Aboriginal Cultural Education Program - day 1

Last Thursday I attended day one of this program that is running in the college.
it is about understanding aboriginal culture, and as a consequence some understanding of their link to the land, each other and the relationships and spirituality that goes to to the make up these people and their country.
from the first it was interesting just how some people saw (or more probably did not see) the importance of The Dreaming stories. Some were very aggressive about showing a distinct lack of understanding and at times an unwillingness to accept was the 2 facilitators were trying to put across. So, as in many things I have attended, it really warmed to being an interesting time watching the reactions to people who appeared not to have been involved with the deeper side of aboriginal culture, and its importance to the very essence of who they are (past, present and future).

To the content: we spent much of the time considering the importance of The Dreaming to the people. Its centrality, and interconnectedness between the people, the land, the law and the lore.
This importance starts to give rise to thoughts about how learning is undertaken and a way of life maintained. Not surprisingly the learning is through stories, public and private. Stories that pass on things like who am i?; why am I here? to how did every thing begin? how do we live in this land and the relationship between all things.

Thought for the day on this: there is a need for a respect for the culture, to acknowledge the importance of The Dreaming. From here the relationship exists.


Book of the day: "Prehistory of Australia" by John Mulvaney and Johan Kumminga; isbn 9781864489507









A web site to consider: Lore of the Land

A thank you to our facilitators: Cheryl and Maxine