values, beliefs and cultural expectations are quite unique. 

Service providers need to understand how Indigenous people see themselves and why they see themselves as they do. We must understand the problems associated with the past in order to move into the future.

All of Australia's Aboriginals had their own territory (refer back to the Map of Indigenous Australia.) These territories or 'traditional lands' were defined by geographic boundaries such as rivers, lakes and mountains. They understood and cared for their different environments, and adapted to them. ‘Mother Earth’ provided all that was needed for survival. 

DJA DJA Wurrung Time (Seasons)

Seasons are a western idea that relates to the weather changes over the year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter). The Australian First Nations view of the world are that seasons are in fact TIME and are based on the availability of resources. Native animals and plants provide visual indicators and weather events (fog, lightning, wind directional changes) provide other indicators signifying the cool season- the best time to travel on Country and gather tools to make hunting tools.

The following is Natasha carter's (Dja Dja Wurrung artist) interpretations of Dja Dja time (seasons) directly related to country.

Time: 

Dec to March: Baramul (Emu) and Milakuk (lightning)

April: Murnong (Yam Daisy) and Dgaari (Black Duck)

May - June: Wai-Kalk (Wattle) - For many first nations peoples, the blossoming of certain flowers indicates the right time to collect bushfoods for food and medicinal purposes

July - Aug: Wanyarra (Water) and Gurri (Kangaroo)

Sept - Oct: Boyn (Bread) 

Nov - Dec: Giranul (Perch) and Wirrap (Cod) 

One of the reasons Aboriginal cultures have survived for so long is their ability to adapt and change over time. It was this understanding of their surroundings that goes a long way to explaining how Aboriginal people survived for so many thousands of years. *

Traditionally under the kinship system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, you can have many mother's, father's, brother's, sisters, uncles and aunties who are not related by blood. 

This is different from the traditional western understanding of blood relationships where for example, an auntie or uncle is your mother and father's sister and brother and their children would be considered your cousins.  

Kinship represents who a person is in their family group (clan or tribal group). 

A person's position in the kinship system determines their relationships and obligations to family and community including roles in caring for children, how wealth is distributed and how business is carried out. *

Family members often share responsibilities for raising children, with aunts and uncles often seen as mothers and fathers and cousins are treated just like brothers and sisters.  Aboriginal households will often have up to 20 people, without a single person having sole decision-making. However Aboriginal families will have a nominated person that will make decisions. When communicating with families it is important to ask who speaks for the family, showing respect in communications. 

Kinship (relationships) also determined who you were allowed to marry, how funerals were conducted and how you behaved on a daily basis. 

Traditional kinship structures remain important to many Indigenous communities today especially those who live in very remote areas (example, Northern Territory outstations). Aboriginal people get things done according to their kinship (responsibilities and obligations) and family structures.

Activity: Watch the kinship video above for a further explanation.

*Extract https://www.deadlystory.com/page/culture/Life_Lore/Family/Kinship 

Dreaming stories tell how the ancestors came to Earth and created land, trees, rocks, water holes and animals. There are sacred sites where these ancestral spirits remain. The people have a duty to protect and preserve these places and have done so for thousands of years.

When the British arrived in 1788 they called the country “Terra Nullius” = belonging to no-one. No treaty or agreement was entered into with the Indigenous occupants and their land was violently taken over by white settlers. For 200 years mainstream law recognised no Indigenous right to land until the Mabo decision in 1992 where the High Court of Australia recognised that Indigenous people occupied Australia for tens of thousands of years before the British arrived in 1788. *

Source*https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/mabo-decision#:~:text=On%203%20June%201992%20the,existed%20for%20all%20Indigenous%20people

However many of these languages were lost due to government polices up until the 1970s banning and discouraging Aboriginal people from speaking their languages which also impacted these being taught to young children. The Stolen Generation was one such policy. Sometimes Aboriginal people also thought that their traditional language would hold their children back so they wouldn't use it.

As much of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and identity has been passed down orally (spoken) it is important these languages are preserved and revitalised because being able to pass on language to future generations is central to keeping language, identity and culture strong. *

Traditional Languages

Of the 812,728 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people counted in the 2021 Census, 91.4 per cent identified as Aboriginal, 4.2 per cent identified as Torres Strait Islander, and 4.4 per cent identified as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. 

