Bailey, Charlie, Tony and Darby with Aunty Colleen's possum skin cloak.
District school children immersed themselves in several elements of First Nations culture as part of belated NAIDOC Week celebrations in Jerilderie last week.
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St Joseph’s Jerilderie hosted about 160 children on Wednesday, with students from St Joseph’s Finley, St Peter’s Coleambally and Sacred Heart Tocumwal joining them.
Leading the day of cultural exploration were Uncle Roland Atkinson and Alan Dowling.
St Joseph’s Jerilderie principal Helene Cahill said the day began with a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, which she said gave the kids the opportunity to take part in an Aboriginal tradition.
“Every child was included in the smoking ceremony,” she said.
“Part of it is about integration with nature, so we collected leaves from the trees nearby.
“Each student took a leaf from the pile and rubbed it between their hands before adding it to the fire, to become part of the ceremony.”
Mrs Cahill was delighted to see the students brought back together after a tough time during COVID restrictions, especially for a cause as worthy as honouring our First Nations people.
“It was a cultural experience,” she said. “I’m in my 50s and had never seen a smoking ceremony.
“For these kids to see it at such a young age, I think, it’s rather special.”
Students were transfixed during the traditional smoking ceremony.
After the smoking ceremony, all students then had the opportunity to be involved in other Aboriginal traditions.
Split into groups, they rotated through various activities such as cooking with bush foods, creating friendship stones to swap with other schools, weaving and traditional style painting on either a pillow case or T-shirt.
Mrs Cahill said the day was important for both faculty and the students.
“All of our schools constantly look at the significance of our First Nations people, but it gives the students the opportunity to have a full day focus on it.
“It also allows them to gain an understanding of what NAIDOC Week is, and to celebrate the culture of others.”
NAIDOC Week is traditionally held in July.
This year it was held from July 3 to 10, with the theme ‘Get up! Stand up! Show up!’, which encourages all of us to champion institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating those who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.
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