The 2021 Census found in the five years since the 2016 Census more traditional languages were being reported as being spoken at home by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (up from 159 to 167) though the overall percentage of people speaking traditional languages is still just under 10 % (9.7 %). 

About 61% of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in the NT speak their language at home. There are more than 20 ‘healthy’ languages being spoken in the Northern Territory, meaning they are being learnt by children. * However this is not the case across the nation.  

In fact, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional languages are endangered. The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) 2018-19 survey found, only 12 relatively strong traditional languages in use out of about 250 and two new languages. *

The importance of traditional languages:

According to the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) 2018–19 survey there are at least 31 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language varieties being reawakened by communities in Australia. This is encouraging when you consider:

• Indigenous people who don’t speak English as a first language (example, those First Nations people living very remotely) face pressure to switch to speaking English only (even though elsewhere in the world multiple languages are common which provide many advantages).

• Interpreters and translations are often not available, or only available for serious court cases and serious medical problems

• Schools mostly operate in English which can be alienating.* 

First Languages maintenance and revival processes can be recognised as important acts of reconciliation. Research indicates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who speak First Languages are more likely to: 

• Attend school, gain a post-school qualification, have improved physical and emotional health and be employed

Supporting Languages

'Wominjeka'.

It may still be an unfamiliar word to many people but for the Dja Dja Wurrung people and for the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of Melbourne, for thousands of years it has been the common greeting of 'Hello / Welcome.'

The Victorian government began an Aboriginal Languages in Schools program in 2011. This has seen the number of students studying Indigenous languages increase greatly from 23 to 1867 in 2019, with 14 state schools and 160 kindergartens involved. 

The ABC has increased its daily use of Indigenous languages and includes Aboriginal names for cities and towns in its news programs. 

Other organisations are taking it upon themselves to incorporate Aboriginal language and names. The national law firm Maurice Blackburn now lists the address of its head office as La Trobe Street, Naarm/Melbourne 

The Federal Labor Government (2022) has committed $14 million to bring First Nations language teachers to around 60 schools with First Nation communities part of decision-making at every step.   

Indigenous people who speak English or a new Indigenous language as their first language often want to learn and reawaken their heritage language from old recordings and documents, and sometimes from elderly speakers.

You will notice many Firsts Nations words around our region such as Ulumbarra (meaning 'gather together.)

Think-Pair-Share: 

1. What other First Nation words have you been introduced to in this area of study already? Scroll back up or look in your BOOKLET.

2. What other First Nation words and their meanings can you think of that are around the Bendigo region?

Did you know?

The Labor state government in Victoria has declared that First Nations language names will be used for all new state schools and campuses from 2025 onwards. The new policy was announced in 2023, with then Education Minister Natalie Hutchins saying the move aimed to ensure “the history, culture and languages of Victoria’s First Peoples are strongly embedded in our education system”.

In Victoria so far, six new schools in Victoria in 2025 have all been given Indigenous names, replacing interim names relating to the geographical location of the school. For example, Barayip Primary School in Tarneit - Melbourne (interim name was Riverdale North Primary School). Barayip (pronounced ba-ray-ip) is a Bunurong word meaning spring.

While to some people this push to increase the knowledge and use of Aboriginal language does little to address the gap in health, education and disadvantage experienced by First Nation people, it is also argued that making a commitment to learning some Aboriginal language is a very real way in which all Australians can start to celebrate our rich Indigenous history and culture and be something we can all be proud of as being uniquely Australian. * What do you think?

As a class watch 'The value of First Languages' video clip above to see first hand the value of first languages. 

Sources *https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ra-letstalk-factsheet-languages_final.pdf 

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/education

https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/language/loss-of-aboriginal-languages 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/wominjeka-melbourne-why-we-need-to-teach-kids-first-nations-languages-20220605-p5ar5n.html

https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/current-projects/third-national-indigenous-languages-survey https://theconversation.com/the-state-of-australias-indigenous-languages-and-how-we-can-help-people-speak-them-more-often-109662 

People can be supported to learn and revive languages through the hundreds of languages and dialects that are geographically located on the map. These connect users to learning centres and quick tutorials with traditional language speakers. 

Co-creator Melinda Holden says, 'the map has sparked an interest to engage in Aboriginal culture including among schools.' 

The map gives Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities control over the way their languages are publicly represented through spelling and videos clips of 'language legends' who share their knowledge.  It is a means to display and promote the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages to the wider community, creating awareness and understanding.

Excerpt: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-09/australia-talks-naidoc-your-country-traditional-owners/100262578

Source * https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-31/learn-the-name-of-the-indigenous-language-of-the-land-you-live/12252006  

Dreaming stories of Djandak (Country) explain the creation of the land and how Dja Dja Wurrung people evolved. Bunjil, the Wedge Tailed Eagle is the creator and helps us to understand our connections to each other through his law. Mindi, the giant serpent, is his enforcer implementing the laws and ceremonies that ensure the continuation of life. Each place on Dja Dja Wurrung Country is known and valued, has a name and a song, and this is embedded in the landscape along with Murrup – spirits imprinted on the water, birds, plants, animals, rocks, mountains and ancestral spirits. 

'Dja Dja Wurrung people continue to perform ceremonies to honour each of the spirits and traditional rites, ‘Welcome to Country’ being one example. 

'Our songs and stories tell us of how the world was and how it should be, and we feel a moral responsibility to care for our Country as it binds us to the past, present and future. Our ancestors looked after this Country and we are duty bound to look after it for the next generation.'

We feel an affinity (understanding) with the land when we’re on Dja Dja Wurrung Country; the ancestor’s spirit is in the rock, the tree, within the earth and sometimes in the wind and rain clouds. We maintain this strong physical relationship with Dja Dja Wurrung Country by continuing to use it, look after it and by using its natural resources.

The passing down of traditional knowledge is a way to transmit Dja Dja Wurrung cultural heritage to the younger generations and it is how we have maintained our cultural identity over the passage of time. This practice is the primary responsibility of Dja Dja Wurrung men and women. We teach stories  the correct way to engage with Country and the importance of revisiting places as a way of connecting with our spirituality and culture.

'We teach our young ones how to scar trees, take bark, carve and decorate. We take them camping and teach them about where and how to harvest medicinal plants, find grubs and the best places to go hunting and fishing. We only use the land in a way that will make provision for future needs. We use natural resources by making traditional objects and artefacts, fishing, hunting and gathering and using plants for medicinal purposes.'*

Dja Dja Wurrung Territory

Dja Dja Wurrung territory extends from Mount Franklin and the towns of Creswick and Daylesford in the southeast to Castlemaine, Maldon and Bendigo in the east, Boort in the north, Donald in the northwest, to Navarre Hill and Mount Avoca marking the south west boundary. It includes the Bendigo and Clunes goldfields and the Loddon and Avoca river watersheds. 

Hundreds of years ago, Country was mostly covered in open forests and woodlands, providing the plants and animals used for food, medicine, shelter and customary practices. Today, though Country is vastly changed, it still holds many important values.

The Box Ironbark forests don’t occur anywhere else. Important tucker and medicine species can still be found across our Country – eels, mussels, crays and fish like Murray Cod and yellow belly are in our rivers. Emu, goanna, possum, kangaroo, wallaby and rabbit have been sustainably used on this Country for thousands of years and continue to be important to us. We use local plants like lomandra, saltbush, nardoo, cumbuji, wattle, red gum and chocolate lilies.*

*Sources https://djadjawurrung.com.au/ 

Excerpt *(http://www.djadjawurrung.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Dja-Dja-Wurrung-Country-Plan.pdf ) 

People are engaging with the Census as a way to tell our story of cultural survival,' Troy, the director of Indigenous research at The University of Sydney, said.

'It’s very encouraging to see that people are no longer feeling suppressed or afraid to identify as Aboriginal. I think what the Census is reflecting now are the real demographics of the nation and that’s a wonderful thing.'*

However, First Nations communities across Australia are struggling to cope with an influx of people who are not known or recognised by the people they claim to belong to, a number of senior First Nations community leaders have warned. They say fake claims can cause serious consequences. You can read more about this here.

Source * https://www.smh.com.au/national/25-per-cent-jump-in-people-identifying-as-indigenous-splits-community-leaders-20220702-p5ayjp.html

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/article/community-leaders-warn-many-who-claim-to-be-indigenous-could-be-fakes/bc6c8bneg

Reconciliation involves strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People have long called for truth-telling about Australia's history. Reconciliation Australia Chief executive Officer (CEO) Karen Mundine believes, 'before Australia could really move on we have to know what we're moving on from.' 

This involves truth-telling which refers to a process of sharing historical truths after periods of conflict or severe human rights violations. The idea is that by revealing the full extent of injustices committed against Indigenous people, wider society can fully come to terms with history and move towards true reconciliation. 

'Truth-telling is essential to build a shared understanding of our history and of the relationship between non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as it stands today,' she said. 'This is the necessary foundation for us to move forward together. This lack of shared understanding of history is a source of ongoing trauma for many Australians and a roadblock to reconciliation.'*

Truth-telling can occur at interpersonal (between people), local, state, national and international levels. 

National Level

The Australian Federal Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd's official apology to the Stolen Generation in 2008 is one example of truth-telling at the national level.  

What Happened and Why? (trigger warning)

The forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was part of the policy of assimilation, which was based on the assumption that the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would be improved if they became part of white society. It proposed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be allowed to “die out” through a process of natural elimination, or, where possible, assimilated (adapted, to fit in) into the white community.

Children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and white parentage were particularly vulnerable to removal because authorities thought the children could be assimilated more easily into the white community due to their lighter skin colour.

Most children taken from their parents were completely cut off from their families, were taught to reject their Indigenous culture and were forced to adopt white culture. Their names were often changed, and many were forbidden from speaking traditional languages. Some children were adopted and fostered out to white families, many were placed in institutions where they were at risk of abuse and neglect and some were used as cheap labour and servants for white families.   

First Nations people who were removed were left with lifelong trauma and were not treated as equal to other Australians.

The Impact 

The Stolen Generations have had devastating impacts for the people who were forcibly removed as children, their parents and families, and their descendants.

All three of these groups experience high rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and poor health and socioeconomic outcomes. 

Stolen Generations survivors, their families and descendants have experienced greater disadvantage than both non-Indigenous Australians and other First Nations people who were not removed. For the people who were taken as children: 

• Many were emotionally, physically, and sexually abused while living in state care and/or with their adoptive families, leading to lifelong trauma.

• Efforts to make stolen children reject their culture often created a sense of shame about being of Indigenous heritage. This resulted in a disconnection from culture, and an inability to pass culture on to their children.

• Many children were wrongly told that their parents were abusive, had died or had abandoned them. Many never knew where they had been taken from or who their biological families were.

• Living conditions in the institutions were highly controlled, and children were frequently punished harshly.

• The children generally received a very low level of education, as they were expected to work as manual labourers and domestic servants. This has had lifelong economic implications and means many who are now parents are unable to assist their children with schoolwork and education.

For the parents and family members of children who were taken:

• Many parents never recovered from the grief of having their children removed.

• Some parents couldn’t go on living without their children, while others turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism.

• Many siblings were separated. Many First Nations people are still searching for their parents and siblings.

For the descendants (children, grandchildren) of members of the Stolen Generations:

• The removal of several generations of children severely disrupted the passing on of Indigenous cultures, and therefore  many cultural knowledges have been lost or lay dormant (asleep).

• Many are still experiencing intergenerational trauma that results when the effects of trauma are passed down to the next generation.*

*Excerpt taken from https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/stolen-generations 

7.2.1.1 Kevin Rudd's Apology to the Stolen Generation

Watch the Prime Minister's apology to the stolen generation from February 13, 2008 'Sorry Day.'

The Australian Prime Minister at the time, Kevin Rudd addresses the Australian House of Representatives, formally apologising to ​Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations for previous government programs responsible for removing children from Aboriginal families, known as the 'stolen generations.' 

The Emotional Cost

Exemption Certificates came at an emotional cost. 

In exchange for an Exemption Certificate, exempted Aboriginal people were under immense pressure to give up their language, their identity by not being allowed to practice their culture and give up their ties to kin (family). This is because once granted Aboriginal people were not allowed back on the mission or reserves of land where their family lived (missions, reserves and stations were reserves of land to which Aboriginal people were forcibly relocated.) 

Imagine the heartbreak of walking past family members in public and ignoring them as it they were complete strangers because exemption meant not associating with Aboriginal people. 

Many people considered that this system, and the need to show the documents regularly to police, insulted their dignity (self worth) so referred to the certificates as 'dog tags'. Others saw potential benefits of exemption. They accepted the hefty personal cost of compliance and carried a card.  

This policy has had traumatic impacts that continue today.*

Judi Wickes’ grandparents chose to be exempt, and the impacts are still felt by Aunty Judi and her family.

'How sad I am that the knowledge which could have passed down through my family to our current generation is lost. It is a dreadful shame that both my grandparents took that knowledge to their graves. It is the silencing of the past and the invisibility of it all that I find most hurtful, especially when others can talk about their language, customs, land and culture.'*

Excerpt: https://aiatsis.gov.au/whats-new/news/untold-stories-aboriginal-exemption-policy-revealed-new-book 

Myall Creek Massacre Memorial - What happened? (Trigger Warning)

On the 18th December 1838, seven men were publicly hanged at the Sydney Jail. They were the first British people to be executed for killing Aboriginal people. The Myall Creek Massacre (brutal killing) was not the first or the last massacre of Aboriginal people in Australia, but the NSW Supreme Court trials that followed the massacre set a precedent (meaning lower courts had to follow this first of its kind higher court ruling.) However, attitudes towards such massacres took longer to change.

Gamilaraay elder, Uncle Lyall Munro, 2013:

The Myall Creek Massacre Supreme Court trials were the first place white man's justice done some good. Right across Australia, there were massacres. What makes Myall Creek real is that people were hanged, see. That was the difference." *

While today it is acknowledged that the First Peoples of Australia have deep connections to their country, the often brutal ways in which they were removed from their homelands during colonisation are not.

The Myall Creek memorial site, which opened in June 2000, is important because through the Memorial site it observes a massacre that is an example of this otherwise unspoken conflict.

The memorial site is also important because it has been set up by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in acknowledgement of our difficult, shared history. 

Every year on the Sunday of the June long weekend, hundreds of people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, gather at the site to attend an annual memorial service.

Descendants (children, grandchildren) of the victims and survivors, as well as descendants of those who carried out the massacre, come together to remember and reflect on past cruelty, and to express shared aims for the future.*

*Excerpt:  https://www.reconciliation.org.au/truth-telling-and-reconciliation/ 

Aboriginal heroes in early years of colonisation the focus of research project on truth telling 

A new research project at Ballarat's Federation University is collating stories of Aboriginal heroism during the early years of British occupation.  Led by historian Fred Cahir, the project is uncovering hundreds of stories of Aboriginal people saving the lives of settlers. 

Dr Cahir said it was important to recognise these instances of 'Aboriginal heroic acts'. 

'Generally speaking, most Australians feel that Aboriginal people had no role in the development of Australia as a nation,' he said.

'Clearly the research indicates they had an integral role in saving us from bushfire, from floods, tracking our lost children, our lost stock — indeed, we relied on Aboriginal expertise and skill.'

One such example was a flood that hit Gundagai (NSW) in the 1850s. 

Remembered as one of the most destructive floods in Australian history, were it not for two Wiradjuri (wee-rah-joo r-ee) men the tragedy would have been much worse.

'A third of the population were drowned and a third of the population were saved by two Aboriginal men in their stringy bark canoe,' Dr Cahir said.

Truth Telling

Dr Cahir hopes stories like these will give non-Indigenous Australians a chance to celebrate the many instances settler lives were saved by Aboriginal people. 

He said it was the first time an in-depth study of heroic actions by Aboriginal people had been attempted. 

'Part of the truth telling is not just about the violence inflicted on Aboriginal people, but I think an important part of the truth and reconciliation is revealing the integral role Aboriginal people played in Australia's development,' he said. 

Last year the Victoria government announced it would support a truth and justice commission into the ongoing impact of colonisation on Aboriginal communities.* 

Commemorate

Once complete the research will be presented in the form of a documentary film, a book and a digital map. 

Dr Cahir stated, 'I think there's been a lot of debate in the past couple of years about whether to tear down statues of Captain Cook, for example,' he said. My personal opinion is rather than tearing down those statues, that we leave them up to commemorate those non-Indigenous folk but also erect new statues that commemorate the Aboriginal heroes.' *

*Excerpt taken from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-09/aboriginal-heroes-history-research-federation-university/100197642 

Boer War 

The Second Boer War, also known as the Boer War, the Anglo-Boer War or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics over the Empire's influence in Southern Africa from 1899 to 1902.

It has taken 120 years to find out, but the first First Nation soldier to die on overseas service for Australia has finally been identified. Private Walter Joseph Parker was one of 10 Indigenous men to enlist for service in the Boer War in 1901.*

Extension Activity: Read the article taken from The Age on July 7th 2022 below for more information about the role of Firsts Nation Australians in supporting our nation in the early years. 

Source * https://www.theage.com.au/national/first-indigenous-soldier-to-die-overseas-serving-australia-identified-20220706-p5azfm.html

7.2.3.4 Events and Issues Impacting Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander People

Learning more about our nation’s shared history between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians can help you answer this question for yourself.

Racism can be very obvious or it may be subtle.  Racism can take many forms like jokes or comments that cause offence or hurt, sometimes unintentionally; name calling or verbal abuse; harassment or intimidation or commentary in the media or online that inflames hostility towards certain groups. At its most serious, racism can result in acts of physical abuse and violence. 

Racism can directly or indirectly exclude people from accessing services or participating in employment, education, sport and social activities. 

Racism can be institutionalised which means it is set  in the policy of an organisation. An example of institutionalised racism was the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families (Stolen Generations) and the forced closure of some Aboriginal communities. 

It is often shown through unconscious bias or prejudice (discussed in our unit on Diversity). *

We need to understand racism before we can identify what changes we need to make in a workplace to make it culturally safe for everyone. Usually racism comes from the dominant culture towards a minority group – but this is not always the case.

In Australia middle class European values are the dominant culture. It can be very hard for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children growing up trying to navigate two worlds/cultures continually being made to feel that their identity is less valuable than the dominant culture. Those who do not grow up experiencing racism often:

a. Don’t recognise it

b. Dismiss it as trivial and don’t see its potential for damage

Source * Australian Human Rights Commission, National Anti-Racism Strategy,  July 2012, page 4

During the warm up before the game, St Kilda’s Gilbert McAdam – who was about to play his first game at Victoria Park – and Nicky Winmar were racially abused from spectators leading them to decide that something had to change – that they would take a stand and not let the abuse get to them and instead let it fuel them to win. McAdam grabbed Winmar and said, 'Bro, we have to do something today. We have got to make a statement. We'll show this mob, we'll make them quiet today.'

St Kilda came out the winners and Winmar and McAdam were named ‘best on ground’. 

At the end of the game when the siren went off, Nicky Winmar was standing near the Collingwood cheer squad where some spectators angry with the outcome of the game continued to yell verbal abuse in Winmar's direction. Winmar raised his hands in victory toward the hostile spectators, lifted his jumper, pointing to his skin and said the words that Australians around the nation related to: 'I'm black and I'm proud to be black.'

An editorial in The Age later read: 'There is no place for racism in football and the AFL must do everything in it's power to make sure players and if possible, spectators understand this.'

The AFL responded by saying it would make on-field racial abuse a punishable offence. But it took another two years when in 1995, Essendon great Michael Long made the AFL honour its word by calling for action after he was racially abused on-field by Collingwood's Damian Monkhurst during a drawn ANZAC Day game against Collingwood in 1995. Long made an official complaint to the AFL.

Not long after, the AFL introduced its ground breaking Racial Vilification Policy (meaning banning racial hatred occuring in public) on 30th June 1995 which was an Australian first with other Australian sporting and overseas codes going on to do the same.  

It was the first time racial abuse was officially banned in a sport and sent a strong message about the AFL wanting to stand up against racism and make this a punishable offence for participants who engaged in this vilification ('Participant' includes a player, spectator, umpire, employee, volunteer.) 

The policy was amended in 2013 to include vilification (abuse) relating to disability, appearance and sexuality. It applies to both the Australian Football League (AFL) and Australian Football League's Women's (AFLW) competitions as well as being adopted by community leagues around the country.

Despite the AFL's efforts in stamping out racism there remains a need to educate as racism within the AFL and other sporting codes still exists with many incidents occurring most recently in 2021 and 2022. 

In 2014/15 ‘AFL great’ and ‘Australian of the Year’ Adam Goodes made a stand against racist remarks directed at him firstly by a young 12 year old spectator and then by Eddie McGuire (President of Collingwood Football Club). When racist attitudes and behaviours go unchecked a culture of racism becomes entrenched.

Source * www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/nicky-winmars-stand 

Watch the videos on this issue.

Cultural safety involve actions that recognise, respect and value a person's unique cultural identity while safely supporting their needs, expectations and rights.  It involves working from the cultural perspective of the other person not just from your own perspective. 

Cultural safety includes understanding the local Aboriginal community; it's history and goals. As community service workers we must understand who we are working with to help them achieve their goals. 

Visual signs of cultural safety are important such as artworks, sacred spaces, Acknowledgement of Country, artefacts such as traditional stone tools and boomerangs and and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. Visual signs are important because having nothing visual would convey a message that culture isn't important enough to be acknowledged, meaning a person may not feel acknowledged. However visual signs are just one part of cultural safety. 

Cultural safety also includes respecting beliefs such as organising and rescheduling for example, appointments around any 'Sorry Business.' When there is a death within Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander culture, protocols will mean that the community attend funerals and the bereavement business that follows and in some cases this may mean several weeks of what is referred to as 'Sorry Business.' 

Why is cultural safety important?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience greater illness and social disadvantage in comparison to non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience higher levels of racism and discrimination. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is a source of strength, happiness, identity and confidence, which has a positive impact on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

To improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, health service provision needs to be responsive to cultural differences and the impacts of conscious and unconscious racism. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to access and will experience better outcomes from services that are respectful, open to ongoing learning and demonstrations of culturally safe places. 

In the same way, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care professionals including medical students and doctors are more likely to stay in learning and working environments that promote cultural safety. *

Source: * https://www.aida.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Cultural-Safety-Factsheet_08092015.docx.pdf 

Multicultural issues we are to be aware of to make a service culturally appropriate include:

• Concept of time and the use of time

• Communication – eye contact is not polite, body language, Yes might mean No

• Birth rituals / birth control

• Blood transfusions

• Child care, extended family, aged care

• Humour

• Concepts of healing and care

• Disability/ rehabilitation

• Appropriate behaviour for a sick person

• Preferred GP gender

• Attitudes to nudity

• Confidentiality and privacy

• Preparedness for death/ death rituals/ Sorry business

• Taboos and expectations regarding the deceased

• Food – preferences / taboos

• Religious and spiritual observances

7.4.1 Models of Cultural Safety

In the following videos you will find both suggestions on developing ways to improve cultural safety and models of cultural safety in community services organisations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  

Click on the following videos and hold a class discussion

During Reconciliation Week, Professor Jack Beetson, first Indigenous Australian to be inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame and Executive Director of Literacy for Life Foundation, often gets asked, 'How can we make a difference?' and he believes 'the answer is adult literacy. 

Mr Beetson says, 'more than half of all Aboriginal adults have low level literacy. It's critically important because adults who have low literacy in English are making decisions for young people. A parent's level of education is one of the most critical factors influencing how well a child does at school. The children of people with low level literacy become the next generation of adults with low literacy. There are exceptions of course, but the evidence is overwhelming. The best gift you can give an Aboriginal child is a literate mother. 

When you can't read and write the challenges keep compounding. The majority of people in our communities are struggling to read dosage information on medicines, they can't get a drivers licence and it can be difficult to get a job, more and more services are going online and as a result people with low literacy are being left behind.' 

Often students have a simple aim - "to read to our kids."

The  Literacy for Life Foundation led by Jack Beetson has helped over 280 Aboriginal adults improve their English language literacy through local people and their communities control. Research published by Literacy for Life Foundation has found Aboriginal participation in the Literacy for Life Foundation has seen a drop in serious criminal offences committed. *

Extension: You can read more about the Literacy for Life Foundation here

Source * https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-03/aboriginal-australians-literacy-community-led-programs-changing/101120900

NAIDOC Week National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee 

What is NAIDOC Week in Australia?

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Koori is a term referring to an Aboriginal person from Victoria or New South Wales.*  

We cannot assume that an Aboriginal person who is living in Victoria or New South Wales is a Koori. It is better to use more general terms such as Aboriginal people or Indigenous Australians.*

Sources *http://www.indigenousteaching.com/glossary-terms 

https://www.deadlystory.com/page/tools/Legal/The_Children_s_Koori_Court 

https://www.countycourt.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/news-listing/2023-07-27-new-koori-court-bendigo

How does the Koori Court operate?

In a mainstream court case the Judge or Magistrate sits at the bench, the lawyers sit at the bar table and the accused person sits either in the dock or in the public seating behind their lawyer. In the Koori Court everyone sits around an oval table. At the table in Koori Court you would find:

• the Judge or Magistrate;

• the Elders or Respected Persons, one sitting on either side of the Judge or Magistrate;

• The Koori person;

• a family member of the young person or a support person;

• a police prosecutor;

• lawyer, youth justice representative

In the Koori Court the accused will have the opportunity to speak for themselves. Other people in the courtroom, such as family and community members, can also have a say.

To have your case dealt with in the Children's Koori Court you must:

• be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander;

• want to go to the Koori Court;

• not be charged with a sex offence; and

• plead guilty to your offence, or have been found guilty of your offence. 

How is it different?

The Koori Magistrates, County and Koori Children's Court have been developed to address the over-representation of Koori people in the criminal justice system. The Koori Court is less formal and avoids technical language, using plan language. 

By involving the Koori community in the court process through the participation of Elders and Respected Persons the Koori Court aims to reduce offending behaviour and reduce the number of Koori people being sentenced. 

The sentencing outcomes in the Koori Court are the same as in mainstream criminal cases but the court process is different. There are three stages.

1.The conversation begins with an Acknowledgement of country and the judge explains to the accused that the court respects Aboriginal people and culture and that the room has been smoked.

2.The judge, elders and respected persons, the accused, the legal practitioner for the accused, prosecutor, Koori Court Officer, Corrections Officer and the family/support of the accused sit around a table. All participants are introduced and explain their role. The participants discuss the offending behaviour.

3.The usual sentencing procedures are followed. The procedure is formal with the Judge sitting alone at the bench to deliver the sentence. This process reinforces to the accused and other participants that the judge is the ultimate decision-maker. Sentencing can often occur on another day, depending on the complexities of the case.

Aboriginal Elders or respected persons may give cultural advice to help the magistrate make a judgement that:

• is culturally appropriate

• helps reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

The Elders or Respected Persons may talk to the person about their circumstances and why they are in court. It is not the role of the Elders or Respected Persons to decide on the outcome of the case. Only the Judge or Magistrate makes the sentencing decision.*

Source *https://www.mcv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-10/Koori%20Court%20-%20Information%20for%20legal%20representatives%20brochure.pdf

Historically the words protection and intervention have not been associated with positive outcomes for Aboriginal people, even where the actions of individuals offering these services may have been well intended. There is an understandable mistrust of people who offer services based on protection and intervention. 

Some reasons for this mistrust stem from European colonisation and the subsequent forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families and communities, resulting in the Stolen Generation. Removing children from their families was official government policy in Australia until 1969. Taking children from their families was one of the most devastating practices of white settlement and for many Aboriginal people the impact of this practice is still felt today.

There are a number of other underlying social issues faced by Aboriginal families that impact on the issue of mistrust such as power differences and a lack of Aboriginal people in decision-making positions in government.

Having said this, policies and programs are being put in place that are committed to change these feelings of mistrust. However, this is something that is going to take time. 

For example, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) will lead the response to child protection reports from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, as part of an Australian-first pilot led by the Victorian Labor Government. 

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) have been selected to undertake the trial of Aboriginal led child protection investigations.

Under the $11.6 million pilot, the Aboriginal-led teams will provide tailored and culturally minded approaches to investigations alongside child protection workers.

It will aim to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children in care, by prioritising self-determination and facilitating Aboriginal models of care.*

Source * https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-organisations-lead-child-protection-support 

Compared to other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience varied outcomes related to health, education, employment and housing to name a few. This is often referred to as the 'Gap.' 

The close the 'Gap' initiative is one where all Australian governments are working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their communities, organisations and businesses, to implement the  National Agreement on Closing the Gap at the national, state and territory and local level.  Closing the Gap in health and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians, in education, employment and housing. 

You can read more about this here.

*Source https://www.closingthegap.gov.au/ 

7.5.1 Personal Communication

The following personal communication differences and suggestions are a guide to communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Source *https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/151923/communicating.pdf 

In Australia, middleclass European values are the ___________ culture. It can be very hard for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children growing up straddling two worlds/cultures, it can make them feel that their Aboriginal identity is less valuable than the ___________ culture.

Cultural safety relates to how people that are not from the dominant/mainstream culture can feel unsafe. Dominant society can be _____________ and ______________ to a point where that person feels threatened. The environment may be uncomfortable and conflicting and result in inadequate service provision.

Schools, hospitals and other community services need to be made culturally _____________ so they do not offend the sensitivities of Indigenous people or other cultural _____________